The City’s enforcement agencies arrested 235 suspects in the past week and issued 45 786 fines for various transgressions. A number of the suspects were arrested with the assistance of CCTV and drone operators.
In the past week, Metro Police officers arrested 51 suspects for various offences and issued 2784 fines for traffic and bylaw infringements.
On Saturday, 3 May 2025, Metro Police officers conducted crime prevention patrols at the Bellville taxi rank, assisted by drone operators.
They arrested five suspects on various charges, including the illegal possession of drugs and defeating the ends of justice.
On Friday, 2 May, CCTV operators caught two suspects smoking a suspected illegal substance at the corner of Strand and Plein Streets in the Cape Town CBD. Responding officers found them in possession of mandrax and detained the suspects, aged 31 and 40.
In a near-identical incident on May Day, CCTV operators monitoring the CBD triggered the arrest of a 55-year-old suspect for possession of mandrax and a knife, while the cameras also caught the driver of a silver Mercedes Benz driving into a barrier and hitting a tree. Metro Police officers detained the 30-year-old driver at Cape Town Central SAPS for being under the influence after a breathalyser put him at nearly three times the legal limit.
Staying on the roads, Cape Town Traffic Officers made 21 arrests – 14 for driving under the influence of alcohol, three for reckless and negligent driving and four for other offences.
Officers also recorded 37,956 offences, impounded 155 public transport vehicles and executed 917 warrants of arrest.
Law enforcement officers made 163 arrests and issued more than 5,000 fines.
“The expanded use of digital tools to complement enforcement efforts has become part and parcel of our public safety operations. These tools display their worth time and again, as we saw this past week, when CCTV and drone operators led teams on the ground to criminal acts in progress.” said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith
Smith added that the use of technology not only increased the chances of criminals being caught red-handed, but the video evidence can be the key to a successful prosecution. The aerial tools also improve situational awareness for staff on the ground by offering a far broader view of potentially dangerous situations and how to address those.
Residents are reminded to report criminal activities by phoning the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre on 021 480 7700 from a cellphone and 107 from a landline.
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