Local heroine wins excellence award

People give up on their dreams easily, especially when obstacles obscure their pathway to success. Often these obstacles are insurmountable factors like injuries or lack of support.

However, there are some unsung heroes that fall, get back up and carry on twice as strong as when they started. One such person is Margrietha Dietrichsen, a warrant officer from Krugersdorp Police station who refused to give up on her passion.

Margrietha was injured while arresting a suspect on duty eight years ago. She twisted her back and since then the functionality of her body has not been the same.

She was unable to fully fulfill her duty as a police officer after the incident, but was lucky to be able to continue working as one of the most important behind-the-scenes police officers at the Krugersdorp Police station. She runs the emergency call centre and the administrative department, together with other department officials.

The 52-year-old officer was put into a programme known as the injured/ disabled police member programme that gives those who have been injured on duty a chance at a happy career in policing.

“It was difficult to transition from a field officer to a station officer, but I decided that I needed to focus on what I can still do and not on what I cannot do. I’m glad I have the position I do, because I believe you cannot split a police officer from his job,” Margrietha said.

Not only did she maintain her position and work her way up to a management position in the station, she also received a national excellence award in January for her undying devotion to her position.

When asked about her additional options if she hadn’t had the chance of remaining a police officer, Margrietha had this to say: “Truly and honestly, I wouldn’t want to become anything else. I didn’t have a second career idea or choice. For me, policing is more than just a career, it’s my entire life.”

She has been a police officer for nearly 33 years and she is not planning on retiring any time soon.

“Sometimes it’s quite fun. We had a guy who called us and screamed like a girl because there was a snake in his house,” Margrietha said. “Those times are the best.”

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