More than 1100 NSW riders will join their colleagues from across the country for the 10th annual Wall to Wall: Ride for Remembrance.
The charity event is a police memorial motorbike ride that commemorates the service and sacrifices of fallen Australian police, raises funds in support of fallen officers' families and promotes motorcycle safety.
Riders start at their jurisdictions' dedicated place of remembrance and reflection and make their way to our national capital, before making a final gesture of police solidarity and remembrance in one large group ride to the National Police Memorial.
NSW Police Force Acting Commissioner Gary Worboys and Minister for Police and Emergency Services, David Elliott MP, gathered for a ceremony in The Domain this morning (Saturday 14 September 2019), with serving and retired members, sworn and unsworn, and other friends, family and proud supporters of police.
The NSW contingent will travel from the NSW Police Wall of Remembrance in Sydney to the National Police Memorial in Canberra today, where they will participate in a service to honour those who have fallen.
The riders will depart The Domain and be escorted along the Cahill Expressway and over the Sydney Harbour Bridge before travelling along the M2, M7 and Hume Highway.
As the group travels south along the Hume Highway, riders who commenced their journey from Kiama and Dubbo will join the contingent.
Acting Commissioner Worboys said the ride is a special commemorative event, developed by mates to honour fallen officers.
"Wall to Wall is a wonderful commemorative event and displays a great sense of camaraderie, mateship and pride among officers and the wider policing family," Acting Commissioner Worboys said.
"Our ceremony this morning not only marks the beginning of our ride in NSW, but also serves to emphasise the importance of the bonds formed in the force and reinforces the true meaning of our motto – remembering mates.
"Today's ride will begin at various locations across the country – each location a sacred place of remembrance for police – where we collect a baton to deliver to the National Police Memorial.
"This year, the contingent will observe a slow ride at the M5 and M7 interchange in memory of Constable Timothy Proctor from Liverpool City Police Area Command, who lost his life earlier this year," Acting Commissioner Worboys said.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services, David Elliott MP said the families and friends of emergency service personnel know the meaning of sacrifice all too well.
"Police officers attend violent and dangerous calls for assistance each and every day, not knowing what to expect but ready to do their job and protect the community," Minister Elliott said.
"The Wall to Wall ride is one way we as a community and an organisation, remember those police officers who have tragically lost their lives while serving on the force.
"This year, we are sadly adding one more name to the Wall of Remembrance – another young constable lost while performing his duties and we thank Tim and his family for his dedication and service," Minister Elliott said.
All funds raised during the Wall to Wall ride by the NSW contingent will go toward NSW Police Legacy.
NSW Police Legacy provides care and support to more than 20,000 serving and retired police officers and their families during times of tragedy and need.
For more information about NSW Police Legacy, visit: www.policelegacynsw.org.au.
Further details on the ride and its history can be found at: www.walltowallride.com.
