Senior Constable Timothy Wethers, currently based in the remote community of Galiwinku, Elcho Island, is the winner of the 2014 Rotary Club of Darwin Police Officer of the Year Award.
Her Honour the Honourable Sally Thomas AC, Administrator of the Northern Territory, will present Senior Constable Wethers with the award at a special function this evening at Government House, attended by Police Commissioner John McRoberts, President of the Rotary Club of Darwin Dan Easton, senior police officers and Rotary Club of Darwin members and partners.
Senior Constable Wethers is the 23rd winner of this prestigious annual award and he has been recognised for his work as a remote community police officer.
Senior Constable Wethers joined the NT Police in 2005. He is married to Belinda and has three children: daughters Charlie Madison and Billie Jae and son Dusty.
Senior Constable Wethers commenced his Police career as a general duties uniform member at Casuarina station conducting frontline policing. He subsequently served with the Mounted Police Section. He was promoted to Constable First Class in January 2009 and then to Senior Constable in June 2009.
Since July 2011, Senior Constable Wethers has been employed in a policing role in the remote community of Galiwinku on Elcho Island, East Arnhem. He is one of the longest serving Police Officers in that community in recent times and has been both well respected and well accepted by all elements from that community.
Senior Constable Wethers received 20 separate nominations. His high level of cultural competency was singled out by many community members who note his enthusiasm and a caring nature have allowed him to calmly and respectfully manage his responsibility as a statutory intervener during investigations into volatile substance abuse, domestic violence and other serious matters.
Galiwinku members also single out Senior Constable Wethers for his support to the community including his coordination of blue light discos, fund raising events and the drive safe program at the Galiwinku school; providing support to the local childcare centre; helping out at the local store; fighting fires with the local emergency services; coordinating sports carnivals for the children; organising Santa for the kids at Christmas or just responding to requests for help generally. Senior Constable Wethers has also been instrumental in organising and conducting significant community running events including the recent Alpa/Coolridge fun run.
Another nomination said “Senior Constable Wethers needs to be thanked for his dedicated service to our community: walking in the two worlds here in Galiwinku that is the Yolngu world and the Balanda world takes special skills which Tim displays every day”.
Rotary Club of Darwin President Dan Easton was impressed by the community response to this year’s award. “Over 60 nominations were submitted by people from a number of areas throughout the Territory and the nominees were for a range of ranks and postings.”
“Courtesy, kindness, understanding, compassion, courage and devotion to duty are qualities that the community expects of police officers and these qualities were certainly reflected in the nominations,” Mr Easton says. “However there can only be one Award recipient for the year, and I congratulate Senior Constable Wethers on his success.”
