'Policing at its best': How two police officers brought cheer to South Australia’s African community

Two South Australian police officers are being praised for joining in a dance at the African Nations Cup football tournament in Adelaide.

Two uniformed police officers dance at a community event in Adelaide

Australian police officers were praised for killing it on the dance floor at the African Nations Cup football tournament in Adelaide. Credit: African Communities Council of South Australia

It was in the middle of an African community sporting tournament in Adelaide when two police officers busted out some serious dance moves.

The moment was captured in a video posted by the African Communities Council of South Australia (ACCSA), showing community constable George Fomba and his colleague Benjamin Stevens entertaining the crowd by joining in a spontaneous dance.

The two were on duty at South Australia's African Nations Cup soccer carnival at the time.

The crowd cheered on the pair, with a young girl jumping for a dance challenge with the uniformed officers.
ACCSA Chairperson Denis Yengi said it was a “beautiful” and “inspirational” moment.

He said it gave a much-needed boost to community spirit, especially after COVID isolation when they did not have many chances to come together.

“When you look at the video, it really shows the police, when they are there, are a part of us," he said.

“One of the policemen [George Fomba] is my deputy and he is really leading by example through engaging with the community and embracing, which is what the tournament is all about,” he said.
Crowds cheering and smiling at the camera in night time at a stadium.
The event was a part of South Australia's African National Cup, a football tournament that was first inaugurated in 2001 in Adelaide. Credit: Denis Yengi

‘Policing at its best’

The video has captured social media and gathered over 55,000 views so far.

Mr Yengi said the council has received a flurry of positive feedback. One person said the police officers were helping improve the relationship between the police and communities.
“Everyone was feeling comfortable around the police. They were being friendly to everyone, unlike in other places where we’ve seen police brutality against ordinary citizens.”

“In my opinion, it really shows policing at its best,” he said.

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Published 19 November 2022 4:04pm
Updated 19 November 2022 9:39pm
By Pranjali Sehgal
Source: SBS News



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