The 41 Club Bill Horman Victoria Police Community Services Award was given to Sergeant Singe last week in recognition of her work as family violence adviser and proactive unit manager.

“You don’t work toward getting an award like this but I am extremely honoured to have received it,” Sergeant Singe said.

“I do the work that I do in the community because that’s what I enjoy doing.

“You don’t do the work to get the reward.”

Victoria Police Bendigo superintendent Mick West was supportive of sergeant Singe’s award.

“She is a go to person, you know things will get done right,” he said of sergeant Singe.

“At the drop of the hat [sic].

“We know that family violence is such a big issue for this state and this country and she has good relationships with our partners and service providers making for better outcomes.

“Marg is our go to for family violence, that makes it really easy for us.”

Superintendent West said Sergeant Singe’s outstanding work won her the prestigious award.

“She has been selected as the most outstanding community engagement person for Victoria Police right across the state,” he said.

“Out of all the outstanding things that have been done at Rosebud, Melbourne, Wodonga and everywhere else.

Marg’s contribution to engagement and the service that she gives the community have earned her this.

“She was deemed to be by far the most outstanding and I got that feedback direct from one of the judges.

“The thing that separated Marg from the rest of the pack was the long term commitment that she has had and success over many many years and in so many different areas.”

Superintendent West said Sergeant Singe was a respected asset to the Bendigo team.

“They come to Marg for advice,” he said. “People see her about their problems because that’s the sort of person she is. She is a very very highly respected member of the team.” He said she motivated people to be involved in things like the White Ribbon Day.

Bendigo Police’s Sergeant Marg Singe reflected on the positives and negatives of policing life after receiving the 41 Club Bill Horman Victoria Police Community Services Award.

She said the following were positives of her career:

“The friendships formed both within the police force but also with people you come in contact with through the work,” she said.

“Good outcomes in difficult times.

“Going to work and not having to do the same thing every day, new challenges often of a day by day, even hour by hour basis.

“In some respects being in a position to influence for the positive.”

The following are what she believed to be negative:

“Dealing with some of the jobs you attend, particularly early on,” she said, “I was 21 when I joined the police force and thought I knew a bit about the world, but my eyes were certainly opened within a very short time to the real world out there.”

Bendigo Police’s Sergeant Marg Singe never intended to have a career in policing when she started out.

Thirty-three years later she is in Bendigo combating the threat of domestic violence through her community engagement work.

Sergeant Singe has been instrumental in philanthropic campaigns out of the Bendigo Police station.

She said the main responsibility she had was with White Ribbon Day and other violence against women campaigns.

She said “being in a position to assist victims of family violence obtain the assistance they need to escape from a life lived in constant fear” was a highlight of her career so far.

Sergeant Singe started her career as a Bendigo police officer 19 years ago having been in Melbourne prior.

“Policing was never really on my career agenda,” she said. “I wanted to do teaching and after finishing university a friend of my parents, who happened to be a police officer, suggested working in the forensic science area of the Victoria Police. 

“When I made inquiries the recruiting officer I spoke with somehow convinced me that I would be better to join the police force as a sworn member and apply for a position at the forensic science department – this would give me better job security and better pay. 

“So, I took their advice and applied to be part of the police force and was accepted. 

“I might say I never did make it to the forensic science department.”

Sergeant Singe spent the next 12 months doing on the job training.

“This involved spending time at two different training stations, at highway patrol unit, criminal records unit, protective services unit, city traffic and the communications unit,” she said.

“After this, members went to Russell Street police station until they applied for and attained positions elsewhere. “After a number of years in and around Melbourne I applied for a position at Bendigo and was successful. 

“The main reason I wanted to return here was that I am originally from Bendigo and had family and friends here, but also because of my connection with community.”

Sergeant Singe said her small involvement in the investigation of the Walsh Street murders was a career highlight. “Assisting people and community in their difficult times, like Ash Wednesday and Black Saturday,” she said that was another highlight.

“Early on in my career, in different areas I worked, I had two brilliant senior sergeant mentors,” she said. 

“They were both extremely supportive of the work I did, but also encouraged me to better myself, both through study and by secondment to different units within the police force.” Sergeant Singe said she hoped police members would look up to her.