Security guards honoured

Hard work was appreciated at the South Hedland Police Station last week as local security guards were honoured for the hard work they do.

In a special presentation in front of all the officers and Pilbara District Superintendent Paul Coombes, the security team were awarded Certificates of Appreciation.

Senior Sergeant Dean Snashall said while the appreciation of the security team at the South Hedland Shopping Centre was ongoing, the commendations were for specific incidents which occurred in recent weeks.

“The support that we get from the guards is absolutely invaluable and the last two or three weeks it’s been well and truly known how much they go through down there,” he said.

“It’s not lost on us that we are all kitted up with our tasers, firearms, batons and so forth and these guys are essentially on their own.

“There’s been some nasty incidents over the last few weeks but this is an ongoing partnership we’ve had with the security down at the shops for a long time, so I know I speak on behalf of all the troops here the assistance provided by these guys is greatly appreciated.”

Security guard Michael John Reason said he did his work purely for the safety of everyone in the community.

“It’s nice to get a bit of recognition for what we do particularly from the police who confront these situations in their daily jobs and are trained in these matters,” he said. “We are not trained to do what we do here yet we still do it.”