Leading Senior Constable Lee Murdoch is looking forward to starting at Gunbower.
Photo by
Ivy Jensen
After more than 12 months without a permanent police officer, Gunbower is finally getting its cop back and a promise the town will once again have someone it can rely on.
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Leading Senior Constable Lee Murdoch will officially take charge of the Gunbower Police Station on November 18, ending a prolonged period without a resident member and restoring a permanent police presence to the town.
For Leading Sen Constable Murdoch, the move is about more than policing. It’s about becoming part of the community.
Having grown up in a small country one himself, he said the opportunity to serve Gunbower appealed because it aligned with his belief country policing was built on relationships, trust and being present when people needed help.
“They just need stability and somebody to be there and someone they can rely on,” he said.
Leading Sen Constable Murdoch, who is currently based in Echuca, plans to move to Gunbower with his wife and two young children and immerse himself in local life, from sporting clubs to community groups.
His first priority, however, is listening.
“My number one focus when I get there is making sure I’m engaging with members of the community to find out what’s been happening in the town and what I should be looking out for,” he said.
Leading Senior Constable Lee Murdoch is Gunbower’s new police officer.
Photo by
Ivy Jensen
“I want to be that person where they say, ‘I’m going to go to the police station and report this because I feel comfortable.’”
Road safety is already firmly on his radar.
Leading Sen Constable Murdoch said residents had raised concerns about speeding through town and drink and drug driving, issues he intended to tackle from day one.
“There was concern there with maybe high speeds going through Gunbower, maybe some drink and drug driving, so that’d be a primary focus for me,” he said.
“I’m intolerant of drink driving.”
Leading Sen Constable Murdoch believes a local police presence does more than deter crime. It reassures residents and helps build the trust needed for effective policing.
“I think it’s important for people to actually see police around,” he said.
“Once you establish yourself and people get to know you, you create relationships within the community and become somebody they can trust.”
Before joining Victoria Police in 2021, Leading Sen Constable Murdoch worked in horticulture, grounds maintenance, truck driving and education support in the United Kingdom. Those experiences, he said, helped shape his approach to dealing with people from all walks of life.
While he acknowledged youth crime remained a challenge across regional Victoria, he said the answer was not simply enforcement.
“We’ve got to try and rehabilitate the youths as well and ask, ‘What can we do to keep you out of the particular path you’re in? Why do you keep offending?’” he said.
As he prepares to settle into the role, Leading Sen Constable Murdoch’s message to residents is simple.
“If they see me out and about, make sure they come and say hello,” he said.
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