Sharon Morgan speaks on domestic violence as a police officer and a victim

A high ranking Wide Bay police woman has shared how she was trapped for years in a violent relationship and how she had to use make-up to hide her bruises when training at the Qld Police Academy.

A former Hervey Bay police officer has shared her harrowing story of surviving a violent relationship, revealing how she had to wear make-up to cover the bruises while training at the academy to become a policewoman.

Sergeant Sharon Morgan is now the first female Officer in Charge at Gin Gin Police Station, but when she started out in the Queensland Police Service, she was in a toxic relationship beset by domestic and family violence.

Attending domestic violence situations was part of her job, but it was also what she went home to.

Unbeknown to her police colleagues, she was the victim of physical, financial and emotional abuse at home, just like many of the women she was being called out to help in her job.

Born in Sydney, Sgt Morgan knew from a young age she wanted to be a police officer.

She applied to join the New South Wales Police Force when she completed high school, but postponed her plans after she moved in with her partner and fell pregnant with her first child at 18 years-of-age.

Sergeant Sharon Morgan is now the first female Officer in Charge at Gin Gin Police Station, but when she started out in the Queensland Police Service, she was in a toxic relationship beset by domestic and family violence.

Three years later, and with a second child, she escaped the violent relationship by moving to Queensland where she applied to join the Queensland Police Service.

She was accepted and began her recruit training at the QPS Academy at Oxley, only to have her partner follow her to Queensland and re-enter her life.

She recalls having to wear make-up to hide the bruises upon her return to the academy after spending weekends at home.

Graduating from the academy and being sworn-in as a police officer was the realisation of a dream for Sgt Morgan, but the abuse and controlling behaviour continued in secret.

Soon after her third child was born, the situation escalated after an incident that threatened the safety of her children and police were called to her home.

The secret was out.

A domestic violence order was issued, and although he attempted to intervene in her life over the following few years, his control over her was finally broken.

Sergeant Sharon Morgan says she felt so ashamed about being subjected to domestic violence herself.

She said the police sergeant who attended that day gave her the courage and support to finally move on after seven years in the violent relationship.

“I felt so ashamed. Going to DVs every shift and then coming home and being subjected to it myself,” Sgt Morgan said.

“That sergeant was brilliant in that he supported me. He was the catalyst to help me move on.”

She said she was able to bring her personal experience to her role as a police officer, particularly when dealing with victims of domestic violence.

“There’s not a week that goes by where I’m not attending a domestic violence related incident, so while I’m not proud of staying so long and being subjected to that and having my children exposed to that behaviour, it’s made me a better police officer because I do have that background,” she said.

After working at Hervey Bay for 10 years, Sgt Morgan was transferred to Childers, where she discovered a love of country policing.

She met her husband there – another police officer – and eventually had the experience and confidence to apply for the role of Officer in Charge at Gin Gin, where she leads a team of six officers keeping her community safe.

She said the QPS needed a diverse group of people whose life experiences – be they good or bad – had shaped them in a way that enabled them to be a great police officer.

“Everyone has a story,” she said.

“Everyone in this job does it for a different reason, but we all want to help people and that’s the common denominator.

“I’m just a plain girl raised in western Sydney by her grandparents.

“I’m not privileged at all, but I just had that vision. It doesn’t matter about your age, it doesn’t matter where you come from.

“There are plenty of people out there who would be great coppers but just don’t think they have it in them. If I can get through what I did, anyone can,” she said.