Cape Town opens new police centre – with more body cameras and drones
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and Safety and Security MMC JP Smith have launched the City of Cape Town’s Joint Public Safety Operations Centre (JPSOC).
This initiative brings together emergency services, the South African Police Service (SAPS), and traffic officials in one location.
The new digital centre will integrate all City policing resources and safety technologies that are already deployed throughout the metro.
“I was excited to see progress on our new policing nerve centre today, which is almost ready to roll as the major new coordination hub for City policing and safety technology,” said Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.
Hill-Lewis said that this represents a significant advancement in enhancing safety for all residents in Cape Town.
He explained that during this term of office, the city has increased its police force by 1,300 officers, bringing the total to over 3,800.
He also said that Cape Town has invested in “cutting-edge” safety technologies and improved digital coordination.
The mayor said that the major new operations centre will coordinate expanded policing efforts, aiming to make the City a stronger partner to SAPS in the fight against crime.
“This new JPSOC is also further evidence that our City policing services are ready and able for expanded powers, especially to investigate gang, gun and drug crime,” he said.
“We must make full use of all policing resources in Cape Town to bring a positive change for communities living in daily fear of violent crime.”
The JPSOC will integrate a range of existing and emerging policing technologies, including:
- Drones, operated through the City’s Aviation Unit as well as third-party service providers;
- Body-Worn Cameras (BWC);
- In-Vehicle Cameras (IVC) ;
- Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology;
- Citizen and Trusted Partner Apps to strengthen communication and information sharing;
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation.
Cape Town ramps up security measures
Alderman Smith announced that the City’s body camera deployment will soon reach 3,000 cameras in the field.
Smith said there are 530 enforcement vehicles equipped with In-Vehicle Cameras (IVCs), Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) functionality, and printers for issuing warrants and summonses.
The Metro Police Strategic Surveillance Unit (SSU) detected 41,005 incidents via CCTV in 2025/26, leading to 541 arrests, which represents an 18% increase compared to the previous year.
“The various safety tech solutions we’ve introduced help create a real-time operational picture to improve situational awareness and inform decision-making,” said Smith.
“We are now at a point where officers can stream live feeds to our operations centre from their mobile cameras, augmented by drone, ANPR and CCTV footage.”
Smith explained that the City of Cape Town will continue to expand its digital coordination and safety technology network, as doing so can increase the likelihood of successful prosecutions.
“We are also heartened by the 35% increase in SAPS requests to view our footage as a potential investigative resource,” he said.
Cape Town’s latest quarterly crime statistics revealed declines in murder rates across all six precincts where the LEAP (Law Enforcement Advancement Plan) deployments are active.
The most significant reductions were observed in Delft (-24%), Gugulethu (-34%), and Mitchells Plain (-33%).
City enforcement officers have arrested 5,541 suspects, seizing 65 firearms, 33 imitation firearms, 797 rounds of ammunition, and more than 25,000 drug units.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis acknowledged that while violent crime remains alarmingly high, the combination of stronger policing resources, data-driven operations, and advanced technology is making a positive impact.
He is also advocating for the Metro Police to be granted investigative powers, enabling officers to help transform arrests into convictions.
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