CCTV cameras now 'doing good job'
17 August 2009, 11:13
By ANÉL LEWIS
Surveillance cameras in the city are at least 96 percent functional, says the City of Cape Town, a vast improvement on last year when cameras were regularly reported as out of action.
City mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith said the city held regular spot checks of the 260 CCTV cameras, while a contractor ensured that the units were properly maintained.
Only minor problems were picked up during routine checks and these usually related to reduced visibility because of rain or dust from nearby construction sites.
Last year, the city responded to public complaints about the poor functionality of the cameras by appointing a new contractor to maintain the systems.
The pilot wireless CCTV system in Sea Point had problems, causing the cameras to stop working. According to reports, the system failed because of shoddy work by the installation contractors and the insufficient bandwidth.
Smith said that, while wireless cameras were cheaper, they were also affected by the weather. Cameras with a wireless and fibre optic combination were more reliable.
Eight of these CCTV cameras were installed in Gugulethu. The images from the R3-million CCTV system are relayed to the surveillance centre in Goodwood.
When the Klipfontein Corridor Project is completed, there will be 271 cameras. The city is expanding its network and many of the new cameras will be placed in areas with high crime rates, and along the transport routes.
There will also be cameras on the Grand Parade, the city's main fan park for 2010, the revamped Greenmarket Square and on the Urban Park in Green Point.
While the functionality of the city's cameras has improved, more needs to be done to improve the control of the cameras. Smith said the city was looking at parallel strategies to improve the quality of the CCTV controllers. Plans include a drive to employ highly-skilled people, and possibly people with disabilities, to work in the control rooms.
Smith said the cameras had a high success rate in arrests and responses, especially in hijack hot spots such as along Vanguard Drive.
anel.lewis@inl.co.za
Surveillance cameras in the city are at least 96 percent functional, says the City of Cape Town, a vast improvement on last year when cameras were regularly reported as out of action.
City mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith said the city held regular spot checks of the 260 CCTV cameras, while a contractor ensured that the units were properly maintained.
Only minor problems were picked up during routine checks and these usually related to reduced visibility because of rain or dust from nearby construction sites.
Last year, the city responded to public complaints about the poor functionality of the cameras by appointing a new contractor to maintain the systems.
The pilot wireless CCTV system in Sea Point had problems, causing the cameras to stop working. According to reports, the system failed because of shoddy work by the installation contractors and the insufficient bandwidth.
Smith said that, while wireless cameras were cheaper, they were also affected by the weather. Cameras with a wireless and fibre optic combination were more reliable.
Eight of these CCTV cameras were installed in Gugulethu. The images from the R3-million CCTV system are relayed to the surveillance centre in Goodwood.
When the Klipfontein Corridor Project is completed, there will be 271 cameras. The city is expanding its network and many of the new cameras will be placed in areas with high crime rates, and along the transport routes.
There will also be cameras on the Grand Parade, the city's main fan park for 2010, the revamped Greenmarket Square and on the Urban Park in Green Point.
While the functionality of the city's cameras has improved, more needs to be done to improve the control of the cameras. Smith said the city was looking at parallel strategies to improve the quality of the CCTV controllers. Plans include a drive to employ highly-skilled people, and possibly people with disabilities, to work in the control rooms.
Smith said the cameras had a high success rate in arrests and responses, especially in hijack hot spots such as along Vanguard Drive.
anel.lewis@inl.co.za
- This article was originally published on page 3 of The Cape Times on August 17, 2009
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