The South African Police Service has appointed thirteen new drone pilots in an attempt to fight crime through the introduction of new-age technologies such as drones, CCTV cameras and e-panic buttons. The group is certified by the Civil Aviation Authority and was handed their certificates and licenses at the pass-out ceremony in Midrand. 

DRONES FOR CRIME HOT SPOTS

Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Elias Mawela said the drones will assist in increasing visibility in crime-ridden areas such as Diepsloot, Zandspruit and Tembisa just to name a few. "The use of e-policing using drone technology will contribute to the effective deployment of resources and promote effective operational readiness in dealing with crime in hotspot areas." Community Safety MEC Faith Mazibuko applauded the collaboration with private companies .

"The fight against crime is the hallmark of this sixth administration. The usage of drones to fight against crime contributes to the concept of smart policing, which aims to revolutionarise how crime is tackled in Gauteng," said Mazibuko. 

MORE DRONES ARE ON THE WAY

Mazibuko added that the Gauteng government is in the process of procuring 144 more drones that they expect will boost the work of law enforcement at protests, crowd management at events and during specialised operations, among others.. These drone pilots started training last year in October and three of them are women." She said more officers are expected to train and for now, are still in line for training. Constable Marcel Paradesh, one of three qualified female drone pilots, said,  "I am looking forward to the opportunities, but mostly to upping the fight against crime. We knew as a group when we signed up for this project that we were going to be working on things that have never been done in SAPS before. We really just hope we can make a difference."