Page 17 - police world Edition 3 2013

Article
and Europol is as
essential as ever.
The week included
a very significant
day for the people
of Australia and
New Zealand.
Anzac Day is a
national day of
remembrance in
Australia and New
Zealand that
commemorates all
Australians and
New Zealanders
who served and
died in all wars and
conflicts. This day is marked by ceremonies all
over the country. We all attended the Dawn
service at the Shrine of Remembrance in
Brisbane, this was then followed later in the day
by a march through the city. It was an honour
and a privilege to take part in the march. The
public that turned out to commemorate this day
made us feel truly welcome. This will be a
memory which I will cherish forever.
The last day was as action packed as the rest, it
began with a presentation on resilience. Now,
with most things on the itinerary you could have
had an idea as to what the topic was covering.
Having discussed this with others, I wasn’t the
only one whose preconception was blown out of
the water. It was all down to Daryl Green of the
Queensland Police as he provided us with a
moving presentation of the day he and two
colleagues responded to an incident when they
were shot numerous times at close range whilst
in their patrol car.
All three officers survived, enduring many
surgical operations and a long road to recovery
both physically and mentally.
The candour in which Daryl presented his
experience of what resilience is and how, under
adversity, we can overcome such negative
events in our lives made
us realise what a truly
inspirational
individual he is.
One of the highlights of
the week for me had to
be the simulation
training, which is
scenario based
firearms training - with firearms
which fire paint markers. Having
never had any exposure to
firearms, reaching for a firearm on
my belt was alien to me. It really
pushed me out of my comfort
zone but I found the experience
extremely rewarding.
The whole week included mixtures
of formal and informal evenings
which gave us the opportunity to
mix and get to know each other
better. This opened up discussions
about our policing backgrounds.
I would like to thank Michelle
Harris and General Secretary, Paul
Kelly, and their team for all their
hard work in putting the event
together plus Section UK for giving me the
opportunity to be part of it. It was the experience
of a lifetime. I have met people from all areas of
the globe. Shared experiences, knowledge, ideas
and most importantly shared laughter! We
arrived as strangers, and left as friends. I would
also like to thank IPA member, John Pottinger, for
his kind hospitality.
Alex Jones
Uniforms from around the world on parade
To view more
images from this
event visit:www.ipa-
uk.org/World-Seminar
Police World Vol 58 No.3 2013 17
There was plenty of time to explore the tools
of the trade on show (above and right)
Alex, second from left, made many new
friends amongst the attendees