City of Cape Town: Firearm confiscations and arrests INCREASE

During the first three months of 2023, the City of Cape Town’s Metro Police and Law Enforcement Departments made 4 456 arrests, confiscated 56 firearms, 986 rounds of ammunition and more than 24 000 units of narcotics.

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A snapshot of key statistical indicators for the period January – March 2023 indicates notable increases year-on-year.

During the same period in 2022, the Metro Police and Law Enforcement departments made 3 177 arrests, recovered 38 firearms and 246 rounds of ammunition, and 17 108,5 units of drugs.

‘The statistics are testament to the work that is being done on a daily basis, often at great personal cost to the staff involved. Our Metro Police Department recorded 31 attacks on staff during the same period, compared to 14 a year ago. And, one has to commend the many community structures and individuals too, who contribute to the fight against crime by sharing tip-offs and other information from their observations or neighbourhood patrols.

‘It’s also testament to the City’s continued investment in Safety and Security – both staffing but resources too. However, these statistics also pose numerous questions about the continued lawlessness in many of our communities, and the availability of firearms. We are making meaningful confiscations, but once that firearm is handed over as evidence to SAPS, the City has no further role in determining its origins, or what other crimes it may be linked to. One thing that is clear, is that the conviction rate needs to be accelerated if the efforts of our staff are to have any meaningful impact,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.

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CAPE TOWN’S CHALLENGES WITH VIOLENT CRIME ARE WELL-DOCUMENTED

Other notable statistics during the period under review for the Metro Police Department included:

• 55 arrests related to domestic violence
• 10 stolen vehicles recovered
• 931 incidents recorded on the N2 and R300 as part of safety patrols

Law enforcement officers impounded 69 vehicles used in illegal dumping, and closed down 960 illegal liquor outlets. During the quarter, the department responded to 26 285 service requests.

‘Cape Town’s challenges with violent crime are well-documented, and the City supports the SAPS as best as possible. I think the results speak for itself. However, by-law and traffic infringements too are a large part of our daily responsibilities. Our law enforcement staff attended to an average of nearly nine thousand service requests a month in the first quarter of this year –  some reported by the public and others detected during their patrols. I don’t think we appreciate enough the sheer volume of work that is done.

‘That said, our staff cannot be everywhere, and so many of the issues that we need to enforce are driven by human behaviour, like illegal dumping, animal abuse, disregard for the rules of the road and more. So many of our challenges could be mitigated if more people were accountable for their own actions. Enforcement alone is never going to be a solution,’ added Alderman Smith.

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This article was originally published by Garrin Lambley.