New Campaspe Police Service Area Inspector Brett Sampson took on the role in August and is driven to create a safer place for all. Photo: Jordan Townrow.
They say when one door closes, another one opens.
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In Brett Sampson’s case, that door is to the Campaspe Police Service Area inspector’s office.
Born and raised in Echuca, Inspector Sampson began his working life as an apprentice in Melbourne, later moving back to town to run a business.
In his late 20s, he retrained as a police officer, a calling he feels he always had.
“I probably always had that thing in the back of the mind that I wouldn’t mind being a police officer,” he said.
“It just came to that stage ... that I thought it was now or never and gave it a shot and was fortune enough to get accepted.”
Across his career, he has worked in the highway patrol, as a senior sergeant and in acting inspector roles.
Insp Sampson has been based in Melbourne, Shepparton, Echuca and, most recently, Bendigo.
“The past three-and-a-half years I’ve been the tasking and co-ordination inspector out of Bendigo, which is a divisional role,” he said.
“So, I was still able to keep really in touch with the risks in policing over the Campaspe area.”
Last month, Inspector David Bowler relocated to Melbourne for a statewide unit inspector role.
Insp Sampson embraced the opportunity to fill the position.
“I was more than happy to accept the role,” he said.
“I have a fairly good, intimate knowledge of the area, having grown up here and being involved with both of my daughters growing up in the town.”
Insp Sampson (second from right) leads the Campaspe PSA, supported by team members including Detective Sergeant Patrick Grelis, Senior Sergeant Damian Keegan and Constable Elise Scacco, pictured in 2023. Photo: File.
Areas that Insp Sampson is particularly dedicated to are road policing and preventing ‘high harm, high impact’ crime.
Being in a regional location, he understands the impact of road trauma on whole communities.
“It's not just a passion of mine, it's a passion of all our police force,” he said.
“We want to try and keep people safe on our roads.
“We know the impacts that road trauma has to the immediate friends and family and the broader community.
“We’ve all seen that, particularly us up in the country.”
As Campaspe PSA inspector, key responsibilities include guiding the force and ensuring an environment where officers can thrive.
Insp Sampson emphasised the need to support the team so that it can support the community.
“As the leaders at Victoria Police, we empower them to do everything they can to reduce the harm in the community,” he said.
“Priorities are leadership and supporting a healthy workforce.
“For our people to be out there and supporting the community, they need to be safe and healthy at work.”
Another goal for Insp Sampson is maintaining the important relationships between Victoria Police and other organisations.
“We're only part of the puzzle to keeping people safe in the community. The other part is those amazing stakeholder relationships we’ve got,” he said.
“We’ve got the local safety committee, (and) there's so many people from all areas of government, local business, local traders and community members.
“(They) have an absolute passion to support, I suppose, my ethos to keep the community safe.”
Insp Sampson is proud of the team he is leading and the overall organisation that he represents.
While he recognises there will always be work to do, he is dedicated to protecting people from danger.
“For me, it’s clearly not acceptable that our community could be placed at risk of harm, whether it be in their homes, out in the community or on our roads,” Insp Sampson said.
“We will provide a service that’s highly visible to the community ... that leaves a positive, lasting impression.
“We take every opportunity to prevent harm from occurring and do everything we can to prevent people from becoming victims.
“I'm incredibly proud of the service Victoria Police provides to the community ... they do extraordinary things every shift.”
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