How Cape Town's new crime reporting app aims to improve public safety
Cape Town’s mobile app now allows residents to report crime and by-law offences, with officials and safety advocates welcoming the feature while raising concerns about emergency response capacity.
Image: Armand Hough/ Independent Newspapers
Cape Town’s new in-app crime reporting feature has drawn reaction from officials and safety advocates, with support for improved reporting alongside concerns about response capacity.
The feature, available on the City of Cape Town’s mobile app, allows residents to report certain crimes and by-law offences across 17 sub-categories, including metal theft, public drinking, abandoned or broken-down vehicles, problem buildings and poaching.
The City said reports are automatically geolocated and routed to the relevant departments, with users able to upload photographs. If an incident type is not available, users are redirected to the Public Emergency Communication Centre (PECC).
Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith welcomed the rollout.
“We are incredibly proud and excited about this milestone… now, the general public can start logging incidents too,” he said.
Freedom Front Plus councillor Emre Uygun said the feature could improve reporting.
“I fully believe that the app will make a significant difference and we are likely to see a significant increase in the reporting of crime,” he said.
He said some residents have lost confidence in calling emergency services.
“Many people have lost hope in calling emergency services due to long waiting times… and calls going unanswered.”
Uygun said response capacity remains a concern.
“The biggest gap however is the lack of emergency response vehicles when incidents are detected on the highways,” he said.
He added that underreporting affects resource allocation.
“Many motorists do not open cases, which limits SAPS and the City’s ability to deploy resources effectively,” he said.
Road safety advocate Paul Treleven said he had reviewed the app and supported the initiative.
“Very positive… anything that can help people fight crime is a good thing,” he said.
“It also allows for messaging in cases where one can’t make a call, if you are perhaps hiding… it’s great for people with disabilities such as deaf people.”
Treleven said features such as confirmation of logged reports and the ability to upload photographs could be important.
“Your call gets logged and they confirm they’ve received it. It also allows upload of photo which may be vital in cases.”
Mayoral Committee Member for Corporate Services Theresa Uys said the update expands access to City services.
“This initiative reflects our shared commitment to customer-centric service delivery and improved access to critical services in emergencies.”
The City’s mobile app is available via the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, and includes functions such as logging service requests, accessing municipal accounts, and viewing planned service outages and road closures.