The City of Cape Town’s law enforcement officers are steadily being equipped with body worn cameras and in-vehicle cameras with Automated Number Plate (ANPR) technology.

This roll-out is the first of its kind in South Africa and forms part of the City’s R860m safety technology investment over the next three years to make Cape Town safer.

Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis trialled the techology during a demonstration in Goodwood on Wednesday 30 August. The MMC for Safety and Security JP Smith joined the mayor.

The City will equip 800 officers with bodycams and install 290 in-vehicle dashboard mounted cameras or ‘dashcams’ this financial year.

Hill-Lewis says in the next couple of years, this technology will be standard across the City’s 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.

Cape Town’s overall tech investment amounts to R860m over the next three years, including CCTV, dash and bodycams, aerial surveillance, drones, gunshot detection tech, and the master digital system to coordinate it all – known as EPIC.

Smith says they’ve seen impressive results with 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.

He says bodycams will also enhance officer safety by increasing situational awareness and serving as a deterrent to potential perpetrators of assault on officers.

The aim is to keep on gradually rolling out this advanced equipment to help with the apprehension and conviction of offenders and enhance overall safety in Cape Town.

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