Empowering the police to do their job
SANDTON - Gareth Beaver, chief executive officer of Centriq Insurance in Sandton, sponsored 17 000 rounds of ammunition to be used by the South African Police Service (SAPS).
Retha van Reenen, a media consultant on behalf of Beaver, explained that the ammunition was sponsored for the annual Marc Ishlove SAPS inter-station police marksmanship course. This is an annual event dedicated to Marc Ishlove, a heroic policeman made famous in 2007.
Van Reenen explained that Ishlove saved the life of Doctor Elmarie Wypkema in a shootout whilst she was being attacked by an armed gang. “Marc Ishlove was later shot and killed in 2011 whilst he was off duty, responding to a call to assist other cops who were involved in a shootout with armed robbers in Northcliff,” added Van Reenen.
She said most people do not realise that a competitive marksman probably fires off more rounds in a weekend practise session than what the average South African police officer gets to shoot in an entire year.
“The police officers protecting us daily do not have enough training, not enough ammunition, not enough bulletproof vests, cars in a working condition or working guns. And that is why a sponsorship like this means such a great deal because it is making a difference,” said Van Reenen.
Beaver released a statement and said crime was crippling the country. “Being an insurance company, we need to do something more to make the difference by being tuned in to the needs of not only our business and the sector we operate in, but the needs of South African citizens as a whole,” added Beaver.
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