By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
Birthday station invites its family of cops around to celebrate…
SERGEANT John ‘Blackers’ Blackburn looks back at the past 10 years and wonders where they went.
The police veteran has been working at the Endeavour Hills Police Station since it opened, and on Tuesday night he was among many past and present cops from the facility who celebrated its 10th birthday at the Churchill Park Golf Club.
Sgt Blackburn is one of several police officers who have worked at the station since it was set up in November 2004, along with Sgt Andrea Winfield, Sgt Mick Sheers and Acting Sgt Greg Pajor.
These are four cops who typify the family-like environment that is palpable among the Endeavour Hills group.
“The area has clearly had an issue with hoon behaviour. We had a lot of trouble with youths and hoon behaviour when we first started, and we’ve clearly reduced that,” Sgt Blackburn said.
“It’s made the streets a lot safer. Areas like the skate park here, the skate park at Doveton, Autumn Place – your strip shopping centres have become a lot safer because of your high density police patrols.”
Senior Sergeant Paul Marshall, a past officer in charge at the station, said Endeavour Hills had “special memories” for him.
“It’s a family within a family. It’s just special. It was my first posting as a senior sergeant,” he said.
“What sets it apart is the culture. The culture of the place is one about teamwork, it’s one about all-inclusiveness.”
Special praise was delivered throughout the evening to Mike Jenkins, the now retired senior sergeant who helped set up the station 10 years ago after an 18-year stint at Oakleigh.
“Endeavour Hills was interesting because it was a whole brand new police station, a whole new sub-district that was originally part of Narre Warren’s area and a whole new crew of three sergeants and 13 troops,” Mr Jenkins said on the night.
“When you set up a new police station somewhere you’ve got to go out and embrace your community.
“It’s a case of going around and meeting all the key players in the community.
“You’ve got to build up that network of support within your community because the police can’t do it on their own.”
Endeavour Hills Police Station made international headlines in September when terrorist suspect Numan Haider was shot dead outside the facility after stabbing two police officers.
Sgt Blackburn said the incident could have happened at any station but Endeavour Hills ended up being the unlucky one.
“With the world we’ve moved into, we’ve got to be aware of the changes and perils that we face and that people in uniform face,” Sgt Blackburn said.
For more on the station celebrations, turn to page 6.
