Superintendent Cindy Healey has achieved her dream – now the work begins

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The Murray Mallee’s new police chief knows a thing or two about communities like ours – she grew up on the River Murray, after all.

For Superintendent Cindy Healey, originally from Mildura, being named SA Police’s officer in charge of the Murraylands and Riverland is a dream job.

“One of my ultimate goals has been to become a superintendent in a country area,” she said.

She even has a family connection to the region.

Her husband, Matt McCleary, won a premiership with Tailem Bend Football Club some years ago.

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She hoped to bring to the role a focus somewhere between that of her two immediate predecessors, Scott Denny and James Blandford.

Her career to this point had brought her through SA Police’s public protection branch, which deals with domestic violence and child abuse; and its traffic services branch.

“Road safety is incredibly important,” she said.

“Statistics show that the majority of fatalities in country areas are country people no more than 30 kilometres from home.

“You’ve driven the same road every day for umpteen years and there’s never been a train going through the intersection at that exact time, but one day there is.”

Road trauma affected many people, from the family members who’d be left with an empty spot at the family Christmas gathering to the emergency services volunteers who had the heart-wrenching duty of attending a crash scene.

At the same time, police performed vital work in a range of other areas, too – “domestic violence is important, protecting children is important”.

The superintendent met a few members of the public on Tuesday morning at Murray Bridge Marketplace for SA Police’s monthly Coffee with a Cop event.

Also present was Senior Sergeant Paul Henderson, SA Police’s new operations manager for the Murraylands, in charge of dispatching officers to deal with calls or traffic incidents.

Other SAPOL and Crime Stoppers representatives handed out mugs, pens and pamphlets.

Disclosure: The author enjoyed a coffee courtesy of SA Police.