The City of Cape Town says it’s Highway Patrol Unit has reaped many successes in its first year. Mayco Member JP Smith says there’s been more than a 1 000 arrests in its 12 months.
Most recently, members were involved in a drug bust. HPU officers recovered nearly a thousand mandrax tablets during a traffic stop on the N1.
Many successes in its first year
In the first 12 months, the unit has averaged 85 arrests per month.
The Highway Patrol Unit has accounted for 27% of all arrests made by the Traffic Service since it took to the streets in October 2022.
MORE ABOUT: The New Highway Unit
“The statistics are very encouraging, and already we are seeing a decline in incidents along some of the deployed routes,”says Smith.
Expanding the team
The unit has grown from 25 officers at inception, to 33 currently. By early December, another 12 more are set to join.
He added, “Apart from tackling errant motorists, the officers are also proving to be a valuable resource for other offences and crimes.”
Smith says, one key priority is roving patrols on major routes around the city.
Roving patrols
They must also work closely with other Traffic Service units and fellow enforcement services.
In addition, Smith said, “Their presence is even more critical, particularly to motorists who find themselves stranded on the highways – an occurrence that has become all too common in recent years.
He added, that to date, 33 vehicles have been installed with front and rear facing cameras, as well as Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras.
Various Offences
12-month period
Over a 12-month period, officers made 1 023 arrests for various offences.
Total offences
106 147
Arrests
1 023
Vehicles discontinued
799
Vehicles Impounded
939
Cell phone Impounds
1 922
READ MORE: City launched new unit
“This unit was conceptualised several years ago, but the launch was delayed by the pandemic,” said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith last year.
