General News
2 October, 2024
Police pause to remember fallen colleagues
QPS held Police Remembrance ceremonies across the North West last Friday.
“For service, above self, demands its own prize.”
These were among the lines spoken by about 80 men and women who gathered at Good Shepherd parish last Friday to commemorate the 150 sworn police officers who have fallen in the line of duty since the Queensland police department was established in 1864.
The words are taken from the Police Ode, written by Barry May in 1995, which acknowledges the often thankless task of maintaining law and order in major cities and tiny outposts.
Reading through the honour roll of just the past few years reveals the wide range of dangers confronted by officers on a daily basis – from being crushed by out of control stolen vehicles to drowning while attempting to rescue trapped swimmers, to the high profile ambush of officers at Wieambilla a fortnight before Christmas in 2022.
National Police Remembrance Day began in Mount Isa with a candlelight dawn vigil at the lookout on Friday and was followed by a remembrance service at Good Shepherd parish.
Similar ceremonies were held across the region, including at Mornington Island, Cloncurry and Hughenden.
Mount Isa District Officer Superintendent Tom Armitt said the memorial day reminded police and the community that the “final and worst” outcome for any police officer was “not to go home.”
“It is important for us to remember the men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice,” he told North West Weekly.
“We can get lost in our day to day work, so it is extremely important for us to remember what can happen when performing the role of serving our community.
“It is an outcome that none of us expect, but it can happen.”
Superintendent Armitt said support from more experienced officers was integral to the policing community because Mount Isa was often the first posting for many young constables.
“Injuries are part of our day to day business – so we are always checking on our staff from a psychological perspective and a physical perspective,” he said.
“We have a really young and inexperienced but extremely keen and motivated group of young people in Mount Isa – they are thorough professionals – many come out here for their first posting, but they are keen to do right by the community.”