Vumacam’s network of crime-fighting roadside cameras has proven highly successful in identifying potential criminals.
At present, Vumacam has 2,931 poles installed between the Johannesburg and Tshwane metros with a total of 5,399 live cameras comprising Licence Plate Recognition (LPR) and overview cameras.
In addition, the company has access to 5,000 partner cameras in other provinces.
These devices boast artificial intelligence technologies that enable them to detect suspicious incidents and present them to control rooms, which in turn dispatch private security or law enforcement officials to the scene.
In the first half of 2024, Vumacam’s watchful eyes recorded 14,255 alerts of suspicious vehicles. Of these, 783 interceptions took place resulting in 370 suspects being detained and 335 vehicles impounded.
“A number of crime-fighting successes have shown the power of the Vumacam SafeCity network that has seen our private security partners, the Johannesburg Metro Police, as well as the Gauteng Provincial Government Crime wardens acting swiftly to intercept suspects,” said the company.
“These include vehicle thefts armed robbery, fraud, home invasions, and hijacking.”
A major benefit of Vumacam’s SafeCity project is that it can track vehicles from one area to another. In the past, LPR cameras were mostly used in isolated ecosystems and could not share information with other networks.
This enables the Vumacam systems to detect wanted and suspicious vehicles that may have been flagged in another province.
In one notable incident highlighted by the company, a vehicle wanted by Benoni SAPS was identified upon entering the Hatfield City Improvement Districts (CID) area in Pretoria. After Vumacam’s digital watchdogs alerted the authorities, Interactive Security dispatched officers to the vehicle’s last known location using real-time camera data.
The vehicle was intercepted on Lynwood Road, resulting in the capture of one suspect and the recovery of a wanted car.
Another significant success involved a minibus taxi flagged for possible involvement in a hit-and-run incident. A coordinated operation by Hatfield CID and SAPS K9 on 20 June led to the taxi’s interception and the driver’s apprehension at approximately 22h30.
Hatfield TMPD and Sunnyside SAPS attended the scene, and the driver was taken into custody by Sunnyside SAPS.
In a third incident, cameras on Jan Shoba and Burnett Street flagged a vehicle wanted for the theft. The Hatfield CID armed response team intercepted the vehicle and detained the driver, who was handed over to SAPS and had his vehicle impounded.
More to come
Off the back of the successful rollout of the SafeCity initiative, Vumacam intends to expand its network to the rest of the country.
In Gauteng, the next areas in line to receive the crime-fighting cameras are:
- Arcadia
- Die Wilgers
- El Ridge
- Equestria
- Sunnyside
Vumacam has also started growing its footprint outside the country’s most populace province, recently setting up new cameras in Saldanha Bay, Western Cape.
Additionally, the company is in discussions with authorities to determine where it can assist with enhancing safety and security for citizens through the use of technology.
“Vumacam is in constant discussions with the province to enhance safety and security through technology and is working closely to see how we can use existing and new infrastructure to ensure maximum impact,” the company said.
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