The new Cape Town roadblock unit arrests hundreds!

Over the past weekend, the new Cape Town roadblock unit arrested 698 individuals for traffic-related offences – in just two days of operation.

Mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith, said the 18-member team aims to focus on enforcing the National Road Traffic Act. The team costs the City around R5 million to operate and they also deal with tracking suspects with outstanding warrants and suspects wanted for other crimes.

The team is made up from members from various departments, including the City’s traffic service, metro police, law enforcement and the provincial Traffic Department.

The new Cape Town roadblock unit will be conducting roadblock throughout the city every day. Targeting drunk drivers, illegal street racing and anyone driving stolen vehicles. As well as checking vehicles for any illegal firearms or drugs.

“Roadblocks are an integral policing tool,”

Smith said, adding,

“In recent years our services have been stretched by an increasing workload thanks to service delivery protests, gang violence and land invasions.

The result is that we have not been able to have as many roadblocks as we would like. This unit is a step towards rectifying that situation.”

Robbie Roberts, the City’s director of law enforcement, said that the two operations conducted by the Cape Town roadblock unit has achieved substantial results. The first night of operation started off in Athlone, in which 409 motorists were either arrested or fined for various offences.

After 23:00, the Cape Town roadblock unit relocated to Bellville South, where they recorded another 165 traffic offences. Including individuals driving without a license and an arrest for possession of drugs.

On Saturday, 248 vehicles were stopped and the drivers were tested for alcohol, in Vryburger Avenue and Plattekloof Road in Bothasig, by the Cape Town roadblock unit.

Roberts said 18 people had been arrested for driving under the influence and another for reckless and negligent driving.

He added that 28 motorists were arrested for various National Road Traffic Act offences.

Smith said:

“We have a major problem with people driving while drunk. We talk about how dangerous this is… Now people will be aware that they will be caught.

Ideally, we want to move away from the current situation where a drunk driving case takes years to conclude.

Justice needs to be meted out swiftly if we are to make road users sit up and take their responsibilities seriously.

If the initiative continued to yield results, it would become a permanent fixture,” 

Adding that,

“We want to tackle this issue head on and increase the amount of roadblocks in a dedicated way.”

Source: IOL