[imagesource:arrivealive]
This is a not-so-friendly reminder to pay your traffic fines before they snowball into the hundreds of thousands.
One man was not so smart.
Traffic officers managed to nab a motorist with arrest warrants totalling R101,700 on Thursday, May 16.
The officers were in the Heideveld area conducting tracing operations for the top 100 offenders with outstanding warrants when they spotted a vehicle on their list. But the guilty driver sped off when he was asked to stop. At some point, he even abandoned his vehicle and made off on foot, but officers caught up with him.
The suspect was positively identified as being on the list, with 30 outstanding warrants, IOL reported. He was detained at the Wynberg police station and appeared in the municipal court the following day.
During weekly patrols, traffic officers issued 64,765 fines, impounded 151 public transport vehicles, and executed 1,909 warrants of arrest.
Officers also arrested 69 motorists – 51 for driving under the influence of alcohol; seven for reckless and negligent driving; and 11 others for various transgressions including possession of a stolen vehicle; false documentation; and assault of an officer.
Law enforcement officers were also hard at work, having conducted more than 650 enforcement operations last week, effected 267 arrests and issued 4,657 notices for various offences. Meanwhile, the metro police officers made 63 arrests and issued 2,439 traffic and by-law fines.
Safety and security Mayco member JP Smith mentioned how in the past week, they saw an increase in arrests compared to the previous week, with yet another warrant dodger ending up behind bars.
“These successes are incredibly encouraging, considering the often difficult circumstances that our staff have to contend with. I am particularly happy with the regular gains being made against habitual law breakers,” Smith said.
“We have far too many road users who think they are untouchable – that is until the long arm of the law catches up with them.”
The roads are rife with issues.
The Public Emergency Communication Centre recorded 1,849 incidents over the past weekend, including assistance with broken-down vehicles, medical-related emergencies, and by-law transgressions.
Additionally, the high number of physical assault cases is an ongoing concern, with agents having dealt with 91 calls for assistance of which 46 were firearm-related assault cases.
[source:iol]
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