Wyong: Karen Simpson, NSW’s longest serving court liaison officer retires
From murderers and thieves, to junkies and the insane, NSW’s longest serving court liaison officer Karen Simpson has seen it all. Now she is saying “see you later” to an incredible 45-year career.
Central Coast
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When Karen Simpson started at the old Wyong Police Station on Alison Rd there were 12 police, Malcolm Fraser was Prime Minister and the film Rocky premiered in New York.
“I walked in and the sergeant said the phones were ringing and the radio was going off so I had better start answering them,” she said.
Ms Simpson was 17 when she started as a civilian employee at Wyong on November 29, 1976 and quickly became the “office everything” answering the phone, manning the radio and preparing court files.
Back then there were 12 police covering the entire northern half of the Central Coast.
Today Tuggerah Lakes Police District has more than 200 officers.
Ms Simpson will walk out of the new Wyong Police Station tomorrow, Friday July 30, after an incredible 45-year career.
Sadly Covid restrictions have prevented her uniformed colleagues from staging a traditional piping out parade.
However Tuggerah Lakes Superintendent John Gralton said Mr Simpson’s legacy will be sorely missed.
“I started at the old Wyong Police Station in 1998 and as a Probationary Constable I would see Karen siting up with the detectives,” Supt Gralton said.
“I thought she was one of the detectives, she had that much respect and presence.”
Supt Gralton said very few people “last 45 years in anything”, let alone a job at the coal face of our local justice system where she mentored generations of police in how to prepare briefs of evidence and secure convictions.
“She’s an absolute ball of knowledge,” Supt Gralton said.
“She’s very direct, she calls a spade a spade, but she is so hugely respected.”
After starting out on the phone and manning the radio, Ms Simpson became the full-time court liaison officer in the late 1980s as more police were posted to Wyong.
“Back then the court system was on a third of what it is today,” she said.
Everyday Ms Simpson would walk the bundle of files up to the old courthouse before the new court opened in 1993 and the new police station in 2012.
“I would walk from the old police station down to the court, I’ve walked up and down that hill that many times,” she said.
“Today if I walk up the hill I’m stuffed.”
Ms Simpson said she had seen so many “colourful characters” over the years, both police and offenders.
“It’s amazing how many fathers I’ve worked with in the police and now I’ve got their sons working with me,” she said.
Ms Simpson said the same applied to generations of crooks who she has seen come in and out of the revolving door of the legal system.
“It’s worse crimes now, it used to be a lot of petty crime,” she said.
“In the old days if you got in a fight, it was just a fight and that was then end of it. Today if you get into a fight, 20 people get involved and it goes on until someone is seriously hurt.”
Ms Simpson said there were too many cases to single out but the 1995 Wyong Court shooting — where now convicted murderer Graham Sales ordered his brother to open fire on a police witness — and the 2011 murder of two-year-old Tanilla Warrick-Deaves stayed with her.
At 63 Ms Simpson said it was time to call an end to her career and looks forward to when Covid restrictions ease and she can hit the highway in a motor home with her partner.
“I’m burnt out,” she said.
“Being here (I’ll miss) the people, the friendships I’ve made, the rapport with colleagues. I had hoped to have a bit of a morning tea or something but with restrictions it’s more of a `see you later’ and off I’ll go.”
On behalf of the Express Advocate and the wider Central Coast community we thank you for service and wish you well Ms Simpson in you well deserved retirement.
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