CAPE Town – The confiscations by the Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officers took the overall illegal firearm recovery tally for the week to seven.
The City’s enforcement agencies also made 289 arrests during the week, up from 245 the previous week.
00:30, Friday, July 26: two suspects arrested for the possession of a prohibited firearm and ammunition in Sherwood Park, Atlantis.
23:30, Friday, July 26: 17-year-old suspect arrested in Kraaifontein for the illegal possession of a .38 special revolver.
02:30, Saturday, July 27: Suspect arrested for the illegal possession of a pistol and nine rounds of ammunition in Manenberg.
15:00, Saturday, July 27: Suspect arrested for the illegal possession of a firearm in Nyanga.
03:15, Sunday, July 28: Suspect arrested for the illegal possession of a firearm in Gugulethu.
In addition, the metro police department confiscated two firearms and two imitation firearms during their operations in the past week.
Mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith said: “I commend the staff members involved for helping to remove seven more firearms from our streets. The successes were no accident, but rather the result of visible and responsive policing.
“We will continue to remove dangerous weapons from our streets, although the continued abundance of illegal firearms is cause for concern.
“I am hopeful that the positive discussions with the new police minister will continue, and that together, we can find a way to effectively dismantle the illicit firearm trade in our city,” Smith said.
In general enforcement operations over the past week, the City’s agencies arrested 289 suspects and issued 53 340 fines.
Law enforcement officers made 185 arrests and issued 3 922 fines during enforcement operations.
Their metro police counterparts arrested 68 suspects, including 11 motorists for drunk driving, and issued 3 655 traffic and by-law fines.
On the roads, the traffic service issued 45 763 fines, impounded174 public transport vehicles and executed 1 912 warrants of arrest.
Officers also arrested 36 suspects of which 26 were driving under the influence of alcohol, three for reckless and negligent driving and seven for other offences which included submitting false documentation, assaulting an officer and possession of a stolen vehicle.
The Public Emergency Communication Centre recorded 1 485 incidents this weekend, including 109 cases of assault and 49 cases of domestic violence.
Call takers also logged 67 motor vehicle and pedestrian accidents.