The City’s Metro Police Department’s comprehensive CCTV network has proven to be effective in detecting criminal activity. CCTV footage has led to the successful arrests of 160 suspects since July 2020. These arrests were made on a range of charges which included, breaking and entering, theft, possession of drugs, possession of an illegal fire arm, extortion, attempted hijacking, driving under the influence of alcohol and cable theft.
The City’s Metro Police Department manages 819 CCTV cameras throughout the metropole on a 24-hour basis. Highly trained officers in the control room are just as important as officers on patrol in combatting crime. Officers monitoring the live camera feeds know what to look for and communicate the information to patrol vehicles. Footage from these cameras assists officers with the successful apprehension of suspects. It also helps officers identify locations that require further investigation in terms of anti-social behaviour. This, in turn, helps to prevent transgressions ranging from minor incidents to serious criminal conduct.
‘The use of the advanced CCTV technology assists our enforcement agencies in their response time and in terms of apprehending suspects. Video footage is also used to provide much-needed evidence in criminal cases and our Metro Police Department works closely with the South African Police Service in arresting suspects and with investigations. When the CCTV Control room identifies a possible anti-social or criminal activity, they immediately inform officers on patrol. It has often happened that due to this quick response, criminal acts are prevented before they happen, ’ said the Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
The following monthly arrests were as a direct result of CCTV surveillance. All arrests are registered with the South African Police Service.
| Month of Offence | Total |
| July 2020 | 27 |
| August 2020 | 42 |
| September 2020 | 16 |
| October 2020 | 23 |
| November 2020 | 23 |
| December 2020 | 15 |
| January 2021 | 14 |
| TOTAL CCTV ARRESTS | 160 |
‘Looking at the amount of arrests, one should take into consideration the impact that the Covid-19 alert levels had, such as limited movement and curfew hours, which caused a decrease in the amount of arrests affected,
The recent increase of land invasions and violent protests that have also hit the City, has also seen an increase in arrests for public violence and illegal protest marches. Our surveillance teams have monitored groupings and identified people damaging City infrastructure that led to the successful arrests of 18 people in August 2020. Evidence from footage collected was used in the successful conviction of some of the protesters during this period.
‘Real time footage from these cameras also assist with vital information on crime pattern analyses and valuable intelligence gathering. The gathering of forensic data is of paramount importance in the successful prosecution of criminals. Our officers, together with other enforcement agencies are doing duty on the streets and arrest suspects through the advanced technology of surveillance. It’s up to the South African Police Service to conduct proper investigations and the criminal justice systems to prosecute successfully,’ said Alderman Smith.