Police praised for rapid recovery of car

THREE eThekwini metro police officers have received high praise for swift work after the trio managed to track down a stolen car and return it to its rightful owner before he had finished opening a case.

The municipality said yesterday that Captain Isabel Moolman, Constable Sibonelo Mthembu and Sergeant Mandla Gumbi had gone above and beyond the call of duty to assist. This after the complainant’s father wrote a letter of commendation, lauding the officers’ efforts.

The incident occurred earlier this month.

“A white Ford Figo was stolen from Addington Beach. The complainant reported the incident at the Boscombe Joint Operation Centre, where Captain Moolman offered assistance,” the city said.

“She took down the details and worked with the complainant to track the movements of the car.”

Dispatched

Constable Mthembu and Sergeant Gumbi, from the metro police K9 Unit, were on duty at the time and were dispatched to uMlazi BB section, where the vehicle was last tracked.

“While the vehicle was not at the location last tracked, they were determined to find it and scoured the township, looking for a car matching its description,” the city said,

“Sometime later, their eagle eyes spotted a car fitting the description at a local car wash and, upon further inspection, they discovered it was the stolen vehicle.”

Apparently a man had dropped it off for a wash and told the attendant that he would be back later to pick it up.

In his letter, the complainant’s father said that in the end he did not even have to open a case.

“I received my vehicle immediately,” he said.

“Both Captain Moolman and Constable Mthembu were calm, professional and diligent from the time I dealt with them to finding the vehicle.

“They went beyond the call of duty and they have given my family and me a heightened faith and respect for the metro police. As citizens we often complain about where our rates go, but your department has certainly shown that our rates are contributing to a very professional and well-trained organisation,” he wrote.

Moolman said the best part of her job was helping people.

“Had we not acted so quickly, the car would have been long gone. While this was part of our job, it is nice to be appreciated,” she said

Mthembu said it was important in their job never to give up and always to keep trying, adding that the recognition made it all worthwhile.