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BENDIGO police have been praised for going above and beyond the call of duty to find stolen Army service medals the day before Anzac Day.
Dale and Madonna Stevens returned from a family holiday to Hawaii in late March to find their home had been ransacked.
The burglar took computers, iPods, cash, jewellery and Dale’s service medals.
Dale was in the Army for 20 years and the medals were inscribed with his name and service details.
When Detective Senior Constable Tony Roberts received information about where the medals had been discarded, he and his team in the Bendigo criminal investigation unit left the station early yesterday to search Kennington Reservoir.
”We thought he would like them back in time for Anzac Day,’’ Detective Senior Constable Roberts said.
“We were expecting the medals to be difficult to find in the scrub, but it only took about five minutes.’’
Mr Stevens yesterday thanked the police officers for their efforts, saying they had done a fantastic job.
He said the most distressing aspect of the burglary was the impact on his family. “Someone invaded our house and trashed it. The kids were upset for a long time and that’s what upset me the most.”
