Friend and police partner Josh tells why Constable Keith Smith was so widely respected
A police officer who died in a shooting while on duty has been remembered as one of the best. Read the reflections from his friend and colleague.
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Constable Keith Smith had a big heart.
For friend and fellow police officer, Josh, he was a father figure, widely respected and confidante to many including those doing it tough.
“Keith wanted the best for everyone,” he said.
“He did his job as a police officer so well. He was very methodical.
“He got to know both sides of the story because we always know there’s two sides of every story and the truth is somewhere in between.
“Keith was respectful of everyone regardless of what side of the story they were on.”
Despite a 20-year-age difference, the pair formed an inseparable bond after they first met in 2012 working in Launceston.
“Keith was obviously older and more mature and I was quite young and maybe a bit immature, full of energy and enthusiasm.
“When we got partnered together, we started to work together and got to know each other. His wife put it really well today when she said we were just yin and yang.”
Everyone in the communities that Constable Smith served over his 25-year career respected him.
“One of the great stories I remember is I was dealing with a family in Ravenswood and I had cause to arrest them and have what some could perceive as negative interactions.
“Within weeks, Keith had a relationship with that family so that I’m there in their kitchen drinking tea, having biscuits, they’re making food for us to have down the police station because Keith was just such a respected person in the community and just had that rapport with everyone.”
Constable Smith, he said, went out of his way to help everyone and taught him valuable lessons about life.
“I remember a lot of times we’d have separate things organised and I’d get tasks at some incident in Ravenswood or somewhere nearby and Keith being a great person he is, would drop what he was doing on the other side of town and he would race across town to back me up when other people could have,” Josh said.
“He had my back and I always felt safe working with him.
“The main thing that I think he taught me was to be respectful of everyone and to listen to everyone’s story and to understand that some people find themselves in adverse situations.
“They may have done wrong by the law, but still to have that empathy and understanding that there’s usually a background as to how they came to be in that position in the first place.”
Constable Smith grew up in Launceston and worked in a computer store before joining the police force when he was 32.
Always fit, he was a keen cyclist taking part in several police rides for charity.
“I very fondly remember that he maybe 20 years older but he could still kick my butt on a push bike.
“He taught me how to cycle. We used to do a lot of cycling together before work and on our days off.”
Constable Smith moved to the North West five years ago and although they only worked together for 18 months Josh was “chuffed” when Constable Smith asked him to be best man at his wedding in 2022.
“We just formed that relationship and we kept in touch.
“We rode together and saw each other regularly and helped each other out through adversities.
“When we were doing the suit fitting for his wedding, we got confused for father and son.”
Josh said his friend was not ambitious and planned to work until retirement age.
“He was very comfortable being a constable. He had no aspirations to be a sergeant. He just did his role as a constable so well, that so many people could look up to him and see that it’s all right to be a constable for a long time. Not everyone’s going to become the commissioner.”
Although he loved cycling, Constable Smith was also a golfer, gamer, travelled overseas and loved a long black coffee.
He adored his two grandchildren and was affectionately known as “poppy” to many in his extended police family.
“If anyone was having a rough time Keith would take them under his wing. He was a brilliant dude.”
A 46-year-old man has been charged with his murder.
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