Officer Sue Rose is retiring after 21 years

As a Crime Prevention Officer, her face and name is front and centre when it comes to community engagement, education and communication between police and the city.

And this Thursday, after 21 years on the job, Sen Const. Rose is retiring.

She will finish her career almost to the day she started it, having taken up her role as probationary constable on May 4, 2001.

She joined the profession late, when she left school she wanted to be a cop, but at the time height restrictions rendered her ineligible.

"So I left that idea on the back burner. I went to Sydney, got a job in the private sector."

She was retrenched, and went to study psychology at university, when a senior lecturer suggest she try policing. The rest is history.

She did the training, was stationed at Bathurst, and thought she'd stay "for a couple of years" but ended up staying 21.

Sen Const. Rose did five years in general duties before moving into crime prevention, a role she relished.

"I loved talking to the oldies, there's a lot of satisfaction in doing that, they actually feel like someone cares about them. You walk away thinking.... that was good."

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She said she has plenty of memorable stories. "Across the whole 21 years I think a few things that stick in my mind. One of them was going down to police World Youth Day.

"That was just amazing. All these young people just high on God, no crime, no issues, everyone was getting on, singing and dancing. They loved us, all the coppers being there.

"Also at the cricket ground, when the Pope was there, that was amazing. You could see the Pope, you were right there. Whether you were religious or not it was the hype of the public, it was amazing."

She concedes it will be a hard thing to "let go" of her policing instincts when she walks out of the station for the last time on Thursday.

But said she has enjoyed her time, and loved the people she has worked with during her career.