WITH four decades of police service behind him, Peter Keogh, also known as The Laughing Policeman, aims to educate children on various safety issues while also entertaining them.
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Keogh, who was a captain with Metro Police with 43 years of service, said that after seeing and attending to some horrific accident scenes over the years, he wanted to get the message across to children on how to be safe.
“If I talk to 50 000 children and I save one child from being kidnapped, knocked over by a car or killed, then I feel I have done my job,” he said.
His outreach programmes / comedy shows are supported by several security firms in Durban, including Marshall Security.
The topics he focuses on are police emergency numbers, stranger danger, bullying, road traffic safety as well as life skills.
With a passion for acting, Keogh said he has also appeared in Imbewu: The Seed, Uzalo, Mother of All, Reyka Series 2, The Right Thing and Unforgiven, as well as an advert for the recent Soccer World Cup.
“My talk also tells children to believe in themselves, work hard and follow their dreams. If I can become an actor, then what is stopping them to become who they aspire to be?” he said.
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On June 8, he spoke to 415 Grade R to 3 learners at Kamalinee Primary School in Lotus Park. The school’s Jaydeen Mathoora said they had invited him because they found that many of the learners used public transport and were exposed to dangerous situations while waiting.
“We have also had a few incidents where learners were injured in road accidents. So, this session was very informative, and the children thoroughly enjoyed it,” she said.
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