215 Poaching Arrests

PROJECT MUSTARD SEED UPDATE:

Murder, Rape, Rhino Poaching and Road Accident Deaths are the most significant challenges we face on a day-to-day basis.

What we know for sure is that when standing on the scales of success or failure, asking ourselves: “Are we winning or losing?”, it feels like to those on the outside that we just cannot overcome the tipping point in our pushback to achieve the change the country needs. We are, if you have looked at the scales as long as what we have, seeing some change.

When this scale is viewed obliquely, it is easy to see that to effect the change we all need, we must stand together to add weight, muscle and heart, combining our resources and doing all we can as a collaborative. With clear facts, a common cause and an apolitical stance, we can achieve much. No single organisation or individual has the key to a perfect life of love, roses and butterflies… the ‘silver bullet’ solution if you will.

To this end Project Mustard Seed is achieving incredible results with the teams and resources we work with. We all know that what we have achieved is truly ground-breaking and has taken us 16 years to build, and we keep building day by day, partner by partner, role-player by role-player.

To zoom in on Rhino issues…

In 2018 we had the highest number of Rhino poached, with 1028 reported. We work with SAPS, The Hawks, Crime Intelligence, SANParks, KZN Wildlife and Project Rhino as priority role-players, whom I might add, we are very proud of. Sure, internally we have our family things to deal with: cliques, trust circles, healthy jealousy and some ‘romantic dancing’ around issues, but no-one should think for one second that we are not giving it our all and making things happen. We are totally in balance, as we should be.

I am also proud to report that the investigation and interception teams have even been arresting our own members along with all the other criminals out there, and this is not limited to the Rhino fraternity. While some feel embarrassed about this, you should all feel as encouraged as I do.

For obvious reasons, we cannot get into the nuts and bolts of our technologies, methodologies and next steps. However, I do want to make people aware that SNIPR ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) is our chosen priority technology partner for private space community policing. In other words, we are a team that helps supports government ANPR and CCTV network initiatives. 

Now, while we all do amazing things, some rumours are circulating that ±100 poaching vehicles are being sought, watched or monitored on the ANPR systems, and this keeps coming up as marketing guff to get to the hard Rand soldiers’ cash. This is simply not true!

What is critical with any community technology is: “Who powers the tool?” and: “Who is the collective team behind the overall operations?”

We spend hours and hours working with a collective team to ensure that the very best is achieved in both software development, crime reduction productivity, crime intelligence predictability and a fully integrated approach with SNIPR ANPR, and that’s the secret ingredient. The teamwork results speak for themselves.

It is also interesting to know that the current figure is 400k to 600k vehicles being checked every day which have generated the above numbers. The network is growing by 40 to 60 new installations a month and as mentioned all sites and areas support government ANPR and CCTV network initiatives, hence the ongoing private-public partnership.

Data policies are in place with a shared data policy and if any role-player leaves the table to go on another path and journey, an export of the shared contributed data is handed over, and in some cases this contract of agreement goes both ways.

My closing thoughts:

• Do you have the weight, heart, muscle, and words of encouragement or input to offer? Can you help us?

• Do you have Rhinos to protect?

• Do you want to plug into the ERPC (Emergency Response and Prevention Centre) Collaboration Network?

• Do you have an existing gantry or ANPR camera that you want to connect to the SNIPR VCAT NPO network?

• Do you own, manage, develop or work in the ANPR space?

If yes, get in touch with us!

In love, light, dreams and tunnel-vision passion!

Brian Jones (SA7)
Chief Executive Officer
Together SA CAN NPO | TrackBox Technologies (Pty) Ltd

Brian@BriansPD.World
Brian’s Passionate Desk | Join the BPD Telegram Channel
082 884 8024

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