Minister for Police and Corrective Services and Minister for Fire and Emergency Services, the Honourable Mark Ryan MP and Commissioner Katarina Carroll welcomed the announcement of the seven recipients from the Queensland Police Service (QPS) who will receive the Australian Police Medal (APM).
The QPS APM recipients model a great service to policing, having served across Queensland in various locations in varied roles.
This year the recipients from the QPS are Senior Sergeant Sean Baxendell, Detective Senior Sergeant Margaret Cassidy, Detective Senior Sergeant Daren Edwards, Chief Superintendent Brian Huxley, Detective Senior Sergeant Jillian McCarthy, Detective Senior Sergeant Grant Ralston and Sergeant Megan Ward.
All the recipients will be presented with their APM at an upcoming ceremony.
Minister Ryan said he was proud to recognise the seven officers who display courage, fairness and pride in all that they do for the Queensland community.
“The deserving APM recipients each have shown commitment and professionalism to all their duties,” Minister Ryan said.
“They have each provided dedicated and exemplary service to the QPS and the Queensland community, throughout their careers.
“I would like to congratulate them for receiving this high honour today.”
Commissioner Carroll said each of the APM recipients were awarded for their distinguished service and commitment to their roles.
“The Australian Police Medal is a fitting acknowledgment for the outstanding contribution given by these officers and recognition of their service to the community,” Commissioner Carroll said.
“Each of these officers were selected for their exceptional skills and leadership in their respective fields and truly model the QPS values in their everyday service.
“A sincere congratulations to each of the officers for being honoured with such a prestigious award.”
Logan Officers Awarded
Detective Senior Sergeant Grant Ralston - Detective Senior Sergeant Grant Ralston joined the QPS in 1988 and served over 20 years in an investigative role in the Criminal Investigation Branch and Child Protection and Investigation Unit. Recently, his work across multiple projects has been key to diverting vulnerable youth offenders from criminal behaviours and risk taking. His efforts and achievements were fundamental in the formation of the Logan Youth Co-Responder Program which was awarded for its success in the 2020 Child Protection Week awards. He is the core QPS representative in the South East Queensland Cross Agency Senior Leadership group which focus on collaboration in research, information sharing and cross agency case coordination for the Logan and South Brisbane areas. Detective Senior Sergeant Ralston has provided 33 years of dedicated service to the QPS, with his operational leadership and relationships with partners enhancing the reputation of the QPS focus on youth justice.
Sergeant Megan Ward - Sergeant Megan Ward has served as an operational police officer in the Queensland Police Service (QPS) for over 24 years. She has been pivotal in the development of robust QPS mental health responses in the Logan District. She has been at the forefront of police responses in the Logan District, taking on the role of Police Negotiator and District Negotiator Coordinator. Recently, she has further been pivotal to the development and implementation of a formal District Mental Health Intervention Coordinator (MHIC) role and has been the driving force in launching the District Mental Health Co-Responder project. She also developed the Mental Health Co-Responder model, a joint agency approach to on-the-ground service delivery. In 2020, she was promoted as the first officer to hold the new position of Sergeant, MHIC in the newly created Logan District Vulnerable Persons Unit. Sergeant Ward has been a long-standing dedicated advocate for improvement in mental health services for the community’s most vulnerable persons.
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