Tech can help beat crime

I have no doubt that the hearts of all South Africans sank when the annual crime statistics were released last week. The rises in murder, sexual offence, attempted murder and assault with grievous bodily harm rates seem unstoppable.

In her response, police portfolio committee chair Tina Joemat-Pettersson said correctly that SA needs to reconsider its approach to fighting crime; new, cutting-edge strategies need to be applied in this life-or-death battle.

But there is hope. Technology and new datadriven strategies to fight crime are ready to be implemented. These have been adopted and proven to be successful in driving down crime and providing safe spaces where residents can pursue their God-given right not to just survive but thrive in the communities they call home.

New technologies such as intelligent camera systems and gunshot-detection technology augment and multiply existing policing resources by narrowing down the location and identifying the perpetrators of crimes as they occur in realtime.

This is critical in the most dangerous areas, where gangs have developed sophisticated ways of avoiding arrest by working together as teams. This is especially important in the SA case, where so many officers are themselves falling prey to violent crime; it is crucial that police know what they are walking into when a crime is reported.

If police personnel have a better understanding of the situation on the ground they can respond more accurately, safely and quickly to violent incidents. In the wake of these devastating crime statistics, there is no time to lose. Everyone must play their parts in stopping the violence.

Ralph A Clark Via e-mail