BATHURST was told on National Police Remembrance Day yesterday it has every reason to be proud of its officers.
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Held annually, the day is an opportunity to remember Australian police officers who were killed on duty.
Chifley Local Area Command Acting Superintendent Luke Rankin spoke before fellow officers, other emergency service personnel and three mayors at the Uniting Church on William Street yesterday.
“The absolute majority of police officers are outstanding men and women ... they take that oath to protect life very seriously,” he said.
“They put themselves in harm’s way to protect the community. We officers have a lot to be proud of.”
Across the state, 252 police officers have been killed in the line of duty since the NSW Police Force formed in 1862, with Chifley LAC among those to suffer losses.
Sergeant Eric Bailey was killed in 1945, Senior Constable Clarence Pirie in 1960 and Constable First Class Paul Quinn in 1986 (who was posthumously promoted to sergeant) were among Chifley LAC’s losses.
Acting Superintendent Rankin said National Police Remembrance Day helps to ensure the sacrifices made by those who have been killed are never forgotten.
He said uniformed officers, those in plain clothes as well as the force’s community workers are “custodians of values many have laid down their lives to protect”.
“They lay their lives to protect the community,” he said.
Chifley LAC duty officer Inspector Colin Cracknell read the honour roll of 13 serving members of the NSW Police Force from across NSW who had died over the last 12 months.
Yesterday’s service was led by Chifley LAC police chaplain Bishop Richard Hurford and Uniting Church Minister Reverend Graeme Gardner.
“There is a lot of goodwill in the community for the gift we have in our emergency services,” Bishop Hurford said.
“The NSW Police Force has a task of shepherding us the wider community.”
He said there are 217 references of “remember” or “remembrance” in the Bible, and it is vital that we do this when it comes to our fallen officers.
“Remembering is recognising there are times when all of us are aware of the enormity of all that’s happening and its impacts on our lives, both positively and negatively,” he said.
“It is important to recollect and remember.”
Bathurst Regional Council mayor Gary Rush, along with Lithgow mayor Maree Statham and Blayney mayor Scott Ferguson, were in Bathurst for the service.
