Sixty-three suspects were arrested by the City of Cape Town’s Metro Police over the last week, including an arrest following a high speed chase between Durbanville and Bellville.
The incident in Durbanville happened on Friday, where traffic officers arrested 22 motorists for drunk driving and three for reckless and negligent driving.
“One of them was the driver of a BMW who was spotted racing along Durbanville Avenue by a member of the Ghost Squad,” says City’s Mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith.
“The officer turned around and gave chase, but lost the suspect. A few minutes later, officers received a call about a collision in the Bellville area and, upon arrival, found that it was the same BMW which had collided with another vehicle.”
Smith added that the driver was arrested for driving while under the influence of alcohol and reckless and negligent driving and that he was treated at a hospital for slight injuries sustained in the collision.
“I hope that this motorist will learn from this incident which could have had really tragic consequences. However, experience has taught us that even where illegal street racing ends in tragedy, it does little to put the brakes on this type of activity.
“We will, however, continue our enforcement efforts to rid our streets of this recklessness,” says Smith.
He says elsewhere the City’s Traffic Service further arrested 79 motorists for drunk driving, reckless and negligent driving, outstanding warrants and possession of drugs and impounded 14 taxis in the Sea Point area.
Smith adds 40 others were also arrested for possession of drugs, dangerous weapons and stolen property.
On Friday (11 August), Metro Police officers on patrol in Gugulethu searched a group of men at the corner of Govan Mbeki and Steve Biko Drive, and they recovered a packet of dagga and three stainless steel knives – one of them with a 39 cm blade, says Smith.
In Khayelitsha, a tip-off from the public led to the arrest of a 19-year-old suspect just before 08:00 on Saturday (12 August) for possession of dagga. Officers recovered 26 packets, 44 parcels and a refuse bag, all filled with dagga.
“This is the second significant dagga bust in Khayelitsha in the last two weeks. At the end of July, officers received another tip-off that led them to toilets in Town Two and a stash of dagga with an estimated street value of R30 000. I applaud those members of the public who are taking a stand against crime and illicit dealings in their communities.”
He says on Sunday (13 August) officers reacted to a ShotSpotter alert and noted a suspect running away when he saw them.
“They caught up with the suspect and found a 40-calibre Beretta pistol and 11 rounds of ammunition in his possession.”
