Brendan Scully left the job the way he entered it – on foot patrol.
Friday marked the end of an era for policing in the Latrobe Valley as the Traralgon Senior Sergeant clocked off the beat for the final time after starting in the job almost five decades ago.
Remarkably a document listing Victoria Police’s longest serving members had him ranked on the first page for his 46-year career behind only a handful of other Victorian officers who have served longer than him.
Surrounded by colleagues the 64-year-old walked the streets of Traralgon for the final time last week, wearing a self described “old fashioned” leather jacket which he admitted he “probably shouldn’t have been wearing” as he reflected on his time in the force.
“Back when I started I was a foot beat constable at Russell Street. That’s how everyone started in those days except for the women – they went to a separate division – because they were treated differently in those days,” Senior Sergeant Scully said.
“It is a totally different job from when I joined, I’ve always been a street policeman but I’ve always had to do this bloody management stuff on the side.
“[The management tasks] still bore me to bloody tears, I just look at it as if I’m a street cop who manages a police station on the side and I’ve managed to surround myself with very, very good people.”
From a distance you could see the impact Senior Sergeant Scully has had on the community of Traralgon over the last three decades as traders, bystanders and colleagues smiled and greeted him on his final walk along Franklin Street.
“Most of the really good stories, the really good stuff, I’m not allowed to talk to you about,” Senior Sergeant Scully said as he approached the old Traralgon courthouse.
“But probably the best part of it as far as I’m concerned is that you go to work each day … and you never ever know what’s going to happen.
“That keeps you on your toes, you’re never bored but the Valley is a very difficult area to police. It’s very busy in crime terms, huge amounts of family violence and there’s a lot of need for police.”
After Russell Street, he spent time at Collingwood and Doncaster before postings at Lakes Entrance, Colac, Bairnsdale and Yea before arriving in the Latrobe Valley.
“I came to Traralgon for 12 months – 28 years ago,” Senior Sergeant Scully said.
The need for a visible presence and police on the streets is still one of the most important, yet “basic” areas of policing, the veteran member pointed out.
“I still like dealing with people rather than systems and processes,” he said.
“Most people talk to you, they’re happy to have a chat, especially when they know you’re not going to lock ’em up. By the way I love locking the bad guys up, the crooks, yeah I never get sick of that.
“But the best thing about walking around is that people will approach you with their issues and their problems and chat about their genuine concerns.”
