Daughter drives push for dad's official recognition

Hearing her father's name read out and watching her mother lay a wreath was important recognition to Amy Sheehan's family of an officer's dedicated service.

Kathy Sheehan lays a wreath in honour of her late husband Detective Senior Constable Russell Sheehan. Picture: Stuart Cumming

HEARING her father's name read out and watching her mother lay a wreath was important recognition to Amy Sheehan's family of an officer's decades of dedicated service.

However, she can't be satisfied that recognition is complete until she sees Detective Senior Constable Russell Sheehan's name inscribed on official state and national memorials.

Det Snr Const Sheehan's 2015 suicide death came about seven months after the career cop had been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder.

Ms Sheehan was grateful for the acknowledgement of her dad's 33 years of service at a Police Remembrance Day ceremony in Kawana on Friday morning.

Her mum Kathy, Russell's wife, laid a wreath in his honour.

VALE: Detective Senior Constable Russell Sheehan. Picture: Photo Contributed

"It's so important for us to feel like dad's contribution to the police service is acknowledged and is recognised even if it is not yet formally recognised on a roll or honour or wall of remembrance,” Ms Sheehan said.

She said a speech made in Federal Parliament last week by Brisbane MP Graham Perrett, which focused on her father's service and sacrifice, was a great step towards achieving official recognition.

"Although they are not formally recognised on the service roll of honour, more officers have died as a result of suicide than those killed in the line of duty,” Mr Perrett said on September 17.

"The villains pursuing them were no less real, their bravery in the face of death no less courageous and the reason they were stolen from their families no less the result of crimes they witnessed and criminals they confronted.”

Ms Sheehan said having her dad's name story spoken about in Parliament felt like "a really big step forward”.

"I hope we are not too far off having officers recognised on a wall of remembrance, those who have died by suicide,” Ms Sheehan said.