Phase one of a camera roll-out in Camps Bay will see the deployment of 150 cameras - thermal and Licence Plate Recognition (LPR) - installed in the area over the next few months.

The R11.4m project, funded through the Camps Bay City Improvement District (CID), will be completed over a five-year period for the implementation and maintenance of the cameras. At the end of the project, 400 cameras will have been installed in the area.

According to the Camps Bay CID manager, Muneeb Hendricks, the first phase of the roll-out will focus in deploying thermal cameras to secure the suburb's boundaries - from Victoria Road to Theresa Avenue, Theresa to Francolin Road, and Francolin to Woodhead Glen as well as key areas bordering the Little Glen. This will be complemented by a network of LPR cameras placed in locations in the area.

Additionally, overview cameras and actively monitored artificial intelligence (AI) cameras, used to detect unusual activity and alert controllers in real-time and significantly reducing reliance on manual monitoring, will also be strategically installed.

Mr Hendricks said the areas in phase one had been prioritised due to identified security concerns.

He said the new camera system being installed is designed not only to deter criminal activity but also to support rapid identification and response. Moreover, the recorded footage will serve as valuable evidence in investigations and prosecutions. Data from the network will also support SAPS in identifying and addressing emerging crime trends.

He said there are hopes that cameras on the greenbelts around Camps Bay, when installed, will have a similar positive effect monitoring those areas or responding when an incident has taken place and suspects attempt to move through Camps Bay.

According to Camps Bay police station commander Captain Liaan Janse van Rensburg, police, the community police forum (CPF) and the Camps Bay CID had had extensive discussions about the camera roll-out, and certain crime challenges were established that called for a need for cameras.

Some of these challenges included car and house break-ins, or suspects walking away with stolen property, he said. He said the cameras will assist them in identifying suspected criminals, and providing more access to track and monitor suspicious activities.

He said the cameras will also help with crime prevention, monitoring known suspects, and investigation of crime by tracing suspects and vehicle registration numbers.

Mr Hendricks said cameras will be monitored by an off-site monitoring company, which works in tandem with the Camps Bay CID by receiving all alerts from AI-monitored cameras. The LPR cameras are integrated into a national database so that if a flagged vehicle enters the area, the system would alert the control room, which will then notify all relevant security and law enforcement partners, enabling swift and coordinated action.

Mr Hendricks appealed to residents to assist with access to electricity and in some cases, to house small amounts of networking hardware on their boundary walls during the roll-out. "If you are contacted by the CID team to assist with this, please do meet with us to discuss the requirements. The success and timing of the project depends on this co-operation.

"The camera installation teams by service providers Caddic Security Systems & Integration (CSS&I) as our service provider will be identifiable by their branded clothing and will also be carrying an authorisation letter from the CID, to be shown on request if their activities are challenged."

The Camps Bay CPF did not respond to questions from the Atlantic Sun by publication time.

We approached SANParks about the impact that the camera system will have on monitoring the greenbelts in the area. They could not respond due to mountain fires in the South Peninsula.

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