ZAThe City of Cape Town plans to expand its body-worn camera network by adding 750 devices, bringing the total to 3,000 for Metro Police, Law Enforcement, and Traffic officers. Currently, 2,250 devices are in use, and footage has been requested over 450 times for internal investigations and shared with the South African Police Service (SAPS). The cameras also enable live streaming to the city's operations center, which was utilized during the June 30, 2026 protests. Additionally, 25 enforcement vehicles will receive in-vehicle cameras with automatic number plate recognition, raising the number of equipped vehicles to 555. Over 41,005 incidents were recorded in the past year, leading to 541 arrests, primarily for drug-related offenses and traffic violations. SAPS has requested CCTV footage in 242 cases since January 2026, a 35% increase compared to the previous year, indicating growing reliance on surveillance for serious crimes.
Bias read (Center): The article presents information about the expansion of surveillance technology in Cape Town without overtly endorsing or criticizing the policy. It includes quotes from officials like Mayoral Committee Member JP Smith, who supports the initiative, but does not frame the issue as politically charged
