The installation and monitoring of four state-of-the-art cameras is a small step in the right direction for the latest suburb to make it onto the City’s CCTV footprint.
The City of Cape Town’s Metro Police Strategic Surveillance Unit (SSU) has launched yet another satellite CCTV control room – this time in Muizenberg.
It comes less than a month after a similar launch in Ocean View.
Four cameras, two of which are pan to tilt zoom devices, and two license plate recognition cameras, will be monitored from the control room situated at the Muizenberg Traffic Centre.
The camera feeds will be monitored by Neighbourhood Watch members and Law Enforcement Auxiliary members, who will be able to raise the alarm in the event that any incidents are detected.
The footage obtained from the cameras will also, where required, prove valuable for investigation purposes.
‘We are hoping that, with the rollout of fibre, we will be able to link this control room to the Strategic Surveillance Unit’s central operations centre in future. For the moment, however, the local control room and initial camera rollout is a start for the Muizenberg area, and a potentially valuable tool in improving public safety, but also assisting with traffic management and other matters,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
The cameras were paid for with ward allocation funding, at a cost of just over R300 000.
‘These camera installations are meant to enhance safety in Muizenberg, not only for residents, but also for the thousands of visitors to its shores each year. I believe it is a worthwhile undertaking and based on the impact of the initial installations, we might look to expand the rollout in future. However, we are also looking at potentially linking non-City cameras to the control room and increasing the CCTV footprint in that manner,’ said Ward Councillor, Aimee Kuhl.