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JOHANNESBURG – Big Brother is watching over Johannesburg. Through the new operator Omega Risk Solutions, the city is under surveillance with a total of 216 cameras being installed, each covering a three kilometre radius of its surrounds.
By April 1, 2008 Omega will be able to boast having the biggest hard drive of any computer system in Africa, the company said at a media tour of the control room yesterday.
Using the latest technology, the hard drive which stores all the recorded material from the cameras every second of the day, is 504 terrabytes.
The system replaces the Cue Incident CCTV which became obsolete after seven years of technological advances in surveillance.
Each camera in the network is mounted on its own pole that links it to the control room by fibre optics. This allows controllers to view the streets in real time, while they also have the option of pausing and replaying any footage of interest while the camera is still recording.
Using 42-inch plasma monitors, the high-definition quality of the images ensures that what the controllers view is lifelike.
Looking remarkably similar to street lights, the cameras are cleverly disguised. They carry their own power backup and criminals or vandals would have a hard time trying to tamper with them undetected.
Not much that goes on in the city will escape the eyes of big brother once all the cameras are installed.
Johannesburg Metro Police can see exactly who is responsible for an accident with indisputable clarity. The control centre is manned by members of the Metro Police and SAPS who can inform officers on the ground or in the air of any incidents taking place and relay information to them.
So far camera operators have helped net 23 criminals for muggings and theft. That’s one a day for every day it has been running.
Anyone who wishes to argue against their culpability in a car accident will have to fight with the recordings in court.
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