The recent attacks against the City of Cape Town’s law enforcement staff are an indication of the danger they face regularly, mayoral committee member for Safety and Security JP Smith said on Monday.
He noted a specific incident in which a motorist knocked over a metro police constable who had been pursuing him at the time. The constable’s arm was fractured.
“The suspects in the incident involving the metro police officer have been arrested and the driver is facing an attempted murder charge,” Smith said.
“I call on the criminal justice system to mete out the harshest possible sentence as the driver attempted to run over a second metro police officer while trying to evade capture. It is also important to note that he had two minors in the vehicle with him, of which the youngest was just three years old,” Smith alleged.
In another incident, a traffic officer was traumatised after he was robbed at gunpoint of his service pistol and cellphone.
Smith said that the City opened a criminal case and he encouraged anyone with further information to contact their nearest police station.
“These incidents are an indication of the danger that our staff face on an-all-too-regular basis but despite this, they continue to enforce the law and make arrests. In the past week, the traffic service and metro police department arrested 149 suspects,” Smith said.
He praised law enforcement staff for their victories.
These include the 149 arrests and the arrest of four people by the Gang and Drug Task Team.
“The City of Cape Town appreciates the efforts of those members of the public who contribute to the fight against crime by sharing information that has the potential to lead to successes like these,” Smith said.
“It underscores the reality that crime fighting is a shared responsibility that needs everyone to pitch in if we are to reduce our crime rates and make communities safer.”
KEEP UPDATED on the latest news by subscribing to our FREE newsletter.
– Follow Christina Pitt on Twitter on Twitter