Cape Town seeks expanded policing powers to fight gang and drug crime [SOUND]

# Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says the city has submitted a proposal to grant municipal police the power to investigate gang, gun, and drug-related crimes. The aim is to improve low conviction rates, currently at just five-percent, despite removing 400 illegal guns annually. The city also calls for better access to forensic tools, crime data, and improved cooperation with the South African Police Service. Hill-Lewis says investigative powers are key to building stronger cases: