A female traffic officer and a firefighter were last week arrested in Cape Town for “illegal street racing”, according to the City.
A statement released by Alderman JP Smith, the City’s mayoral committee member for safety and security, and social services, said that the Ghost Squad was “conducting operations” near Milnerton and Plattekloof late on Wednesday night, when one of the officers “spotted a Subaru and Ford ST racing along the N7 in the direction of Bosmansdam Road”.
The officer called for back-up and pursued the vehicles, eventually forcing them to a stop. Upon interrogating the drivers, the officers found that one was a female traffic officer and the other a firefighter. The latter had a second female traffic officer in the passenger seat.
The suspects were charged with reckless and negligent driving and participating in an illegal street race, with the City also instituting disciplinary steps, including the issuing of pre-suspension letters.
“While I do not want to pre-judge the situation, there is no doubt that an incident like this has the potential to cause serious reputational harm to the City, but also to jeopardise our enforcement efforts,” said Smith.
“Illegal street racing is extremely dangerous and one of our many enforcement challenges. It is therefore disappointing that the very people who are supposed to protect the public make themselves guilty of this type of behaviour,” he added.
Smith went on to say that the City “will not shy away from highlighting wrongdoing within our ranks”.
“I also want to reassure the public that the actions of a few do not represent the thousands of dedicated employees within our safety and security services who put their lives on the line on a daily basis to keep Cape Town safe,” he concluded.
