BEREA SAPS has appointed a new communications officer who is committted to keeping the local community informed about crime.
Captain ‘TD’ Thamsanqa David Gumede happily chatted to Berea Mail after celebrating 33 years of police service on Monday. Born in Amanzimtoti, as a little boy, Gumede grew up with dreams of becoming a policeman. “I didn’t just want to be a policeman, but I wanted to be a police detective and drive around in a Datsun Laurel, the ones all the detectives at the time drove, ” he laughed.
After finishing school he managed to follow his childhood dreams and studied to become a policeman. He was initially a railway policeman stationed at the Durban Station in 1982 but was later transferred to CR Swart (Durban Central) as a crime prevention officer. The experienced officer has moved through the different departments within the SAPS and spent time in Finance, and even had a five year stint as a detective for Durban Central before he was transferred to the Human Resources Department at the Durban area office.
In 2005 he was promoted to the rank of Captain and became a labour relations officer in the South and Durban North before returning to Durban Central’s Community Service Centre until he was moved to Berea SAPS a few months ago.
Captain Gumede said one of the highlights of his career was arresting a man in Umgeni Road for rape, “We found the guy and he was sentenced to six years in prison. That was one of my first major arrests and it inspired me to continue working harder,” he said.
Gumede said he’s very excited about the new post which will see him be the first contact between the community and the police. “The area that needs attention in the community, I have noticed, is theft out of motor vehicles which is on the rise. I appeal to the community to ensure cellphones, cameras and laptops are not left visible in vehicles,” he said.
He said the Berea police had an open door policy so welcomed the community to contact him at the station if they had any issues or complaints. “Being in many different departments and branches of the SAPS over the years, I have developed a working relationship with various communities and hope to further this relationship in Berea,” he added.
