Today is the most solemn of days for the men and women who put on their uniform every morning and go to work to protect the community.
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Police officers from Maitland will join others across Australia to commemorate National Police Remembrance Day.
Officers from Central Hunter local area command will attend a service in Newcastle this morning in memory of police who have died in the line of duty.
Crime manager Detective Inspector John Zdrilic, who has been with the NSW Police Force for 26 years, said it was important to recognise the work of the men and women in blue.
“It’s a unique job we ask our people to do,” he said.
“There’s that great quote when something happens and everyone runs away, there’s one group of people who run the other way . . . that’s us.”
Inspector Zdrilic said, while the day was intended to remember those lost in the line of duty, it was important to remember others who had been taken by the job.
“We need to acknowledge those who it just all became too much for,” he said.
“The rate of suicide in police officers is quite high.
“Day in day out our officers go and put themselves in harm’s way, which means there will be occasions when they won’t come home – that plays on the mind of police officers.”
The remembrance day was first commemorated in 1989 and Inspector Zdrilic said the stabbing of a Victorian police officer and an Australian Federal Police officer last week were timely reminders of the dangers of the job.
“We work in a state of hyper vigilance, which I think is unique to the police force,” Inspector Zdrilic said.
“That was shown with what happened in Melbourne last week; that was supposed to be just a routine chat.
“We all dread the day where we have to slow march to a mate’s funeral, that’s the last thing you want.”
A number of Maitland police officers will be remembered, including Sergeant Colin McKenzie who served a number of years in Maitland, Senior Sergeant Ray Smith, Senior Sergeant Ray Bell and Sergeant Keith Haydon, who was shot and killed at Mt Sugarloaf.
A service will be held this morning at Christ Church Cathedral in Newcastle at 10am.
