National Police Remembrance Day 2016 – Canberra

Senior Sergeant Paul Faustmann stands in driving rain, remembering a mate whom he may have outranked, but always looked up to.

“I knew Michael for about five years and in that time, our bond, we became exceptionally good friends both off-duty and through work. Despite him being a junior rank to myself he was a mentor, he was a man of many years experience and a very wise man and somewhat of a father figure,” he said.

Senior Constable First Class Michael Read, 55, died of a heart attack while serving with the Northern Territory’s Water Police in December 2014.

Sergeant Faustmann delivered Senior Constable Read’s touchstone to the wall and said the Read family were there to witness its final resting place.

“It’s been a massive journey for everyone,” Sergeant Faustmann said.

“He was a gentleman I used to enjoy a coffee with every morning and he was a sounding board and somewhat of my rock, so it’s been challenging for me on a personal level over the last 12 months due to not having that person there, the change in my routine and the reliability he provided. He was an exceptional police officer who was very dedicated to the cause.”

“The camaraderie among the police force is just outstanding and we are brothers and sisters, we all experience the same ups and downs in our careers and to actually get together and share our experiences has been outstanding,” Sergeant Faustmann said.

Article – from the Canberra Times, ACT News 30 September 2016

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/police-remember-fallen-colleagues-on-national-police-remembrance-day-20160929-grr0pk.html

Images – Canberra Times and Owen Blackwell