Esk officer’s national recognition for flood, fire service

Fires, floods, drug crime and road trauma – this Esk cop has taken them all on, and won.

TOP CREW: The Esk Police Station team, Senior Constable Luke Rowley, OIC Sergeant Karlene Trezise and Senior Constable Scott Braunack. Sgt Trezise has been awarded the Australian Policing Medal for her distinguished career.

FOR 11 years, police sergeant Karlene Trezise has worked to keep the Esk community safe – through fires, floods and everything in between.

Her dedication to her community has now earned her one of the highest honours for a police officer – an Australian Policing Medal.

The officer-in-charge was awarded the distinction for her work within in the community, particularly in reducing drug crime and road trauma, but also for her effort during the 2011 floods and more recently the fires in Esk and Pechey.

The police veteran of 21 years was humbled and surprised by the award, but said the success of the station’s work was a team effort.

“I feel the award is also great recognition for frontline policing,” Sgt Trezise said.

“I work as part of a wonderful team at the Esk Police Station and our successes have been because of everyone’s commitment and hard work, and the incredible Esk community.”

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It’s this community approach to dealing with problems she credits for her team’s success in reducing road trauma, drug supply and general crime in the area.

Working in partnership with the local council and government agencies, the team has targeted road trauma “hot spots” – to significant success.

“Success can be noted in areas where the speed has been reduced in an area resulting in no fatalities,” she said.

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Visible presence in the community is also a big deal for the sergeant, with her team regularly conducting RBTs and speed detection activities as well as providing education for the community about the dangers of illicit drugs.

“The people of Esk have been very active in assisting police with the reduction of drugs in the town, we couldn’t do what we do without the community helping us,” she said.

But some of her toughest days on job have come not from crime, but Mother Nature.

Esk Police OIC sergeant Karlene Trezise (centre left) during the 2019 Esk/Pechey fires.

She describes the days during the 2011 floods and last year’s fires as “frantic and intense”.

“The 2011 floods came swiftly and with great intensity. At the time I was acting officer-in-charge at Esk and recall working with my partner, Senior Constable Peter Robinson, and first-hand witnessing the rapidly rising waters lapping at our tyres on the police vehicle,” she said.

“The waters rose quick, evacuations of the elderly began, and it was all hands on deck with the community and businesses.”

It was a similar “all hands on deck” experience during the fires last year – and to the credit of both the police and other emergency services, neither event resulted in loss of life for Esk.

Despite the tough nature of her job, she said she felt privileged to work in the policing community.

It’s a community and family she says she “married into” – meeting her husband Michael Trezise in 1986 when he was a police officer in Gladstone.

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She joined the service in 1999, as part of the Police Communications Centre, before being accepted into the police academy in 2001.

Her sons Adam and Ben, as well as several members of her extended family, have also joined the police service.

“Combined we have over 100 years of service with the QPS,” she said.

She also credited her team at the Esk station as being a big part of her passion for her job.

“Without their hard work, professionalism and camaraderie, it wouldn’t have been as successful or enjoyable,” she said.

The Australian Police Medal is awarded for distinguished service by a member of an Australian police service and is awarded on Australia Day and the Queen’s Birthday each year.

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