The first Sunshine Coast Police Officer of the Year will be named next week.
Sunshine Coast residents had the opportunity to nominate an officer to recognise outstanding acts of courage, compassion, understanding or devotion to duty and a selection panel will choose six finalists before the inaugural awards night on May 9 at the Maroochy River Golf Club.
The awards are being hosted by the region’s newest Rotary club, Sunshine Coast Central, which was chartered on June 24 last year.
The club’s development manager Carolyn Krueger attended similar awards for many years at Pine Rivers and was so impressed she moved to recognise Sunshine Coast police officers.
“This is something that Rotary clubs throughout the whole of Australia are doing to recognise our hard-working men and women in blue,” Ms Krueger says.
Senior Sergeant officer in charge of the Crime Prevention Unit Sunshine Coast District Brad Grant says he was pleasantly surprised when he first heard about the inception of the awards.
“We have an internal process for [awards] but it’s not often the community gets an opportunity to nominate a police officer for recognition. It’s a good initiative,” he says.
“This is another opportunity for community engagement with the police service and highlights the importance of policing and how officers are getting involved in their community.”
Nominations closed on April 13 and are now being vetted by the Queensland Police Service (QPS) before they are considered by the selection panel, which will consist of selected members of the Rotary Club of Sunshine Coast Central, plus two representatives from QPS Sunshine Coast.
Police Commissioner Ian Stewart will award the winner a perpetual trophy, which will be displayed at the QPS Sunshine Coast headquarters and the outright winner will nominate a charity of their choice, which the Rotary Club of Sunshine Coast Central will donate to in the winner’s name.
The Sunshine Coast Police Officer of the Year Awards, proudly supported by My Weekly Preview, is on May 9 from 6pm at the Maroochy River Golf Club.
Tickets are $65 and are available by contacting Carolyn Krueger on poysc@rotary9600.org.
