Among 700 new police officers being deployed across Cape Town, including neighbourhood policing in every ward, the City of Cape Town has 40 new metro police officers enhancing safety along the N2 highway and the airport precinct.
The initiative is part of the city’s Integrated Freeway Safety Plan, which focuses on increased officer deployment along with technology such as automated licence plate recognition and dashcams capable of identifying stolen vehicles.
JP Smith, Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, said: “The most recent annual statistics for our highway interventions are a stark reminder of just how critical a dedicated enforcement presence is. We have stepped up time and again over the past decade – first with the dedicated metro police patrols, followed by the establishment and deployment of a specialised highway patrol unit in our traffic service and now this additional deployment.”
The Western Cape’s Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Anroux Marais, added: “These additional deployments and increased patrols will go a long way in restoring a sense of safety on a critical gateway to our province and city. Provincial traffic authorities will work hand in hand with city officers and the SAPS to bring down criminal incidents affecting residents and visitors to our province.”
Safety tips include avoiding late-night travel, keeping cell phones charged and not stopping along highways except in emergencies.
