The EyeintheSky is a new aircraft equipped with toptier surveillance technology, capable of achieving higher flight altitude, extended airtime, and lower weather susceptibility compared to drones. The aircraft boasts infrared cameras, which can detect heat signatures from recently discharged firearms, persons submerged in frigid waters, or the swiftly rotating tires of a fleeing vehicle. The EyeintheSky marks a significant paradigm shift in Cape Town’s fight against crime, highlighting the city’s dedication to harnessing the power of stateoftheart technology to ensure community safety.
The city’s Safety and Security Directorate is revolutionizing crime prevention with the use of Information, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) technology, also known as the “Eye in the Sky.” This twoseater fixedwing aircraft is equipped with stateoftheart cameras that provide situational awareness to law enforcement and has advanced detection capabilities that expand beyond law enforcement to monitor power lines, infrastructure, coastal impacts, and biodiversity. The ISR is more efficient, reliable, and adaptable than drones and sets a new standard for crime prevention with its incorporation into the city’s advanced technology in law enforcement.
South Africa’s Revenue Service (SARS) is using CCTV technology in warehouses to monitor transactions and business operations, in line with international trends for greater transparency and efficiency in tax collection. The move is aimed at preventing the proliferation of illicit trade and safeguarding the South African economy. While the use of surveillance requires a careful balance between regulation and data protection, SARS’s adoption of advanced surveillance measures demonstrates a commitment to modernising tax administration and fostering compliance for the future.