KINROSS – Capt Gerhard Elmes said being appointed as the station commander of Kinross Police Station, is not only a great achievement, but also a challenge.
He took the helm on Thursday, 1 September and said though he acted in this position previously, it is now more challenging because he has to take on more responsibilities.
Armed with 25 years of experience in the police service and having spent more time in visible policing, he said the most troubling crimes in Kinross are housebreakings and drug abuse.
As part of Capt Elmes’ job in visible policing, he spent some of the time talking to the youth who are involved in crimes and said most of the time the driving force is drug abuse, unemployment and poverty.
“Most young people begin with petty crimes and then graduate to committing more serious ones,” said Capt Elmes who urged parents to be part of their children’ lives and to monitor their behaviour.
When asked whether he always wanted to be a policeman, Capt Elmessaid:“ After Grade 12 I had two options, namely becoming either a policeman or a soldier because my parents could not afford me going to university.”
Capt Elmes added that entering the police service was a bit scary and what made it worse, was knowing that he would no longer have his parents’ protection at the college and that he would be on his own.
Returning from the college, he spent most of his service at Evander Police Station which he described as his classroom, because that was where he got most of his experience.
Capt Elmes urged the community to form more neighbourhood watch groups and to ensure they do not work in isolation, but with the police.
The station commander assured the public that his door is open, but that does not mean they should override police officials at the front office or doing visible policing.
