Cape Town has begun a large-scale rollout of body-worn cameras (bodycams) and dashboard cameras (dashcams) for its law enforcement officers and their vehicles.
Details
The new $45 Million (860 Million Rand) initiative is part of Cape Town’s three-year “Make Cape Town Safer” program.
Geordin Hill-Lewis, mayor of Cape Town, stated that more than 800 metro police officers will get bodycams while over 300 vehicles will be fitted with dashcams in the current financial year, according to the statement.
Hill-Lewis said the dashcams come fitted with Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology so that officers will instantly be alerted to wanted vehicles and outstanding warrants.
“These devices are used widely around the world and have shown tremendous success,” the mayor said. “This is the first time they are being deployed at this scale for a government agency in South Africa.“
What Happens Next
Other major cities in South Africa, including Johannesburg, also have plans to use bodycams to monitor officer performance and enhance crime-fighting capabilities.
Source: Xinhua
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