Grand Opening of the Church of Scientology Johannesburg

Mr. Oswald Reddy, Police Commissioner

Reverend Ryan Hogarth, President of the Church of Scientology Johannesburg, ladies and gentlemen.

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to speak on this wonderful occasion, on behalf of the police service of the great city of Johannesburg. Some months ago, shortly after our city hosted the International Summit on Sustainable Development, I was contacted by two members of the Church of Scientology. They had been referred to me by one of our National Directors.

They told me about police officers they had helped during the Summit, which was a major event with high security for all of its delegates. They showed me 72 success stories written by grateful policemen and women.

I was impressed.

They showed me their Scientology Handbook which contained the basis for the help they provided at the Summit. And as we spoke, I could suddenly see how a simple action called a 'Touch assist' could help to relieve the stress that virtually all police continually suffer from, due to the nature of police work.

However, I also thought that if I were to recommend that we use this technique in our police stations, I should really have some first hand experience of it. So I accepted their offer of a touch assist. I switched off my cell phone, something I probably hadn't done since I bought it. I told my staff to hold all calls and they nearly fainted. Ten minutes later I felt so relaxed. I couldn't believe it.

I arranged that a letter be sent to all Station Commissioners in Johannesburg, urging them to use the techniques described in the handbook. I know that the Sandton Police Station has already done a very successful communications course.

This and other Volunteer Minister courses will, I'm sure, lead us towards more and more de-stressed police with enhanced abilities to effectively discharge their duties.

Still, one of the policeman's greatest frustrations, one of the policeman's greatest frustrations is to capture a criminal, ensure that he goes to jail and in a very short time he is back on the streets, an even more hardened criminal than before.

I was delighted to hear about an organization called "Criminon," based on the writings of Mr. Hubbard and supported by your members, which is said to be having a dramatic effect on prisoners in South Africa. More interesting was seeing that not one of the prisoners who have done the Criminon program, have since returned to prison.

I am therefore optimistic that increasingly, criminals that we try very hard to remove from society, will in the future have a real chance of becoming law-abiding citizens of our great nation when they are released.

I congratulate you on your magnificent church and trust that it will contribute to addressing some of the social crime problems experienced in Johannesburg.