Municipality works to get CCTV cameras operational in the city’s centre

THE eThekwini Municipality has recently released a statement stating it is well on its way to achieving its goal of ensuring that all Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in the inner-city are working by the end of November. In addition to this, the City also plans to set up an operational control room at the Boscombe Place Metro Police Station, near the beachfront, to strengthen smart policing in the city’s centre.

This follows an oversight visit to assess the project by eThekwini deputy mayor Councillor Zandile Myeni, together with Security and Emergency Committee members, on Monday, November 13.

“Repairs of surveillance cameras in the city centre formed part of Phase 1 of the project. The rollout of Phase 2 will cover all regions in eThekwini. There are also 15 new sites that have been identified as hotspots where new cameras will be installed as part of the second phase. In a bid to strengthen smart policing, an operational control room will be set up at the Boscombe Place Metro Police Station, near the beachfront, where all surveillance cameras along the promenade will be monitored from the station. The delegation walked around the city centre to inspect the functionality of the cameras that have been repaired,” said the City in their statement.

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Councillor Zandile Myeni said that after the Disaster Management Unit presented a detailed plan of action to fix the cameras to the Safety and Security Services Committee recently, they wanted to gauge the progress of the project first-hand.

“We are satisfied with the progress and how the City is moving into smart policing,” said Myeni.

She said the plan to fix defective outdoor surveillance cameras is part of the City’s concerted effort to ensure the safety of residents and tourists.

“This major repair and upgrade in technology will go a long way in enhancing the City’s ability to detect crime before it occurs, as well as maintaining law and order,” she added.

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Entrance and exit points in the city have been prioritised to ensure there are no escape routes. The metro police, together with the South African Police Service, are working together to curb crime in and around the city centre through the surveillance cameras.

To complement these efforts, the City has also increased the number of visible law enforcement officers deployed to crime hotspots. This includes township areas which also have active police stations.

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