August 22, 2013
Queensland Police Service officers in Caboolture have unveiled a memorial bench and plaque commemorating the life of Senior Sergeant Perry Irwin.
Police Minister Jack Dempsey said Snr Sgt Irwin’s life was cut short when he was killed in the line of duty in 2003.
“My thoughts are with the Irwin family as they remember Snr Sgt Irwin and I commend them for the strength they have shown over the past ten years,” Mr Dempsey said.
“Nothing can replace the loss of their loved one, but I hope they take comfort in the fact that Snr Sgt Irwin’s sacrifice is remembered by the QPS family and the Caboolture community.”
Mr Dempsey said Snr Sgt Irwin along with 139 other QPS officers who died in the line of duty would be remembered during National Police Remembrance Day next month.
“Thankfully there are few professions were workers can go to work and face the dangers police officers do each and every day,” he said.
“The events on the Sunshine Coast last night serve only too well the risks faced each day by police officers as they go about their duties.”
Commissioner Ian Stewart said Snr Sgt Irwin had gone to work that day, the same as he had done for years as a police officer.
“Snr Sgt Irwin left home that day, ready to serve the community and provide leadership to his colleagues as Officer in Charge of the Caboolture Police Station,” Commissioner Stewart said.
“Each morning, as an officer pulls on the boots and puts on their hat, they face various types of risks and very real dangers.
“When your job is to protect the life and ensure the safety of others, you are inherently putting yourself at risk.
“Snr Sgt Perry Irwin paid the ultimate price for his commitment, dedication and courage as he strove to uphold the law and protect the people of Queensland.”
During the day of August 22, 2003 Snr Sgt Irwin and other officers responded to an armed person near a local primary school, involving a man who had a history of making threats against police. As they searched nearby bushland, Snr Sgt Irwin was shot and killed.
“Snr Sgt Irwin’s act of bravery will never be underestimated nor forgotten by the people he worked with and the community he served,” Commissioner Stewart said.
- Related article: Slain Officer Remembered
