The City of Cape Town’s metro police recorded increases in all key statistical areas year-on-year, including arrests, drug confiscations, traffic violations, and by-law transgressions.
Also read: Cape Town Metro Police officers allegedly involved in business robbery
During the 2022/23 financial year, metro police officers made 5 662 arrests and confiscated nearly 35 000 units of drugs, 74 firearms and more than a thousand rounds of ammunition.
The statistics indicate increases in the majority of key categories.
The number of planned operations, including vehicle checkpoints, showed a downturn year-on-year due to redeployments to other priorities, like gang violence, responding to shot spotter alerts, protest action and daily N2 and R300 patrols.
‘The increases in arrests and confiscations are indicative of the good work being done on the ground, but also the impact of the resource and technology interventions, and the role of the public in our crime-fighting interventions,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith.
Cape {town} Etc discount: Enjoy the beauty of the Cape’s coast on a one-hour cruise for R199 (valued at R300). Get it here.
‘Many of the successes are the result of information received from tip-offs, but also our integrated operations with other enforcement agencies, and of course the gains we’ve made in our CCTV monitoring, to name just a few. And, as we grow our tech footprint into the future, we anticipate even greater results, as we merge technology with on the ground policing.’
Established in 2001, the City’s metro police department is mandated to do crime prevention in support of the South African Police Service, traffic enforcement, and by-law enforcement.
The department has a total staff complement of 729, with just under 600 uniformed staff members, and includes various specialised units like the K9 and Equestrian units, the Gang and Drug Task Team, the Tactical Response unit and the Camera Response unit.
Metro Police officers also conduct dedicated patrols on the N2 and R300.
In the past year, they assisted 3 892 motorists along these routes and made 89 arrests for various transgressions.
The department is also responsible for the rollout and management of CCTV infrastructure through its Strategic Surveillance unit, with 313 new surveillance and licence plate recognition cameras installed in the 2022/23 financial year, taking the total number of installations to 1 216.
The Metro Police Training College has also expanded its reach in recent years, offering training to hundreds of new recruits and refresher training for existing staff members across all three of the City’s enforcement services.
‘With the fast-paced nature of the enforcement environment, it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. However, reflecting on the annual performance of the Metro Police Department gives us pause and appreciation for the sheer volume of work that staff get through, and the many, and varied services, that they provide,’ added Smith.
Explore Cape Town and its surroundings with these incredible deals on cars for under 100k. Find car listings here.
Also read:
Metro Police K9 Unit assist in hundreds of arrests and drug busts
Picture: Supplied / CoCT