Constable Thabiso Selowa shared her life story and her journey towards becoming a police officer with the Midrand Reporter.
Selowa is a 33-year-old Sepedi speaking woman who grew up in Limpopo in a small village called Bolobedu near Tzaneen.
“My parents and I moved to Kanana Ext 4 years ago and that is where I was exposed to the high rate of poverty and sufferings that people were experiencing. We lived in a low-cost house (RDP) and were surrounded by two informal settlements.
“The children in the area were addicted to some form of substance and were also not attending any school. All I wanted to do was play a positive role in my community, which is why I became a police officer under social crimes,” said Selowa.
Social crime teams have a lot of duties but one of its responsibilities is to visit communities, schools and educate adults and children about the consequences of crime, illegal substance usage and addiction.
Selowa highlighted that her dream career was to be a social worker and that dream has not died, though she now realises that she can still be in the police force and practice social work skills within the force under the social crimes unit, which is why she is currently studying psychology in counselling.
“I joined the police force in 2008 and have always been designated at the Midrand Police Station but when I started I worked as a Cas program operator and my duty was to register case dockets, take incoming calls and control the radio communication with 10111, so I have never worked out on the field.
“It has been a fun 10 years for me as an officer, therefore I’m encouraging the community to join the police force because it’s also a career like any other and I have a better knowledge of the law now and have become much braver than when I was joining the force. I’m a mother of two boys aged five and two and am raising my children with my partner very well.”
The officer shares her analysis of the community and said that teachers are overloaded with disruptive children because of the bad habits they are engaging in and the use of illegal substances and parents who are not always aware what their children are getting up to.
The community has been urged to be vigilant and alert as well as try their utmost to protect themselves by ensuring their doors are always locked, among other safety measures.
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