Top cop rewarded for a life on thin blue line
FROM the aftermath of the Boxing Day tsunami to tackling the Territory’s domestic violence scourge, Superintendent Antony Deutrom has spent a career helping others.
For his efforts, he has been awarded Police Officer of the Year by the Rotary Club of Darwin.
Mr Deutrom, who has been in the Territory police force since 1994, said it was a great honour to be recognised after 24 years in the police force.
“I’d like to thank the Rotary Club of Darwin for their ongoing support which recognises the challenging role and contributions that police undertake daily,” he said.
Upon completing his recruit training, Mr Deutrom was first transferred to Alice Springs where he worked until late 2002. In late 2004 he commenced as the Officer in Charge of the then Domestic and Personal Violence Protection Unit until early 2007.
Mr Deutrom said it was during this time that he worked on developing methods to effectively target repeat domestic-violence offenders.
In early 2005 Mr Deutrom was sent out to Indonesia in response to the Boxing Day tsunami, as part of the NT Police Disaster Victim Identification Team. After returning to Darwin Police Station in 2009, he was promoted to Senior Sergeant until a transfer to Groote Eylandt, where he stayed until 2012.
Mr Deutrom said that working in remote communities had been one of his biggest career highlights.
“The experiences I have had in remote policing have been fantastic,” he said. In early 2014 he transferred back to Darwin, leading up to his promotion to Superintendent at the Palmerston and Rural Division in late 2016.
Mr Deutrom said family was paramount in maintaining a healthy and vibrant force.
“I would like to recognise my parents for instilling in me a sense of right and wrong from an early age,” he said. “And a special mention to my wife Malinda and adult children who have endured many sacrifices along the way.”
“The experiences I have had in remote policing have been fantastic” ANTONY DEUTROM