CCTV scores a solid nine
26 August 2024
In the past week, City enforcement agencies made 356 arrests – at least nine of the suspects were caught with the assistance of CCTV operators in the Metro Police Strategic Surveillance Unit.
Among the successes in the past week involving the Strategic Surveillance Unit:
- A 35-year-old motorist was arrested for drunk driving in the Cape Town CBD on Saturday, 24 August, after CCTV operators dispatched services to a vehicle accident between a minibus and a VW Polo.
- A 33-year-old arrested for dealing in drugs after operators detected suspicious activity, also in the Cape Town CBD
- Two suspects were arrested in Wynberg after being spotted breaking into a shop in Wynberg on Thursday, 22 August
- On Wednesday, 21 August, CCTV operators helped officers on the ground track down two suspects, aged 27 and 29, who were in hiding in Khayelitsha, after a robbery that also involved the theft of an animal. Officers also recovered the remains of the slaughtered animal
- On Tuesday, 20 August, CCTV operators raised the alarm after spotting three males digging on the side of the road in Athlone. SAPS responded, and arrested the trio on charges of cable theft
'The successes of the past week are a timely reminder of the benefits of CCTV in detecting incidents of crime, but also other emergencies or issues affecting public safety. We also continue working to improve the response rate, to catch more criminals in the act. The good thing about our CCTV network is that, similar to our emergency call centre, staff are able to dispatch the nearest service, irrespective of whether that is City or SAPS. They can also alert emergency services across the board, to help expedite responses. Even where arrests aren't made, the footage is readily available to SAPS investigators to help identify suspects or secure convictions,' said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
In general enforcement in the past week, Metro Police officers arrested 63 suspects, including 12 motorists for driving under the influence of alcohol. They also issued 3 316 traffic and by-law fines.
Law Enforcement officers made 233 arrests and issued 4 497 notices for various transgressions.
LEAP officers recovered six firearms, between Wednesday and the early hours of this morning.
In the latest incident just after 02:00 this morning in Heideveld, officers took seven suspects into custody, aged between 20 and 30, following the discovery of two illegal firearms and ammunition.
On the roads, traffic officers arrested 60 motorists, of which 45 were for driving under the influence of alcohol, five for reckless and negligent driving and 10 for various other transgressions.
Officers also recorded 31 782 speeding offences, issued 30 914 fines for various traffic violations, executed 2 485 warrants and impounded 165 public transport vehicles.
The Public Emergency Communication Centre recorded 1 450 incidents this weekend, including 589 medical calls, 102 cases of assault, 42 domestic violence calls and 61 motor vehicle and pedestrian accidents.
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
