Pressure mounts for surveillance cameras in crime hotspot areas
The collapse of the proposed surveillance camera project has prompted some residents in Wentworth to install private CCTV cameras.
THE surge in criminal activity in Wentworth has prompted the community to call for the installation of CCTV cameras in hotspot areas to help deter crime.
Ward 68 councillor Aubrey Snyman said the issue was addressed at a recent Community Policing Forum (CPF) meeting.
“The municipality, in conjunction with the police and the Safer Cities initiative, was supposed to identify strategic locations for the installation and positioning of surveillance cameras. They were also meant to repair or replace existing faulty cameras. Unfortunately, the project never materialised,” said Snyman.
Community concerns
Concerns about street surveillance have resurfaced among residents. Snyman said in response to ongoing criminal activities, some residents have taken the initiative to partner with private security companies to install their own street cameras.
“Residents in streets such as Maria Crescent, Lubbe Road, Constantia, and Beaunoir Avenue along with several other areas in Ward 68 have decided to go it alone due to a rise in break-ins and other criminal activity. However, this has come at a personal cost to the residents.”
Synman added that the surveillance cameras were initially intended to be installed by eThekwini Municipality at key points and monitored by the police.
“Regrettably, that project was never implemented,” he said.
Meanwhile, the ward committee member for cleaning and solid waste in Ward 68, Neil Pather, has taken an initiative to revive community-based crime-fighting structures that serve as vital guardrails for peace and safety in local neighbourhoods.
He calls on the community to form street committees to deter crime in the area. The proposal has been met with excitement from residents such as Nancy Madanjith who has formed a street committee for Umarkot Crescent in Merebank.
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