Meet some of the finalists for the 2019 Police of the Year Awards 

Sergeant Nadine Roberts has been nominated as a finalist for the Field Operations category after stopping to help at an accident while off-duty. 

"I have been with the police for 19 years," she said. "I was interested in the law and I joined to become a police prosecutor and I did that until 2013. My husband was promoted to Cootamundra as Inspector, so we moved as a family from Port Macquarie."

Sergeant Roberts said she faced some challenges as she hadn't been an operation police officer for ten years.

"I really embraced it and I enjoyed it," she said. "Policing in any small country town is significantly different to any city."

Sergeant Roberts said residents love stopping for a chat in the street. 

"A common misconception is we eat McDonalds and doughnuts," she joked. "It's a great privilege to be nominated for the award. I did what anyone would do." 

Sergeant Roberts said a cyclist was laying on the grass and while people had stopped, no first aid had been rendered so she stabilised him.

"He was in Canberra Hospital for a month, but luckily he survived," she said. 

Senior Constable Troy Fisher has been nominated as a finalist for the Specialist Operations Police category.

"My role is the school liaison police officer, so I service 30 high schools across the Riverina," he said. "This December, it will be eight years in the force. 

"When I left Year 12, I didn't receive the marks I needed, so I stepped out and worked with customer relations and I decided one day that I was sick of changing jobs and I wanted a career. I wanted to become a police officer, but you had to leave home for eight months." 

Constable Fisher was worried about leaving his wife and young family, but they agreed on him doing the course and he was "lucky enough" to come back to Wagga. 

"It's an honour to be nominated and it is a challenging role to be dealing with youth," he said. "I do love it and as far as I am concerned, it is the best job in the world. 

"The best part is changing a young person's life." 

Junee's Senior Constable Mark Fitzgibbins has been nominated as a finalist for the Rotary Community Policing Award category. 

"I have been with the police force for about seven years," he said. "When I was 16 I wanted to do it, but they changed how to get in, so I did something else."

After raising a family, Constable Fitzgibbins had "another crack at 47" and has been in it ever since.

"I was in sales," he said. "People were really supportive when I made the change. I was in Sydney all my life and my first posting was in Penrith and then I moved to Wagga and then to Junee." 

Constable Fitzgibbins loves Junee because it's a different kind of policing. 

"We have time to talk to the community and play footy with the school kids so they can see the police are not scary," he said. "It's perceived that police is one side and they're the other, but we want to them to see it's all one side." 

Constable Fitzgibbins said it was an honour to be nominated, but every officer in the force deserves it. 

"Everyone puts on this shirt in the morning," he said. "I am very proud to represent the NSW Police Force and also Junee." 

Probationary Constable Ashley Fitzgerald and Probationary Constable Terry Bourke have been nominated for the Junior Police Officer category. 

"I graduated from the academy in 2017," she said. "I grew up in Sydney and it was a surprise that I got Wagga, but I came here with an open mind and it has been amazing." 

Constable Fitzgerald said she was blown away to be nominated in her first year and it was great to be recognised. 

"From when I was little, I always wanted to do this and make a positive impact on people," she said. "I deal with victims of violence. It can be tough, but everyone here, in this team, is really approachable." 

Constable Fitzgerald said she has been converted to the regional life and loves living and working in Wagga.

Constable Terry Bourke joined the police force more than two years ago to give back to the community. 

"I joined a little later than I anticipated, but I got here," he said. "My role is anything from community policing to whatever comes up. It is such a tight-knit community and everybody supports everybody." 

Constable Bourke said it was humbling to be nominated and "surreal" given who he works with. 

"To be given this honour is fantastic," he said. "The best parts of my job are my team, seeing people smile and things going right in the community. We are here to support them as much as they are here to support us."

David Richmond, Glen Fanning and Ray Pelletier have all been nominated for the Volunteer or Unsworn Employee Award category. 

Mr Richmond for the past 17 years had played a unique role while volunteering. 

"When I got made redundant I didn't want to sit around," he said. "It's given me a different perspective of the police. Mainly, I ring up the elderly once a month, particularly if they have been traumatised." 

Mr Richmond also runs the Next of Kin Program which is a register of those who live alone.

"They get a key-ring, so if anything happens the police can contact someone who has been nominated," he said. "I was pleased to be nominated, it really is a great honour." 

Mr Fanning volunteers at Junee and loves doing computer and administration work and said his best mate is Inspector Rob Vergano. 

"I wanted to help," he said. "I won last year and it felt amazing. I help out three days a week. We need more volunteers to get involved." 

Mr Pelletier arrived in Australia in 1959 and has been volunteering for nearly 20 years.

"We are here to help police whenever there is a crisis such as a flood," he said. "I helped out in 2012 by providing food for the officers and registering residents. It is a thrill to be nominated." 

Mr Pelletier said he was only meant to live in Australia for two years, but after coming from Switzerland he loved it too much to leave. 

Janette Milnes has been nominated for the Customer Service Employee category after working for the police for 11 years. 

"My role is to provide and deliver effective and efficient support, advice and high-level customer service to not only the community but to other members of the force," she said.

"I wanted to do more to help my local community and learn in a different field. I am honoured to be working with this organisation that does so much."

Ms Milnes said she was excited and humbled to be recognised for her work. 

Riverina Police District Superintendent Bob Noble said it is extremely important that officers are recognised. 

"I am extremely proud to be a member of this police force and to work alongside all these great men and women," he said. 

The awards will be presented on March 16, 2019, at Wagga’s International Hotel and tickets are available online here.   

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