''A quieter December'' says City of Cape Town

The City of Cape Town says it has seen a decline in various of its departments this festive season.

The Fire & Rescue Service responded to a total of 3 546 emergency incidents. The Public Emergency Communication Centre recorded 17 722 (21 020) incidents of which 38% were calls for medical assistance and 21% related to by-law transgressions. During the festive season, the Disaster Risk Management Centre was called upon to coordinate responses to four major informal settlement fire incidents in the space of four days.

‘’Public safety over the festive season is a massive undertaking, particularly given how many people simply refuse to take responsibility for their own safety. The statistics indicate a slightly quieter December compared to the previous year, but there was still a lot to contend with. The increase in crashes that our Fire & Rescue Service attended to is a flag. Unfortunately, road safety and specifically the behaviour of drivers continues to be one of the myriad challenges we face,’’ said JP Smith, Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security.

PICTURE: City of Cape Town

Law enforcement officers made 1 163 arrests in December, and issued 31 846 fines for various transgressions. In addition, officers recovered 11 firearms, six imitation firearms and 135 rounds of ammunition. Officers also confiscated 2 384,75 units of drugs. Alcohol confiscations between 1 December and 3 January totalled 7 434 bottles, equating to just under 3 500 litres.

‘’On the face of it, this statistic seems very encouraging compared to a few years ago. And, as tempting as it is to assume that the message has finally landed, we know from experience that those who insist on drinking have simply switched up their modus operandi - from using alcohol sachets and other means to avoid detection, to drinking at home or in their vehicles and then arriving at the beach drunk. It doesn't matter how they do it, though, the fact remains that people who insist on drinking in public not only ruin the occasion for others, but also put themselves and the enforcement and emergency services staff who have to respond if anything happens, in harm's way,’’ said Smith.

 

Done by: Elona Sibunzi