Surveillance systems are crucial to enhancing safety in the public realm. Not only do they act as a crime deterrent, recordings are pivotal in aiding prosecutors and law enforcement identify and arrest criminals.
uMhlanga UIP Precinct Manager Dewet Geldenhuys says, “Before CCTV and other types of surveillance, law enforcement would rely solely on eye witness accounts which wasn’t always reliable.”
Part of the Ballito UIP’s mandate is to improve the safety of its designated area in a bid to enhance the quality of life for those who live, work and play in the area and maintain investor confidence. The UIP’s proactive security approach includes partnering with the SAPS, eThekwini Municipality Protection Services and local community safety forums. Surveillance comes as a series of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) Cameras located at the precinct’s entrances and four CCTV cameras at Durban View Park.
ANPR cameras use optical character recognition technology to read vehicle registration plates and create vehicle location data. In uMhlanga the cameras scan approximately 21 600 cars on a week day and around 18 870 cars on a weekend day. On entering the precinct wanted vehicles are screened and, with the help of SAPS and armed response, suspects are questioned or arrested.
“The CCTV cameras and our ANPR system are an important part of our holistic security system. Crime prevention and detection is key to keeping the area safe and for attending to non-criminal incidents so that shoppers, businesses, property owners and the general public can continue to enjoy the fantastic lifestyle and investment opportunities synonymous with the uMhlanga area,” concludes Geldenhuys.
CAPTION: The amount of cars scanned in the uMhlanga UIP correlates directly with reduced activity in the precinct during the hard lockdown.
