The City’s Metro Police Department confiscated 25 firearms, 28 imitation firearms and 336 rounds of ammunition between July and November.
 
Officers also arrested 72 persons in connection with the confiscations, resulting in a total of 106 charges.
 
The charges included possession of illegal/prohibited firearm, pointing a firearm and discharging a firearm in a municipal area, among others.

Sixteen of the charges stemmed from incidents in Manenberg, followed by Mitchell’s Plain (10), Delft (9), Heideveld (6) and Hanover Park (5).
 
‘The confiscations and subsequent arrests are testament to the benefits of visible policing and dedication of the officers involved. They work under very trying circumstances, but one firearm less on our streets is potentially a life saved. We thank the officers, but also the residents who work with our staff by providing tip offs and leads that result in positive results.

‘The firearm confiscations are also crucial to solving other crimes, as weapons are sent for ballistic testing that could link the weapons and the arrested suspects to other incidents. So the impact is quite far-reaching,’ said Metro Police Chief, Wayne Le Roux.
 
In terms of the Firearms Control Act, an imitation firearm means anything that has the appearance of a firearm, but is not capable of operating as such and cannot, by superficial examination, be identified as an imitation. The Act prohibits the possession of such imitation firearms.
 
‘The increase in imitation firearms is not surprising. They are easier to get hold of, can fool most people into believing it is the real thing and it is likely that criminals believe they will face a lesser charge in the event that they are caught. This is an unfortunate misperception as suspects are charged in terms of the legislation, even if an imitation firearm was used in the commission of a crime. Furthermore, enforcement agencies could well end up reacting to a person in possession of an imitation firearm, which could also have dire consequences for them,’ added Le Roux.