National Police Remembrance Day in Australia was first observed on this day in 1989. The 29th of September is the feast day of Saint Michael the Archangel – the patron saint of police officers.
Since records began in 1803, more than 830 police officers have been killed in the line of duty, or as a consequence of their duties, in jurisdictions across our country.
Today is a day to honour, to thank, and to acknowledge. We honour all those police officers who lost their lives serving and protecting. We thank all police officers, past and present, for their dedicated duty to community, country and the greater good. And we acknowledge the partners, children, parents and wider families of our officers whose support and stoicism are a service in their own right.
So close to today’s commemoration, we were reminded, once again, of the danger that comes with police service. We grieve for the family of Constable Mia Lay – the outstanding 20-year-old New South Wales Police Officer who was tragically killed last Friday after the police car in which she was a passenger crashed while she and a colleague were responding to a reported vehicle theft.
Our thoughts are also with the family of Detective Senior Constable Maxine Bembridge of the Western Australian Police Force who was killed on duty in a traffic accident in May this year.
The last 12 months have been a testing time for police officers around the country and in our cities. They have had to continue to contend with an unprecedented level of antisemitism, a heightened terrorism threat, organised crime, child safety incidents in Indigenous communities, and a spate of domestic and family violence.
To all our police officers preventing, detecting, responding to, or investigating crime, on National Police Remembrance Day – your day – we thank you for your service, your courage and your commitment to keeping Australians safe.
With honour they serve. With honour, we remember those who gave their lives in that service.