Need a good honest - Queensland Police Union

Southern Region Roundup
I would also like to sincerely thank
the current OIC of Taroom, Bill Hickey,
Inspector Roger Whyte, and our AC
Paul Wilson for their support of the
official dedication.
VALE PAT RING
It was with a great deal of sadness that
I received the news on 9 September
that Senior Constable Pat Ring, an old
mate, had peacefully passed away in
his sleep at home. Pat was a Sergeant
at Gatton Station as a shift supervisor
for years, and then he made a decision
to take a reduction in rank to go to
Horn Island.
He spent some time there before
joining the Federal police contingent
at the Coolangatta Airport police. He
then returned to the QPS as a Senior
Constable at Indooroopilly Station
prior to his passing.
Pat was farewelled on Monday
17 September in Gatton, with a fitting
tribute by his workmates from across
the Southern, Metro North, and other
Regions.
Pat will always be remembered as
a fun-loving police officer who had
a great sense of humour. He will
be sorely missed by his workmates
across the state, yet he now rests in
peace. His job here is now done.
FAREWELL TO OUR OLD MATE TUFFY
Ian ‘Tuffy’ Tuffield was a Detective
Senior Sergeant at State Crime Ops
Command when he left the Service
some years ago. For those of us who
knew Tuffy well, I am sure we all agree
that he was one of a kind.
I don’t think I have ever worked with
a copper who had the ability to talk
to crooks like Tuffy did. He was out
of this world in being able to illicit
information from some of the worst
crooks our state has ever known.
“I don’t think I have
ever worked with a
copper who had the
ability to talk to crooks
like Tuffy did.”
I first met Tuffy when I was a young
Constable seconded to the Upper
Mount Gravatt property crime squad
as part of regular three to six month
operations the Region used to run
targeting property and drug-related
crime.
I had the fortune of experiencing Tuffy
in action alongside Steve Hollahan and
Gary Pettiford in the early ‘90s during
a murder and robbery investigation.
A Brambles security guard was shot
dead and a large quantity of cash was
taken from a delivery to Sunnybank
Shopping Centre.
Tuffy was attached to the Armed
Robbery Squad at the time, and he
and his associates had the name of the
suspect within the first 24 hours of the
investigation. Then the entire team set
about tracing this person down and
charging him with the murder of the
security guard.
Watching Tuffy and his colleagues in
action was the main reason I wanted
to follow a career in plain clothes.
His abilities as an investigator were
second to none.
I also had many cold ales and a day on
the punt with Tuffy in Rockhampton,
Brisbane, and Toowoomba. I could
never keep up with the complicated
trifectas and quadrellas he always
tried and get us to contribute to, but I
had faith in his punting ability, so I just
forked out.
Most times we didn’t win a lot, but I
can assure you the good times we had,
and the laughs at all our misfortunes,
are the times I will always remember.
Tuffy’s passing was a tragedy I think
most of us will struggle to come to
terms with for some time.
In saying that, I would encourage all
of us to watch out for one another.
Ensure we are there for each other as
best we can be.
To my old ‘moyt’ Tuffy, I bid you
farewell. The pain is no longer there,
my good friend, and I pray you are
resting peacefully now. God bless,
mate.
Keep up the good fight, and
stay safe.
Darren LEES (Beefa)
Regional Representative
Southern Region
QPU Treasurer
0417 776 184
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Queensland Police Union Journal October 2012