New gun fire technology is being piloted in Hanover Park. The latest addition to tackling crime on the Cape Flats will act as a mechanism to notify police of gun fires, the exact location of the shot, whether the person was moving while shooting and how many shots were fired.

This new technology will enable police officials to monitor gun activity in the area. This will then assist the forensic investigations, adding layers of information regarding the shooting which police now have to work without.

“Police are currently only aware of a third of all shootings in areas such as Hanover Park,” said JP Smith, the City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security.

However, there is still no surety on whether this new technology will help police in making arrests on the ground.

“Within seconds of the gun shots, police will be notified and this will then test their rapid response time. However, we are not entirely sure if this technology will help us. Therefore, the pilot project is underway,” Smith said.

The new plan will cost the City of Cape Town next to nothing, according to Smith.

“The City has to pay for nothing. The technology is already sponsored. All we need to do is determine the areas for it to be implemented.”

The Cape Flats is a hotbed of gang and drug related crime. Smith believes residents in the area are either unaware of where the shooting takes place or how many shots were fired, when being questioned by the police on incidents.

Smith added that the new technology is world class and is being used to fight crime in many parts of the world.

Most gun shots are currently going undetected by police. Smith added this new technology will at least allow police to be more aware of all the gun related incidents in the area.  VOC (Ra’eesah Isaacs)