Police achievers recognised at district awards ceremony

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Police staff, including station and unit commanders from across the Garden Route district, gathered at the Mossel Bay Town Hall last Friday, 29 November, for the second annual police Garden Route District Prestige Awards.

The awards celebrate the hard work and dedication of officers, detectives, administration clerks, community policing forums and detectives, giving them a chance to shine and receive recognition.

Administration staff were the first to receive awards, with employees from the police stations, Da Gamaskop, George, Knysna, Ladismith and Oudtshoorn receiving prizes.

The administration team of the year award went to George Police Station, with Oudtshoorn coming second and Thembalethu Police Station, third.

The visible policing (VISPOL) and operations employees who received awards came from George, Knysna, the Garden Route District area office in George, the District Operational Command Centre (DOCC) in George and Conville Police Station in George. The VISPOL and operations team of the year award went to Ladismith.

Garden Route Casino Trust representative
Shadrack Shishana and Da Gamaskop Police
Station’s Nogcina Khohliwe. She came first for
administration employee of the year (Level 5 to
7).

The DOCC came second and the sector team from Herold Police Station came third. The detective and forensic employees of the year came from the stations, Da Gamaskop, Stilbaai and George.

The winning detective and forensic team of the year came from George. In second place was a combination of officers from Conville, the Serious Corruption Investigations Unit, Serious Commercial Crime Investigations Unit, the Vehicle Crime Investigations Unit, Garden Route district area office and the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit (FCS) in George.

The team which came third was the Riversdale Crime Intelligence Division (CID). The reservists of the year were first, from Pacaltsdorp, second, Riversdale, and third, KwaNonqaba police stations.

Rickey Lin of the Garden Route Chinese community, with Deon Booysen, who placed third for reservist of the year. He is from KwaNonqaba.

The catch of the year award went to a team made up of officers from George and the Garden Route Intervention Team. This was for the arrest of seven men in April this year, allegedly linked to the construction mafia. Seven firearms were also confiscated during the arrest.

Second place was attained by a sergeant from Albertinia and third, a constable from Stilbaai. The community policing forum of the year award went to Knysna, with KwaNonqaba in second place and Albertinia in third place.

Conville Police Station was awarded the station of the year award. Stilbaai came second and Ladismith third.

The man of the year award went to Sergeant Michael Opperman of the Garden Route district area office and Sergeant Ron-Mari Boshoff from Uniondale Police Station.

Mpho Segolela, representing one of the sponsors; Da Gamaskop Police Station's Lieutenant Colonel Maria Gerber; and Brigadier Belinda Pather. Gerber was awarded the title, detective and forensic employee of the year (Level 8 to 12) and came second for woman of the year.

Shadrack Shishana, Da Gamaskop Police Station's Simphiwe Thundezwa and Brigadier Belinda Pather. Thundezwa was awarded first place for administration employee of the Year (Level 1 to 4).

Brigadier Belinda Pather; Mpho Segolela, representing one of the sponsors; and chairman of the KwaNonqaba community policing forum (CPF), Shadrack Shishana. Shishana was handed the second place prize for CPF of the year. He is the chairman of the KwaNonqaba CPF.

Shadrack Shishana, Da Gamskop Police Station's Ansie Phillipson and Brigadier Belinda Pather. Phillipson placed third in the administration employee of the year category (Level 8 to 12).