Retired and much-loved Territory cop Garry Smith celebrated in remembrance service

Beloved retired NT cop has been remembered as a funny larrikin after he took his life last month.

THE POLICE force have honoured the legacy of beloved Territory cop Garry Smith who took his own life last month.

Retired Senior Sergeant Smith was commemorated in a service of remembrance on Friday morning after serving nearly three decades in the force.

Senior Sergeant Andrew Heath read an emotional tribute called “Our Police Family” on behalf of Mr Smith’s wife, who was in attendance of the service.

Mr Smith’s wife described him as a “funny, charming larrikin and a big man with a big heart”.

She revealed she watched “the man she love slowly turn into a different person”.

The Guard of Honour during Garry Smith's remembrance of service in honour of his passing.

“He wanted to be challenged, and he always wanted to be a police officer,” she wrote.

“He loved his job, he loved his work, he was totally dedicated to it.”

Mr Smith used to tell his wife after working on the scenes with loss of life that “you can’t unsee it, you can’t unhear it and you can’t forget it”.

“For all police, all emergency services, all medical personnel this comes with the job,” she wrote.

“It also becomes accumulative.

“It builds up, the tragedies, the loss of life, the worst of humanity, the devastation.

“He told me it sits with him everyday in his thoughts, imprinted on his brain. He couldn’t forget.”

Photo of Garry Smith played in tribute video at his remembrance service.

Mr Smith resigned from the police force due to the strain of the job in 2017.

He was one of three suicides among current and former NT police officers in the past three months.

Before his passing, Mr Smith advocated and assisted others who struggled with similar conditions.

In 2015, he spoke to the NT News about his struggles with PTSD and mental and the emotional strain of working in the police force.

Before his passing, Mr Smith advocated and assisted others who struggled with similar conditions.

“He didn’t unburden himself,” Mrs Smith wrote.

“He didn't want to pass onto me the devastation of some of the jobs he attended.

“But he didn’t need too, it started to creep into our lives.”

Mrs Smith said “tough coppers like Garry” would debrief over traumatic events by having a beer with work mates.

“At some there may have been organised welfare checks for members or mental health support provided,” she wrote.

“For big tough coppers like Garry, who turned up to work everyday, who kept showing up, kept doing his job, that might not of been a priority or compulsory.

“I watched the man I love slowly turn into a different person.”

Chaplain Phil Marshall honouring Garry Smith's career and talking about the seriousness of mental health.

Chaplain Phil Marshall recalled the humorous nature of Mr Smith, who was well known for his entertaining Facebook posts that made international news during his career.

Chaplain Marshall acknowledged that some are “very good at presenting a picture” that might not reflect the reality.

“Today let me remind us that every coin has two sides and the sacrificial life and career in the life of policing involves a high cost that most of society just simply don’t see,” he said.

“But family and close friends certainly see and experience that cost.

“The medals and awards before us today reflect the places, positions and tasks undertaken by Garry.

“I’m confident he would be encouraging us today to take the necessary steps to get the help needed to live your life to the fullest, to pursue your best, to enhance yourself and everyone else’s lives around you.”

Mr Smith’s funeral was held privately a couple of weeks ago.