The South African Police Service is piloting the Integrated Justice System (IJS), which is based on the Domain Awareness System currently used by the New York Police Department.
The solution uses sensors and closed circuit TV (CCTV) cameras to help agents quickly collect and analyse intelligence from the ground in crime-prone areas. The new system provides the South African Police Service with improved collaboration capabilities among the separate legacy systems that have historically connected the country’s six justice departments.
The IJS cameras are supported by a software suite that helps facilitate better case management by prioritising urgent incidents in real time. If a crime such as a robbery or hijacking is reported in progress, an alert is pushed to the top of the screen for all system users so that units can be deployed immediately. An automatic number plate recognition system uses the cameras to help track vehicles reported as missing or stolen, then reports that information back to a control centre where agents can effectively use the intelligence.
Eventually, the South African Police Service may consolidate all of its CCTV and information-gathering systems accessible through the IJS software – including existing systems like the Department of Home Affairs, FICA, and RICA databases – which could help track criminal movement between towns and cities.
In a recent blog post, Sergio Ortega Cruz, worldwide industry solution manager, Public Safety and National Security at Microsoft said: “Sensors in modern cities can be an enormously helpful source of intelligence for law enforcement, where the sheer volume of incoming information can be overwhelming to manage, much less to analyse and act on. These more sophisticated intelligence systems can help ensure that a police force’s manpower is directed where it is needed most urgently: not on sifting through mountains of paperwork, but on apprehending criminals and keeping citizens safe. As the world’s urban population continues to grow, we look forward to partnering with forward-looking public safety and justice organisations to bring these solutions to the communities where they are needed most.”
Share this story