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The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber's Eyes and Ears initiative has been launched as a crime-fighting initiative in the Metro.
The initiative comprises stakeholders such as the South African Police Service, Agri Eastern Cape, Business Against Crime South Africa, and the Private Security Industry.
The head of the Chamber's Safety and Security Task Team, Alfie Jay says some of the initiative's objectives are for the police to work with private security to improve the response to crime in the metro.
"Being able to exclusively network participating camera feeds from various PSIs and other institutions in Nelson Mandela Bay into one set of control room monitors, will enable improved solutions to monitoring, tracking, and collaboration, the purpose of which is to apprehend suspects, make arrests, and reduce crime in Nelson Mandela Bay," says Jay.
Meanwhile, Bay police commissioner Maj. Gen. Vuyisile Ncata says the metro will benefit from the Eyes and Ears project as it is the province's hotspot for hijackings, vehicle theft, and business and house robberies
According to Ncata, the recovery rate of hijacked or stolen vehicles is currently between 90-98%.
"The initiative will strengthen our efforts to prevent and react whenever the crimes are committed as our reaction will be quicker than before. The more successes the SAPS achieves will serve as a deterrent to other criminal elements. This collaboration will further strengthen existing partnerships between all law enforcement agencies, both from the state and private industry," says Ncata.
Agri Eastern Cape Operations Manager Jason Kümm says with their members mostly in the rural areas of the province, they have come on board to assist the Nelson Mandela Bay District in establishing the operational centre and as an impartial party to guide the steering committee and role players in establishing the best practices for proactive and effective outcomes.
