01/12/2022 | By Admin
The Eyes and Ears Initiative (E2) has grown from strength to strength since it was established in 2018 after being run as a pilot project in Gauteng.
E2 has since become a well-established conduit for most of Business Against Crime South Africa (BACSA)’s initiatives in collaboration with the SAPS. It forms a pivotal part of most successes reported in these initiatives.
E2 currently receives about 14 million automated vehicle queries and information regarding unrest, looting, cash-in-transit heists and business robberies. This leads to the generation of more than 2,300 unverified alerts per day; after verification, more than 800 live alerts or incidents are shared with the SAPS daily.
During 2022 E2 has collaborated with several initiatives that have helped to combat crime across South Africa, including the recovery of stolen vehicles and apprehension of suspects involved in business robberies, the construction mafia and stock and cable theft.
During the KwaZulu-Natal floods E2 provided relief in the form of food, water and blankets to 15 teachers and 35 pupils from a school in Hillcrest who were trapped on the school premises for two days. All the roads leading to and around the school had been washed away by the flooding and relief could only be supplied using a helicopter.
To improve general safety and security in disadvantaged communities, Vumacam is currently installing CCTV and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras at 100 sites through E2. The Department of Education has also identified problematic schools where cameras need to be installed to improve general safety and security. To date 17 schools have been fitted with these cameras and an additional 24 have been identified for installation. Feeds from cameras go directly into the BACSA Monitoring Centre.
Through E2, Syntell has agreed to fit five Gauteng Traffic Police vehicles with ANPR cameras and equipment, also feeding directly into the BACSA Monitoring Centre.
E2 looks forward to more beneficial partnerships in 2023 that will help make South Africa good for business, and business good for South Africa.
