Two new sergeants and one new probationary constable are settling in at Gunnedah police station.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Sergeants Brett Roden and Ben Anderson, and probationary constable Ryan Smith took up positions at the local cop shop between April and June, filling much-needed vacancies.
Read also:
Constable Smith was fresh from the Goulburn Police Academy when he started in Gunnedah on April 20 and was one of five graduates to join the Oxley Police District.
The 22-year-old hails from Wollongong and trained to be an officer because he "thought it'd be a good gig".
Constable Smith said he had been learning from those around him and had found fellow officers "easy to approach".
Since donning the uniform, he has discovered that "not everyone likes cops and the stark reality of the job".
Sergeant Roden said it was inevitable because "generally, we're dealing with people at their worst moments".
The sergeant has been in the NSW Police Force since 1997, starting out as a 22-year-old officer in Penrith. His most recent stint was in Narrandera, which sits between Griffith and Wagga Wagga. He moved to the town in 2002 and was the sergeant there for the last eight years.
Sergeant Roden moved with his family to the Gunnedah area for his new position and said it was "a bigger town, a different side of the state".
So far, he has found locals to be friendly and enjoys the dynamics of his new station.
Generally, we deal with people at their worst moments.
- Sergeant Brett Roden
Fellow sergeant, Ben Anderson, has only come across the pond from Tamworth and joined the Gunnedah team in late June.
He was promoted to sergeant after spending two years at the Tamworth station in the Targeted Action Group (TAG).
Sergeant Anderson started his career in 2010 in Sydney where he became part of the Child Abuse Squad.
He originally worked in landscape architecture, running his own business before heading to university. He soon decided university wasn't for him and joined the police force instead because he likes "being able to help the community".
Sergeant Anderson has a keen interest in investigating drug crime - something he did in TAG - because "you see the devastation ice causes, especially in rural communities".
He has quickly adjusted to his new role in Gunnedah and said while the type of work was different to Tamworth because it's a smaller town, it was just as busy for a sergeant.
