The City’s Traffic Service and Metro Police Department arrested 206 suspects, impounded 141 vehicles, confiscated 130 cell phones and issued 57 564 fines – among others.
Drunk driving and outstanding warrants kept the City’s Traffic Service and Metro Police Department busy in the past week.
Collectively, the two departments arrested 206 suspects during various operations.
Traffic officers accounted for 163 of the arrests – 72 for driving under the influence of alcohol and 66 for outstanding warrants.
One Traffic Service operation in the Durbanville/Bellville area on Friday 6 March 2020 netted 31 suspects.
Nearly 1000 other motorists were let off with a warning, as officers executed 3 049 warrants.
‘We’ve sounded sufficient warning in recent years about the need for motorists to honour their outstanding traffic fines, so it really shouldn’t come as a surprise when Operation Reclaim comes knocking. My advice to motorists is to pay their fines as soon as possible and to use the mechanisms available to dispute fines or attempt to seek a reduction if the circumstances warrant it. Ignoring a fine in the hopes that you will not be caught, or that it will magically disappear is ill-advised, if the number of warrant executions is anything to go by,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
Metro Police
The City’s Metro Police Department arrested 30 suspects on various charges including possession of drugs, stolen goods and domestic violence. On the roads, officers also apprehended 13 motorists for drunk driving.
Just after 02:00 on Thursday 5 March 2020, Metro Police officers spotted a vehicle driving on the wrong side of the N2 in the vicinity of Borcherds Quarry.
The driver refused to stop, and took several Metro Police vehicles on a chase before eventually being cornered between Mew Way and Spine Road.
The motorist, who it later emerged was a 34-year-old police officer, switched off her vehicle and refused to open the door. When officers forced their way in, she resisted arrest and bit one of the officers on the arm.
The woman was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless and negligent driving and assault and was detained at Nyanga SAPS.
‘This incident could have had very tragic consequences, and I sincerely hope that it is taken into account when the matter goes before court. The behaviour of this motorist was absolutely shocking and it is a travesty that people continue to think it is ok to get behind the wheel when they are clearly not fit to do so. The criminal justice system needs to start sending a strong message to drunk drivers, if we are ever going to see a change on the roads,’ added Alderman