Wissell trophy winner an asset

If Amber Schedlich sticks to her plan, she might just help raise women’s average length of service in SAPOL from only seven years. The newly graduated probationary constable, who gave up her pursuit of a psychology degree, wants to remain a police officer for “most of my working life”.

“I was looking for a career,” said the 21-year-old. “And what really interested me about this job is that it’s hands-on, and you’re dealing with real people in real situations.

“Also, in my mum’s family were a few police officers (her father and two brothers), and I’d always had a lot of respect for what they’d done. And I’d always just been really interested in the area of crime and criminal investigation.”

Const Schedlich suspects she would have enjoyed life as a psychologist; but, with three years of study under her belt, she was not prepared to take on another three. She instead wanted to break into the workforce, mature somewhat, and “learn about myself”.

And, if the way she excelled through an intense six months of recruit training at Fort Largs was any indication, she likely chose the right occupation. Const Schedlich finished dux of Course 56, and so won the Police Association’s Walter J Wissell trophy for academic achievement.

Police Association assistant secretary, Mark Carroll, presented her with the award at her graduation ceremony on November 17. He said she could feel justly proud to have emerged, with the trophy, from a course in which “the pressure’s on from start to finish”.

“She struck me as a very intelligent, well-presented young lady, who should be an asset to SAPOL, the community, and as a member of the Police Association,” he said.

For Const Schedlich, who spoke of Course 56 as a great team with “a lot of intelligent people”, the award came as a great honour. She said she had found her studies challenging and that, to finish so well, had had to work extremely hard.

“I did nearly all of the reading,” she said. “Some people didn’t need to, but I did quite a bit of study, just to have the peace of mind that I had a full grasp of what was happening.

“The workload was the hard thing. It’s very time-consuming, because the academic bit doesn’t go without the athletic bit. You’ve got to maintain both of those facets.

“My time-management skills have always been all right, but they’ve definitely improved, because it’s either sink or swim down there (at Fort Largs) sometimes.

“Now, I just really want to get out on the road and start being a police officer. I just can’t wait to get out there and get stuck into it.”

As she had entered university straight from high school, Const Schedlich had worked only part-time jobs before she joined SAPOL. But a two-week full-time work placement with Psychology Section in 2003 sparked her interest in a police career.

She figured the job would keep her interested, motivated and challenged – and not bore her.

Now attached to her first post, Adelaide LSA, Const Schedlich already has ideas of working in CIB, or with the State Intel Branch. But, from what she heard from visiting lecturers at Fort Largs about different fields of policing, she thinks she could be suited to a multitude of areas.

Detective work, however, seems a serious goal for her. “It’s the idea of starting off with a problem, working through it, pulling all the pieces together, and coming to the ultimate arrest,” she said.

“To work from maybe just a few pieces of evidence and, then, find an offender must be a really rewarding feeling.”

IN HONOUR OF A PASA ICON

Former Police Association secretary, Walter J Wissell, was the 18th SA police officer to die in the line of duty.

Working as a foot constable at Kadina early last century, he had tried to arrest a drunken man, who stabbed him. His injury led to pneumonia and heart failure, of which he died on June 24, 1919. He was 37.

The then commissioner, Thomas Edwards, had transferred Constable Wissell to Wallaroo in 1918, just before a historic pay dispute between the association and the then government.

Many among the police community asserted – and continue to assert – that the commissioner’s true intent was to separate Constable Wissell from his association role.

“A man lost his life because of his union affiliation,” said association assistant secretary, Mark Carroll.

“In the early years of the association, which formed in 1911, he was at the forefront with a lot of other courageous men.”

The association named its award for academic achievement the Walter J Wissell trophy in honour of the man it still regards as one of its greatest icons. An association representative presents the award to the dux of each graduating recruit course from Fort Largs.

Mr Carroll said that Constable Wissell’s sacrifice should give all recipients of the award great cause to be proud.