Durban - A Greenwood Park teen has been named junior station commissioner for the area after beating off the competition in a rigorous selection process.
Shival Pramjeeth, 15, a Grade 10 pupil at Effingham Secondary School, will hold the title for 24 months as an ambassador for Greenwood Park police.
He will accompany police to speak to children in other schools. Topics will be related to pertinent issues.
He will also be involved in crime awareness campaigns, including during the holidays.
Shival was chosen last week at Avoca Secondary School, where the competition’s finals were held. To celebrate his win, Shival’s aunts brought cakes and dessert and threw a small party.
Warrant Officer Leon Audh, spokesman for the Greenwood Park police station, said the junior commissioner would receive coaching and mentoring.
The teen is enthusiastic about learning basic police procedures, but Audh said they would work around the teen’s calendar and give him ample time to study and complete his homework. Audh said the selection process had been rigorous, with each of the high schools participating in the competition selecting three pupils, who then faced an independent panel of judges.
In the semi-finals, pupils were given a case study relating to a school issue and asked how they would respond to it as a station commander.
“It got them to think which stakeholders they should involve to solve the issue. We looked at body language, persuasive language and stereotyping, among other things,” Audh said.
Another question was: How does substance abuse affect my school career?
The topic in the finals was: How does cyber bullying affect my school studies? Pupils were given 30 minutes to prepare and three to five minutes to respond. Audh said the pupils had been outstanding.
Shival, who is confident he can make a difference, said: “I was really keen on winning, and gave it my best.”
Daily News