What is often seen as a gadget that is primarily used as a hobby will now serve as a means to curb crime in Alberton and surrounding areas.
AfriForum branch in Alberton is determined to make crime a thing of the past with its high standard technological device.
The civil rights organisation has decided to purchase a drone worth thousands, along with a dual-band radio for effective communication and combating crime.
The entity sent a few of its members to attain a certificate for a pilot licence in drone flying which took a week to complete, from August 31 to September 5.
Francois Booysen, vice-chairperson of Alberton AfriForum, is among 38 other licensed drone pilots in the country to be selected in representing the Alberton branch. He told the RECORD having to obtain the piloting licence certification was not a walk in the park and that the training was extensive.
“We received a book and had to write exams with a pass rate of 70 per cent. Our members pay a certain amount to be part of AfriForum, but we don’t say that we only help people if they are members. We thank our members for giving us the capabilities to purchase this tool,” said Booysen.
Legalities
He said in order to fly a drone legally, one needs to be licensed and be familiar with rules and regulations of flying a drone.
“We need police presence to give us permission to fly because flying has certain rules. These include not being allowed to fly within 50m of any privately owned grounds or structure. I will need permission from police since I will be flying next to or over people’s homes,” he said.
As part of legalities, he is only allowed to fly on visual sight and should not fly higher than the highest object in a 300m radius from his position.
Booysen said the drone will assist in reaching areas which are almost impossible to reach, such as a foot chase and finding missing people.
“The main idea for it is to fight against crime, but also assisting the community. It has been used a lot and has been successful in farm murders where they cannot find occupants of a house. We want to inform the community that we only want to serve them,” he said.
He also told the RECORD they will be working hand in hand with Alberton SAPS, Brackendowns SAPS, security companies and authorities in the whole of Johannesburg South.
Hovering and features
“To fly, you need to be granted permission and you ought to give feedback after each flight. With more people also going for training, we will have a roster and take turns in responding when one is in possession of a drone,” he said.
The drone is said to have great capabilities and features. Despite being below 2.5kg, it can fly more than 2km away from the operator and upward to 500m.
“The drone has a thermal camera which enables it to also operate at night and also comes with a spotlight. It can ideally be used in pickets and many cases that require surveillance. We didn’t get the drone simply because we wanted to play with it, we have committed to using it as a tool for fighting crime,” said Booysen.
