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Editor's note

For our security in government feature we are running this month, I had the opportunity to go into the centre of Johannesburg for the first time in years. And I have to stress how impressed I was! Many people I spoke to did not think it was a good idea because of the safety (or what they perceived to be a lack

thereof) but I was truly impressed.

A few years ago, when a lot of the big businesses that were based in the Johannesburg CBD moved north to Sandton and the likes – predominantly for safety reasons – someone told me that about seven years later businesses would migrate back to the city centre because the thugs and criminals that had caused them to leave would just follow, and that the heart of Johannesburg would then become a safe place again.

This is happening now, and the safety of people based in the centre of town is being boosted by city centre surveillance projects that are working very efficiently. See 'Lights, camera .. less criminal action' and 'Let the cameras roll', which explain the projects in Johannesburg and Pretoria and what they have done to the crime rates in these cities.

The other good news is that the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup, Local Organising Committee CEO, Danny Jordaan has assured the world that South Africa has the ability to safeguard every supporter attending the event (see more on this at http://www.news24.com/News24/Sport/Soccer/0,6119,2-9-840_2015796,00.html) There are still many people questioning the ability of the organisers to ensure safety at the spectacular, but I stand by my view that it can be done!

I wish you all well over the next few months, if you are going away, travel safely and we will be back in February with the next issue of Hi-Tech Security Solutions.

Take care,

Lynne Larsen

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