AS part of commemorating national Police Day, January 27, the Pinetown SAPS has elevated service delivery through a community vetting initiative.

Pinetown SAPS communications officer Jennifer Naidu said members of the station celebrated the spirit of policing not only through enforcement, but through service, protection, and community partnership.

“In honour of this national celebration, SAPS Pinetown continues to demonstrate a people-centred approach by taking service delivery beyond the station walls and into the community.

“In a unique initiative within the precinct, SAPS Pinetown is actively assisting schools with the vetting and police clearance process for educators and school staff, ensuring the safety and protection of learners. This initiative is part of our ongoing commitment to keeping children safe and ensuring that schools remain secure learning environments,” said Naidu.

Recognising the challenge faced by teachers who are unable to visit the station during working hours, SAPS Pinetown has adopted a community-centred approach, added Naidu.

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“Instead of asking educators to come to the station, the police bring the process to the schools. This requires significant co-ordination from delivering and completing documentation, to arranging fingerprinting teams and managing online payment processes, but the station has committed to doing the work because protecting learners is non-negotiable,” said Naidu.

She said the initiative is supported by the Police Clearance and Public Driver’s Permit (PDP) Office and Social Crime Prevention, who are actively involved in co-ordinating the process and ensuring the smooth execution of the vetting services.

Visible Policing Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Mano Govender, said that the aim is to ensure that teachers do not have to leave the learners and lose valuable teaching time to come to the station for the clearance process.

“Therefore we are taking policing to them instead of them coming to us,” said Govender.

He acknowledged that the initiative places additional workload on members, but emphasised that SAPS Pinetown chooses to assist the community wherever it can.

Schools assisted so far:

Naidu said Pinetown SAPS has already assisted nine schools, and are currently in the process of assisting the tenth school, Westmead Secondary.

Schools already assisted include:
> Brown School
> Ashley Primary School
> Wyebank Primary School
> Pinetown Girls’ High School
> Nazareth Primary School
> Kloof High School
> Kloof Junior
> Gelofte School

“The initiative is carried out in close collaboration with the Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC), where the fingerprinting process is conducted. LCRC has acknowledged the volume of work generated by the Pinetown station, noting that Pinetown brings in a lot of work. Despite the added workload, SAPS Pinetown remains committed to assisting the community, we do not turn anyone away. Even if a person does not fall within the Pinetown policing precinct, or is seeking assistance that is not directly within our area, we still assist and do what is necessary, because our community and the safety of our residents remain our priority,” said Naidu.

Naidu added that this initiative aligns with the broader national requirement that educators must have valid police clearance as part of the professional registration process, as mandated by the South African Council for Educators (SACE).

“While the process may have become more prominent in recent years, SAPS Pinetown has taken swift action to ensure compliance and protection within schools,” said Naidu.

Station Commander’s message

The acting Station Commander, Colonel Ronnie Heeralall, reiterated that the community is at the heart of everything SAPS Pinetown does. He emphasised that service delivery is a shared responsibility, and that only when the police and community work together can “we achieve our common goals of safety and protection”.

“We value our community. We are committed to serving you, and together we can create a safer environment for our learners,” said Heeralall.

“You matter. Our community is our priority. We are always looking for new ways to assist, and we place ourselves in your shoes to understand your needs; that is why we go the extra mile,” said Naidu.

The Station Commander also highlighted that despite ongoing issues with station phone lines, SAPS Pinetown has ensured that service delivery remains uninterrupted by maintaining alternative communication channels:

> A Visible Policing state cellphone, available 24 hours

> Landlines at the Community Service Centre (CSC)

> A Detective Support state cellphone, available between 08:00 and 15:00.

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