Australian Police Medal for top cops who brought some of NSW’s worst to justice
NSW’S longest serving boss Homicide Squad, Detective Superintendent Michael Willing is one of eight police officers to receive the Australian Police Medal.
NSW
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THE state’s longest serving boss of the NSW Homicide Squad, Detective Superintendent Michael Willing is one of eight police officers to receive the Australian Police Medal for their services to the force.
Another recipient, Chief Inspector Michael Sheehy is considered one of the most experienced investigators in the force — between them they have been involved in the most high profile criminal cases in recent years.
Det Supt Willing, who joined NSW Police Force in 1990 was appointed to the head of the Homicide Squad in 2011 and has overseen the investigations, including the murder of Keisha Weippeart, the mass murder of 11 patients at the Quakers Hill nursing home fire in 2011 and the Lindt Cafe siege in 2014.
“Policing is very much about team work and getting an award such as the APM really reflects the work of the people around you. It is a great honour,’’ he said.
He was the Crime manager of the Orana local area command in Dubbo when Malcolm Naden was involved in the murder of two local women and was the head of Homicide when Naden, considered Australia’s most wanted man at the time, was captured and charged with murder in 2012.
As head of Homicide he also has command of the Unsolved Homicide unit, which has been restructured over the past few years with spectacular results.
The most recent being the arrest of Warwick for his alleged connection to a series of bombings that rocked Sydney in 1984. The matter is still before the courts.
“The Unsolved team and the work they do shows victims’ families that the police never give up and can get results even decades later,’’ he said.
Chief Inspector Michael Sheehy, a 30 year veteran and one of the state’s most experienced detectives was also warded the APM.
Detective Sheehy has worked and been acting Commander of the NSW Gangs Squad, the Homicide Squad and the Robbery and Series Crime Squad. Some of his cases include the investigation into the murder of fellow officer Constable Bill Crews and the slaying of the Lin family.
While acting Commander of the Robbery and Serious Crime Squad Insp Sheehy co-ordinated the hunt and capture of Gino and Mark Stocco. The father and son pair were wanted over an alleged seven year crime spree, which allegedly ended in murder and shots fired at police.
“It can be very rewarding work and after 30 years I still enjoy being a detective and being involved in the arrest of criminals,” he said.
“You get to work with some very dedicated and talented people who are committed to helping and protecting the community,’’ he said.
The dramatic fall in violence in Kings Cross and the introduction of tough new laws were recognised with the awarding of the APM to Senior Sergeant Donna Murphy.
“(Sgt) Murphy has dedicated the majority of her policing career to the licensing field. Since 2009, with great courage and determination she has directed licensing investigations into the 276 licensed premises in the two and a half kilometre block that constitutes Kings Cross LAC,’’ a police statement said.
“Following high-profile deaths after assaults in 2012 and 2013, the NSW government introduced legislation requiring linked ID scanners to operate from all high-risk licensed premises in the Kings Cross LAC.’’
She is attributed with the success of the implementation of the ID scanning devices which was the first in NSW to manage this legislative requirement.
Other recipients are Superintendent Mark Noakes, Commander,Special Services Group; Superintendent Stephen Egginton, Commander, Hawkesbury Local Area, Command;Superintendent Paul Fehon,Commander, Mid North Coast; Superintendent David Eardley, Commander. Bankstown and Senior Sergeant Kevin Charles Allard, Team Leader, State Crime Command’s Sex Crimes Squad.
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