City enforcement agencies round up 95 suspects
06 April 2020
The arrests – 44 by Metro Police and 51 by Law Enforcement, included charges of drunk driving, bribery, possession of drugs, malicious damage to property … and in some cases, additional charges of violating the national lockdown regulations.
'While there appears to have been a downturn in some crime categories, it’s business as usual for some criminals, based on the arrest statistics of the past week. Our staff are doing their utmost to enforce the lockdown regulations, while also tackling ongoing criminal activity.
‘Over the weekend, Metro Police officers confiscated half a million rand worth of alcohol in Dunoon from a tavern that was still operating on the sly, despite the lockdown ban on the sale of alcohol. Officers also had to stub out an attempted R5 000 bribe from one of two suspects who were caught selling cigarettes in Mfuleni. Cape Town has a very low rate of corruption within our enforcement agencies, but the suspect clearly did not receive the memo and now faces more charges than he bargained for,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
In another incident on Saturday 4 April, K9 Zeke sniffed out three parcels of dagga hidden in a vehicle that was stopped at a roadblock on the N7 near Milnerton. Three suspects were arrested for possession of drugs, as well as failing to stay at their residence during the lockdown period.
The bust came just five days after Metro Police officers arrested another suspect at a roadblock on the same road for possession of mandrax with a street value of R50 000.
In one of the latest successes this morning, Metro Police officers conducting crime prevention patrols in Lansdowne noticed two men loitering at the side of the road. The men ran away when they saw the officers, but one of them was caught after a short chase. A search of his bag revealed a pickaxe, hacksaw blade and a knife.
Officers returned to the spot where the duo had been loitering and found cables that had been cut, ready for removal. The 31-year-old was arrested and charged with malicious damage to property, attempted cable theft and contravention of the Disaster Management Act of 2020.
The City’s Law Enforcement Department made 51 arrests in the past week, including possession of drugs and unlicensed firearms. Officers also issued 1 866 fines.
On Thursday, 2 April 2020, while on patrol in Bantry Bay, officers noticed a middle-aged man walking along the wall. Officers reacted quickly and managed to stop the man just before he tried to jump, he was taken to hospital for treatment.
The City's Traffic Service issued 16 348 fines for various offences.
'In addition, all safety and security departments do many more operations, often in conjunction with other role players, patrolling neighbourhoods to ensure law and order are maintained. I call on communities to obey the lockdown and stay at home. Our officers are doing all they can to keep residents safe, but this requires a collective effort,' said Alderman Smith.
End
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
