Tara Murray
Leading Senior Constable Matt Mudie has spent his whole policing career in the western suburbs after falling in love with the area. The Brimbank community engagement officer speaks with Tara Murray.
What is your connection to the Brimbank area?
I graduated from the Police Academy in April 1989 and was sent to the Sunshine Police Station as my training station. The station was in Sun Crescent and it’s fair to say it had a bit of character back then. I enjoyed the area so much I have spent my entire policing career in the western suburbs.
Why did you become a police officer?
My father was in the air force and I have three older brothers who were army, air force, and army respectively. I think I was destined to end up in uniform but I didn’t like the fact that you could get posted interstate, and had my fair share of moves as a kid, so I decided the police force was a better fit for me.
What does your role in the police force entail?
My role is quite diverse, ranging from dealing with issues within our schools, giving presentations to community groups, liaising with Brimbank council, supporting victims of crime, conducting security audits etc. COVID really limited what I could do, but I was able to visit some of our more isolated elderly and distribute some face masks to them and just spend time and have a chat. That was particularly rewarding. I am finding now that more requests are coming in and am hopeful the role will really kick off as the restrictions lift and I can get out and see people face-to-face rather than via Zoom or other platforms.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
I enjoy my work with victims of crime. As police officers we join because we want to catch the criminals, and this is our core business. As I spent more time in the job I realised victims outnumber offenders quite substantially and some victims can be left extremely traumatised from whatever incident they have been involved in. To go and spend time with those people and help them seek support and assist them in feeling safer in their own environment so they can move on with their lives, is extremely rewarding for me and gives me a sense of purpose and achievement at work.
What do you love the most about the Brimbank area?
You never know what Brimbank is going to throw at you. It is such a diverse area. I love the progression/development the area is going through and in my work with Brimbank council, I get to have a little bit of input into some of those projects.
Do you have a favourite place or somewhere to eat in Brimbank?
I am quite partial to the banh mi (crispy pork roll), and I don’t think I have found a better one than from the ladies at VN Wrap n Roll in Furlong Road, Sunshine North. Lunch time is always busy there so you know the food is good, and I never leave disappointed.
