The City’s enforcement services made 369 arrests in the past week – nearly a quarter for drunk driving – and issued 63 074 fines for various transgressions. The Public Emergency Communication Centre (PECC) recorded more than 2 000 incidents over a 48-hour period this weekend.
The Traffic Service made 121 arrests, of which 76 were for driving under the influence, impounded 110 public transport vehicles and executed 963 warrants of arrest.
Officers also recorded 55 940 transgressions.
Meanwhile, during its first week, Operation Exodus saw a total of 463 buses, mini and midi buses and trailers undergo safety checks. Vehicle checkpoints linked to the operation around major public transport interchanges saw 1 994 vehicles stopped, and 8 051 fines issued.
Law Enforcement officers made 187 arrests and issued 4 610 fines, while their Metro Police counterparts made 61 arrests, including 14 for driving under the influence, and issued 2 524 fines.
The Public Emergency Communication Centre recorded 2 263 incidents over the weekend, including 238 cases of assault, 67 domestic violence incidents, 29 complaints about drinking in public and 71 motor vehicle and pedestrian vehicle accidents.
‘The statistics over the past week paint a bittersweet picture. On the plus side, we’ve had nearly 500 public transport vehicles undergo safety checks as part of Operation Exodus. In spite of the unseasonal stormy weather, very few incidents were recorded that required a disaster response, and in part, due to the weather, there was a downturn in fires over the long weekend.
‘But with the good comes the bad, and the drunk driving arrests, domestic violence incidents and number of assault cases recorded by our PECC alone unfortunately reflect the dark side of the festive season. We’re also noticing an increase in calls related to self-harm. It is heart-breaking to realise that, during a time when the narrative is festive, so many among us are going through a very difficult time,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
Source: City Of Cape Town