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An alleged rapist was one of 186 suspects arrested during patrols and operations across the city in the last week.
The City of Cape Town’s enforcement agencies arrested 186 suspects during operations and patrols in the last seven days.
One of them was a 47-year-old man arrested on a charge of rape. Officers on patrol in Parow were flagged down by a 12-year-old boy on Wednesday 18 May 2016. The boy informed them that he had been sexually assaulted at a nearby canal and escorted officers to the scene. En route he pointed out the suspect, who was immediately arrested by the officers.
‘This was one of two rape suspects arrested by our enforcement agencies on the same day. It is an extremely sensitive issue and I hope that the investigation by the South African Police Service is handled appropriately. I want to commend the young boy for seeking help and speaking out. It was an extremely brave thing to do,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.The Metro Police Department arrested 64 other suspects – 50 of them for drunk driving and 12 on drug-related charges. Narcotics confiscated included more than 800 mandrax tablets and various quantities of dagga, tik and unga.
The City’s Traffic Service arrested 120 more suspects on charges of drunk driving, reckless and negligent driving, and for outstanding warrants of arrest.
In Bishop Lavis on Thursday 19 May 2016, the Integrated Roadblock Unit was approached by a member of the public who informed them of smash-and-grab suspects in the vicinity of Robert Sobukwe Road and 35th Street. Officers approached the area in an unmarked vehicle and arrested a 16-year-old suspect who was found with equipment used for smash-and-grab theft as well as three large packets of dagga.
On Saturday evening, 21 May 2016, the Roadblock Unit assisted a member of the Ghost Squad who was involved in a chase with a vehicle that clocked more than 160 km/h in a 60 km/h zone in Stikland, nearly causing a massive accident in the process. Officers eventually forced the vehicle to a stop at the intersection of Strand and La Belle Roads and searched the occupants. One of the passengers was found in possession of tik and mandrax, resulting in his arrest along with the driver who will face a charge of reckless and negligent driving.
‘High-speed chases have become the order of the day in many of our enforcement efforts. It speaks to the absolute contempt that some members of the public have for law and order, but also their fellow residents. I commend the officers who doggedly pursue these “scofflaws”. Experience has shown that they catch the culprits in most cases, which simply means a weightier charge sheet for the accused who could have made life easier for themselves by simply obeying a lawful instruction in the first place,’ added Alderman Smith.
In Eerste River, the City’s Law Enforcement Department was called upon to deal with a suspect acting in a riotous manner in Kleinvlei on Wednesday 18 May 2016. An off-duty officer responded to a colleague’s call for assistance. On arrival, he found a suspect armed with a knife. The two officers managed to pepper-spray the suspect and disarm him.
They later found that he had assaulted his ex-girlfriend by stabbing her and hitting her in the face with a brick. He also damaged the windows and gate of a property in the area. The suspect was charged with possession of a dangerous weapon, riotous behaviour, assault with intention to do grievous bodily harm, and malicious damage to property. It was later established that he is on parole after a previous murder conviction.
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