Meekatharra police station’s officer in charge moving on for Perth tech job

After 15 years working with WA Police and more than a decade in regional WA, Meekatharra Police Station’s top cop is retiring from the force for an unexpected career change.

Sen. Sgt Tom Daly took over as Meekatharra’s officer-in-charge eight months ago and says it’s an experience he will never forget.

“The guys out there are incredible with the rapport they’ve built with the community,” he said. “It’s quite isolated and you learn very quickly you need to rely on your key community partners to get the job done.”

Sen. Sgt Daly’s last day in the post is today, and soon afterwards he will move to Perth for a role at a technology company.

He is being replaced in late August by Sen. Sgt Matt Garnaut, a former State cricket player and current head of the Mandurah detectives.

“I think people think you join up and you’re pigeon-holed as a police officer for the rest of your life,” Sen. Sgt Daly said. “But it’s not true — you gain valuable skills and get to see some amazing parts of the State.

“I’d encourage anyone thinking about it to sign up.”

As a police officer, he said Meekatharra was a “challenging area with complex issues” but had an incredibly committed community.

“Even during the civil unrest we had at the start of this year, there were people coming forward and doing their utmost to help the situation,” he said.