Durban - Crime-fighting efforts by eThekwini Metro Police have received a major boost following a decision by the municipal manager to give the unit control of the city’s safety and security cameras.
Councillors in the city yesterday welcomed the move but stressed that it was important for the cameras to be functioning.
City manager Musa Mbhele took a decision last month to move control of the city cameras from the disaster unit to Metro Police in an effort to strengthen their fight against crime.
Metro Police deputy head Sbonelo Mchunu said the cameras would help officers to monitor and prosecute by-law infringements and respond to criminal incidents and accidents quickly.
He said that plans were put in place after the decision was taken to work with Crime Intelligence/State Security Agency to profile certain people of interest and monitor their turf.
“Accident hot spots such as Sandile Thusi and M4 North and M4 South, and the ‘whoonga park’ interchange where motorists are harassed by drug addicts, are some of the areas where Metro Police will use this city asset,” he said.
He said that the technology would also come in handy in dealing with offending retailers and food outlets that persistently dumped waste.
“The Mercury” understands that placing the cameras under the disaster unit had led to delays in responding to crime as officials in the centre had to call Metro Police or the SAPS to respond and by the time those law-enforcement agents reached the scene, it would be “cold”.
“The (decision) means that Metro Police can spot criminal activity as it happens and dispatch their officials and this also means that there will be a clear ‘chain’ of evidence of the crime which will ensure a conviction in court.
“Now our guys will be watching the cameras, and if they spot a crime in progress they will be able to quickly alert the units in the vicinity to respond.”
Mchunu said that it was not clear how many of the cameras were functional, adding that getting all of them ready was the first step towards implementing the smart policing plan.
“At the moment we will be using what we have before we move to acquire smart cameras,” said Mchunu speaking about the smart technology that the city was planning on deploying which would cost close to R300 million.
IFP councillor Mdu Nkosi said as long as the move would benefit the community, they supported the decision.
“There have been many complaints that the cameras are not working and not helping the residents, as long as this will improve crime fighting and benefit the residents we support it.”
DA councillor Thabani Mthethwa said what was most important was that there were as many cameras as possible and there were enough people to monitor them. “We have been raising the issue of the cameras for some time as there were complaints that many of them were not working,” he said.
ANC councillor Nkosenhle Madlala said the rationale behind the move was to further enhance the city’s fight against crime and it came after senior SAPS officers had engaged the city in this regard.
“This is also going to assist in the successful prosecution of suspects who are caught on our cameras committing crime. With the move of the cameras to Metro Police, the police will be able to monitor public areas directly and respond speedily.”