Gisborne Senior Sergeant Paul Cliffe believes Victoria is a much tougher place now, compared to when he started on the beat 40 years ago.
He and two fellow senior officers, Sergeant Leo Van Andel (pictured) and Leading Senior Constable Kevin Oakley, all marked their four decades of service last week.
Senior Sergeant Cliffe said although it hasn’t always been easy, it wasn’t a hard decision to stay in the force so long.
“It’s just something that we’ve all done, and that’s just the way it was,” he said. “You meet people who have been plumbers their whole lives, builders or mechanics. I entered the police and stayed with it.
“It’s a lot harder now and it’s pretty risky for police. People don’t give respect, and you can get spat at and hurt at any time when you’re out on the beat. You see a lot more drugs and weapons than when I first started.”
His deployments have varied, with most of his career spent at Broadmeadows, a decade as sergeant at Flemington and a number of years spent at Melbourne central branches.
Senior Sergeant Cliffe also remembers fondly his time in the Solomon Islands with the Australian Federal Police.
“We were based in the Solomons for the Ramsi mission, rebuilding police services and hospitals. It one of the best things I’ve done … working with the people over there. It’s a small place, but there was a lot of tension.”
All three officers were honoured at a special event at Parliament House where Police minister Lisa Neville congratulated them on their longstanding dedication.
In all, 242 serving Victorian police officers have more than 40 years logged up. These officers have witnessed revolutionary changes in modern crime fighting, including the introduction of random breath-testing, drug testing and DNA profiling, Ms Neville said.
“Each officer has a different story, and many have witnessed crucial changes in the way crime is investigated.”
