Cape Town: The City of Cape Town’s Safety and Security Directorate is enhancing its crime prevention capabilities with advanced aerial surveillance technology by strengthening its impressive technological arsenal.
The Information, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) technology will gather information and take it to the next level in the fight against poaching, land invasions and vegetation fires. It will also include illegal street racing, responding to gang incidents and pursuing stolen or hijacked vehicles.
The ISR is called Eye in the Sky and is a two-seater fixed-wing aircraft. The aircraft consists of state-of-the-art cameras that the Safety and Security Directorate will deploy to provide officers with situational awareness and aerial imagery while conducting various enforcement operations.
The aircraft can fly higher than a drone and is also have infrared cameras that allows it to register body heat in cold water, the heat resonates from a recently fired firearm or the wheels of a speeding vehicle.
The Member of the Mayoral Committee for Safety and Security – Alderman JP Smith said that the ISR technology is a versatile tool, as it is a fixed wing aircraft that can cover larger geographical areas. It stays in the air for longer periods doing low level reconnaissance flights and will be less weather dependent than drones.
Smith mentioned that the aircraft will also assist with improving rapid response time by officers during planned operations as precise information can be relayed.
“The use of technology will unlimited to the enforcement environment but can also help in other instances such as monitoring of high voltage lines, vandalism of vital infrastructure, coastal impact and biodiversity related issues,” said JP Smith.
Reportedly, the tender for the reconnaissance fixed wing aircraft was recently awarded after a lengthy process due to the complexity of the technology.
Previously, during the crime prevention operations, the City tested the fixed wing aircraft. It also assisted the fire services during the devastating Table Mountain fire in 2021.
After the completion of the contract management stage, the training of command centre staff and operational personnel will begin.
It ensures that the staff is familiar with the technology and can utilise it optimally after deployment.
The aircraft is a Cessna 337 that is provided through the tender contract with trained and experienced pilots.
The latest addition of the aerial ISR aircraft includes drones, DashCam, BodyCam, Shotspotter, CCTV and ANPR applications. It is also a part of the City’s technological roll-out.