The AFP will today (27 September, 2024) join police across Australia to pause for National Police Remembrance Day, honouring those officers who have given their lives for the community.
On 29 September each year, National Police Remembrance Day is held to commemorate officers from jurisdictions across Australia and the South West Pacific region who have been killed on duty or as a result of their duties, and to recognise the unique nature of policing and the dangers that police face in their daily pursuits.
Services are being held across Australia today to remember the lives that have been lost, and to acknowledge the impact this has had on their family, friends, and the wider community.
This year, five touchstones will be added to the National Police Memorial in Canberra:
- Jason Christopher Doig - on 17 November, 2023, South Australia Police Brevet Sergeant Jason Christopher Doig was fatally shot when confronting an armed suspect at a property in Senior, SA, near the Victorian border.
- Peter Stone - on 1 January, 2023, while visiting Bogola Beach on the NSW far south coast with his family, NSW Police Sergeant Peter Stone entered the water to assist his son, who had become caught in a riptide. Although he was able to rescue his son, he was unable to return to shore and tragically drowned.
- Glenn Murray - on 1 July, 1996, while driving on Mandurah Road, near Singleton WA, WA Police Force Senior Constable Glenn Murray lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree, sustaining serious head and chest injuries. He never recovered from these injuries and passed away on 2 December, 2022.
- Arthur Clapp - on 5 November, 1927, while patrolling the construction camps near Mataranka, NT; Northern Territory Police Mounted Constable Arthur Clapp was shot and killed when arresting a man for the illegal sale of alcohol.
- Thomas McNulty - on 25 November, 1917, while escorting witnesses back to Darwin on the sailing vessel 'Albatross', Northern Territory Mounted Constable Thomas McNulty fell overboard and drowned in the gulf of Carpentaria.
AFP Acting Manager Communications and Customs Jodie McEwan said the five police officers would join 826 fellow officers who are honoured at the National Police Memorial in Parkes, ACT.
"Policing is an extremely rewarding career path, but it naturally comes with an element of danger, and an element of the unknown," Ms McEwan said.
"This is why we pause each year for National Police Remembrance Day - to reflect and remember those who have served, and have paid the ultimate price for that service.
"These five brave officers who will be added to the National Police Memorial today symbolise the best of us - bravery, dedication, service, and sacrifice.
"It is important that the memory of these five officers, and all those who have been enshrined at the memorial live on through our daily actions, as we continue to work every day to keep communities around Australia safe."
The National Service for National Police Remembrance Day will be held at the National Police Memorial in Canberra at 4.30pm on Friday, 27 September. Members of the public are encouraged to attend. This will also be livestreamed via Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/event/4502470.
