NSW’s longest serving police prosecutor Sgt Richard Taylor retires
Ironically nicknamed after a Melbourne gangster, Sergeant Richard “Squizzy” Taylor has prosecuted thousands of criminal matters. But not any more.
Central Coast
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The state’s longest serving police prosecutor Sergeant Richard “Squizzy” Taylor has retired after 34 years in the courtroom.
Sgt Taylor joined the NSW Police Force 38 years ago, turning 20 while at the Academy, before being appointed a prosecutor in 1985.
In that time Sgt Taylor has worked in every jurisdiction available to a police prosecutor including Local, Children’s and Coroner’s courts as well as District Court appeals after “picking up a law degree for my own benefit”.
“I would have done thousands of defended criminal matters,” he said.
Starting off as a probationary constable at Manly, which was known as 14 Division in those days, it was a baptism of fire for the young officer.
“I must admit my first 12 months in uniform I had some horrible things happen to me,” he said.
“I got shot at with a high powered rifle. I can still remember him look at me as he put the rifle up to his shoulder. He fired three shots at me.
“Back then if you had something horrible happen to you, you went back to work.”
Sgt Taylor was just three months into the job as a probationary constable when a senior officer nicknamed him “Squizzy” after infamous 1920s Melbourne gangster Joseph Theodore Leslie “Squizzy” Taylor.
The nickname stuck ever since.
While he’s prosecuted some high profile crooks over the years “Squizzy” will not be drawn on any names.
“In this game it’s the only business that doesn’t look for return customers,” he said.
“If you end up before a court, you’ve made a mistake. We [prosecution and defence] work together to make sure people don’t make mistake again.”
“There’s been some terrible cases over the years. You see some absolutely dreadful things. I remember one night I went home at the end of the day and I thought `I don’t think I can go back’.
“What I’ve learned in policing in general is a little bit of empathy goes a long way.”
He said police could become “a little desensitised” given what they were exposed to but showing empathy towards people who were hurting or upset lessoned the blow.
“In this game of criminal proceedings, win lose or draw, no one walks away happy,” he said.
But Sgt Taylor said he had loved his 38 years in the force, which he described as the “most challenging and most rewarding” career he could have wished for.
“I would say to anyone who’s thinking of joining the Police Force, don’t hesitate,” he said.
Sgt Taylor said he had seen some enormous changes over the years, the biggest of which he said was the introduction of the Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act (LEPRA).
Before then a police officer’s powers were “scattered through different acts” but under LEPRA police powers and responsibilities were brought under the one piece of legislation making it “a lot easier”.
The 58-year-old said he plans to spend more time taking photographs, four wheel driving, touring and spending time with his “amazing” wife and their two adult children, who he is “immensely proud of”.
Sgt Taylor was piped out of Gosford Local Court after his final shift on Thursday.