A number of the 242 arrests in the past week by the City’s Traffic Service, Law Enforcement and Metro Police Departments were courtesy of visible policing efforts. Officers also issued 63 993 fines, while the Public Emergency Communication Centre recorded more than 2 000 incidents over the past weekend, with worrying increases in inter-personal violence.
In the past week, Metro Police officers arrested 58 suspects and issued 3 357 fines.
On Sunday morning, 27 November 2022, Metro Police officers were conducting general patrols on the R300 off-ramp to Stock Road, when they heard two gunshots nearby. Officers responded in the direction of the shots, and spotted a suspect fleeing on foot. The 18-year-old was apprehended for the possession of a 9mm pistol with a live round in the chamber, and detained at Philippi SAPS.
Following the successful conclusion of the Festive Lights Switch On event in the CBD, Metro Police officers conducted crime prevention patrols to ensure the safe egress of the public from the CBD, when they received complaints about a suspect spotted showing off a firearm. Officers acted swiftly and arrested a 20-year-old male for being in possession of an imitation firearm at the Company’s Garden.
Other successes that were the result of high visibility patrols and operations in the past week included:
- Two suspects arrested by Metro Police officers for the possession of a stolen vehicle on Friday morning in Hanover Park, when, during patrols, they noticed that the vehicle did not have a number plate
- Four suspects arrested by the Traffic Highway Patrol Unit on Friday 25 November for the possession of a stolen vehicle in Athlone, courtesy of their Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology
- Four arrests by Law Enforcement officers on Saturday 26 November related to metal theft during an operation with SAPS in Elsies River
- Six arrests related to a hijacking following a high speed chase from Observatory to Bonteheuwel, involving Law Enforcement Auxiliary officers and their LEAP counterparts
‘That amounts to 18 arrests in just more than 48 hours, all thanks to officers being on the roads, conducting patrols, and being observant. And the list is even longer, but unfortunately, due to the volume of work done by our staff, we are not able to highlight each and every incident. We should also not forget the role that technology is playing, more and more, in our enforcement approach, as the arrests by the Highway Patrol Unit show.
‘However, some of our emergency statistics show that it was a bleak weekend for many, with very worrying increases in the number of assault cases, but also more than double the number of domestic violence incidents compared to the previous weekend. It is utterly shocking, considering that the observance of the annual 16 days of activism campaign for no violence against women and children has just gotten under way. It is an indictment on our society – we simply need to do better,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
PUBLIC EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION CENTRE
The Centre logged 2 006 incidents between Friday 25 November and Sunday 27 November.
Category | 25 – 27 Nov | 18 – 20 Nov |
Assault (physical and other) | 178 | 133 |
Domestic Violence | 52 | 23 |
Public Drinking | 26 | 33 |
Motor vehicle/pedestrian accidents | 82 | 70 |
TRAFFIC SERVICE
Traffic officers recorded 63 993 offences and arrested 76 suspects – 70 for driving under the influence of alcohol and six for reckless and negligent driving. Officers also impounded 124 public transport vehicles and executed 1048 warrants of arrest.
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Law Enforcement officers conducted 495 operations, during which they made 108 arrests and issued 3658 fines. Law Enforcement Advancement Plan officers accounted for 87 of the arrests.