The Greenpoint and Seapoint areas of Cape Town, known as relatively high crime areas in the city, are set to receive eight new CCTV cameras as part of an expansion of the municipal government’s crime-fighting efforts.
Unveiling the plans on Wednesday, Western Cape Premier Marthinus van Schalkwyk said that R4,3-million had been allocated for the project.
”With the right political will, proper resources and the highest levels of co-operation between all spheres of government, drugs, gangs and violent crime can be beaten,” he said.
”The R4,3-million that has been proposed for this project in the new Cape Town budget will allow us to install at least eight CCTV cameras covering the area from Buitengracht, through Somerset Road and Seapoint, to York Street. We are particularly pleased that the intersection of Portswood Road and Somerset Road will be covered, as this has been a trouble spot where high volumes of tourists and pedestrians have been plagued by criminals.”
There are already 166 cameras in operation in the Western Cape, with the rollout having started in Cape Town’s central business district. The initiative was funded primarily by local businesses as part of the Central Improvement District project. The initial experiment proved extremely successful, leading to the installation of more cameras in other crime-spots around the province.
In addition to the R4,3-million proposed for the CCTV cameras, the new Cape Town Budget that will be tabled in June also contains proposals for R2,42-million for specialised equipment like firearms and bullet-proof vests, and R1,95-million for upgrading security facilities in areas like Mitchell’s Plain, Philippi, Observatory, Bonteheuwel and Atlantis. – I-Net Bridge