A lasting legacy

Editorial: Danielle Ford

Photography: Jesse Wray-McCann

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.

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.”

Brendan Mason

Const Brendan Mason credits the support of Victoria Police Legacy for cementing his life-long desire to follow in his parents' footsteps and join the police force.

Having grown up with two parents who were police officers, Constable Brendan Mason’s connection to Victoria Police far pre-dates him joining the force.

“I was that kid in playgroup who always said, ‘When I grow up I want to be a police officer’ because I’d grown up hearing about Mum and Dad doing it and I always thought it sounded interesting,” Const Mason said.

After his father, Detective Sergeant Kenneth Mason, died when he was 16, Const Mason said Victoria Police Legacy provided a huge support and comfort for him, his siblings and his mother.

“Losing a family member is obviously a tough time and it’s all the things you don’t think of during that grieving period that Police Legacy are there for,” he said.

“They know the policing world and they’ve all been through similar situations so they’re well across it and have a great understanding of where you’re at.

“They help you just feel what you’re feeling and have such great experience in where they can help and what they can do.”

During his later teenage years, Const Mason took part in many Police Legacy social activities and programs, which he said provided a great sense of connection to others with similar experiences.

“The social activities for me were one of the most helpful things during those years because they connected me with people of a similar age in similar circumstances as they were also police legatees,” he said.

“I’d always had that desire to join Victoria Police as an officer but after Dad passed away the influence Police Legacy had on my life, through these activities, really cemented that desire and strengthened my connection to Victoria Police.”

This connection with Victoria Police Legacy is something Const Mason continues to foster today.

After joining Victoria Police in 2017, the now 24-year-old Melbourne East constable volunteers with Police Legacy, assisting on youth camps and helping other young police legatees who are going through similar losses he did.

“It’s a good way to give back and keep that connection with Police Legacy going,” he said.

“They’re always looking for people to volunteer, particularly police, and I thought it would be a great way to give back since they’ve done so much over the years to help make things a bit easier after losing Dad.”

Val Moran

Val Moran is honoured to be a Victoria Police Legatee and said her husband, Sgt Edward Moran, would be looking down smiling, knowing she is being taken care of.

Police widow Val Moran is honoured to be part of the Victoria Police Legacy family.

“It keeps us all connected and we really are one big family,” Mrs Moran said.

“We have all lost someone very close to us and we all have times when we are struggling and feel sad and on our own.

"I love the fact that through Victoria Police Legacy, we can feel supported and help support each other.”

Mrs Moran’s husband, Sergeant Edward Moran, was a police veteran who tragically died in a motorcycle accident in 2004.

“When you’re the widow of a police officer, you share two things profoundly in common with other police widows,” she said.

“First, we know what it’s like to be married to a police officer, which comes with its own set of worries. Plus, we also know what it’s like to then have to live without our partners.

"This makes us a unique group of people who can understand each other in a very special way.”

Mrs Moran connected with Victoria Police Legacy in 2017, when she moved back to Victoria from Queensland, where she and her husband had retired.

She regularly attends Police Legacy events, including going to police graduations and joining other police widows on annual getaways.

She describes the trips as a lot of fun and a chance to see some great places, but admits they are about much more than a short holiday.

“They are therapeutic for many of us women,” Mrs Moran said.

“Some never get away and some have young children, so these trips give them an opportunity to have a break and relax while bonding with people who understand their situation.

“They certainly helped me transition back to my home state, which was a big move on my own after so many years living interstate.”

Mrs Moran said she was incredibly grateful to the serving police officers who give so generously to help support police legatees.

“What our police do for us is very much appreciated,” she said.

“They may not always see us, they may not even know us, but we appreciate their time, their kindness and their financial contributions which make so many wonderful and meaningful things possible.

“Emotionally it’s huge. Some women would have totally lost their connection to Victoria Police if it wasn’t for the reach of Victoria Police Legacy. That’s why it’s so important.

“When I am around police, I am taken back to my early years of marriage and my handsome young husband in his uniform. He would be really happy to know that the comradery he enjoyed so much in the job still exists and that I am now a small part of it.”

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.

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 Co- Operative 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-in- Chief Professor David de Kretser AO.