At a cost of R35 000 per camera, the automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system is not cheap, but a number of Durban suburbs have decided that stopping crime before it occurs is worth the price. Even areas which are new to the system, which is linked to the SAPS, have reported benefiting from its capabilities.
Kevin Scheinberg, patrol captain of the New Germany Neighbourhood Watch, west of Durban, said installing the electronic security system had been in the pipeline since 2017.
He added that, with the opening of Dumisani Makhaye Drive, they had noticed crime trends – such as the road being used by criminals to make their getaway. Scheinberg said private security company LAD had offered to cover the monthly operational fees of about R1100 if the community funded the project. The community had raised more than R75000, which funded the installation of one camera last month and another this month.
He said it was an expensive project but they had found it was worth the price. Vehicles flagged on the cameras as “suspicious” were stopped and had been found to have been involved in crimes like hijacking, at which point the police would respond quickly.
“It’s an advantage and patrollers are safe because they keep an eye on the car until the SAPS are on the scene to take over,” Scheinberg said.
He said although they were tackling serious crimes, like hijackings and home invasions, petty crimes, such as the theft of gate batteries, were still prevalent in the area. Manors, Gillitts and Assagay were also investing in the system. Private security company Marshall Security has used the cameras, in the north of Durban, since January 2017. Powell said it had invested more than R400000 in cameras, while the community and community policing forums had sponsored more. He said the company had looked at the system about seven years ago, but it was too expensive then.
