Woodstock will have a state-of-the-art Licence Plate Recognition (LPR) system that will help in combating crime in the coming months.
Ward councillor Dave Bryant said that a total of R400000, which is half the total ward allocation, will go towards the LPR system which will be installed in crime hot spots to identify suspicious vehicles. It will be installed in July when the new budget kicks in.
Mr Bryant said the system will be integrated with the existing network already installed by the Woodstock Improvement District. “The installation of these new cameras will go a long way towards addressing ongoing challenges relating to criminality in the Woodstock area and will assist with making the job of the various enforcement agencies easier,” said Mr Bryant.
The location of where the cameras will be installed must still be finalised. “The intention is to have them in strategic areas to identify suspicious vehicles that may be used in criminal activity,” said Mr Bryant.
Woodstock police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Hilton Malila, said the installation of LPR cameras will assist them to react swiftly to vehicle related crimes and the apprehension of syndicates and opportunistic criminals. “Our patrolling officers will be linked on the system for quick responses where a numberplate was flagged on the system. We will monitor vehicle movements and the possibility of catching criminals in the act, before they can leave the precinct, is a huge possibility,” he said.
“We welcome the initiative and hope that together with the administrators of the cameras we can make huge inroads in vehicle related crimes in our precinct,” said Warrant Officer Malila.