Cape Town - The City’s Safety and Security directorate has rolled out its biggest technology-driven policing equipment that will enable officers to record incidents as they happen while also streaming live videos to the control rooms for enhanced situational awareness of critical incidents.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said 800 officers would now be equipped with body cameras and about 300 vehicles with dashboard cameras.
This initiative involving CCTV, dash and bodycams, aerial surveillance, drones, gunshot detection tech and digital systems to co-ordinate it all, known as Emergency Policing Incident Command amounts to R860 million over the next three years.
The City’s R860m+ safety tech investment includes:
- R118.4m on CCTV,
- R118m on Dash and bodycams,
- R109m for Aerial surveillance, R22m on drones,
- R10m on gunshot location tech, and
- R442m on Licence Plate Recognition, EPIC digital coordination, radios, comms systems, IT and network upgrades.
The body cameras are designed to record just like broadcasting or streaming, meaning poor connectivity won’t be a stumbling block. Videos that are not claimed as evidence within 30 days will be deleted.
As much as the body cameras will be visible for everyone to see, officers are to declare their names and that the interaction between them and the suspects is being recorded in any case.
In a case of someone besides law-enforcement officers requiring the footage for any reason including laying a charge against the officer or using the information as evidence in court, there’s an existing protocol for public access.
Just like for the CCTV footage, one can access information applications in the City, which takes up to 30 days.
“Today, we are taking the next step forward in our investment in safety and technology to make Cape Town safer for everyone.
“With this rollout, we are showing our commitment that we are going to invest in technology, gunshot location technology, eye in the sky, drone tech and much else besides, that overtime it’s really going to work together in a compound effect to make our City much safer for everyone,” Hill-Lewis said.
“In the next couple of years, this technology will be standard across our safety services to make Cape Town safer. The 'dashcams' are equipped with Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology so that officers will be alerted to wanted vehicles and outstanding warrants instantly in their vehicles.
“These devices are used widely around the world and have shown tremendous success. This is the first time they are being deployed at this scale for a government agency in South Africa.”
Today we take our next big step forward in technology to make Cape Town safer:
— Geordin Hill-Lewis (@geordinhl) August 30, 2023
👮♂️ Body cameras for 800 officers, rest next year
🚔 Dash-cams for 300 vehicles, ANPR enabled, and more vehicles next year
📡 Live streaming always for digital evidence management
Results, soon! pic.twitter.com/mWm1cwONQo
Mayco safety and security member JP Smith said the City was learning about best practices from international experts through webinars and in-person workshops.
“We’ve been impressed with the successes of the Automated Number Plate Recognition pilot in identifying stolen vehicles, those involved in criminal activities, and motorists with outstanding warrants.
“The full rollout of an in-Vehicle Camera solution will now enable officers to record evidence of incidents as they happen, while also streaming live video to the control rooms for enhanced situational awareness of critical incidents.
“Digital evidence is vital in the prosecution of offenders, and we are expecting the body worn cameras on officers to provide crucial footage that can be used in court, ensuring a higher rate of successful convictions,” Smith said.
“Bodycams will also enhance officer safety by increasing situational awareness and serving as a deterrent to potential perpetrators of assault on officers.
“The cameras will also act as a safeguard for the public and city staff, particularly in situations where claims are made against officers, helping to maintain transparency and accountability thanks to independent footage that can be viewed in court.
“Now with this additional form of evidence, courts can instantly rule on matters, having to now only rely on a ‘single version of the truth.’ In turn, this will greatly impact the prosecution process and conviction rate of matters brought to trial,” Smith said.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police, Thames Valley Police, the Bavarian Police, Fairfax County Police and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department have all provided expertise to assist the City.
City manager Lungelo Mbandezayo said the efforts made by the City rolling out the technology helped build the economy of the Western Cape.
“All this technology is geared towards building that because no investors and tourists will come to a place where they are not safe.”
