Apart from day-to-day enforcement, the City’s agencies are also grappling with a host of other public safety threats in various parts of the metropole.

The City’s enforcement agencies are juggling a number of enforcement priorities in addition to their day-to-day operations.

In the past week, Cape Town has seen an escalation in violence in the taxi industry and sporadic acts of unrest in Mfuleni.

The City is working in support of the South African Police Service (SAPS) to address these threats to public safety.

‘In addition, we note the violence that has erupted in parts of Kwazulu Natal and Gauteng in recent days, resulting in large scale looting and unrest. For the moment, Cape Town is unaffected, but we are working on contingency plans to ensure that any such threats on our doorstep are addressed and defused as soon as possible, should the need arise.

‘Our enforcement agencies are under the pump, with all of the additional threats, at a time when they are also expected to police the disaster management regulations amid efforts to reduce the number of Covid-19 cases as the country grapples with the third wave of infections, and address day-to-day enforcement priorities,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.

In general, enforcement efforts in the past week:

• Traffic Service

Officers impounded 82 vehicles, 171 cell phones and issued 62 860 fines. This includes operations by the Transport Enforcement Unit throughout the City. Three suspects were arrested, while 71 vehicles were impounded. Some 2 780 fines were issued for various other offences. In an enforcement operation held on the N2, officers arrested three suspects for reckless driving, while in Philippi, officers arrested one suspect for driving under the influence of alcohol in addition to charges of reckless driving, failing to stop when called upon to do so, and endangering the life of a minor.

• Metro Police

Officers arrested 77 people, of which 46 were for the possession or sale of drugs.

During crime prevention patrols in Mitchells Plain on Saturday, officers arrested three suspects aged 32, 37 and 38 for drug-related crimes. One Tik lollie, one half Mandrax tablet and one unit of Heroin was confiscated.

On Friday, members of the Metro Police, in conjunction with SAPS and other enforcement agencies, were busy with a 72-hour taxi operation to curb violence in the Tygerberg, Khayelitsha, Nyanga and Milnerton cluster.

During these operations, officers were dispatched to a complaint of extortion at the Khayelitsha Mall taxi rank.

Upon arrival, officers searched for the complainant at the rank, but during their foot patrols, they found a firearm between containers. The containers were being used for business purposes.

The loaded Norinco Star 9mm pistol with eight 7mm live rounds of ammunition in the magazine was found abandoned and it was booked in at Lingulethu police station.

The weapon had not been reported as stolen and a case was registered for the negligent loss of a firearm against the owner.

On Thursday, 9 July, officers recovered a stolen vehicle in Khayelitsha.

During crime prevention patrols, officers received information about a stolen vehicle and when they responded, they found that the Ford Icon had been reported stolen in Woodstock.

The vehicle was confiscated.

• Law Enforcement

Officers made 54 arrests and issued 3 426 notices.

Source: City Of Cape Town