The Parkmore Community Association (PCA) will soon join the list of residential areas under CCTV surveillance.
The association is set to activate cameras at six of its entrances at the end of August. These entrances are currently guarded by security personnel, association security director Mark Sudbury said.
The feed will be monitored by the private security company 24/7 Security.
According to Sudbury, the aim of the technological roll-out is to make Parkmore less attractive to suspects. “No matter how good you are, they [criminals] will rob you if they want to rob you. But it is about what happens after the event, can they escape?”
Sudbury noted that it was all about data collection and data sharing. Allowing the association to tap into the already existing Vumacam network will prove efficient and effective.
There has not been any objection to the new technological upgrade. “We never had any objections but rather concerns for a certain aspect. There was more so concern around data sharing and profiling,” he added.
But for the association, the main objective remains to track and monitor those entering and moving through the suburb.
According to Sudbury, the residential crimes that occur in the area are predominantly done by professionals but the rate at which they occur had been reasonably low until July when a spike was observed.
He added that Parkmore was more complex than many other suburbs due to its high commuter rate and quick access to major roads such as Grayston Drive, Sandton Drive and William Nicol Drive.
“We do seem to be getting targeted by two possible professional gangs. They are professional but not violent. The road closures have brought about a noticeable drop in crime and we look to the cameras to do the same over time.”
“[This initiative] will make criminals question ‘what is the risk of me getting caught?'”
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