Service to police welfare, parliament commended

AS a ten-year-old boy growing up in Ararat, Barry Traynor decided he would have a career in the police force.

In 1966, he became a member of Victoria Police, and climbed the ranks to become a Detective Sergeant at Ballarat’s Criminal Investigation Branch.

He worked as the Staff Officer to the Commander in the General Policing Department, and as the Inspector Staff Officer for Command No. 1 Region Police Headquarters.

“What opened my eyes as a young policeman what that there was no special treatment; you go to work, you do your job,” Mr Traynor said.

“The day I joined the CIB… I thought, it’s all very well catching the criminals, and that’s my job, but nobody was thinking about the victims and that concerned me.

“Police would be out late at night on the highway, freezing cold in Ballarat, seeing road accidents and becoming traumatised… and the only way they’d deal with it was by going down to the pub and having a beer. That was wrong.

“Police have got an aura that they’re 10-foot-tall and bulletproof, but when you take off the uniform at night and go home to your family, you’re just an ordinary John Citizen like the rest of them.”

Mr Traynor knew police officers weren’t receiving the social and emotional help they needed in the job, or when they left the force. He became part of a project steering group to deliver specialised outreach support.

“I wanted to centre it on local solutions, and support networks here in Ballarat,” he said.

“I now have 110 retired police on my list living in the Ballarat region.”

“I have a coffee club, run Christmas functions, lunches, bus trips where we have morning tea and lunch, and we just get talking and have a bit of fun.

“I see a massive improvement on their wellbeing. When we get together, they’re coming out of their shells, oozing more confidence, and they’re sharing things. Everything’s in strict confidence.”

In 2016, Mr Traynor was awarded a National Police Service Medal. He received four Chief Commissioner Commendations, a Medal for Diligent and Ethical Service, and a Good Conduct Medal in his career.

Community service outside the force has also been a big part of Mr Traynor’s life. In the 1990s, he served in the Parliament of Victoria as the inaugural Member for Ballarat East.

He is a former chair of the Police and Emergency Services Bills Committee, and former member of the Drugs and Crime Prevention Committee.

He’s dedicated decades to Police Veterans Victoria as a volunteer, fundraiser and support officer, and has volunteered with the Ballarat Police and Citizens Youth Club, Ballarat Regional Industries, Langi Kal Kal Youth Prison, McCallum Disability Services, the City of Ballarat, the Rotary Club of Ballarat, and the Ballarat School of Mines.

For service to police welfare, and to the Parliament of Victoria, Mr Traynor has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the King’s Birthday Honours.

“I’m 79 this year, and I don’t intend to stop,” he said.

His goal now is to see support services improve for women in the police force.