Tasmania Police officers recognised for their courage

A GROUP of Tasmania Police ­officers has been recognised for their courage, with awards presented at a ceremony in Hobart.

Senior Constable Christine Rushton, left, and retired Detective Inspector David Plumpton. Picture: SAM ROSEWARNE.

FROM  the reopening of a ­historic cold case investigation, to disarming a violent offender and rescuing people from ­caravan fires and raging floods, a group of Tasmania Police ­officers has been recognised for their courage.

In total, 195 personnel were presented with 245 awards at a ceremony in Hobart yesterday.

Among them were three Southern District officers — retired Detective Inspector David Plumpton, Senior Constable Christine Rushton and First Class Constable Cary Millhouse — who received Commissioner’s Commendations for their efforts in the five-year cold case investigation into the 1969 disappearance of Lucille Butterworth.

Mr Plumpton said while it was great to receive an award and be recognised for his work, it was important to remember Ms Butterworth was still a missing person.

“If there was a way to put her to rest for the family’s sake that would have been a real success,” he said.

“I don’t want to sound ­ungrateful, but I still wonder sometimes if we had worked harder we might have been able to solve the case and find her. The commissioner had the confidence to let me and my team investigate the cold case and that was truly appreciated.

“But there is still the fact that it is not over and I hope in my lifetime Lucille is put to rest by her surviving family.”

Another officer — Constable Anna Seymour, of Glenorchy Police — who was off duty when she disarmed a violent offender and shielded his victim from further attack at Risdon Vale this year was also awarded and First Class Constable Shane Tilley was commended for the bravery he showed in entering a burning caravan at Cambridge last year to save an unconscious man, despite a gas cylinder inside the van being on fire.

Another three Operations Support officers — Sgt Renee Stewart and constables Glenn Reading and Hayden Williams — were awarded for their ­involvement in Radio Dispatch Services during the ­Latrobe flood crisis.

The trio were part of a fight to save an elderly couple whose Shale Rd house was ­flooded.

Constable Tania Curtis ­received a Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal for service in New Zealand after the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes and five officers were awarded for their work in the 2009 Victorian bushfires.

Senior Constable Colin Catto, who used pioneering DNA sampling to identify a criminal, was presented with a 40-year clasp.

Originally published as Tasmania Police officers recognised for their courage