GEORGE NEWS - George Municipality’s decision to withdraw access to a key vehicle-monitoring system from hundreds of previously authorised operators has raised concerns among community safety structures and private security operators.
Sources who asked not to be named because of their involvement in ongoing safety operations and concerns that public identification could compromise their safety, say communication between several safety partners, community safety structures and the municipality’s Community Safety and Mobility Directorate, headed by Lee-Anne Meiring, has effectively broken down.
The reported withdrawal on Tuesday 22 September affected operators who had used the National Vehicle Intelligence Cloud (Navic) system to assist police and other safety stakeholders.
Those affected allegedly include CPFs, neighbourhood and farm watches, private security, police and other safety structures. The system includes licence plate recognition (LPR) cameras.
CPF calls for clarity
George Herald approached the George CPF for its formal position. Chairperson Shawn Northey and the CPF’s executive committee said they recognise that the cameras are municipal assets and access must be properly governed and protected.
Their concern was not that everyone should have unrestricted access, but that an established crime prevention capability had been removed without what appeared to be a clearly communicated transition or operational replacement in place.
In an email to the George CPF on Wednesday 23 September, a George Municipality representative advised the CPF that the municipality’s integrated operational centre (IOC), which operates 24/7, would provide an alternative mechanism for handling valid queries. Municipal operators would have access to the systems, while the SAPS would also have access, subject to verification by a superior and vetting.
The CPF welcomed this, but wants clarity on whether the alternative was fully operational when access was withdrawn and whether an effective process exists for urgent requests from police and legitimate safety partners.
It said it would be irresponsible to claim public safety had been compromised without evidence, but equally irresponsible to ignore concerns until something goes wrong.
An example of an LPR camera. Photo: Supplied
Communication breakdown
Sources say established communication channels between safety structures and the municipality have effectively broken down.
Sources alleged that affected operators were unable to conduct searches through the municipal system during several incidents over the weekend. George Herald could not independently verify whether the loss of access affected the outcome of those incidents.
The network has traditionally assisted with vehicle tracing, investigations and missing person searches.
Operators reject application
Operators seeking to regain access have been required to complete a 12-page municipal application form allowing George Municipality to monitor and audit user activity, searches and system usage.
The majority of affected community safety operators are reportedly unwilling to sign it for safety reasons. They said the monitoring and review of user activity and searches could potentially expose sensitive information and create safety concerns for operators and their families. Sources said they already comply with Navic requirements and have undergone training, certification and police clearance.
Responses
George Herald asked the municipality to clarify the reported withdrawal of Navic access from previously authorised operators from 22 September, including which operators were affected, why the decision was taken and who authorised it.
The municipality was also asked about access arrangements for LPR cameras in George, whether the police and other safety structures had been affected or consulted, and what impact the reported changes could have on crime prevention, vehicle tracking, missing person searches and public safety.
Questions were also asked about the requirements and authority for granting or revoking Navic access, whether the changes form part of the integrated operational centre (Hub), and whether the municipality had received objections from affected safety structures.
The municipality responded on Wednesday 23 September that it could not disclose operational or security-sensitive information about its security systems, saying that doing so could compromise investigations or public safety. “The municipality continues to work closely with the SAPS and other relevant safety and security stakeholders in support of crime prevention and public safety in George,” it said.
The Southern Cape Police’s spokesperson, Warrant Officer Chris Spies, said the police are not the custodian of the platform.
Western Cape Police Oversight Minister Anroux Marais weighs in
The Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Anroux Marais, said she had approached the municipality after George Herald contacted her.
She urged the municipality to ensure co-operation with established safety stakeholders is continuously strengthened, and said any necessary restrictions should support collective safety efforts and maintain strong relationships with safety partners.
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