History

The National Police Service Medal was established on 9 November 2010 and is awarded to members of the Australian police force for 15 years of diligent and ethical service. In order to be eligible for the Medal, potential candidates have to have rendered 15 years of service on or after 14 February 1975. Individuals who died or were discharged due to impairment prior to 15 years are also eligible to receive a medal.

The Medal is not technically an award for long service, rather it recognises a long-serving member of the Police Force who has demonstrated diligence and an ethical commitment to protecting the community. If a recipient of the award is later found to be unfit for the honour, it may be stripped from them at any time.

The obverse of the medal depicts the Federation Star surrounded by a chequered pattern known as Sillitoe Tartan, a recognisable symbol of policing. The reverse of the medal and has a rectangular panel for the recipient’s name. Two sprays of golden wattle are placed under the panel and the inscription ‘FOR SERVICE AS AN AUSTRALIAN POLICE OFFICER’ runs along the interior circumference of the medal. The ribbon has a yellow center stripe flanked by two medium blue stripes. and a white stripe on each edge with a thin red stripes running down the centre of each.