All roads led to the Valverde Eco Hotel in Lanseria on Friday, 27 September for the men in blue who were nominated for the Tracker SAPS annual Provincial Awards.
The awards, aimed at honouring the courage and dedication of law enforcement officers and units who made a significant impact in locating and recovering stolen and hijacked vehicles, saw various departments gather at the prestigious venue to wait in anticipation for their names to be called.
Winners were selected based on the following criteria: contribution in the area of vehicle crime investigation using the Tracker system; number of recoveries and arrests; outstanding efforts in coordinating recovery actions and outstanding contribution to the training of members.
The Johannesburg Flying Squad was chosen as the unit winner for the Gauteng province.
“This unit has been instrumental in fighting vehicle crime, having contributed to almost 70 per cent of Tracker’s regional activations and going beyond their jurisdiction to search for and recover vehicles. Their dedication is evident in their ability to recover vehicles even when tracking has been compromised. The members of the Johannesburg Flying Squad consistently go beyond the call of duty,” said Nandi Canning, communication manager at Tracker SA, explaining the reasons for this particular success.
The Gauteng provincial individual award went to Sergeant Tlou Joseph ‘TJ’ Semenya from the Pretoria Highway Patrol. “Sergeant Semenya is always willing to assist in the recovery of stolen and hijacked vehicles in the Pretoria area, even in the roughest of places. His state vehicle is permanently in good condition and the Tracker equipment well looked after. He also continuously looks to improve his skills with in-service training, and is often called upon by other members for guidance and advice,” Nandi explained.
The winners received a personalised trophy, a small gift as token of appreciation, and an invitation to attend the national awards ceremony in October.
The finalists were not left out as they received certificates acknowledging their nomination and special contribution to the fight against vehicle crime utilising Tracker’s technology in their respective provincial areas and commands.
