from ALFRED SHILONGO in Windhoek, Namibia
Namibia Bureau
WINDHOEK, (CAJ News) – WINDHOEK, Namibia’s capital city, plans to install thousands of surveillance cameras and leverage more technology to enhance policing.
This emerged from a meeting between the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and the Windhoek City Police.
The presentation highlighted the City Police’s growing use of technology to strengthen crime prevention, improve response times and enhance public safety. The City Police currently operates approximately 500 surveillance cameras, with plans to significantly expand the network to between 3 000 and 5 000 cameras across Windhoek.
This is according to the Smart Policing Strategy, presented by Leevi Shivolo Ileka, Head of the Windhoek City Police, during the meeting.
He said the City Police was also utilising drone surveillance, with three operational drones currently in use and plans to expand the fleet.
Other technology-driven initiatives include body-worn cameras, automated traffic enforcement, number-plate recognition, panic-button systems and sensors to protect critical infrastructure.
“The Smart Policing Strategy places a strong emphasis on shifting from reactive to proactive and preventative policing, using technology, data and targeted surveillance to identify potential threats and respond to incidents before they escalate,” Ileka said.
Sakaria Uunona, Mayor of the City of Windhoek, welcomed the ICT ministry’s delegation, which was led by Minister Emma Theofelus.
Theofelus lauded the innovative use of technology by the City Police and expressed appreciation for the work being undertaken to build a safer and smarter Windhoek.
She highlighted opportunities for collaboration between the ministry and the City Police to advance technology-driven solutions and translate digital innovations into practical benefits for communities across Namibia.
Earlier this month, a delegation from Namibia’s Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security visited the Shenzhen Longgang Smart Centre in China to observe advanced smart policing and integrated city management systems.
The centre briefed the delegation on its innovative approaches to leveraging technology for public security, real-time monitoring, and coordinated emergency response.
– CAJ News