The City of Cape Town is combining gunshot detection technology and drones to pinpoint gun violence flare-ups and rapidly deploy policing resources.

Acoustic gunshot detection systems went live in Hanover Park in December, Manenberg in February, and most recently in Lavender Hill since March, with more to come.

Around 35 firearms and 400 rounds of ammunition have already been taken off the streets, resulting in 50 arrests in these areas in a short space of time.

The City is now investing around R860 million over three years in technology to make Cape Town safer, from CCTV, to drones, dashcams, aerial surveillance, acoustic gunshot detection, and the master digital system to coordinate it all in real-time – known as EPIC.

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Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says the technology is being installed in consultation with the South African Police Services (SAPS).

Gunshot detection: How it works

The technology – known as SoundThinking (formerly ShotSpotter) – identifies the sound of gunfire, giving law enforcement authorities the ability to immediately pinpoint territorial battles erupting between rival gangs.

This means real-time information, enabling authorities to concentrate resources into stabilising an area a lot faster.

Gunshots can be pinpointed by street, block, day and time of day, generating heat maps and measurable data on gun violence trends over time. Automatic gunfire can also be specifically detected, upping the chances of taking these deadly weapons off the streets.

Hill-Lewis says the City is integrating gunfire audio alerts into its digital rapid-response system – known as EPIC – to coordinate multi-agency responses to violent incidents together with SAPS.

Over time, the City will also be phasing in aerial surveillance – including drones – as an additional ‘eye in the sky’ to the audio alerts provided by the gunshot detection technology.

Gang violence trends

In Hanover Park, which went live first, there were 127 gunshot alerts in December 2022 (460 rounds fired). From January to April 2023, there were 60 – 74 monthly gunshot detections.

The technology went live in Manenberg on 1 February, with 65 alerts during that month (129 shots fired). April saw an increase, with 139 alerts and 303 shots fired.

In Lavender Hill, there were 40 detections in March, with 75 rounds fired, while April saw a slight increase – 123 rounds fired from 53 alerts.

Over this past weekend, JP Smith reported the technology captured hundreds of gunshots: