DETECTIVE Gops Reddy relocated to Peter Mokaba Road, Morningside, after his retirement, but celebrated his 83rd birthday with his former colleagues and retired SAPS members, at The Chistlehurst Academics and Arts Hall recently.
Detective Reddy joined the SAPS in 1956 in Pietermaritzburg, where he spent a few years before he underwent his basic training at the former police depot in Wentworth.
After his basic training he was reposted to Pietermaritzburg Central where he was mainly tasked with administrative duties because of his skills. However, he was compelled to perform foot patrol whenever an officer deemed it necessary. He wore a black police uniform which non-white members were issued with in those years.
Reddy was later transferred to the Sutherlands Police Station, now known as Plessislaer. In those years, a large Indian population resided in the Sutherlands, Plessislaer and Edendale areas.
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His duties were purely administrative until he was sent to the Criminal Investigation Department, now the detective branch, where he was tasked with the investigation of case dockets in which police, prison and defence force members were accused.
There were numerous challenges in those years, mechanical transport was few and far between, and even bicycles were reserved for a specific group.
However, when a motor vehicle became available to him, he used to type the memorandum (a requirement where state employees were implicated) on the bonnet of the Land Rover with a manual Remington typewriter. The memorandum was essential to State Prosecutors to determine whether to prosecute or not.
Reddy retired as a fully fledged detective having undergone the many internal courses to qualify. He received a number of commendations and citations in his tenure with the police. He boasts of working alongside many top cops of yesteryear.
Logan Govender, former colleague, said: “More than twenty former police members attended the birthday to honour this stalwart. He is a regular at the monthly meetings of Retired Police Members. We wish him everything of the best on this milestone birthday.”
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