FAMILY and colleagues from across the region gathered in Dubbo yesterday to celebrate a major milestone for a well-known and well-respected police officer best known for his work in the traffic division.
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The morning tea at Dubbo Police Station marked Senior Sergeant Mal Unicomb's 40th year with the NSW Police Force.
Among the presentations made by Western Region Commander Assistant Commissioner Geoff McKechnie to Senior Sergeant Unicomb was a framed picture of a Valiant Charger.
"It was one of the main cars we used for many years as a pursuit vehicle, the one I spent the majority of my early years in," Senior Sergeant Unicomb said.
Having said that, his first police vehicle was an HQ Holden.
Senior Sergeant Unicomb said his career, which had taken him from central Sydney to Maroubra, Coonabarabran and Dubbo as both a motorcycle and car-based highway patrol officer, had been a rewarding one.
"You have the opportunity to make sure people are doing the right thing," he said.
"At the end of the day you feel like you've achieved something, particularly if you've taken somebody dangerous off the road.''
Technology used by traffic officers had undergone a massive transformation in Senior Sergeant Unicomb's four decades as a police officer.
"When I first came to the country areas we had poor radio reception and there was no such thing as a mobile phone, we didn't have mobile radars or any such thing, the equipment was a lot more basic," he said.
"We had breath testing but it was at the station."
Senior Sergeant Unicomb said he would be the first to recommend policing as a career "for a person of any age".
"A career in the police force has been an excellent choice for me, I wouldn't have had it any other way," he said.
Assistant Commissioner Geoff McKechnie said while motorists often did not appreciate the work traffic cops did, Senior Sergeant Unicomb had made an enormous contribution over his 40 years as a police officer.
"In that time he has, without doubt, saved many lives, he has assisted hundreds of people in times of need and has been a great example for young police right across the region," he said.