Prestbury station commander reflects on a life of service
After 36 years of service, the esteemed Prestbury station commander, Captain Bashie Thaver, has officially retired and is now looking forward to relaxing and travelling around the world. Speaking to Capital Newspapers, Thaver said he joined the force in 1986 and, after training, went to serve at Mountain Rise police station for a year and a half.
In 1988 Captain Thaver joined Prestbury police station. In the year 2000, he became a detective commander, going on to win two Provincial Commissioner’s Awards, namely for the best detective branch in KwaZulu-Natal and the most improved detective in the province. While at the station, he also won a second-best crime prevention award, as well as an award for the third best victim support centre in KwaZulu-Natal in the provincial awards.
Thaver took over as station commander in 2008. “The highlight of my career was when we found a child that had been kidnapped, within two hours. I led the operation and we received a commissioner’s award for that as well. We even arrested the suspect. It has been a great journey. Now I want to relax and travel around the world,” Thaver said.
He added, what he will miss the most is his morning routine of waking up early and travelling to the station. “I love the police force. I will miss the uniform. I joined the police force because I love serving the people,” he said, adding that the public expect a lot from the Saps.
He urged the public to support the police, as police officers endure a lot, and it as an extremely taxing job. “Being a police officer has to be something that is within you. I had people calling me 24 hours a day. You have to sleep with your phone on your bed side. I used to give people my number, as I had an open-door policy.”
Thaver completed a national diploma and B-Tech degree. His message to young and aspiring police officers in the force is to “study hard, and be dedicated to your job.”