Daren Edwards police retirement: Top Sunshine Coast cop departs role

Outgoing Sunshine Coast investigator Daren Edwards has reflected on 10 years of major crimes in the region and the one that still frustrates him, after 36 years in uniform.

A murder on his second day in the job still sticks with the Sunshine Coast’s outgoing lead detective Daren Edwards.

The veteran investigator’s time in policing officially ended on Tuesday, January 31.

After 36 years, 10 of those as Sunshine Coast Criminal Investigation Branch officer in charge, Detective Senior Sergeant Edwards’ time in blue has ended.

But there’ll be no fishing, caravanning or gardening just yet.

The 60-year-old – who shot to internet fame after a viral crash tackle on a heckler outside the Maroochydore Police Station – has taken a contract with a federal agency based in Sydney and will now live the FIFO lifestyle commuting from the NSW capital to his Sunshine Coast home.

Senior Sergeant Edwards’ retirement from the Queensland Police Service was mandatory after he hit the age of 60, scuppering his long-held ambition to make Inspector.

Supplied Editorial SCN310122DarenEdwards

He said he would’ve kept trying for that rank had he not been retired, but was taking his departure in his stride.

“I’ll just keep working until the mind or body tells me enough’s enough,” he said.

“I’ve had a pretty good run, I’ve got no complaints whatsoever.

“It’s one of the best parts of the world and a pretty supportive community.”

The end of his reign as the region’s top investigator marked time on a decorated and diverse career.

He started out in the Northern Territory in 1986, where he first encountered Daniel Morcombe’s killer Brett Cowan.

After stints in the NT’s Serious Crime Squad and Tactical Intelligence Unit he joined the Queensland Police Service in 1995.

Daren Edwards went viral after a crash tackle during a press conference in Maroochydore. Picture: 7News

In 1998 he was seconded to the National Crime Authority where he spent time undercover as part of targeted operations against international drug distribution and importation rings.

“That was interesting work, serious work,” Senior Sergeant Edwards said.

He recalled jobs undercover buying $80,000-$90,000 worth of heroin and cocaine at a time and the anxious wait for his teams to receive his signal to make the bust.

“That was interesting for a couple of years,” he said with a laugh.

Senior Sergeant Edwards spent a decade in State Crime Operations Command before he landed the coveted job as head detective on the Sunshine Coast in 2011.

He said homicide had always been “an interest” as it was for most investigators who he said aspired to solve the most serious crimes and he had spent time reviewing cold cases.

One that frustrated him to this day was the case of Derek Sam and three missing backpackers in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

Sam was given a life sentence for the murder of 16-year-old Burnside student Jessica Gaudie in 1999.

He was a suspect in the alleged homicides of 46-year-old Kenilworth teacher aide Sabrina Ann Glassop in May, 1999 and British backpacker Celena Bridge, who disappeared after being last seen in July, 1998, walking on Booloumba Creek Rd.

In 2002 a coroner determined Celena had been murdered.

“Derek Sam frustrates me,” Senior Sergeant Edwards said this week.

Senior Sergeant Edwards worked a range of major cases in the region during his tenure including the murder of Noelene Beutel in 2011 just two days into his new role.

Senior Sergeant Edwards was part of the team in the Glass House Mountains in August, 2011 where undercover officers swooped on Cowan, arresting him for Daniel Morcombe’s murder after a massive sting operation.

Senior Sergeant Edwards said a lot of killings were unplanned and killers made mistakes or were careless which created opportunities for skilled investigators to bring them to justice.

“They’re not premeditated (a lot of them),” he said.

“They’re only ever remorseful because of the situation they find themselves in, they’re not remorseful for what they did.”

Other serious crimes having a more and more devastating impact on the community were cyber crime and fraud.

Senior Sergeant Edwards said the Sunshine Coast was particularly vulnerable with a significant portion of the population aged over 65.

“That’s a real burden on the community,” he said.

“Twenty per cent of the population is over 65.”

He said whether they were less au fait with technology or from a more trusting era, that generation was more vulnerable to online scammers.

Detective Senior Sergeant Daren Edwards was awarded an Assistant Commissioners Certificate for his role in the Sunshine Coast District Drug and Serious Crime Task Force. He also received the Queensland Woman in Policing Awards Champion of Change and won an Australian Police Medal in 2021.

Senior Sergeant Edwards – who was awarded the Australian Police Medal in June, 2021 for his service to policing – said he was proud to have established a dedicated fraud unit within his team focused on cyber and fraud-related crime.

He said his replacement, Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Mansfield was eager to continue the fight against cyber crime in the region.

As he stepped into the next phase of his working life Senior Sergeant Edwards tipped some “real changes coming” to policing in the near future.

“It’s more demanding for young detectives than it was 20 years ago,” he said.