The head of Carletonville’s detective service, Colonel Wessel Prinsloo, has retired after decades in the post, describing the role as the best job anyone could ask for.

Growing up in Carletonville, Prinsloo initially considered studying law and history before a friend of his father convinced him to join the police.

“The idea of catching criminals and keeping them off the street appealed to me,” he said.

He officially started his career at the Carletonville Police Station on February 18, 1986, while continuing his legal studies after hours.

After completing his police training, Prinsloo was first employed at the police’s watch unit in Pretoria, where he guarded national government ministers before returning to Carletonville.

He moved into investigative work in 1988 and honed his skills in the local stock theft unit from 1990, which he remembers as the best time of his career because he worked outside.

“This was the best time of my police career as it was extremely interesting and I was working outside a lot. I never wanted to be an official who just worked in the office,” explained Prinsloo.

He joined the Carletonville detectives in 1995 and later returned to lead the stock theft unit until it disbanded in 2000, after which he remained with the detectives and served as their commander for most of the past decade.

During his service, Prinsloo led special task teams and worked alongside notable colleagues such as the late Piet Britz, Lieutenant Colonel Mossie Mostert, and Captain Soon Theron.

One of the largest cases he was involved in was the murder of Warrant Officer Bertie Boshoff, who was brutally murdered when he randomly stopped a suspicious vehicle at the corner of Dolomite Street and Kaolin Street in Carletonville. Detectives on this case worked to uncover a major crime ring and secure prison sentences ranging from 80 to 212 years for those responsible.

The Carletonville detective service also won various awards while being led by Prinsloo.

While child-related crime scenes affected him the most, he maintains that policing remains a rewarding calling rather than just a job for honest and disciplined young people.

“Being in the police is a calling, not just another job,” he says.

Reflecting on modern challenges, Prinsloo advises the public to take responsibility for their safety because the police lack the resources of guarding everyone’s property on their behalf. He also notes that there has been a huge increased in serious and violent crimes in our area, driven partly by a rise in issues like illegal mining.

In retirement, he plans to stay busy on his local farm to breed stud Dorper sheep and relax with his wife, Melinda, who is the former Khutsong station commander.