Letter to the editor
Image: CCN image
Yusuf Mohamed, Ward 57 councillor
I have received plenty of queries on the installation of security cameras for Ward 57. Encompassing Observatory, parts of Rosebank, Salt River, Woodstock, University Estate and Walmer Estate, Ward 57 is 11.3sq kilometres. This is a particularly large geographical area to police.
In recent years, our ward has seen a consistent effort for installing additional cameras to monitor and deter criminal behaviour, as safety and security stakeholders can’t physically be everywhere all the time. To the extent that Ward 57 now has more cameras than any other ward in the City of Cape Town with the exclusion of the Cape Town City Bowl.
The deployment of these cameras reflects a significant investment in the community’s safety infrastructure. In total encompassing 58 cameras including CCTV, pan tilt and zoom cameras, static CCTV cameras and License Plate Recognition (LPR) cameras installed and monitored by the City’s Fusion Centre. Additionally to the City’s investment, other stakeholders similarly continue to invest in this technology to great success. Stakeholders like our Neighbourhood Watches, security companies and Community Improvement Districts.
It is safe to say that the ward is almost saturated with a vast camera network. The successes of these cameras have led to the apprehension of suspects, be it for theft, robbery, drug dealing, aiding SAPS investigations and assistance with emergency response to life-threatening incidences. The cameras are also used during drug enforcement operations giving the officers on the ground situational awareness as they go about their duties.
The City’s Safety and Security Directorate also continues to roll out body-worn cameras on staff and LPR and dashcam in vehicles. All this adds to leveraging technology to assist law enforcement agencies in gathering evidence, protecting residents and the officers during interactions with the public.
Another question that is commonly asked is, where are these cameras? Well, that is information that I will not disclose to the public for risk of criminals determining the blind spots in the network.
It is safe to say that with all these stakeholders and technologies combined we have an effective infrastructure in place and as technology advances so will our efforts to make residents of the ward safer.