Huge changes afoot at Douglasdale Police Station
DOUGLASDALE - There are big changes afoot at the Douglasdale Police Station as the station commander and some members of senior management have taken up other posts in the police force.
Station commander Brigadier Leon Kruger, Colonel Tinus Swart and Colonel Anesh Maharaj are some of the senior officers who said their farewell to the station.
In their absence, Brigadier Lettie Hugo and her team from Randburg Police Station will now take over the management of the Douglasdale Police Station. These changes will come into effect on 23 February.
The changes are linked to the recent protests by Douglasdale junior police officers who accused Swart, among other things, of racism. Swart was cleared of any wrongdoing and will be joining senior management at Kagiso Police Station in Krugersdorp. Kruger will be going to the police provincial head office.
According to Jean Berdou, chairperson of the Douglasdale Community Policing Forum, Douglasdale station will receive about 60 new members from other stations over the next three weeks. A police source said the junior officers, who were suspended for the illegal protest that they staged against Swart were re-instated, however they have been transferred to various other police stations around Joburg.
Berdou stated that he would like to wholeheartedly thank all the departing senior officers from the Douglasdale Police Station for their service and dedication to the precinct. “We wish them all the very best in their new spots,” he said. “Their contribution and efforts into keeping our community safe are deeply appreciated and will never be forgotten.”
Berdou went on to welcome Hugo and her team on behalf of the forum and the community. “I have known Brigadier Hugo for several years, working with her at cluster level and she is a dedicated, highly experienced and conscientious officer whose commitment to community is unwavering,” Berdou said.
He reiterated that the forum and the police would remain committed to the principle of priority policing for the Fourways community.
The national police office is yet to make a statement on the changes at Douglasdale Police Station.
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