South Australia Police have contributed to a social media campaign for an overseas Officer who lost his life in the line of duty.
On Thursday 15 August 2019, Police Constable Andrew Harper from Thames Valley Police in the United Kingdom tragically died while working.
He was 28-years-old and recently married.
In response to the loss of Constable Harper, serving UK Police Officer Stuart Roberts from Northamptonshire Police created a social media group to collect epaulettes as a mark of respect.
For those who might not be aware, epaulettes are an ornamental shoulder piece typically worn as part of a uniform.
Police across the world, and specifically in South Australia, wear them every day to show their police rank, and to also show pride for the organisation they serve.
The collection was originally known as the "PC Harper Epaulette Collection" but as it quickly grew on a global scale, it was renamed the "Protective Services Epaulette Collection."
Many Australian police officers have lived and worked in the United Kingdom, and vice versa, which is why this specific campaign struck a chord with South Australia Police.
As a result, various South Australia Police epaulettes were collected and sent to Stuart Roberts in the United Kingdom.
It's hoped the collection will help honour the late Andrew Harper, and also raise awareness around the danger police and protective services officers face on a daily, if not hourly, basis.
