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The City of Cape Town’s very own sheriff, JP Smith, is set to launch the country’s first “Eye in the Sky” plane, which will monitor all incidents across the Metro.

High-ranking officials this week got their first look at the new aeroplane that has been fitted with a state-of-the-art camera which monitors incidents in real-time, providing intelligence to law enforcement agencies trying to curb crime in the city.

After nearly three years, the tender for the eye-in-the-sky has now been authorised, and local authorities will now also get training while the project is being implemented.

In an exclusive interview with the Cape Argus, Smith said that they were investing in high-tech initiatives to assist cops on the ground in dealing with a variety of situations and crimes, ranging from fires on mountain slopes to pursuing down poachers at sea.

The camera, known as the Argos II, was created by the German firm Hensoldt, which specialised in military surveillance devices. Smith said in South Africa the technology was still new, while police departments in other major leading cities used similar technology as standard practice for data collection and fighting crime.

Smith said helicopters were extremely expensive to run and many municipalities explored these options.