Rail crime unit on track

THE Rail Enforcement Unit established to tackle crime on trains and prevent attacks on infrastructure has arrested 36 suspects for various crimes including assault, possession of drugs, stolen property, malicious damage to property and theft.

Established in October, it has confiscated 379.5m of cable and 800kg of railway signal cable.

Metrorail Western Cape regional manager Richard Walker said the unit had been a force multiplier for the Passenger Rail Agency of SA’s (Prasa) regional Protection Services Unit.

“With enforcement success on track, the next priority should be closing down non-compliant scrap dealers and lobbying for legislative changes to permit only traceable electronic payment methods. The current practice of ‘cash for copper, no questions asked’ encourages illegal and illicit scrap dealing,” he said.

The unit is jointly funded by the City of Cape Town, the Western Cape Government and Prasa and provides an additional 100 law enforcement officers to existing security personnel.

At least six of the arrests were in terms of Section 18 of the Criminal Matters Amendment Act of 2015, which makes provision for a person convicted of tampering with or damaging essential infrastructure to be imprisoned for a period not exceeding 30 years.

Mayor Dan Plato said: “The people of Cape Town deserve a safe and reliable public transport system. With less crime and vandalism, we can expect a decrease in delays and cancellations, and with that we can expect more commuters opting for trains as opposed to road-based transport.”

Transport and Public Works MEC Donald Grant said: “The initial results and arrests are testament to the initiative’s effectiveness and our officers’ commitment on the ground.”

Report railway crime at 021 449 4336/5056.