Dedicated to beating crime

Captain Alex Vermaak from the Linden Police Station comes from a long line of policemen and said that policing is in his blood.

Capt Vermaak is the Operations Commander for the Visible Policing Support Unit at the Linden Police Station and has been in the police service since he was 18 years old in the early ’80s.

“Being a policeman is in my blood. My father was a reservist, my two brothers are policemen as well as my sister. I could not imagine doing anything else,” he said.

Born and bred in Orkney in the North West province, he used to help out at his local police station until he left home and joined the old Police College now called Tshwane Police Academy.

Capt Vermaak pointed out that in his 29 years of being a policeman he was privileged to see a lot of development happening in the police service.

“I remember when I used to work at the Randburg Police Station, Cedar Road was still a gravel road and there were no highways. I’ve seen a dynamic change within the police service and how they have adapted to the needs of the community,” he explained.

Capt Vermaak further explained that nowadays crime was more violent and he can still remember the days when there were no hijackings, violent robberies and there was a time that criminals respected the police and their lives.

“Currently, there is a culture where criminals have more rights than law-abiding citizens and police are under fire for respecting criminals more than the citizen,” he lamented.

In total, Capt Vermaak said that he has lost 18 friends who were shot and killed in the line of duty. “Losing so many comrades made me realise how fragile life is, and the only thing that one can do is carpe diem (seize the day) and ensure that one’s training and awareness is adjusted accordingly,” he added.

The father of one said that he made sure to make time for his family and that he enjoyed his job because it allowed him to make a difference in people’s lives as that is what motivates him every day.

“I will never forget the look of pride on my parents’ faces on the day that I was promoted to the rank of officer. That is my proudest moment and highlight of my career, it motivates me to keep doing what I do as it creates change in society,” he added.

“I want the residents to know that the police services did not employ me for my physical ability or sportsmanship but for my heart and dedication. Don’t judge me on my size but rather on my big spirit and heart as that is what will make a difference in the community,” Capt Vermaak said.

Contact Details: Linden Police Station, 011 888 9299

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