The City of Cape Town has stepped up its fight against crime on one of its busiest highways. Forty new Metro Police Officers have been deployed to patrol the N2, as well as the nearby Airport and Borcherd’s Quarry precincts.
This rollout marks the single biggest safety investment in over a decade and forms part of a citywide plan to deploy 700 new police officers, including dedicated neighbourhood policing in every ward, a historic first for Cape Town.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis joined the officers on patrol this week, alongside Alderman JP Smith, the Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security.
Part of a broader N2 freeway safety plan
The increased N2 presence is one piece of the City’s Integrated Freeway Safety Plan, which covers other priority routes such as the R300, N1, N7, M3, and M5, as well as secondary arterial roads.
The plan combines boots on the ground with advanced technology:
- Automated licence plate recognition cameras to track vehicles.
- Dashcams that identify stolen cars and detect traffic violations.
- Round-the-clock patrols, especially during the early morning hours when most incidents occur.
As a City making major investments in policing resources, we are sending a clear message today to our partners in SAPS and national government: we are here to help make Cape Town safer, including along this key N2 route for commuters and visitors to our city,” Mayor Hill-Lewis said.
What’s driving the safety push?
Most crimes along the N2 are opportunistic attacks on stranded motorists. In the past year alone, Metro Police officers responded to 2 215 incidents on the N2 and R300. Of these:
- 85% were due to mechanical issues, flat tyres, or running out of fuel.
- Eight cases involved motorists being robbed after pulling over.
These figures also don’t include SAPS operations, highlighting the scale of the challenge.
