Hi-tech highway patrol for Cape Town

Cape Town launched a dedicated hi-tech highway patrol unit yesterday, signalling the first shift towards a 24-hour traffic service in the city before the festive season. The unit will initially have 30 vehicles fitted with dashcams and automated number plate recognition (ANPR) technology and officers will be equipped with bodycams. The vehicles will patrol major routes, enforce traffic laws and respond to incidents picked up by the city’s freeway management system cameras. ANPR technology can be used to automatically track motorists with outstanding warrants, identify duplicate or cloned licence plates, alert officers to stolen vehicles or vehicles identified as having been involved in crime. “We’ll keep going with investments like this and new cutting-edge crime-fighting technology until every resident feels safer in Cape Town,” said mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis. “The inclusion of technology highlights our focus on innovation in crime fighting to make our officers more effective. The activation of this unit is well timed, as we prepare for the festive season which requires all hands on deck to ensure a safe and happy time for residents and visitors.” Mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith said the unit’s launch was delayed by the pandemic. It would be a “welcome boost to our existing efforts to mitigate the risks posed by criminals on our highways”.

“Our metro police department has been doing sporadic patrols on mainly the N2 and R300 for a number of years amid an increase in attacks, and this highway patrol unit will expand our footprint to other routes, including the N7, which has also developed a reputation.”