AFTER more than 30 years with Swan Hill police, Leading Senior Constable Andrew Downes leaves a strong legacy after retiring from Victoria Police.
Sen-Constable Downes is one of Swan Hill’s most recognisable officers thanks to his work as the station’s youth resource officer.
Swan Hill residents young and old cheerfully greet the man they call “Downesy”, an officer who brings a human side to what can be a clinical line of work.
Sen-Constable Downes worked his last day at Swan Hill police station on Friday, but that won’t stop any of the local community from greeting the smiling ex-cop.
Sen-Constable Downes said that after growing up on a local farm and “living under a rock”, backpacking around Africa and England had opened his eyes to the wider world.
“When you reflect back on your life, there’s certain decisions that you made that you realise were a good choice,” he said.
“One for me came while I was backpacking overseas as a 21-year-old, when I was still trying to work out how to live for myself.
“I was a carpenter by trade back then, but I wanted to be able to mix with people and get out in the community.
“My brother was a police officer, and he would come back to Swan Hill on the weekends he had off.
“He would share all his stories about car chases and the like, and I thought that it sounded pretty cool, so I wanted to give it a try.
“I joined the Victoria Police force in 1986, but what my brother told me was false – it wasn’t all about the fun stuff, there’s also the paperwork and shift work side.”
After going through Glen Waverley police academy, Sen-Constable Downes spent three years stationed at Coburg and Moonee Ponds, but always felt a yearning to return home.
Returning to Swan Hill as a police officer in 1989, Sen-Constable Downes said his goal of policing for just a decade “went out the door pretty quickly, because I enjoyed it”.
“I was driving the van and arresting people – even a couple who may have been some old friends I used to knock around with,” he said.
“Even back then I realised if you explain things to people about why you’re speaking to them, they’ll generally accept it – and some may even thank you.
“In Swan Hill, I met someone at the station who I really looked up to – an officer by the name of Paul Prendergast, who was doing what was called the Police in Schools program.
“I’d been out to schools with him a handful of times before he was head-hunted by a school which saw the knack he had for dealing with children.
“When he left I knew it was something I found pretty important and I thought it would be a fun job. That position was vacant for about a year so I thought I’d give it a crack.”
After taking on the role around the turn of the millennium, Sen-Constable Downes’ position would morph into youth resource officer, a position he held until retirement.
This role was one Sen-Constable Downes calls a “privilege” and allowed him to introduce students to the messaging of Victoria Police in an accessible way.
“If I’m helping a young person in a classroom make a better choice, and it stops them from committing a crime then that’s a plus for me,” he said.
“I’ve now saved the member in the van from completing three hours of paperwork or taking that person to court, and that young person possibly having a criminal record.
“I always walk into a classroom and the first thing I ask is if the students think I’m better than them, and sometimes the students say that I am.
“I try to explain that I’m no better, even though I wear this uniform, that doesn’t make me a better person – I have to work on being a good person.
“Sometimes I have to say sorry or take some constructive criticism, or even sit down and have a moment of reflection and just try to make the next outcome a better one.”
Sen-Constable Downes said other than whipping up something with his carpentry skills, interacting with the Swan Hill community brought him the most joy.
“Something that brings me a lot of pride is as simple as being in aisle five of the local supermarket and a local kid turns around and says ‘g’day Downesy’,” he said.
“It just makes me think that at some stage in my career, I must have spoken to that young person and had an impact on them.
“Growing up, I never really placed much weight on having a sense of community, but when you get older, it becomes clear how important caring about your community is.
“Whenever I come back from an overseas trip, and someone says hello or stops for a chat – automatically your shoulders go back, and you feel the pride in being connected with my community.”
Swan Hill police Inspector Gerard de Vries said Sen-Constable Downes’ passion for his job and his community was what made him unique.
“Andrew is absolutely a public figure around Swan Hill, and he is duly respected for that,” he said.
“I’ve held a number of positions across Victoria Police but when I look at what Andrew has accomplished here, he is truly one of a kind.
“Andrew absolutely goes out of his way to make everything work. He covers such a vast (police service area) and even travels over to lend assistance to our New South Wales colleagues.
“He is extremely passionate, and what he does is all about making the lives of young people better, that’s what it comes down to.
“He generates so many of these ideas himself and he generates them from the things he sees that the community needs, and particularly what young people in this region need.
“He’s very well connected and respected in Swan Hill and that respect comes from the way that he goes about his role.”
Sen-Constable Downes said he is yet to decide on the next chapter of his life.
“It’s not as though I am raring to leave the job and can’t wait to get away from the station,” he said.
“But I also understand that this is a job that you can’t keep doing until you’re 95 years old.
“I was playing a game of basketball against some youngsters the other day, and thought I would star out there and show off my basketball abilities.
“But when I saw a video of that, it couldn’t have been further from the truth – that only amplified the thoughts that it was time to start stepping away.
“It’s time to let someone else who is a bit younger, who has that cutting edge, out-there ability to get involved in the community and let them take it on and have a go at the job.
“As much as I love travelling the world, I think I want to get around Australia a bit – I think that might be a good start to retirement.”
