Many residents say officials also need to look at the causes of crime and violence
Former gang member Sammy Andries spent years dodging security cameras watching over Cape Town. Now, he is an unlikely supporter of the city’s plan to check an epidemic of violence by pouring millions into surveillance technology.
Governments around the world are rolling out surveillance strategies, from drones to gun detection technology, in an attempt to prevent crime and enable arrests. In March, the city council announced it plans to spend R860m over three years on anticrime tech ranging from bodycams and licence plate recognition to aerial surveillance.
Officials are mining and analysing massive amounts of data every day to anticipate problems such as land occupations, gang operations and illegal gun use.The surveillance rollout aims to tackle some of the city’s most pressing criminal activities including murder, sexual assault and street crimes such as muggings, said JP Smith, Cape Town’s lead on safety and security.
Another concern about the surveillance is the lack of privacy regulation, said Louise Edwards, a director at the APCOF. “Guidelines on the collection, processing and storage of personal information by surveillance operators do not, to our knowledge, exist,” she said. Studies show CCTV cameras’ effectiveness depends on factors such as the quality of footage and whether police can respond quickly to incidents, according to Safer Spaces, a platform run by SA safety researchers.
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