Tyler Redway
SENIOR Sergeant First Class Richard Errington has received the prestigious Australian Police Medal (APM) in celebration of this year’s King’s Birthday Honour List.
Senior Sergeant Errington first began his policing career at the age of 19 when he joined the academy in 1990.
His first role saw him in general patrols of Adelaide’s beloved coastal suburb, Christies Beach.
Since then, Senior Sergeant Errington has continued to travel through the state from Port Lincoln to the Limestone Coast.
Senior Sergeant Errington was promoted to Senior Sergeant at the Millicent Police Station in 2018 after he transferred from his previous position as a General Duties Supervisor in Port Augusta.
Senior Sergeant Errington said it was a “humbling experience” to be recognised with the APM after dedicating 34 years of his life to SA Police (SAPOL).
Senior Sergeant Errington had never received any award like the APM in his career, which he said was “overwhelming” for him.
“I’m surrounded by a lot of people who work equally and if not harder than what I do but to be singled out like this is quite humbling and very much appreciated,” Senior Sergeant Errington said.
“I don’t undervalue the award itself and the recognition, but I’m left feeling overwhelmed and very appreciative for whoever nominated me.”
Senior Sergeant Errington said he decided to move to the country area from the metro due to his desire to have a more “intimate experience” with the community.
He said while he had not changed much as a person during his time with SAPOL, he had learned to evolve through the experiences he had through his career.
“I have a real passion for helping people and always have, plus you have a more intimate experience in the country areas where you can see the direct impact on people’s lives from your involvement in the community,” he said.
“I’m not sure I really changed, more evolved as I realised we actually can have an influence when you start engaging with the leadership groups in the community such as councils, emergency services and other government bodies.
“When you are engaging with these groups at higher levels, you can work together and collaborate to have some effective and quite profound changes in the community.”
Senior Sergeant Errington said the award consolidated the work of police officers in both metropolitan and rural communities.
He encouraged people considering becoming a recruit for SAPOL to give it a go, while also encouraging existing metropolitan officers considering moving rurally to make the move.
“It has been a fantastic journey, so I encourage anyone who wants to pursue a career in policing to do so,” he said.
“Certainly for those who are in SAPOL in metropolitan areas and who are thinking of moving to the country, I really would encourage them to give those areas a try.
“It is very worthwhile and a very rewarding career and to reflect on the positives you can do in the community and the influence you have on peoples’ lives makes it well worth it.”
