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legacy
A LASTING On 6 February 1980, a group of Victoria Police officers held a meeting to discuss setting up “an organised body to care for the families of deceased members”.
This humble meeting marked the start of Victoria Police Legacy, a not-for-profit organisation that provides ongoing support services for police families who have suffered the loss of a loved one. February 2020 will mark 40 years since that first meeting and four decades of helping thousands of families in any way possible. Victoria Police Legacy Chair Commander Lauren Callaway said since its creation the organisation had grown to become a professional and reputable charity, without losing the people-focused response that was the basis of its foundation. “The most fundamental value of Police Legacy is that it creates a space where you are never expected to stop acknowledging your grief, where it’s acceptable to feel the full range of emotions about your loss,” Cmdr Callaway said. “While we continue to grow into a much larger organisation each year, we have not lost that human aspect of our response, which is what makes Police Legacy such a special and vital organisation to policing families.” The 40-year milestone has provided an opportunity for the organisation to reflect on its history and look to the future. “While the organisation still operates on the core values it was founded on, there have been many changes over the years to ensure Police Legacy reflects the changing family dynamics present in society,” Cmdr Callaway said.
One of the biggest changes for the organisation has been the evolution of the police legatee status. When Police Legacy launched in 1980, police legatees could only be the spouse or child of a deceased officer.
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However, in the past four decades this has changed many times, with the term now covering a larger range of people to reflect modern-day families. “Our police legatee status now covers parents of officers who have died and didn’t have a partner or children,” Cmdr Callaway said. “It also now includes police families who have lost a child. We are always looking to develop support that reflects the ever-evolving world.” As for the future of the organisation, Cmdr Callaway believes it lies in the connection with the ever-growing number of young police legatees. “We want them to remain connected to the policing family in ways that will inspire them to either join the police ranks or to give back to an organisation that helped them cope with grief and loss,” she said. “We have several ambassadors and volunteers who have experienced Victoria Police Legacy first-hand and are now assisting us to help others. “One day some of these young police legatees will be future leaders within Victoria Police, Police Legacy or the wider community and will continue to build our services in ways that are personal and meaningful.”
“It also now includes police families who have lost a child. We are always looking to develop support that reflects the ever-evolving world.”
Editorial: Danielle Ford Photography: Jesse Wray-McCann
Police Legacy timeline The tragic murder of Swan Hill Detective Senior Constable Robert Lane intensified concerns about what support – including financial, emotional and hardship – was available to police and their families following a death. The following month, The Police Association directed a pilot committee to set up a Victoria Police Legacy Scheme. 6 February 1980 Strongly supported by then Chief Commissioner Sinclair Imrie ‘Mick’ Miller, the Victoria Police Legacy Scheme was formally established. It was led by founding committee members Superintendent Peter Ryan, Inspector Bryan Kelly, Inspector Gary Storey and other officers. 24
POLICE LIFE | SUMMER 2019-20
13 November 1980 CCP Mick Miller arranged for every police officer of Victoria Police to have 20 cents deducted from their wages to support police legatees. 1981 Victoria Police Legacy employed office manager, Angela Stuckey, signalling the start of non-police being engaged to perform specialist roles as needed. 1994 Meg Galpin was appointed Chief Executive Officer, further integrating external employees.
2005 Police legatees were taken on their first country getaway. CEO Galpin and board members Gary Storey and Peter O’Neill accompanied 38 police legatees to the National Police Tattoo hosted by the South Australia Police Force. 2006 Victoria Police Legacy moved its shared office from the main building of the Victoria Police Credit CoOperative to its own space in front of the Co-Op. 20 April 2006 Two large Victoria Police Legacy banners were created and hung out the front of the Police Chapel at the Victoria Police Academy. They were unveiled by Governor of Victoria and Patron-inChief Professor David de Kretser AO.
