Constables to combat crime

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GRAAFF-REINET NEWS & VIDEO - The Graaff-Reinet Police Academy successfully trained 353 police cadets over eight months. These cadets left the academy after a passing out parade at Botanical Sport Grounds on Friday 13 December.

The Deputy National Commissioner: Crime Detection, Lt Gen Lebeoana Tsumane, did the parade inspection, key note address and swearing in of the new constables.

Tsumane congratulated them on behalf of the police leadership. He described the parade as part of a journey towards a safer South Africa. Five thousand police constables from five SAPS training academies simultaneously took part in passing out parades on Friday.

Of the 353 from Graaff-Reinet, 216 were deployed in the Free State, with 137 in the Northern Cape. New constables from the Bisho Academy were deployed in the Eastern Cape. The amount could not be confirmed.

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The 5 000 trainees were chosen out of more than 500 000 applications received. "Through this intake, we have managed to strike a balance through deployment of constables in deep rural police stations and crime hot spots in major urban centres focusing on community service centres across the clusters in the province, detective services, flying squads, public order policing and operational command centres," Tsumana added.

Deputy National Commissioner: Crime Detection, Lt Gen Lebeoana Tsumane answering the salute from the parade.

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He said that the SAPS, like any other police agency across the world, continues to evolve by finding new solutions to new and advanced types of criminal activities. "As we evolve and expectations of us increase, we are expected to equally investigate different crime trends, ranging from murder which continue to depict an upward trend, to rape."

He said complex financial crimes, high tech cyber-crimes and corruption offences also require their exclusive attention, while protests seem to take them away from the police's core mandate.

Tsumane concluded by saying, "we must sustain an inquisitive frame of mind, that will assist us to continuously learn and develop, so that we can collectively live up the noble mandate we are entrusted with."

The new constables' last salute as they left the passing out parade.
Photos: Christo Vermaak