Prayers for police safety
Standing in the new-look “serenity garden”, from left are Claremont CPF members Peter Lombard and Claire Terink; Imam Shaheed Gamieldien, of Claremont Main Road Mosque; Claremont CPF chairman Abdul Kerbelker; Claremont police chief Colonel Maree Louw; U-Turn service centre manager Fernando Classen; and Loren Raize and Ray Friedland, from the Community Security Organisation.
Prayers for the safety of all police officers were said in a new-look "serenity garden" at Claremont police station last week.
Police officers joined religious leaders; representatives from the community police forum, the Har-Lyn Neighbourhood Watch and the ward councillor's office; and others in the garden for National Police Safety Prayer Day on Friday September 29.
Claremont police chief Colonel Maree Louw said they also commemorated the 12 officers from the station who had died over the past two decades, including some in the line of duty, some from vehicle accidents and some from Covid-19.
She said the garden, which has new plants and flowers and freshly painted benches thanks to support from various volunteers and U-Turn, a charity that helps the homeless, would serve as a quiet refuge for the police station's staff.
The ceremony included Bible readings from the station's principle personnel officer Daniel Ngubane and prayers from Imam Shaheed Gamieldien, of Claremont Main Road Mosque.
Pupils from Golden Grove Primary and Livingstone High schools also performed dance routines for the police.
Claremont CPF chairman Abdul Kerbelker and ward councillor Katherine Christie praised the police for their service.
“My heart goes out to the families of our police officers who died in the service and I want to commend Colonel Louw and her Claremont police team for the work they do in serving the community,” said Ms Christie.
