Queensland police officers have endless tales about the job and retired Police Assistant Commissioner Laurie Pointing has captured some of these in his series Keeping the Peace.
On Saturday Mr Pointing, 83, held a book signing at Dymocks in Bundaberg, giving locals a chance to meet and greet. It was also a chance to ask questions about his time in the Queensland Police Service from the 70s to the 90s.
Mr Pointing’s memories are sharp as a tack as he recalls the finer details of each of the retired police officer's stories in Keeping the Peace.
As the first Assistant Commissioner of Rockhampton, Mr Pointing said he helped set up regionalisation following the Fitzgerald Inquiry during the early 90s, and that’s when he met Bundaberg’s Rowan Bond.
Mr Bond spent 39 years and five months in the service before he retired as Superintendent of Bundaberg Police Station in June 2013.
Mr Bond’s story appears in the latest edition Keeping the Peace, Volume III, and he said he was honoured to have a small part of his life shared in Mr Pointing’s series.
“I was a traffic policeman, and this man actually pulled me off the bike to help set up the regional office,” Mr Bond said.
“I have this guy to thank, although when I started I lost a lot of money as I wasn’t working weekends, but if Laurie hadn’t given me the opportunity I probably would have retired as a very grouchy senior constable, probably still on a motorbike, or maybe a sergeant but still very grouchy, instead of having all the exposure I did to the community and ending up where I did, a superintendent in charge of a great place like Bundaberg, which is the best place to live I have got to say.
“It was hard to get off the bike, but the opportunities that were there and that Laurie gave me have been endless.
“And I am gratified that Laurie has been able to share my police story in his book.”
Mr Pointing said choosing the police officers to write about involved a lot of talking, in which Bundaberg Branch Retired Police president Granville Pearce, whose story also appears in the series, laughed as he said it came easy for the retired Police Assistant Commissioner.
“I wracked my brain and I talk to a lot of people, and normally have suggestion from colleagues,” Mr Pointing said.
“Policing is much different today than what it was in my day.
“These 35 stories will be here forever.”
He said it was hard to choose a favourite story out of the 35 police officers’ stories in Keeping the Peace.
“There are several of course, but in volume three the outstanding story would be on the late Senior Sergeant Brian Norris, it’s a magnificent story on his career,” Mr Pointing said.
“And another wonderful story would be on the late Kevin Gutridge as he is the father of the other Kevin, there were four of those boys all in the service.”
Mr Pointing said there were quite a few police officers who had served in the Bundaberg Region in the series.
“It’s been a worthwhile project and I have thoroughly enjoyed writing the stories,” Mr Pointing said.
“I have been fortunate to be sponsored, and all royalties go directly to Queensland Police Legacy.
The three volumes of Keeping the Peace are available at Dymocks Bundaberg or online from the publisher Boolarong Press.
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