At the time of writing, our network of 439 cameras has been developed through Crime Watch SA’s reinvestment of its profits, along with the generous contributions from private individuals, residential groups, Neighbourhood Watch organisations, and estate agents—many of whom donate a portion of each property sale in key suburbs. The system has grown thanks to their ongoing commitment to improving community safety, and the results speak for themselves: crime rates in these suburbs are notably low.

What truly sets Crime Watch SA apart from other armed response and monitoring companies is our extensive experience and proven success with CCTV as a central pillar of our crime-fighting strategy. Time and again, we’ve seen CCTV act as a powerful deterrent, and it continues to be a key factor in our success.

If you’d like to contribute to the continued development of the Safer Community Project, please get in touch with our sales team. They’ll be happy to guide you through the process. On behalf of Crime Watch SA and the wider community, we sincerely thank you for your support.

Please contact our sales department, who will be happy to meet with you and discuss the entire process. We have successfully completed similar projects in various communities, each with its own unique challenges. 

Once you’ve defined the scope of the property and the area that needs coverage and agreed on the camera locations (which must be on private property), the sales department will provide you with a detailed breakdown of the costs. This will include the necessary internet connection/firewall requirements needed to transmit images back to our control room. 

Our sales team will gladly attend meetings with residential groups to explain the project, answer questions about the installation, monitoring, and Crime Watch SA policies. Once everything is agreed upon and the funds are raised, installation typically takes place within two weeks, weather permitting. 

Please note: We only install and/or monitor cameras from trusted brands that are compliant with our rigorous monitoring standards and are built to withstand our harsh environment, particularly in coastal areas.

Quite often, a group of residents in a street, road, or close will come together to fund a camera that covers their properties, particularly the street. These are usually PTZ (Pan Tilt & Zoom) cameras, which can cover the entire area. However, some individuals feel that CCTV cameras are an invasion of privacy and absolutely do not want any part of their property covered. We completely respect these views. In such cases, the areas of the property that need to be excluded are 'masked' within the system and cannot be altered by anyone in the control room, ensuring that the individual's privacy is fully protected. The sales department will provide proof of the areas that have been 'masked' for your approval, and any necessary amendments can be made until you are completely satisfied.

Video footage and images are date and time-stamped when backed up, ensuring they cannot be altered. This guarantees their validity and allows them to be used as evidence in court.

We do not disclose the specific locations of our camera network, but it is continuously expanding. At the time of writing, we have 439 monitored cameras operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, at our central control room, covering all the main suburbs where we provide Armed Response services, including Sunset Beach, Milnerton Ridge, Royal Ascot, Montague Gardens, Milnerton Central, and Tijgerhof. Unlike most armed response companies, we invest in this infrastructure to enhance neighbourhood security. The network includes LPR (License Plate Recognition) cameras and thermal cameras, which allow us to track the movement of people, even at night, through areas like the vlei.

Crime Watch SA has contracts with a range of clients, from commercial businesses to residential complexes and private homes, for CCTV monitoring over specific periods. In residential areas that are part of the ‘Safer Communities Project,’ where monitoring is not paid for, Crime Watch SA monitors cameras in three main ways: Prevention, Routine Patrolling, and Detection.

1. Prevention – Criminals often move across different areas. Our CCTV network, supported by black screen monitoring, alerts our control room operators to intrusions or suspicious activity in real time. This enables them to track movements effectively and guide our Armed Response Officers to respond swiftly in our main coverage areas.
2. Routine CCTV Patrolling – The CCTV network is regularly monitored either within its contractual obligations or in routine patrolling mode. Operators focus on individual cameras throughout the day and night, logging their observations. PTZ (Pan, Tilt, Zoom) cameras often cover multiple streets, allowing operators to scan and monitor various areas. While cameras are always visible to the operators, they can’t monitor each one continuously, which would be cost-prohibitive.
3. Detection – In the event of a break-in, while Armed Response Officers are deployed, the control room starts tracking suspects, whether on foot or in a vehicle. Although we're limited by the coverage of the network, as it expands, detection improves. If suspicious activity is detected, that becomes the priority for the control room, as our primary mandate is to protect our clients and property while bringing criminals to justice.

This approach allows Crime Watch SA to offer intelligent policing, enhanced detection, and fast response times in our primary suburbs, ensuring added security for our communities.

The Crime Watch SA control room is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Currently, a team of three to four control room operators manage our alarm and CCTV monitoring systems under the guidance of a Control Room Manager. All operators are PSIRA (Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority) trained and fully comply with SAIDSA (South African Intruder Detection Security Agency) policies and procedures.