FORMER Victoria Police officer, Mark Arians has been awarded a National Police Service Award for close to 30 years of service in Melbourne and rural Victoria.
The Gannawarra Shire councillor and deputy mayor retired from the force two years ago after 28 years to join rural water supplier, Goulburn-Murray Water and its Connections project.
“As a policeman you learn to deal with people from all walks of life, and you’ve got a good view of social issues, and it does prepare you to be able to make decisions on behalf of the community. It’s a good stepping stone,” Cr Arians, who was elected to council in October 2012, said.
“It was exciting and enjoyable most of the time; challenging, but it was great.”
Cr Arians served the force as a uniformed officer at St Albans, Wangaratta and Euroa before relocating to the mounted branch for three years. He arrived in Cohuna in 2008.
Cr Arians was awarded the medal at the Western Region Division 6 police medal presentation at the Swan Hill Town Hall last Friday, attended by Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton, Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh and Gannawarra Shire Council mayor, Cr Lorraine Learmonth.
“Whilst working in north-east Victoria I spent time investigating high level drug offences, while the most interesting was working to combat outlaw motorcycle clubs and to see how they function and the impact of targeting crime at that level,” he said.
Cr Arians also noted working with fellow emergency services during the north-east Victoria floods in 1993 and the Kerang district floods in 2011 as a highlight in his career.
Cr Arians was awarded an Australia Day community service award for helping establish a benefit fundraiser and trust fund for the family of a young girl whose leg was amputated after being hit by a train in Longwood in the early 2000s.
“The biggest thing to take away from the force is, no matter how bad or big the crime is, very few people are evil,” he said.
“We are all just people who do bad and good things. We are never in a position to judge.
“It was nice to be recognised, and I think you value it more when you are out of the profession.”
Two regional police members were presented with Victoria Police Service Medals, which recognise a range of honours, and seven were awarded National Police Service Medals for serving in any Australian police force for a total of 15 years.
