Edenvale top cop rewarded
The Gauteng police commissioner, Lieutenant General Lesetja Joel Mothiba and his deputy provincial commissioners, handed out awards to more than 20 SAPS officers from across the province.
Edenvale SAPS’ head of crime prevention, Lieutenant Colonel Robbie Roberts, won the Vispol (visible policing) Operational Manager of the Year Award at the 2014 SAPS Prestige Awards.
The event was held at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg and aimed to recognise police officers who went above and beyond the call of duty to ensure the safety of communities around Gauteng.
The Gauteng police commissioner, Lieutenant General Lesetja Joel Mothiba and his deputy provincial commissioners, handed out awards to more than 20 SAPS officers from across the province.
“Recipients braved dangerous situations, while some ensured that service delivery was provided effectively to citizens. Many of the members interrupted assaults, sprang into action while off-duty, or solved complex cases. We cannot thank you enough for the hard work and courage you have given in your daily jobs,” said Lt Gen Mothiba.
Some of the other winners included Constables Buthelezi and Bhengu, from the Randburg SAPS, for Arrest of the Year.
The two faced a deadly situation when an armed group of suspects fired at them with semi-automatic rifles while attending to a complaint.
Ultimately, the suspects were arrested and are behind bars.
The award for Operational Group of the Year went to the Anti-Hijacking Reaction Task Team from Brakpan.
The team made 69 arrests for various crimes, including murder, kidnapping, possession of explosives, hijacking and the possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
The team also recovered victims who were kidnapped as part of a human trafficking syndicate.
@EdenvaleJourno
