THE FIRST female station commander of the Bayview SAPS, Lieutenant-Colonel Shenlatha Raghoonundan, 50, has vowed to fight the scourge of domestic violence, theft and drugs affecting her policing area.
Raghoonundan, a mother of one from Montclair, first worked at Bayview SAPS from 1993 to 1998 as an administration clerk and found that policing was her calling as she assisted community members in the Community Service Centre.
But due to a moratorium that stopped the recruitment of married women for SAPS at the time, she had to wait until 1998 to go for basic training.
She returned as a constable and worked at Bayview SAPS from 1998 to 2009, and was then transferred to the Chatsworth SAPS cluster from 2009 to 2010 and served as a detective at Bellair SAPS from 2010 to 2016. Raghoonundan then excelled as a detective at Lamontville SAPS from 2016 to 2024 and finally found herself back to where her passion for policing was sparked, at Bayview SAPS, as station commander from December 1.
“While there was a moratorium stopping married women from enlisting with the police, I constantly learnt as much as I could about police work and found myself being drawn away from administration. I found I had a passion for assisting complainants in the Community Service Centre.
“After waiting a long five-year wait to go for basic training with the police, I finally went to the Pretoria Training College on June 1, 1998. A week into college, my father passed away in Durban. I was devastated at the loss and bid everyone at the college farewell as I did not want to go back to training. I felt that my mum and sister needed me more.
“After the funeral I informed my mum that I would not go back to college and she stopped me. She told me that when I had left the previous week, she was really upset at seeing me leave home for six months. But my dad had told her not to cry because someday I was going to make them very proud. Hearing those words inspired me and gave me the confidence to persevere and continue with the training. I could not let my dad down as I wanted to make him proud,” she said.
In her 31 years as a policewoman, Raghoonundan worked at all components of SAPS, which she believes equipped her to fulfil her role as a station commander.
“I am very fortunate to have gained experience in administration, Vispol, and detective branches. I am glad to be living the highlight of my career by serving as station commander of Bayview SAPS, and having the opportunity to come back home to where it all began for me in policing,” Raghoonundan added.
She said she thrives in turning every situation into a learning experience and is driven by her passion to help and protect people, which allows her to execute her duties with no fear or favour.
“There are no challenges. When you have a positive attitude and you love what you do, nothing challenges you to a point where you cannot effectively do your job. I am fearless when it comes to criminals and nothing and nobody will stand in my way in achieving what I want to do.
“Crimes affecting residents of Bayview are domestic violence, copper theft and dealing and possession of drugs. I intend to tackle these social ills head on by being active and on the ground. I wish to re-instil the faith of the police with the community. I want to address the crime and bring down the crime in the area. I will fight fire with fire. I want to work closely with the community policing forum and residents, and strengthen the partnership. Now that I am here, I want to make a contribution to uplifting the community that I am serving,” she added.
Raghoonundan said being the first female station commander of the Bayview SAPS was an honour.
“I want the community to look at me as a daughter, mother, and a sister. I need people to know that my door is always open and that they are free to consult with me at any time. I am here and I am ready to work as hard as I can to turn things around. I urge residents to join me in the fight to rid our community of crime. I cannot do this alone. I need the help and cooperation of every member of the public to successfully address and eradicate crime,” she said.
When she isn't wearing her police cap, Raghoonundan is a dedicated wife and mother.
“I take pride in looking after my family, which is my first priority. I take equal pride when I am performing my duties as a policewoman. At home, I enjoy cooking gourmet meals and spending time with my family. But I will share this time to strengthen community ties with the police, and effectively sift out the criminals from the community,” added Raghoonundan.