Roadblocks and speed checks nab thousands in Cape Town

The City of Cape Town’s law enforcement agencies arrested 121 suspects and issued nearly 18,000 fines in the past week.

“This past long weekend was quieter than the one before, and I want to thank the public for heeding my appeal to celebrate responsibly,” Cape Town’s MMC for safety and security JP Smith said.

He said the New Year weekend was not 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 that of others at risk when they are behind the wheel,” Smith said.

The city said there were integrated roadblocks, vehicle checkpoints, and speed control operations in the week beginning December 25 and ending December 31.

“A total of 29,398 speeding offences were recorded, officers impounded 75 public transport vehicles, and executed 357 warrants of arrest.”

Between Friday and Monday on the new year weekend, the emergency communication centre in Cape Town recorded 2,717 incidents and about 40% of these were for medical assistance. There were also 215 assault incidents, 277 nuisance complaints, and 76 domestic violence requests for assistance.

“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,” Smith said.

TimesLIVE

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.