In a series of successful operations, the City of Cape Town’s Metro Police apprehended several suspects involved in various criminal activities, including robbery, drug dealing, and attempted murder.
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Metro Police snagged a suspect onboard a MyCiTi bus after he allegedly robbed a 14-year-old learner at Melkbosstrand High School.
According to JP Smith, the City of Cape Town’s Mayco member for safety and security, the armed suspect robbed the learner of his MyCiTi bus card.
‘Teams sprang into action and managed to pull the bus over where the card had just been used. On board, the suspect was positively identified and arrested.’
Just after midnight on Wednesday, Metro Police searched a suspect and discovered 29 straws of Unga and cash in denominations, indicating drug dealing. The 38-year-old resident of Hanover Park was arrested and handed over to Philippi SAPS.
On Tuesday, a seven-year-old and a 17-year-old were caught in a crossfire. Yesterday, Metro Police swooped in on a premises in Manenberg, where they arrested the suspect and charged him with both counts of attempted murder.
‘These are but only some of the operational successes we see each and every day,’ says Smith.
‘While we turn to technology for vital information at times, such as with our drones, CCTV, our eye-in-the-sky, and Shotspotter, nothing compares to the credible information given to us by members of the community.
‘Our focused deployment in many of these gang hotspot areas makes sure we have boots on the ground, but sending those boots to the exact right address requires credible information.
‘Our Western Cape Provincial government has helped us achieve this, specifically by funding the LEAP program, giving us the budget to train up and equip and deploy these additional resources in some of the most needed areas, where the National government has denied additional SAPS resources,’ Smith continues.
‘It is these communities though, who deserve all the praise. Tired of being kept hostage by those driving gangsterism, they have seen our ongoing efforts and have turned their confidence to us, to take action.
‘We will not compromise that trust. We are not SAPS and only have a fraction of the resources. But using what we have, in conjunction with the community trust we are building every day, we still have a lot to accomplish.’
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SAPS arrests suspect connected to murder of Philippi police official
Picture: JP Smith / Facebook
