The City of Cape Town’s enforcement departments arrested 264 people this past week and issued more than 66 000 fines. In a worrying trend, the number of drunk drivers arrested has increased week on week.
‘Any amount of alcohol in your bloodstream can impact your driving ability and put you, and anyone else on the road, at risk of an accident, injury or death. It is concerning that the arrests for drunk driving has shown a steady increase for the last three weeks. Drivers who are inebriated not only have slower reflexes and poor judgement, but they’re more likely to do something irresponsible and dangerous. Drivers must start taking responsibility for their alcohol consumption and ensure they don’t get behind the wheel impaired,’ said the City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
During the past week, 37 people were arrested for drunk driving, 34 last week and 28 in the week before that.
‘Our officers across the Safety and Security departments arrest drunk drivers on a near daily basis, as it’s not just a weekend crime. It is unacceptable that so many lives are put at risk by a few. Drunk driving not only affects those who are injured or pass in an accident, and their families, but society and the economy. Considering the impact, our officers will continue to clamp down on drivers who put so many at risk,’ said Alderman Smith.
Traffic Service
In general enforcement throughout the City, officers arrested 72 suspects, impounded 181 vehicles, 88 cellphones and issued 65 359 fines.
In a drag racing operation the past week, officers arrested three suspects in Bellville (one for driving under the influence), five in the CBD and Bothasig areas (three for drunk driving) and in Bellville South/Khayelitsha areas officers issued 330 fines for various offences.
Metro Police
Officers arrested 84 people. Of these, 11 were for drunk driving, 39 for the possession or sale of drugs and the rest for various other crimes.
On Sunday, 26 September 2021, officers attached to the Gang & Drugs Task Team, Tactical Response, Equestrian and K9 units were busy with crime prevention patrols in Heideveld when they received information about firearms being kept at a premises in Irene Court.
K9 officer Khaos searched the house and the dog indicated the presence of ammunition in the dining room cupboard.
Officers confiscated 45 9mm live rounds of ammunition and eight 38 special live rounds of ammunition.
The ammunition was booked in at Manenberg SAPS.
Officers also confiscated the following:
six x knives
20 x Mandrax tablet
10 x boss mandrax tablets
seven half mandrax tablets
five quarter mandrax tablets
two crushed mandrax tablets
one imitation firearm black
18 Bunches of Khat
one unit cocaine
38 packets of tik
two bankie tik
one unit heroine
Law Enforcement
Law Enforcement officers also arrested 108 people for various offences and issued 316 fines for not wearing masks. It is illegal to not wear a mask in public and is in contravention of the National Disaster Management regulations.
Source: City Of Cape Town