DRONES HELP CITY VANG SKELMS

METRO Police say their hi-tech approach to crime fighting is paying off big time as their digital tools help boost arrests to 235 just last week. 

A number of the suspects were arrested with the assistance of CCTV and drone operators.

On Saturday, 3 May 2025, Metro Police officers conducted crime prevention patrols at the Bellville taxi rank, assisted by drone operators.

They arrested five suspects on various charges including the illegal possession of drugs and defeating the ends of justice.

On Friday, 2 May, CCTV operators caught two suspects smoking a suspected illegal substance at the corner of Strand and Plein Streets in the Cape Town CBD. Responding officers found them in possession of Mandrax and detained the suspects, aged 31 and 40.

In a near-identical incident on May Day, CCTV operators monitoring the CBD triggered the arrest of a 55-year-old suspect for possession of Mandrax and a knife, while the cameras also caught the driver of a silver Mercedes Benz driving into a barrier and hitting a tree. 

Metro Police officers detained the 30-year-old driver at Cape Town Central SAPS for being under the influence after a breathalyser put him at nearly three times the legal limit.

Mayco Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith says: “The expanded use of digital tools to complement enforcement efforts has become part and parcel of our public safety operations. 

“These tools display their worth time and again.

Not only does it increase the chances of criminals being caught red-handed, but the video evidence can be the key to a successful prosecution.”