LIEUTENANT Colonel Trevor Appel has taken over the reins as the Station Commander from his predecessor, Lt Col Flip de Jager who went on retirement in January 2021.
Lt Col Appel, who has officially been appointed on 6 May 2021, is a career driven officer and has more than 34 years of experience in the police.
He is not a novice in the post of a station commander and his previous experience at SAPS Addo, Kamesh and KwaNobuhle holds him in good stead to lead his members in providing excellent service to the community of Despatch.
Prior to his appointment as the station commander, he worked at SAPS Uitenhage steering Strategic Management and Risk Management. During 2014, Lt Col Appel and his team were recognized and awarded as the second-best team nationally in the category Crime Intelligence Team of the year at the SAPS National Excellence Awards held in Pretoria.
Lt Col Appel believes in community involvement to create a safe environment for the citizens.
“The establishment of safe communities is my priority, and we will be working in collaboration with all stakeholders in making sure that all people of Despatch are and feel safe,” said Lt Col Appel.
“Tackling crimes against women and children will be a high focus area. I appeal to all key stakeholders in the local community to join hands with the SAPS by becoming involved in one of the many forums, that will ultimately strengthen the SAPS/community relationships.”
Lt Col Appel pledged to execute his mandate by employing the Service Delivery Improvement Action Plan effectively through the maximum utilization of all resources at their disposal.
