The Police Association Journal november 2009

16
Remembrance Day Address
“Paying the price”
This year’s Remembrance Day Address was delivered by Ian Silk, whose brother
Sergeant Gary Silk was murdered in 1998. This is an edited version of his address.
At the outset I would note
that this is an especially
poignant day for my family
and the family of Rod Miller. My
brother Sergeant Gary Silk and his
colleague Senior Constable Rod
Miller were murdered whilst on
duty on 16 August 1998.
Whilst we wish with all of our
hearts that they had not paid the
ultimate price – all of Gary’s and
Rod’s family and friends, along with
the family and friends of all other
police officers who have paid the
ultimate price – appreciate National
Police Remembrance Day and
Blue Ribbon Day. For all of us, it is
great to see the whole community
remember and pay tribute to the
151 Victoria Police members who
have lost their lives in pursuit of
their commitment to protect us and
our community.
20 years ago this week the then
Hawthorn football club coach Allan
Jeans – himself a former police
officer – famously asked his players
at half-time in the 1989 Grand
Final against Geelong – “Are you
prepared to pay the price?”
His question was posed in the
context of whether his players were
prepared to do whatever it took
to win that match. It’s a question
all of us, whether consciously or
subconsciously, ask ourselves every
time we do something. Is the result
I’m seeking worth the effort, time
or money I’m expending? If not
then I won’t bother. Alternatively
we conclude that the goal is worth
paying the price for – whatever the
currency of that price – whether
effort, time, money or whatever.
And this concept of paying
the price is equally relevant at
a broader community level. It’s
particularly relevant on National
Police Remembrance Day and Blue
Ribbon Day when we pause to
reflect on the police officers who
have paid the ultimate price in
serving our community.
We know that one of the bedrocks
of a civilised society is law and
order. We also know that law and
order doesn’t occur automatically.
We have to work at it.
The very notion of a
fundamentally law-abiding
community relies on an efficient,
honest and dedicated police
force. And of course at its core
in this State are the men and
women who constitute Victoria
Police – especially those at the
front line who are the first shield
between a civilised community
and illegal activity.
Ian Silk.
The Victorian Police Force was
formally established in 1853. Since
that time 112 police officers have
been accidentally killed in the
line of duty. That’s a police officer
accidentally dying in the execution
of their duty every 17 months or
so. That’s the very significant price
that the police force – and our
community – are paying for living
in an overwhelmingly peaceful and
law-abiding community.
Perhaps even more alarming is
that a further 30 odd police officers
have been feloniously slain. Or in
the more common terminology,
they have been murdered in the
execution of their duties. Since 1853
an average of one officer has been
murdered on duty every five years.
One officer murdered on duty every
five years.
And the average age of these
murdered officers has been just 29
years of age. What a price paid.
This really drives home the
message about the price paid by
the police force and the broader
community for the terrific
community that we live in.
Whenever a police officer loses
their life on duty – especially when
a police officer is murdered on duty
– we don’t just shrug our shoulders
and mutter “Oh well, that’s just the
price we pay.”
Instead our community is shocked,
and in the case of murdered police
officers angered. And we empathise
with and seek to support the
members of Victoria police in the
knowledge that they are paying
this price for us.
We acknowledge those Victorian
police officers who have lost their
lives in their role of protecting
our community – and we thank
them, and we honour them and we
remember them.
This brings me to my second point
about how the broader community
is increasingly public in its show of
support for Victoria Police when one
of its members loses their life on
duty, or when a member of Victoria
Police pays the ultimate price on
behalf of the rest of the community.
The activities of the Blue Ribbon
Foundation have built on the earlier
work of people who have wanted
to both create lasting legacies to
remember those who have paid
the ultimate price, and to show
currently serving members that
the community greatly appreciates
their work.
The community is gradually
appreciating and publicly
recognising the rather obvious
point that Victoria Police are there
for us. The sacrifices they make,
the price they pay – including on
those dreadful occasions when the
ultimate price is paid – they are
doing so for us.
November 2009 The Police Association Journal
www.tpav.org.au