The City believes that the belt of one of its Law Enforcement officers saved his life when they came under fire from suspected hijackers following a high-speed chase in Nyanga on Sunday night.
The officers were conducting patrols at about 7.20pm when they attempted to pull over the driver of a bronze Toyota Avanza.
The driver initially refused to stop, but when he realised he wasn’t able to get away, he stopped. Three occupants jumped out of the vehicle and opened fire on the officers’ vehicle, said safety and security Mayco member JP Smith.
“One of the officers was hit in the hip during the shootout, but it later emerged that the bullet lodged in his belt.
“Fortunately, he was only left with a bruise. After the suspects fled on foot, officers discovered that the two remaining occupants in the vehicle were persons who had been hijacked.”
Smith said the incident was but the latest example of the good work that City staff do daily, often at great risk to their personal safety.
“Not only have our Law Enforcement officers recovered at least nine firearms in the last two weeks, but they’ve also recovered four hijacked vehicles.
“In the latest incident, one of our officers sustained an injury when the suspected hijackers opened fire on staff members, and we wish him a speedy recovery.
“I also want to commend the officers for their situational awareness. Apart from the vehicle that they recovered, they also saved two hijacking victims from an uncertain fate,” said Smith.
Anyone with information about the incident can anonymously contact the City’s 24-hour tip-off line, on 0800 110077.
Nyanga is one of the areas police identified for additional deployments in a bid to reduce murders, attempted murders and other serious and violent crime.
In a statement on Monday, police spokesperson Andre Traut said the offices were still hard at work executing focused operations and interventions.
“While it is still early days, the integrated efforts are aimed at turning the tide against crime affecting local communities.
“A decision was taken by Western Cape SAPS management to bolster deployments in areas such as Elsies River, Mitchell’s Plain, Steenberg, Nyanga, Gugulethu, Muizenberg, Philippi, Ravensmead and Kraaifontein.
“Working together with law enforcement agencies such as the City of Cape Town’s Metro police, LEAP officials and scores of community volunteers, it is envisaged that calm will be restored and the perpetrators of serious and violent crime are brought to book.
“Together with others in law enforcement, we remain committed to create safer communities for all inhabitants in the province.
“Our primary focus will continue to be on removing firearms from the streets that are used in the commission of serious and violent crime,” said Traut.
Cape Times