The region's police Superintendent Jenny Wilson received a prestigious Australian Police Medal (APM) as part of the Queen's Birthday Honours.
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Superintendent Wilson was one of 11 Victoria Police officers whose careers and contributions to the Victorian community were recognised on Monday. In addition, a Victorian Public Service employee was also honoured with the Public Service Medal (PSM).
For almost half of her 31-year career, Superintendent Wilson has worked as an investigator and manager in the fields of sexual assault and child abuse.
A member of the Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Teams in Melbourne's western suburbs for 10 years, including at Sunshine and as a Senior Sergeant at Footscray for five years, it is a part of policing she has found to be very rewarding.
"At the end of the day, our job is to serve the community so whatever we are doing, we have to keep in mind that our job is to make our community feel safer, and that can be through a whole range of things," she said.
After her time working at the SOCIT units, she moved on to working at crime command.
One of the most rewarding parts of her career has been her involvement with the West Centre Against Sexual Assault - a not-for-profit group which provides support and information for women who have experienced family violence and sexual abuse.
She has served both on the board, and as the chair of the board. During this time, she has assisted with its expansion to provide free counselling services to survivors right across the western suburbs.
She was also involved in opening a multi disciplinary centre there, as well as in trialling a program to provide counselling services to support women in prison.
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This identified a very high rate of women who had been incarcerated as victims of sexual assault, and in many cases it was found to be part of the reason why they were in custody.
"When you're talking to a survivor who has a secret they've kept all their lives and you can build confidence for them to share it with you and work out how to deal with it - whether it's reporting it to the police or not - it is an honour and a privilege. Normally it is the first step in helping them regain some control of their lives," Superintendent Wilson said.
The women were given the option to continue counselling after they left prison, and in some cases it resulted in reduced offending as the women began to heal.
While sometimes she still misses investigation work, Superintendent Wilson is now in a position where she oversees policing in the Ballarat and Moorabool police service areas.
In her role as an investigator, she was taught to treat everybody with dignity and respect, and it is something she has carried with her to her new role.
"You didn't know who was going to walk through the door but you treated everybody equally. You gave them the same service and listened to what they had to say. And they had the most remarkable stories," she said.
Since moving into her new role as Ballarat's first female Superintendent, she has discovered a passion for other elements of policing, such as engaging with the community to address challenges.
"Since moving into management and working with the broader community about other issues, I have found that my policing passion is just as strong in other areas."
Her current role is something she is "immensely proud" of, especially during the pandemic when building connections and supporting others is key to a strong, resilient community.
Acknowledging her colleagues and the other 'unsung heroes' who had been awarded, Superintendent Wilson said she was both humbled and very proud to have been named a recipient of the medal.
Superintendent Wilson was most excited to inform her mum, who is 86, about the news. While her father was very proud of her career, he has since passed away, but he was on her mind when she learned the news too.
Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said Victoria Police thrived because of the commitment and passion of its people and their dedication to policing, regardless of the role they play.
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