The 'Star of the Stars' award is a joint monthly initiative between Crime Line and Pick 'n Pay to honour policemen and women who go beyond the call of duty.

"The decision was unanimous that the South African Police Service should receive the 'Star of the Stars' title for the role they played in ensuring a safe and secure World Cup for all.

They braved the cold and worked long hours, but still managed to exceed all expectations – leaving a legacy that the law enforcement agencies and each and every South African can be proud of," said Head of Crime Line, Yusuf Abramjee.

"The cops were out in full force and they ensured our safety and that of our visitors and the country. We salute them. At the same time, we wish to thank the public for supporting our law enforcement agencies and for blowing the whistle on wrongdoers."

The 2010 FIFA World Cup came to an end on Sunday after a busy 30 days. Thousands of fans, both local and foreign, converged on the host cities. During this time, the SAPS maintained a firm grip on safety and security, achieving an outstanding record. It took months and years of preparation.

"Let's keep up the momentum. If law enforcement agencies could do this during the World Cup, there is no reason why they can't do it every day.

Now, more than ever, South Africans need to partner with the police and other law enforcers to ensure that we carry on the World Cup legacy," said Abramjee.

Abramjee called on South Africans to continue to send their crime tip-offs to 32211 or via the Crime Line website at www.crimeline.co.za.

"Crime Line received a vast number of tip-offs during the World Cup period that assisted the police in their work. The success stories and statistics show that ordinary South Africans are playing a major role in putting criminals where they belong – behind bars," said Abramjee.

Since the launch of Crime Line in June 2007 there has been over 11 000 investigations and a number of them are still continuing. The total number of arrests thanks to tip-offs stands at 1 000 and close to R36-million in seizures. The tip-off service also led to the following successes over the World Cup period.

· At the beginning of June, police made a major counterfeit DVD and CD bust in Edenvale on the East Rand following a Crime Line tip-off. One suspect was arrested and more than 15 000 DVD's and CD's were seized. Some of the DVDs and CDs had World Cup branding.

Also in June, Crime Line received a number of tip-offs on individuals dealing in World Cup tickets. A German national was convicted and sentenced in the Randburg Special Court.

Crime Line is also proud to be associated with the Shout Campaign, where prominent artists and musicians are campaigning for a safer South Africa.

"We are delighted that the first allocation of funds and resources has been made and we thank the South African public for supporting this outstanding pro-active campaign. Let's continue to do so," said Abramjee, who is also the interim-chairman of the Shout Foundation.

For media inquiries, please contact Marisa Oosthuizen on 011 506 3122 or 071 674 5089.