Linden Police Station appoints new Sector 4 commander

He has been a detective, a spokesperson and now he is the Sector 4 commander for Linden Police Station.

The Randburg Sun spoke to Warrant Officer Bokkie Keulder to find out about his newest role.

A father to a set of 10-year-old twins, he has been an officer for the past 28 years and has spent 18 of those at the station.

Keulder explained that his new role is one that builds bridges between the police and the community.

“Business owners, schools, churches and residents, virtually everyone within that sector has to have a good communication line with the police,” he said.

He added that his sector is home to people from different countries with different cultures and beliefs.

Though this might come with challenges and obstacles along the way, he will face them head-on.

“The biggest solution is to get people to understand each other’s differences,” said Keulder.

Drugs within the sector are a big problem but daily arrests are being made to curb it, he said.

Keulder shared that although he could not specify what sets his station apart from others, as he has been there for so many years and has no comparisons, he was firm in his belief that people come to the station because they get good service.

“We get a lot of positive feedback from people who might not even live in the area.”

As he comes from a long line of seasoned policemen, choosing his career came easily.

“With this job I have seen everything, in some cases the faces are different but the situation is the same,” said Keulder.

According to him, it takes a strong mind to be an officer, and one needs to have a strong personality.

He also believes that an officer cannot be an average person, “We have to think like criminals, solve cases, you have to be determined and you have to love what you do.”

To prospective officers, he offered the advice of being ready for anything that comes your way on that particular day.

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