Cape Town - The City of Cape Town’s safety and security officials are investigating allegations of the possible involvement of a police detective in a vehicle hijacking incident that occurred in the CBD.
A detective based at Rondebosch police station was reportedly apprehended by law enforcement officers for allegedly hijacking a vehicle at a fuel station in Buitengracht Street in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Safety and security Mayco member JP Smith said officers used their vehicle to block the getaway of the hijacked car, a white Polo Vivo, and arrested the man behind the wheel. Smith said three other suspects in a silver Polo managed to escape.
Smith said information that was later received suggested that the arrested suspect was believed to be a police officer. He said this was being investigated.
However, police spokesperson Andre Traut said: “In response to your enquiry, kindly be advised that the information at your disposal is not entirely accurate.
“The hijacking case you are referring to is under police investigation and part of this investigation is to gather more information regarding the 28-year-old suspect who was arrested, and who is yet to appear in a court of law.”
Central Cape town CBD chairperson Marc Truss said any crime in the CBD and surroundings was of concern, noting theft out of a vehicle and common robbery as the most frequently committed crimes in the CBD.
In the recently released crime statistics, Cape Town Central police station recorded the highest incidence of serious crimes, with an uptake of 49.8% between April and June this year.
Truss said any member in uniform taking bribes or assisting with illegal activity would affect public confidence, which then raises the trust issue, adding that those involved must face the consequences.
During his media briefing on September 14, Police Minister Cele conceded to the police management being aware of the fact that some police officers were breaking the law.
Cele said the arrests of police members sent a strong message that police ineptness and corruption would not be tolerated or go unpunished.
Between April and September this year, Cele said 24 police officers had been arrested for various crimes in the province. This he said included 11 police arrested for corruption, four for fraud, four for extortion, and another four arrested for defeating the ends of justice, while one police member was found in possession of drugs.
This includes two officers from Mfuleni who in April were apprehended by law enforcement officers after robbing the Post Office at Hospital Street in Macassar and making away with an undisclosed amount of money.
Smith said if any enforcement officer was proven to have been involved in any form of criminal conduct, an extensive investigation must be followed and prosecuted under the full extent of the law.
“Corruption must be acted upon instantly when discovered or reported. The City’s enforcement agencies work closely with committed SAPS members to protect and serve,” he said.
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