City of Cape Town wages war against extortion

CAPE TOWN - The City of Cape Town says it has registered 100 cases of extortion of its staff members with police since January this year.

The city introduced a new Facility Protection Unit, which will add to the existing contingent of law enforcement officers to combat extortion and construction-related crimes.

The city said more than 2,000 escorts have been provided by the metro since last year.

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The municipality said these safety measures were a reflection of how dire the situation of crime had become in Cape Town.

The municipality urged residents to get involved in protecting infrastructure and reporting perpetrators to authorities.

"For a long time, our rescue services were mindlessly targeted in high-risk areas, but today, with the proliferation of extortion rackets, everyone is at risk. The City has introduced numerous interventions to curb the threat of extortion but more needs to be done in the criminal justice system," said the City's MMC for Safety and Security, JP Smith.