Only one of the eight computers in the city’s control room is working to monitor criminal activity in Nelson Mandela Bay.And while the municipality reported last week that only 50 of its 1,167 CCTV cameras stationed around the metro were operational, on Monday it said there were in fact 137 functional cameras – just under 12%.The shambolic state of the metro’s security system was revealed in a written response to questions posed by DA councillor Gustav Rautenbach on Tuesday last week.Safety and security boss Keith Meyer said in the reply that the existing CCTV system needed to be replaced urgently.He wrote that transferring the CCTV contract to fall under the auspices of the facilities management department and then back under the safety and security department in November 2016 was an ill-fated move.“Safety and security was responsible for CCTV, access control, alarms and other security without a contract, no service provider, no structure, no internal capacity and no allocated budget, both capital and operating,” he said.“Failure was guaranteed. “This is now where the CCTV system is.“It is a system that is tired, not maintained and in urgent need of being replaced as it is in many areas redundant.”The security control room, manned by the safety and security department, monitors 391 alarm sites across the metro.These include 188 electrical substations, 20 swimming pools, nine halls, 17 libraries, 10 customer care centres, 18 depots, 75 offices, four sports centres, 18 pump stations and 32 sports fields. Of the eight monitors in the control room, only one is operational – and this is used to keep tabs on up to 16 CCTV cameras at a time.The rest of the eight staff monitor the alarm sites.The system was linked to the municipality’s Joint Operation Centre where an incident could be viewed on a larger projector, the municipality’s head of disaster management, Shane Brown, said.The cameras are installed across the city – in the CBD, Kwazakhele, New Brighton, Summerstrand, Motherwell and the northern areas.Brown said the biggest problem was that the equipment was outdated.“First of all, there is no service provider to do repairs on the system,” he said.“There’s no budget allocated in any event and the system is old.“There is a general spike in crime throughout the country and our city is no exception.“But whether it’s a result of the cameras I wouldn’t be able to say.”Brown, however, said the city was missing out by not being able to catch criminal activity on camera to either use in court or for crime prevention.“I would like to think that the cameras have a deterrent effect but when they are no longer there, that effect is lost.”Brown could not say how much the city would need to resuscitate its security system.“It’s not just about fixing the cameras – the cameras are old.“We would probably need to start looking at new technology. The computers are as old.“Some of the cameras are not working as a result of vandalism,” he said.“We need to start a new process and we are working on it.” Brown said they were in the process of drawing up a business plan to “resurrect” the entire system, but could not provide timelines for the project.“We are looking at how do we develop a proper structure that talks to operating the system,” he said.“Previously, all we’ve done is use the staff available and put them behind the camera [monitors] and let them operate these cameras.“Technology has changed so much that we need to have some pretty well-trained people sitting behind the [monitors], with the ability to respond thereafter.”They hoped to go out on tender by July.“It depends on the council process. There are many things that are out of our control.”He said provisions had been made in the 2018/2019 budget, but the money that had been put aside was far too little.“The existing system over a period of 12 years cost us possibly hundreds of millions.“For this current financial year, we had a budget of R1m.“We are looking at other forms of funding outside the municipality because having a safer city isn’t only in the interest of the municipality but local business and government as well.“Some of the equipment is 13 years old and hasn’t been repaired or maintained.“We need to start a new process, we are busy starting a new process,” Brown said.Rautenbach said he was not happy with the response that he received.“The crime situation in the metro is getting worse and CCTV that works would be a great help.“This needs to be sorted out, not just along the beachfront but in the townships and the northern areas too.”Afrisec Strategic Solutions, previously ran the CCTV system and alarm monitoring on behalf of the city.The municipality cut ties with it in 2016 and started legal action for R92m it believes it is owed.It is now pursuing an out-ofcourt settlement with Afrisec.On Thursday, acting city manager Peter Neilson said they were undergoing an asset verification process with Afrisec to determine what it had procured for the city before the court action was initiated.