They risk their lives to save the lives of others. But the dedicated police officers will now work with ease, while holding Bibles in their hands. The church and the cops have finally joined hands in the war against crime!

This became evident during the official launch of the Adopt-A-Station programme at Makuya SAPS, south of Tshikondeni Mine, on Friday. Makuya SAPS serves 26 remote rural villages in the Far Northern part of Limpopo.

Adopt-A-Station, the brainchild of the Vhembe SAPS and local clergymen, started in October 2000. The programme was officially launched in February 2001. The aim of the programme is to come up with strategies that the church, police and community members can implement, to win the war against crime. The programme was also initiated after it was realized that most of the police officers needed spiritual assistance as they were working under depressing conditions. The clergymen, together with the SAPS’s spiritual service staff and departmental priests, conduct sermons and counselling to prisoners to uplift them spiritually.

Makuya SAPS Station Commissioner Capt Doris Thukhutha said the launch will be of a greater benefit to the station and the Makuya community at large. She said the event has taken place at a right time when there is a need for the community to work together with the police to fight crime.

“As members of the police services, we work under stressful conditions and we hope our relationship with the pastors will help to improve the standard of our working conditions. Our relationship with the men of the cloth will benefit the community, as we will come up with strategies of tackling crime and crime prevention. By addressing crime in their churches, the pastors will be assisting us in lowering the rate of offences in the community. It is common knowledge that the church plays a major role in the moral regeneration of the community and their contribution will help in the fight against crime. Preaching against corruption, rape, murder, prostitution and theft in church creates a crime-free community which makes the jobs of the police officers easier …”

Thukhutha further said that the station will engage in several programmes with the pastors to fight crime. “Our crime awareness in public places has already paid off and we will continue our drive with the pastors. The launch will also help to close the gap between the police and the community, hence good cooperation…”

The Chairperson of Makuya SAPS Adopt-A-Station, Pastor Tshidino Makuya said crime has always been a major concern in the Makuya area. “Adopt-A-Station will never promote the doctrines of a particular denomination but it will be there to improve the relationship between the police, pastors and members of the community. Through our relationship with the police, we will obviously win the war against crime. The church needs to show love and preach against crime to create a better community. We do not only have to preach about salvation only, but there is also a need to address common problems like crime, in our community. This is a voluntary job and we will work day and night because we have the love of our community in heart. Preaching the Word of God to the police officers and prisoners will create a conducive working relationship…”

Also forming part of the guests were representatives from Vhembe Area Adopt-A-Station, Mutale Municipality, traditional leaders, the business fraternity, CPF and representatives from the 26 villages under the Makuya SAPS.

According to the Vhembe SAPS performance chart, done after each three months, Makuya SAPS has never gone beyond position three out of 20 stations in crime prevention. Among other criteria, the performance chart is based on complaint handling, reaction time, and the number of cases which have been reported and successfully gone to court.