The breakfast was held on 1 November at the Balalaika Hotel, with special guests from the local law enforcement, Brigadier Alan Billings and Colonel Guy Killian, and CPF chairperson Wendy Vorster-Robertson, who all showed their appreciation for their hard work.
The Victim Empowerment programme is a mandatory unit at all police stations in Gauteng. Sandton Community Police Forum chairperson Vorster-Robertson said, “The aim of Victim Empowerment is to offer service and support to the victims of crime, and this encompasses trauma counselling as well as special services given to the victims of rape and domestic violence.
“Specialised counsellors are also trained to assist the police at actual crime scenes when specifically requested by the duty officer. The Victim Empowerment programme counteracts the trauma of crime and aims to bring wholeness back into the victim’s life, freeing them from the haunting negativity that is crime’s secondary burden.”
She commended the volunteers’ work with a quote by American journalist Erma Brombeck, “Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the earth who reflect this nation’s compassion, unselfish caring, patience, and just plain love for one another.”
Station commander of Sandton police, Brigadier Alan Billings said, “A lot of other police stations have referred victims to the Sandton Police Station, and our volunteers have been doing a fantastic job. We always want to say thank you to them for their work, and that’s why we have this breakfast.”
“I haven’t received a single complaint from the community regarding the work that they have done.”
