Traffic officers clock more than 5 000 arrests in December
06 January 2020
Apart from the arrests for outstanding warrants and drunk driving, among others, officers also issued more than 350 000 fines.
The City of Cape Town’s Traffic Service made 5 105 arrests in December 2019.
These included:
- 4 745 arrests for outstanding warrants
- 282 for driving under the influence
- 41 for reckless and negligent driving
- 2 for possession of drugs
- 2 for possession of a firearm
- 33 on a range of other charges
Officers served a total of 13 028 warrants, valued at R17 010 380; impounded 343 vehicles and 880 cellphones and issued 360 626 fines for various offences.
‘It was a very busy period for our Traffic Service. Apart from the enforcement efforts, staff also had to manage traffic flow and road closures at a raft of events around the city in December, and of course our beaches. To the motorists who were caught for outstanding warrants – you were warned before the festive season to get your affairs in order. I hope that the experience will have served as a lesson. In future, pay your fines on time, or better yet, obey the law from the outset,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
ALCOHOL IMPOUNDMENTS
Meanwhile, the City’s Liquor Enforcement Unit has taken receipt of 11 944 bottles of alcohol, amounting to 6 835.35 litres at its impound facility. The alcohol was confiscated from City beaches between 1 December 2019 and 3 January 2020.
The bulk of the confiscations (53%) were made in Area West, which includes beaches stretching from Muizenberg on the False Bay coast, to Camps Bay and Clifton on the Atlantic Seaboard.
‘The alcohol confiscation tallies show no sign of easing up. It is an indictment on those among us who insist on making alcohol part of their day out. While the peak festive season is behind us, the beaches and other public amenities are likely to remain busy for the next week before school starts, so the amount of alcohol confiscated will likely increase even more.
‘We’re also bracing for the matric results celebrations that are likely to start in earnest from tomorrow onwards. In the past we have seen that beaches are popular party spots, accompanied by significant alcohol consumption and there is no reason to believe things will be any different this year. I call on young people to party responsibly, and to refrain from anything that could put themselves or others in danger,’ added Alderman Smith.
End
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
