No more bribes: Cape Town traffic police get bodycams

Motorists wishing to bribe traffic officers in Cape Town had better think again, as the city has started equipping its law enforcement officers with body cameras that record all interactions.

The rollout, which includes in-vehicle cameras with automated number plate (ANPR) technology, is the first of its kind in SA and forms part of Cape Town’s R860m safety technology investment over the next three years to make the city safer.

The city will equip 800 officers, including traffic police, with bodycams and install 290 in-vehicle dashboard mounted cameras, or dashcams, this financial year.

“Today we take the next big step forward in our promised investment in new safety technology to make Cape Town safer,” said mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, who trialled the new body and in-vehicle camera tech during a demonstration in Goodwood on Wednesday.

“In the next couple of years this technology will be standard across our safety services to make Cape Town safer. The dashcams are equipped with automated number plate recognition (ANPR) technology so that officers will be alerted to wanted vehicles and outstanding warrants instantly in their vehicles. These devices are used widely around the world and have shown tremendous success.” 

Hill-Lewis said the game-changing ability of the ANPR dashcams piloted in the new highway patrol unit launched last year had already been seen.

“Based on these learnings, we’re now rolling out cutting edge in-vehicle cameras across our vehicles. Together with body-worn cameras, this will massively enhance situational awareness and the quality of evidence gathering to ensure more convictions.”

He said the move also increases trust and accountability in the municipal police and law enforcement, as interactions with the public will now always be recorded.

“This is important to us. We want Cape Town’s safety services to be trusted by the public, even while trust in other law enforcement agencies is declining. There is also global evidence which shows a steep drop in attacks on law enforcement officers after the introduction of these cameras.

“We’ve been impressed with the successes of the automated number plate recognition pilot in identifying stolen vehicles, those involved in criminal activities, and motorists with outstanding warrants.

“The full rollout of an in-vehicle camera solution will now enable officers to record evidence of incidents as they happen, while also streaming live video to the control rooms for enhanced situational awareness of critical incidents.”

He said digital evidence is vital for the prosecution of offenders, and body cameras on officers will provide crucial footage that can be used in court, ensuring a higher rate of successful convictions.

“Bodycams will also enhance officer safety by increasing situational awareness and serving as a deterrent to potential perpetrators of assault on officers. The cameras will also act as a safeguard for the public and city staff, particularly in situations where claims are made against officers, helping to maintain transparency and accountability thanks to independent footage that can be viewed in court.” 

The transport department had experimented with bodycams within the national traffic police as a tool to deal with high levels of bribery, but plans to roll them out nationally have been put on hold.

“We are constrained financially, so we haven’t decided yet on whether it will be rolled out nationally. Even that national rollout will depend on whether provincial traffic departments and municipalities have the resources to procure them,” said Simon Zwane, a spokesperson for the Road Traffic Management Corporation. 

“It is on hold for now, and there is also not sufficient information on how successful bodycams have been,” he said.