FOR 48 years, Footscray police’s Sergeant Ian Brown has done all he can for the community as part of his “wonderful journey”.
This tireless service was last week recognised when he received the ‘Police Officer of the Year’ award at a Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation ceremony.
Sergeant Brown was honoured for “outstanding service to the Victorian community as a member of Victoria Police and for sustained contributions to the Blue Ribbon Foundation”.
Sergeant Brown received a National Police Service Medal last year, and an Australian Police Medal in 2008.
Humble about his achievements, he said he welcomed anything that raised the profile of the Blue Ribbon Foundation, which honours police who have been killed in the course of duty. The cause is dear to his heart – he knew two police who were killed on the job.
In 1979, Detective Senior Constable Robert Lane was shot and killed while performing a routine interview.
Three years later, Senior Constable Lindsay Forsyth was lured to a late-night ambush and shot dead.
“We have had 157 police pay the ultimate price in 160 years of Victoria Police,” Sergeant Brown said.
“We have to appropriately identify our history, our heroes, those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Sergeant Brown has been heavily involved in fund-raising for the Western Hospital, organising events such as golf days and harness racing nights.
“The Blue Ribbon Foundation does fantastic work in helping to upgrade emergency services in our hospitals; it is a really great organisation.
“Any one of us could be the beneficiary of what they do in helping the hospitals,” he said.
Sergeant Brown knows this well – he experienced the work of the foundation last year when his wife was admitted to the Russell Thompson Resuscitation unit at Geelong Hospital the day before she died. “Russell Thompson and I were at Sunshine police station in the 1970s,” he said.
“This ward was made possible by the Geelong branch of Blue Ribbon from donations by the community.”
After 48 years on the job, Sergeant Brown has no intention of winding up any time soon. He loves the “esprit de corps” of the Victoria Police.
“It has been a wonderful journey for me. I have always worked out in the west, except for a couple of years. The community out here is fabulous,” he said. “If it wasn’t for our community, we wouldn’t be as effective. They really are our eyes and ears”
