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There are some 240 CCTV cameras in the inner city, which have led to the arrests of hundreds of criminals and so boosted safety and security.
CRIME in the Johannesburg city centre could soon have a short lifespan, thanks to the City's extensive closed circuit television (CCTV) surveillance camera operation.
Since the inception of the operation, more than 46 000 incidents have been closely monitored, with an average of about 260 arrests made each day.
Spokesperson for the JMPD, Inspector Edna Mamonyane
Speaking at a press briefing, Inspector Edna Mamonyane, the spokesperson for the Johannesburg metro police department (JMPD) said the City wanted to assure visitors and tourists, as well as city dwellers, that the CCTV camera operation was effective and that there was no need to fear for safety while in the Johannesburg CBD.
"A lot of foreign media have been calling me to enquire about safety and security in Johannesburg; how safe is [Joburg] and if we are ready for 2010," said Mamonyane, explaining the reason for the press briefing, on Thursday, 3 December.
She said the CCTV network was effective in combating crime in the city centre and had since inception successfully helped the police apprehend hundreds of criminals. "The JMPD [does] have undercover officers who are just dressed in jeans, takkies and torn T-shirts, and some of the successes were made by them because crime perpetrators were unsuspecting."
Hundreds of incidents are captured daily by the cameras, including petty crime, service delivery issues and the violation of traffic laws and City by-laws. About 240 cameras are already installed and operational in strategic spots, including Braamfontein, Doornfontein, Joubert Park and Yeoville. An extra 40 plain clothes JMPD and South African Police Service (SAPS) personnel man the streets 24/7.
Effective
Since the start of the operation, safety and security had been given a major boost and the surveillance cameras were proving to be highly effective in combating crime, Mamonyane emphasised.
Since December 2007, the SAPS, metro police and other private security personnel have arrested hundreds of criminals involved in bag snatching, pick pocketing, cellphone theft, assault, robbery, and smash and grab attacks.
Video footage shown to the media at the briefing revealed the effectiveness of the operation. Incidents had been spotted on camera, alerting police of a crime scene, which subsequently lead to the successful arrest of criminals in matters of minutes.
Fighting crime in the Joburg city centre: police commissioner Ngwako Mashao
Ngwako Mashao, the Johannesburg central police station commissioner, said the success of the operation was partly because of the collaboration between the two law enforcement outfits, the JMPD and the SAPS. "We have ensured that we have more members on the ground that responds to reports. There is no way we will allow criminals to take our city. We will make sure that with the valuable resources that we have, we are going to drive [criminals] out."
The surveillance system was effective in enhancing safety efforts in the city, and also in tackling all sorts of crime, from car hijackings and vandalism, to smash and grabs and by-law infringements, Mashao noted.
Hi-tech
The hi-tech system is managed by Omega Risk Solutions, a private security company that runs its nerve centre with 85 fully trained operators who work concertedly with law enforcers. This hub has more than 10 plasma screens, one metre by half-a-metre in size that monitor about 15 cameras each, with one person operating the desk.
There are about 23 operators per shift, each working 12 hours at a stretch, with an allowance of one hour on the monitor followed by a two-hour break to increase concentration levels and avoid fatigue. "We need our people to remain vigilant and attentive all the time in order to spot crimes effectively. That is why we give them so much time to rest and recuperate," said Mamonyane.
Criminals who plied their trade in the city centre were closely monitored on a 24/7 basis, and each time a camera spotted an incident, the police were alerted immediately, she added.
Through the use of the CCTV cameras, Joburg plans to continue bolstering safety and security in the inner city and preventing petty crime. The operation is part of its Safety and Security Strategy, which entails combating all crime in Johannesburg. The primary focus is to improve the quality of life and personal safety of all people.
Mamonyane said Joburg was considering expanding its CCTV camera network in a bid to alleviate crime in other areas around the central business district, and eliminate criminal's and vagrant's hideouts.
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