While locals and holidaymakers continue to enjoy the remaining festive season, authorities in the City of Cape Town have urged the public to behave responsibly to ensure the safety of all.
“This long weekend was certainly quieter than the one before and I want to thank the public for heeding my appeal to celebrate responsibly.
“There are still some concerns and the New Year weekend wasn’t without incident. Officers arrested 66 drunk drivers, and given the carnage on our roads, there can be no leniency for those who put their own lives and those of others at risk when they are behind the wheel,” said the city’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith.
The city’s enforcement agencies arrested 121 suspects and issued nearly 18 000 fines for various transgressions.
Smith urged everyone to play their part in ensuring safety.
“Help us keep the number of incidents down, even as you let your hair down. The holiday continues, as many residents have not yet returned to work. Schools are not in session and our recreation areas are flooded with visitors for weeks to come.
“If everyone behaves responsibly, this festive season will be memorable for all the right reasons,” he said.
On Sunday, 1 January 2023, the Metro Police Special Operations Unit recovered an illegal firearm and ammunition in Hanover Park when they were flagged down by a resident while busy with crime prevention patrols.
They were tipped off about the whereabouts of a person who was involved in a shooting incident at Soetwater Court a few days prior.
The officers responded and found the suspect after he tried to flee. When he was searched, officers discovered a 9mm pistol with 13 rounds in the magazine and a sealed box with another 50 x 9mm live rounds wrapped with a cloth in the yard.
The 25-year-old suspect was arrested for the illegal possession of ammunition and a firearm and detained at Philippi SAPS.
Metro Police officers also arrested an arson suspect on Saturday, 31 December 2022 after they received a complaint of a Wendy house alight in Blue Downs.
Upon arrival, the complainant pointed at the suspect, who had set the house alight. The 26-year-old was arrested for malicious damage to property and detained at Kleinvlei SAPS.
Visible policing
Cape Town Traffic Services held integrated roadblocks, vehicle checkpoints and speed control operations in the week of 25 December 2022 to 31 December 2022.
A total of 29 398 speeding offences were recorded. Officers impounded 75 public transport vehicles and executed 357 warrants of arrest. They also arrested 72 motorists, 59 of whom were driving under the influence of alcohol and six for reckless and negligent driving.
Metro Police officers made 49 arrests and issued 2 903 fines. Officers also responded to 24 domestic violence calls, while seven of the arrests were for drunk driving.
The city’s Public Emergency Communication Centre (PECC) recorded just over 1 000 calls, less than a third compared to the previous week.
During the period 30 December 2022 to 2 January 2023, the PECC recorded 2 717 incidents. Just over 40% of these incidents were requests for medical assistance.
Call-takers also recorded 215 assault incidents, 277 nuisance complaints, and 76 domestic violence incidents.