This Father's Day, the Queensland Police Service recognises the dedication and commitment of thousands of QPS serving officers and members who are also dads, as they continue to protect and serve their communities while balancing the responsibilities of fatherhood.
Among these officers, the Durre family stands out, having achieved a unique feat in their own right - three generations of officers spanning almost 60 years of combined service.
Their family's service started with now retired Sergeant Glen Durre, 84, who thrived in a regionally based career, working throughout Queensland from 1967 until his retirement in 1991.
His son, Detective Senior Sergeant Ash Durre, 56, was sworn in as a teenager in 1988 and has since progressed to Brisbane-based investigative roles, rising to his current position within the Operations Support Command.
Following in his father and grandfather's QPS footsteps, Constable Rhys Durre, 29, who is currently working in Toowoomba, first started out in Rockhampton, where his grandfather also once served.
Constable Rhys Durre has his own career aspirations in the QPS.
"I'm living my dream, I'm just about to start work as a plain clothes investigator and I'm working to get my detective appointment over the next few years,'' Constable Rhys Durre said.
"I knew I wanted to be a police officer when I was in Year 10. I was raised in an environment where I was always encouraged to help others and treat my community with respect, which now reflects my role as a Police Officer."
"My father and grandfather have always been my inspiration including their work ethic, dedication and they are both genuine people. I'm really proud of having three generations of police officers in our family so this Father's Day will be special.''
Detective Senior Sergeant Ash Durre says a lot has changed in policing over the years, and there have been a lot of technological advances along the way. He remembers the wind-up radios on the dashboard of his father's police vehicle.
"To have three generations in the QPS is remarkable, I'm a very proud dad and son. My dad definitely likes that Rhys has a country flavour with his QPS career and I'm very proud of Rhys as he is working hard to achieve his dream of becoming a detective,'' Detective Senior Sergeant Ash Durre said.
Retired officer Glen Durre spent his career serving regionally except for three weeks in 1982 when he worked at the Brisbane Commonwealth Games including providing security at City Hall for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He also provided security for a visiting Prince Charles (now King Charles), when he was serving at Eidsvold in 1974.
"I'm chuffed that Ash and Rhys are both serving police officers. They have the calmness, common sense and knowledge required for service,'' Retired sergeant Glen Durre said.
Another example of a proud tradition in emergency services is the Chalmers family.
Gold Coast based Sergeant Mick Chalmers has worked with the QPS for 19 years, but his passion for community service was driven by his late father, Ross Chalmers, who was an officer in charge of the Queensland Ambulance Service in Toowoomba.
First Year Constable Reegan Chalmers, 22, based himself at Drayton, so he could be close to where his grandfather served in the QAS in Toowoomba.
"I'm a proud dad. I always knew Reegan would go into community service; my father was in the ambulance service for 30 years. It was a proud father moment when Reegan graduated a few weeks ago,'' Sergeant Mick Chalmers said.
Constable Reegan Chalmers said he only has good memories of growing up the son of a police officer.
"When I was 13 years old, I remember my dad being stopped at a shopping centre and being thanked by a member of the community for helping him in a case, and that stood out to me,'' Constable Chalmers said.
Another remarkable QPS serving officer looking forward to Father's Day is father-of-six Beaudesert-based Senior Constable Jake Ardrey, whose children are aged between two and 16 years old.
He thrives working in the Beaudesert community and has even established a men's group to encourage members to socialise, share experiences and learn how to be kind and responsible role models for their families and the wider community.
"I never get enough sleep, it's the biggest challenge,'' Senior Constable Ardrey joked.
"But I absolutely love being a father and taking the kids to army cadets, sport and dance. I absolutely love my job in the Queensland Police and playing a role in community safety, so I wouldn't have it any other way.''
The QPS extends warm wishes to all fathers this Sunday and acknowledges the profound impact they have on their families and communities.
A career within the Queensland Police Service is like no other. From protecting, responding, and investigating, to supporting, rescuing and learning - the sheer variety of roles make it both a challenging and rewarding career.
As a police officer, you can have one career that has endless possibilities. Now really is the best time to join.
Visit PoliceRecruit.qld.gov.au to kickstart your policing career and make a positive impact in your community.
A career within the Queensland Police Service is like no other. From protecting, responding, and investigating, to supporting, rescuing and learning – the sheer variety of roles make it both a challenging and rewarding career.
As a police officer, you can have one career that has endless possibilities. Now really is the best time to join.
Visit PoliceRecruit.qld.gov.au to kickstart your policing career and make a positive impact in your community.
