Police deploy CCTV in KZN crime hotspots to track down criminals

National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola says CCTV cameras have been rolled out in crime hotspots KwaMashu and Inanda in KwaZulu-Natal.

South African Police Service (SAPS) top brass Parliament’s Police Portfolio Committee on using technology in crime fighting and modernising the Central Firearm Register.

Masemola highlights plans for an integrated system with facial recognition to track criminals.

“So the aim is to integrate all municipal and road infrastructure, RTMC systems, to link all cameras and implement facial recognition. We have seen, especially cameras on big national and farm roads, they are quite good, we have made arrests because of those cameras, they are quite valuable.”

Police say they are making progress in introducing technology in their crime-fighting efforts.

Head of Technology Management Service at SAPS, General Edith Mavundla says among others, drones have been introduced in crime-fighting operations.

“Remotely piloted aircraft, that we have, although not many, do provide aerial surveillance during large events or rescue operations, reduce risk of officers covering dangerous or inaccessible areas as well.”

Concern

The Central Firearms Register has been a concern for a number of years, as some members of the committee, Diane Kohler Barnard and Sharon Letlaphe recall, “This has gone on for at least 15 years, its a death trap, files stacked to the ceiling, rats running around, birds lice, people paying out of pocket for fumigating their own offices. You know, in SA it’s the easiest thing to get a gun. and it ends up in the wrong hands. must look at the process of acquiring a gun in SA. Look beyond just competency and accreditation and giving a person a licence.”

Major General Maropeng Mamotheti, responsible for this division, says while they have made progress, the situation remains largely the same.

“So we cleared the space, but I must say, because we are using paper, time and again we will have those papers coming in. and the problem is only solved with this system we are looking forward to implementing in the new financial year. I can confirm we are still in the building but managing things well in terms of the challenges we have faced.”

Committee chairperson, Ian Cameron, complemented SAPS on progress made with regard to using technology, saying it’s a force multiplier that can beef up crime-fighting efforts.