More than two dozen local police have been recognised at an awards ceremony.
The 26 police officers and one Volunteer in Policing have been honoured for their bravery and service to the Townsville community.
Of those recognised was Senior Sergeant Chris Caswell, Senior Constable Timothy Farran and Senior Constable Sean Donnelly who were presented with the National Emergency Medal.
The officers received the award for their role in responding to nationally significant emergencies including the Victorian bushfires in February 2009, Queensland floods between December 2010 and January 2011 and Cyclone Yasi and Tropical Cyclone Debbie in 2019, and the North Queensland floods in January and February of 2019.
Sergeant Graeme Ferguson, Sergeant Andrew Whybird, Senior Constable Alysha Bloomfield, Senior Constable Simon Walsh, Constable Joshua Caldecourt, Constable Allister Morris and Constable Michael Trapp all received District Officer Certificates for their resourcefulness, tenacity, and courage in the line of duty.
On March 31, Sergeant Ferguson, Senior Constable Walsh, and Constable Caldecourt responded to an alleged incident of a man at a licenced premises wielding an axe and a knife.
The officers acted quickly to resolve the incident and ensured the safety of others, resulting in the man being taken into custody with no injuries to members of the public.
On May 4, Sergeant Whybird, Senior Constable Bloomfield, Constable Morris and Constable Trapp responded to an incident of an armed and aggressive man who was making public threats on Ross River Road.
The officers de-escalated the situation and were able to safely restrain the man with no injuries being caused to members of the public in the process.
The National Police Service Medal was awarded to five police officers who have served for a minimum of 15 years, while the National Medal was awarded to five members of the QPS who have completed a period of 15 years with clasps being awarded for a further period of 10 years service.
The QPS Medal was awarded to 13 officers for their ethical and diligent service.
A Certificate of Appreciation was also awarded to Ms Grace Blakey who joined the Townsville Police District ViP program in 2010, and served 12 years prior to retiring last year.
Ms Blakey was acknowledged for her work in road safety, crime prevention and community initiatives.
