True to their commitment of making the City of Johannesburg safer for all, a team of JMPD officers extended a helping hand to an elderly man who had found shelter under the M1South bridge. 

The officers did not only move the homeless man to a place of safety, but they also passed a hat around to financially contribute to his upkeep during his stay at one of the City’s shelters. Earlier this month at around 8pm, Inspector Marius Boolsen and his team received a complaint to remove six men who had erected illegal structures under the M2 South bridge bend due to safety concerns. 

According to Insp Boolsen, on arrival, the officers found six men under the bridge – five of whom fled on seeing the police, leaving their elderly companion behind. The man, who was on crutches, told the officers he had recently been discharged from hospital and he suffers from asthma. 

“He said he was from Cape Town and that he had come from hospital the previous day. He had his pump with him and could evidently not walk. When he explained that he was extremely tired and needed to rest, I asked if it would be possible to help him in any way.  I did not hesitate to get him assisted,” said Insp Boolsen. 

He immediately consulted his superior, Superintendent Elias Phasha, and it was agreed that the officers would try to get the man into a Joburg municipality-owned shelter. All the nine officers who were part of the operation also decided that they would contribute money to help sustain the old man during his stay at the shelter. 

“He was concerned that he could not afford to go into a shelter, but we told him not to worry and assured him that we were more than willing to assist him with that,” said Insp Boolsen. 

Officers Rose Sithole and Tumelo Makae drove to three different shelters in search of a placement for the elderly man. They had to plead for his placement at the third shelter after he could not be accommodated at the first two. 

Despite them arriving after the permitted times of new arrivals, the employees at the shelter in Eloff Street Ext in Kenilworth heeded the officers’ pleas to grant him space, especially due to his health condition. 

Insp Boolsen said coming across such cases was heart-wrenching and it always prompts officers to “go the extra mile” in executing their duties. 

“It is painful, but we really do have empathy for people. Wherever it is possible, when you come across such cases, you must be sensitive. I believe that there are places we go where God uses us on a daily basis to reach out to people and walk an extra mile so that we can really try to make a difference,” he said. 

Boolsen expressed his appreciation to all who were involved in helping the elderly man, especially Supt Phasha for his guidance and Insp Molly Chuene as well as officers Sithole and Makae for going above and beyond the call of duty. 

A couple of weeks ago, Insp Boolsen’s colleagues helped a mother deliver a healthy and bouncing baby at the Bree Street taxi rank.