Protecting residents against crime
LINDEN - Licence plate recognition a better way for a safer community.
The American District Telegraph (ADT) has created a new crime fighting system. The system is called the licence plate recognition.
If a vehicle that has been involved in crime activity, passes through one of the eight cameras that have already been installed, the licence plate recognition technology “will send a message to the control room and the police and neighbourhood watch will be on it,” according to the Linden neighbourhood watch operations manager Fareed Hoosen.
According to ADT’s community development manager Kerwyn Fortune, “the technology is considered to be the most advanced in the country”.
This may be considered true compared to the more conventional methods in which suburbs protect themselves from crime.
One of the common ways is having a security guard on the street. These guards often have street “houses” made of wood and they keep watch over the street.
A guard at a complex gate is another common way of protecting residents against criminals. Sometimes these guards do not have vehicles at close proximity to chase after criminals and sometimes they do not have gun power to better protect residents if need be.
“It is difficult to know if a driver of a vehicle is a criminal or has been involved in a crime,” said Mpho Serongoane, a security guard at Wild Fig business park, in Honeydew.
According to Serongoane if there is a camera that could recognise a vehicle which has been involved in crime, before it enters the gate of the complex, criminal incidents might be less and they (guards) will be able to do their jobs better.
A community neighbourhood watch is also a common and efficient method to keep watch over residents. The neighbourhood watch patrols around the community at night and ensure that no criminals are in the area.
However, licence plate recognition technology, maybe safely considered as the best method so far because it picks up on all suspicious vehicles and those that have been positively identified as being involved in crime. ADT, the police, neighbourhood watch and the community are all involved in this crime fighting system.
Details: Kerwyn Fortune 086 121 2400.
