Queensland Police Service honoured 140 fallen officers at a memorial held at the Greek Orthodox Church Of St Anna in Bundall, last week.
Constable Brett Irwin was amongst the fallen, shot dead on his first night shift during a routine arrest.
The 33-year-old police officer was executing a warrant at a home in 2007 when he was killed at point-blank range.
“There are a lot of people who appreciate what these ladies and gentlemen put up with every day,” Tony Irwin said, appreciative of the community’s efforts to keep his son’s memory alive.
“It’s important people realise the amount of hard work that goes into protecting people.”
Such incidents have made the Police Service become more mindful of the mental toll that came with attending incidents such as the recent domestic violence deaths on the Gold Coast.
“The hardships they put up with are just out on the street most of the time,” South Eastern Region Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd said, as the chair of the Psychological Wellbeing Committee.
“They come to work, in many cases not knowing what to expect.
“It’s a special calling, a special profession and it takes a special kind of person willing to commit to that.”
Source: Gold Coast Bulletin