General News
8 June, 2023
“It’s been really good”
POLICE officers gathered at the Camperdown Police Station last Friday to celebrate a special milestone.
POLICE officers gathered at the Camperdown Police Station last Friday to celebrate a special milestone.
Victorian Public Servant administration officer Monica Hickey was recognised for 40 years of service, with the official day, May 16, spent quietly in Canada with her son.
Ms Hickey said she applied for the job after finding commuting to and from Warrnambool for work took a toll and has enjoyed working with a variety of people at the station since.
“It’s nice because you don’t work with the same people every day because of the shift work they do, so you never know who you’re going to work with on the day and it can be really good,” she said.
“There’s a lot of interesting things happening.”
Ms Hickey enjoyed reuniting with many people she had worked with throughout the years, saying she never expected to be at the station for so long.
“In the time I’ve worked here, I’ve kept a list of people that were permanently stationed here since I’ve been here, and it’s up to 112,” she said.
“It changes; sometimes you might go a couple of years without anyone moving around, and then you might get a bit of a flurry of people leaving and new people coming in.
“It keeps it fresh, too; you’re not always working with the same people.”
Flowers, gifts and cards were presented to Ms Hickey over the course of the day.
Ms Hickey said she enjoyed watching officers move forward with their careers.
“My friend Tanya, who came to the barbecue, came here as a constable and is now an inspector in Melbourne,” she said.
“It’s good to see them moving up the ranks. It’s been really good.”
Looking to the future, Ms Hickey said she still has a few years left before she retires and plans to travel around after retirement.
“Maybe catch up with my son who lives in Canada, and my daughter over in Adelaide,” she said.
