SAPS Invest in Technology in Rural Safety Strategy, 166 Drones Have Been Ordered to Help Police Isolated Farms

• Police Minister Bheki Cele announced that the government has procured 166 drones for use in its Rural Safety Strategy
• The robotic flyers would be deplored in three phases across 43 districts in an effort to better police isolated rural areas
• Drones have already been used by the police to help patrol areas in of Johannesburg but this is the first widespread use of the technology

JOHANNESBURG - In order to tackle the issue of crime in rural areas, the police have turned to technology for the answers. Police Minister Bheki Cele has announced plans to procure 166 drones for use across the country.

The high-tech crime-fighting technology will be deployed in three phases across 43 districts and will help to patrol remote and isolated areas.

Provincial Operational Command Centres and District Operational Command Centres will be used to coordinate the drones. This is the first time that drones will be used so widely across the country. Drones had been deployed in Johannesburg on a limited basis in the past according to SABC News.

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Kwaggafontein Police Station robbed by armed men who held night staff hostage and stole guns, SA outraged

Private security companies have already been using drones in their operations for years and the technology has been particularly successful at tracking criminals in upmarket complexes and built-up areas.

Charnel Hattingh, head of marketing and communications at Fidelity Services Group said that the drones have been effectively used in conjunction with security guards and electrified barriers according to Business Tech.

"Someone failed": Mpumalanga police station robbed at gunpoint, SA outraged

Earlier, Briefly News reported that the Kwaggafontein Police Station located between KwaMhlanga in Mpumalanga and Groblersdal was robbed at gunpoint on Wednesday night, 15 June.

The incident took place at around 10pm and the robbers are said to have held the night staff hostage before making off with stolen several firearms.

According to TimesLIVE, the details around the robbery are currently sketchy and it's not yet unknown how many suspects walked into the police station, however, it's believed that there were six suspects.

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Police spokesperson Brigadier Shelvy Mohlala confirmed that robbery and said maximum resources have been mobilised to track down the offenders on the order of Lt-Gen Semakaleng Daphney Manamela.

Source: Briefly News