The payday weekend has once again seen an increase in crime and incidents of lawlessness as the City of Cape Town’s enforcement departments recorded a near doubling of fires, assaults and drunk driving arrests.
Also read: Ipid investigates man being dragged behind SAPS van in viral video
‘It has become a worrying trend at month end when caution is thrown to the wind and we find an increase in recklessness and violence,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith.
‘This weekend we had the added festivities linked to the Rugby World Cup final, as well as damaging winds that made the situation very challenging for our firefighters.’
‘Our Public Emergency Communication Centre recorded marked increases in fires, as well as assault and domestic violence cases and on the roads, drunk driving arrests more than doubled week on week.’
‘These increases are not unsurprising, but it is incredibly disappointing to see the ongoing disregard for the law, personal safety, and the safety of others.’
Cape {town} Etc discount: Looking for things to do in the city at half the price? Let these great offers inspire you and fuel your imagination! Get them here.
In the most recent fire incident in Khayelitsha last night, a fire razed more than 100 structures and resulted in the death of one person.
Firefighters battled for nearly six hours to extinguish the blaze, which was fanned by strong winds.
In general enforcement efforts, the City’s three agencies made umpteen arrests in the past week and issued 48 883 fines for various traffic and bylaw offences.
The Traffic Service recorded 65 644 offences and made 124 arrests of which 117 were for drunk driving and seven for reckless driving.
Officers impounded 214 vehicles and executed 1 156 warrants of arrest, including two drivers on the Top 100 warrant dodgers list.
One driver had 71 warrants outstanding, valued at R199 700 and the second had 25 warrants outstanding, valued at R76 600.
Metro police officers made 104 arrests, including 23 for driving under the influence, and issued 2 519 fines for various transgressions, while law enforcement officers conducted 641 operations, issued 3 505 notices for various transgressions, and made 208 arrests.
Over the past weekend, emergency call takers logged 2 166 incidents, which is a slight increase from 1 932 the previous weekend.
This included 214 assault cases, up from 143 the previous weekend; 114 fires, compared to 61 the previous weekend; and 68 domestic violence incidents, up from 44.
Motor vehicle and pedestrian/vehicle accidents (PVA) also increased from 70 last weekend to 87.
Looking for a deal on a car, but tight on a budget? Have a look at these offers for under R100 000. View the deals here.
Also read:
Picture: JP Smith / Facebook