Langa had two camera installations in 2016 and is set to get yet another camera in the new financial year, courtesy of a near R15 million investment in CCTV technology.
The City of Cape Town is expanding its closed-circuit television reach in Langa.
Today the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security; and Social Services, Alderman JP Smith, assessed the functionality and impact of two cameras that went live in August last year, at a cost of R1,2 million. The cameras, situated along Washington Street, are the first within the heart of Langa and augment three others that have been monitoring the major routes abutting the suburb for several years.
Yet another camera will be rolled out later this year, courtesy of ward allocation funding.
‘The cameras are an investment in the community’s safety, but they also form part of efforts to raise Langa’s profile as a tourism hub. We’ve invested a lot in the revitalisation of the cultural precinct in the area and the more visitors we can drive to Langa, the greater the economic and social benefits to the community,’ said Alderman Smith.
The additional camera planned for Langa is one of 36 ward allocation-sponsored CCTV installations in the next 12 months, valued at just over R5, 3 million. Licence plate recognition cameras will be installed in Hout Bay, Sea Point, the Bo-Kaap, and Mowbray, while 29 CCTV installations will be done in various wards/areas.
‘I’m enthused by the number of ward councillors who have started investing ward allocation funding in safeguarding their communities. The Safety and Security Directorate simply doesn’t have the funding to roll out CCTV cameras at a rate that would satisfy everyone, so the ward allocations are a welcome boost to our efforts to build a safer Cape Town for all,’ added Alderman Smith.
In addition to the ward allocation projects, the Metro Police Department’s Strategic Surveillance Unit (SSU) will also spend R9, 5 million on installations in Kraaifontein, Wallacedene, Kewtown and Bokmakierie in Athlone. The SSU currently monitors a network of 564 cameras across the city. The planned installations will increase the network of cameras to more than 600.
The continued investment in CCTV is critical to a number of the transformational priorities set out in the City’s Organisational Development and Transformation Plan. Not only does it aid efforts to ensure excellence in basic service delivery by detecting potential incidents that require attention, but it also ensures safer communities.
For the quarter January to March 2017, the CCTV system detected 3 065 incidents. Of these, just over 30% were criminal in nature and resulted in 72 arrests.