Geoffrey Graham RICHARDSON

( late of Nelson Bay – formerly of Razorback )

aka  Buddha  &  Richo & Jedi

Husband of SenCon Margaret King

Academy Class 272

New South Wales Police Force

[alert_yellow]Regd. #  32260[/alert_yellow]

Rank: Probationary Constable – appointed 15 May 1998

Constable – appointed 15 May 1999

Senior Constable –

Sergeant – appointed 26 December 2010

Stations:  Campbelltown LAC – 35 Division – 15 May 1998 – 26 March 2005,

Cobar 27 March 2005 – April 2010,

Central Hunter LAC  ( SenCon ) April 2010 – 26 December 2010,

Lake Macquarie LAC – ( Sgt ) 27 December 2010 – July 2015,

Port Stephens LAC – July 2015,  – Death

Service:  From  ? pre May 1998  to  5 March 2016 = 18 years Service

Awards:  Regional Commander’s Commendation for Bravery re Off Duty arrest at Nelson Bay on 6 February 2012

Commander’s Commendation

NSW Police Medal

National Medal

National Police Service Medal – posthumously awarded on 14 March 2016

NSW Police Medal – 15 year Clasp – posthumously awarded on 14 March 2016

The Commissioner’s Commendation for Service – posthumously awarded on 14 March 2016

Born:  6 August 1972

Died on:  Saturday  5 March 2016 about 11.50pm

Cause:  Motor vehicle accident – driver

Event location:  Lovedale Rd, Allandale, NSW

Age:  43

Funeral date:  Monday  14 March 2016 @ 11.30am

Funeral location:  Christ Church Anglican Cathedral, Church Street, Newcastle, NSW

Buried at:  ?TBA

 Memorial at:  PTS12 ( PorT Stephens 12 ) police vehicle is dedicated in May 2016 to Richo with personalised number plates RCH012

 [alert_green]GEOFFREY IS  mentioned on the Police Wall of Remembrance[/alert_green]

 Funeral location:  ?TBA

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FURTHER INFORMATION IS NEEDED ABOUT THIS PERSON, THEIR LIFE, THEIR CAREER AND THEIR DEATH.

PLEASE SEND PHOTOS AND INFORMATION TO Cal

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Funeral Service Video

Funeral Service Feedback

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Dearly loved husband of Margaret. Much loved father of Patrick and Aiden. Loved son of Lofty Richardson and Jeanette Richardson. Loved son-in-law of John (dec) and Heather King. Loving brother of Warwick, Grant, Andrew, and Adrian. Loving brother-in-law of Denise, Eric, Raymond, Gordon, Annette, Robert, and John and uncle to their families. Valued member of the NSW Police Force Family.

Family, Friends and Colleagues are invited to attend a Funeral Service to be held in Christ Church Anglican Cathedral, Church Street, Newcastle on MONDAY (March 14, 2016) commencing at 11:30 am.

No flowers by request, donations in lieu may be made to NSW Police Legacy –
geoffreyrichardson.
gofundraise.com.au

France Family Funerals
Nelson Bay 4981 4488

Monday, 14 March 2016

Wish we had been able to get to know you better. RIP.

~

Kristie and Rohan Harrison,

Charlestown, New South Wales

http://tributes.smh.com.au/obituaries/smh-au/obituary.aspx?n=geoffrey-richardson&pid=178002695&fhid=31487&eid=sp_ommatch&eid=sp_ommatch

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RIP Sergeant Geoffrey Richardson thank you for your service, thoughts & prayers go out to your wife Senior Constable Margaret King, & your two young sons.

The NSW Police Force lost a highly respected and much-loved member of its family last night.
Sergeant Geoffrey Richardson from the Port Stephens LAC – NSW Police Force was killed when the police car he was driving crashed into a tree on Lovedale Road, Allandale, around 11.50pm yesterday (Saturday 5 March 2016).

At the time, Sergeant Richardson had been driving to assist colleagues who were engaged in a pursuit. He was the only person in the car at the time of the crash.

Further police and Ambulance Paramedics were called to the scene, and got there a short time later, however Sergeant Richardson had passed away before their arrival. He was the sole occupant of the vehicle.

The matter is now the subject of a Critical Incident Investigation, which will be supported by the Newcastle Crash Investigation Unit and overseen by the Professional Standards Command.

Sergeant Richardson graduated from the NSW Police Academy in 1998. He served the Campbelltown LAC – NSW Police Force as a Constable until 2005, when he was transferred to Cobar and promoted to the rank of Senior Constable.

In April 2010, he was transferred to Central Hunter Local Area Command, before moving to Lake Macquarie Local Area Command upon his promotion to the rank of Sergeant in December 2010.
He served Lake Macquarie LAC – NSW Police Force until July of 2015, at which time he transferred to Port Stephens Local Area Command.

Sergeant Richardson provided 18 years of dedicated and distinguished service to the people of NSW. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including a Regional Commander’s Commendation for Bravery after he arrested a number of offenders while off-duty at Nelson Bay in 2012.

In every sense, he was a hard-working, highly regarded, popular and committed police officer, who will be sorely missed by the organisation he so ably represented and the communities he diligently served.

Above all else, he was a loving and much-loved husband and father. His wife, Senior Constable Margaret King, and his two young sons, are naturally devastated, and we ask that their privacy be respected during this extremely difficult time.

As the men and women of this organisation always do in times of tragedy, we will band together and support Sergeant Richardson’s family , his friends, and each other, through this extremely difficult situation.

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Police investigating death of father-of-two sergeant in NSW Hunter Valley crash

A police sergeant who died after his squad car crashed into a tree in the NSW Hunter Valley last night has been remembered as a highly respected officer and a loving father to two young sons.

Port Stephen area Sergeant Geoffrey Richardson, 43, was driving through Allandale on his way to help other officers in a pursuit when his car ran off the road and crashed into a tree about midnight.

He was the sole occupant of the patrol car and died at the scene.

TRIBUTES FOR SERGEANT GEOFFREY RICHARDSON

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Supporting the family of Sgt Geoffrey Richardson

In support of the Police Family your Association with NSW Police Legacy has set up a fund for the family of Sgt Geoffrey Richardson killed in a motor vehicle accident on the weekend.

The details are:
NSW Police Legacy Appeal
BSB: 815 000
A/C: 282951S1 omit S1 if not transferring from a Police Bank account
(The S1 is only used for Police Bank to Police Bank transfers.)

Members wishing to donate to the family can also do so via the GoFundraise site: http://geoffreyrichardson.gofundraise.com.au/

Links to the fundraising site have also been added to the PANSW website homepage.

The 43-year-old Sergeant (Class 272 – 18 Years Service), who’s wife is Senior Constable Margaret Richardson (Nee King), was a much-loved husband and father with two young sons Patrick aged seven and Aiden five months of age.
As many members would be aware, Sgt Richardson was killed on his way to help colleagues engaged in a pursuit in the Hunter Valley, NSW.
It’s at these times the strength of the police family is fortified as we rally together to support the family and loved ones impacted by this tragic loss.
Like any member of the emergency services would know – it takes a great deal of courage to leave your own family behind to protect those you have never met on a daily basis.
It takes a particular type of person to step forward, often into harm’s way, and commit himself or herself to such a job, and to give up peace of mind to preserve it for others.
Our thoughts are with our fallen colleague, his family and friends and fellow officers at Port Stephens Local Area Command during this difficult time.

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NSW Police Force FB page:  Tuesday 8 March 2016

A man has been charged with a number of pursuit-related offences after a police officer died in a motor vehicle crash in the Hunter Valley at the weekend.

About 11pm on Saturday (5 March 2016), police became involved in a pursuit with a white Ford Falcon sedan on Ken Tubman Drive Maitland, after it allegedly failed to stop.

The pursuit continued for approximately 30 minutes before police lost sight of the vehicle.

VALEDICTORY – Sergeant Geoffrey Graham Richardson???
As delivered by NSW Police Force Commissioner Andrew Scipione APM:

At about 11.50pm on Saturday the 5th of March 2016, Sergeant Geoffrey Richardson, from the Port Stephens Local Area Command, was driving to assist colleagues who were engaged in a pursuit.
The police car he was driving crashed into a tree on Lovedale Road, Allandale. He was the only person in the car at the time of the crash.
Ambulance paramedics were called to the scene by nearby residents, and they arrived a short time later. Sadly, Sergeant Richardson had passed away before they arrived.
Sergeant Geoffrey Graham Richardson attested as a Probationary Constable on the 15th of May 1998.
He commenced general duties at Campbelltown before being confirmed at the rank of Constable on the 15th of May 1999.
He remained at Campbelltown until the 26th of March 2005 when he transferred to Cobar in far western New South Wales. While at Cobar he was promoted to the rank of Senior Constable.
After just over five years at Cobar, Sergeant Richardson moved to the Central Hunter Local Area Command.
Shortly thereafter, on the 26th of December 2010, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and commenced duties at the Lake Macquarie Local Area Command.
Sergeant Richardson transferred from Lake Macquarie to Port Stephens Local Area Command – his final posting – in July 2015.
He was awarded the NSW Police Medal and the National Medal. He also received a Commander’s Commendation, a Region Commander’s Unit Citation, and many accolades from people in the community who had written in appreciation of his compassion and professionalism.
The day before Geoff’s passing, I travelled to Dungog to honour the memory of Sergeant 1st Class William Bowen, who passed away 100 years ago as the result of injuries he received while on duty.
The occasion was a commemoration; a centenary; almost a celebration of his memory. Time had eased the rawness of the tragedy of his passing.
But it brings to mind a sobering message that danger has always been a police officer’s enduring companion. It’s there both on and off duty, at the back of mind or at front, possibly in individuals or groups, in buildings, on pavements, around corners and on roads.
Police officers place themselves in harm’s way to reduce violence, crime, and the fear of crime. Sometimes their oath to protect and serve, their determination to do the best by their community, has a tragic outcome.
The price is a terrible one, but one that police officers are prepared to pay because they believe that the values we hold – and the freedom we enjoy – are worth the sacrifice.
We all pay the toll but we do not pay in equal measure; the burden falls heaviest on the families of officers who fall in the line of duty. No one feels more keenly the death of a police officer than their loved ones.
And on this occasion the loss is even more keenly felt because Geoff’s wife, Margaret, is also a police officer. Not only sharing the bond of family, but also sharing the ideals of protecting people and having to face hardship, conflict, and potential danger together.
Margaret, Patrick and baby Aiden have lost an adored husband and father. His father Graham – better known as Lofty – and mother Jeanette have lost a dearly-loved son; Warwick, Grant, Andrew and Adrian their friend, companion and brother.
However much we would like things to be different, nothing we do or say can change what has happened. All we can do is honour Geoff’s memory and hold his family in the warm embrace of the Police family.
Geoff was a much-loved and respected police officer. He was known as Geoff or “Richo”. To his close mates he was “Buddha”.
In the words of one colleague, he was a “policeman’s policeman”… committed to his job, committed to his mates, and committed to the community he served, and of which he was a part.
He was the exemplar of a family man. With his son Patrick, Geoff was involved in local junior Rugby and he was also deeply committed to his local Anglican Church – another bond that he shared with Margaret.
He took great pride in his uniform. He was always immaculately turned out and wanted other police to share that same pride. He was a protocol officer and serious about it. He understood that the way police present themselves matters; that authority brings with it a responsibility and that the symbols of office are important.
He wasn’t overbearing or a stickler. He led by example and other officers followed. He did not order or command or even badger. He didn’t need to.
And, by unanimous verdict, Geoff was not just a first-class police officer but a gregarious good bloke. A man popular with fellow officers and good with those he encountered in the course of work – he was firm with offenders but he would also empathise with victims.
One of his colleagues said of Geoff that his imposing stature and copybook attire never seemed to be a barrier to how victims responded to him. With Geoff they felt a genuine and comforting empathy in their time of need.
Geoff’s rapport with victims was part of a larger picture of a man who cared for those around him; especially his fellow officers. Geoff and Margaret were often in the vanguard of fundraising activities for colleagues in need.
Geoff himself was a peer support officer, an officer who volunteers to help colleagues in times of need. He would often reach out to colleagues he could see were in need of some support.
But it would be misleading to characterise Geoff as just a big-hearted Good Samaritan. As I said, he was equally at home handling a violent offender as he was with supporting the victim of an assault.
In fact, given the occasion, both husband and wife presented a formidable law enforcement presence.
The Region Commander’s Unit Citation he received was in recognition of bravery and commitment to duty when arresting offenders while off-duty in Nelson Bay on the 6th of February 2012.
What is remarkable about this incident is that the other recipient of that unit citation was his wife, Margaret. Together, while off-duty, they attended the scene of a collision to render assistance, but were confronted by a crowd of 10 to 15 hostile people.
Their citation read in part, “The officers responded to a motor vehicle collision to ensure the welfare of the occupants. Instead they faced a volatile and dangerous crowd who were actively protecting an offender and hindering police response.”
Despite both being assaulted, they managed to detain the driver and several other offenders, who were charged with various offences including High Range PCA, resisting arrest, hindering police, affray and malicious damage.
A key principle that underpins our Police Force is the notion that Police are the community, and the community are the Police. The reputation and success of the NSW Police Force therefore depends on the trust the community places in each and every police officer.
Sergeant Geoffrey Richardson epitomised all of the qualities needed to gain – and to maintain – that trust.
It is inevitable and appropriate that we grieve and feel his loss. To my mind, it is just as appropriate that we do his career and life proper justice; that we honour his memory by following his example.
We, all of us, can do well to look out more for others, at work and outside of work. To lead through our actions. To live our ideals.
Through his family, Geoff’s memory also lives on. And through his wife Margaret, his commitment to service will also live on.
It is my honour today, to posthumously confer three awards on Sergeant Geoffrey Richardson.
The National Police Service Medal: recognising his ethical and diligent service in protecting the community.
The establishment of the National Police Service Medal was signed by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II in November of 2010, and the Governor General awards the Medal on the recommendation of the responsible Commissioner of Police.
The 15 year clasp to the NSW Police Medal: recognising his ethical and diligent service.
After being approved by the Minister for Police and the Commissioner of Police, the medal was instituted on the 5th of February 2002. The medal is NOT awarded automatically for length of service. It is only awarded after a detailed review of the nominee’s service history to ensure the service was ethical and diligent. The clasp to the medal denotes the length of ethical and diligent service.
And:
The Commissioner’s Commendation for Service.
In part the citation reads:
…. for outstanding and meritorious performance of duty as a member of the New South Wales Police Force, from 1998 to 2016 ….
Sergeant Richardson has displayed integrity, loyalty, commitment, professionalism and devotion to duty as a member of the New South Wales Police Force and is highly commended for his service.
Sergeant Geoffrey Richardson gave his life in the very way he had lived it; in the service of others.
His loss, tragic for his family and many friends, is profound for each and every one of us. No words are quite adequate to express or diminish that loss.
His passing reminds us that preserving our values and our freedom can exact a heavy toll. A toll that is not shared equally in our community.
We farewell Sergeant Geoffrey Richardson but he will not be forgotten. As is right and proper, his name will be etched into the granite of the Police Wall of Remembrance in Sydney as a permanent reminder that he laid down his life for the people of New South Wales.
I am humbled and deeply honoured to represent every member of the NSW Police Force here today to farewell a highly-regarded police officer who served his community with courage, honour and distinction.
A husband and father.
A son and brother.
A friend and colleague.
A police officer.
Vale Sergeant Geoffrey Richardson.
Our prayers go with you … may you rest in peace.

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Boy’s poem for policeman killed in accident

TOM Finlay, 13, wrote a poem after he saw the funeral procession for Port Stephens police sergeant Geoffrey Richardson.

His teacher at Newcastle Grammar School had suggested poetry as a way for students to process the funeral taking place across the road at Christ Church Cathedral.

Tom’s poem is reproduced below.

The Great Knights of Port Stephens, by Tom Finlay.

Port Stephens, Port Stephens/Your knights are brave and bold

From the newest of the new, to the oldest of the old.

When criminal cometh to/Town, you mustn’t worry/For when knights hear thy/Criminals they come in quite a/Hurry.

But sometimes things don’t end/Like they do in the story,

Because some knights will end up/In heaven with all their glory.

But if your knight goes to heaven/You mustn’t feel a sting,

Because the great Richardson will/Give them their wings.

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/3819188/a-boys-ode-to-the-fallen-knights/?cs=12

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Tom Finlay’s poem brings police to tears

“HAVE you ever thought about it – would you ever see the police cry?”

The question at Newcastle Grammar School on Tuesday came from the Port Stephens police commander, Superintendent Chris Craner.

It was something Tom Finlay, a boy in year seven with autism, had asked himself.

Earlier this month Tom, 13, had watched from his school’s playground as the funeral procession for Sergeant Geoffrey Richardson, who had died in a crash on his way to an emergency, wound its way into Christ Church Cathedral.

“I’d just been thinking how people go to work every day, and how not everyone comes home,” he said.

“So I just wrote it.”

When Tom’s mother Michelle posted his The Great Knights of Port Stephens on social media, it got back to the police mourning one of their own.

In the superintendent’s words, “there were tears in the station”.

Some of the officers who read Tom’s poem – and the poems penned by his classmates, at the suggestion of their teacher Jordan Grant – attended Tuesday’s school assembly to express their thanks.

Outside, Senior Constable David Wynne from the dog squad introduced students to an as-yet unnamed pup being trained as a police dog, and the bravery award-winning German shepherd Ulrich demonstrated how to follow a scent.

Supt Craner said “carloads of cops” had wanted to visit the school, and he thanked Tom personally.

Shane Finlay said he was “amazed at how far” his son had come in his studies and social interactions with the help of his teachers at Newcastle Grammar and his previous teachers at the Aspect Hunter School for students with autism.

“The [autism] spectrum is wide, and in the last four years he’s really come on,” Mr Finlay said.

“I mean, he wrote that poem in 20 minutes.”

His mother Michelle Finlay added, “everything he does blows us away”.

About 1000 mourners, including NSW Governor David Hurley and Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione, attended the funeral earlier this month of Sergeant Richardson, who died aged 43.

Sgt Richardson is survived by his police officer wife Senior Constable Margaret King and their two young sons Patrick and Aiden.

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/3818739/tears-for-toms-poem/

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New Port Stephens police car a fitting tribute for fallen brother in blue, Geoffrey Richardson

THE newest addition to the Port Stephens police command’s fleet is not just any other car; it is a fitting tribute to fallen brother in blue Geoffrey Richardson.

Light blue in colour and bearing number plates that read RCH, the distinctive police car will serve as a visual memory for officers and members of the community that have been affected by Sergeant Richardson’s death.

Port Stephens Sergeant Martine Morley said it was an “honour and a privilege” to be amongst the officers who will drive the car, which arrived on Wednesday.

“It is a wonderful tribute to a fantastic officer and work colleague,” an emotional Sergeant Morley said.

“It’s really quite a special thing; a really special tribute.

“Geoff is part of Port Stephens, he always will be.

“This just reminds us of that.”

Superintendent Chris Craner said the tribute to Sergeant Richardson, who died in the line of duty on March 5, came from Port Stephens officers who wanted to do something a little different.

“We had a couple of different ideas from different staff,” he said. “We wanted to do something a little bit different.

“It’s a change of colour, it’s a blue colour which represents a sergeant and it’s got personalised number plates that represent Sergeant Richardson.

“It’s just a nice way for the cops to look at the car and think about Geoff. And it’s a nice way for the community when you’re driving down the street to go ‘why is that a blue car?’ and find out why.

“The car tells a story and the story is Geoff. Geoff died on duty and his memory won’t be forgotten.

“You can walk out the front of the police station, have a look at this car, stop a minute, have a think about Geoff, jump in and take off.”

The car is a standard Toyota Camry. It will be driven by Port Stephens police Sergeants and used for patrols.

http://www.portstephensexaminer.com.au/story/3918052/car-a-fitting-tribute-for-richardson/?cs=761