Premier Jeremy Rockliff, Police Minister Felix Ellis and Central Coast mayor Cheryl Fuller speak following the fatal shooting of Constable Keith Smith.
00:00Thank you. I'm joined today by the Mayor of the Central Coast Municipality in the community of Ulverston, Mayor Cheryl Fuller, and the Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Honourable Felix Ellis MP.
00:21Yesterday, a proud and brave Tasmanian man, Constable Keith Smith, started his day by putting on his Tasmanian police uniform.
00:39A day that began like many others. A day where he started, like all others, to protect and serve us all.
00:57All Tasmanians. As he had done so for the last 25 years.
01:07Tragically, Constable Smith did not return home to put on the cities to be with the people that he loved and those who loved him.
01:29To Constable Smith's family and friends and loved ones, your grief is shared by all Tasmanians.
01:45And to those emergency responders who supported Constable Smith, we thank you for your incredible and brave service.
02:03The heartbreak of this tragedy will be felt clearly in this local community of Ulverston, the Central Coast, the entire Western District and indeed in every corner of the state of Tasmanian.
02:25And it will be felt by every rank and every station and every corner of this state.
02:44Tasmanian police is just not a service.
02:51As the commissioner said last night, it is indeed a family.
02:57And when one of their own is injured or falls, there is a ripple right throughout.
03:13Right throughout the entire Tasmanian police service.
03:18Through every rank and every station.
03:24You know, many of us, if not all of us, would know a serving police officer.
03:38I reached out to some of my friends just yesterday.
03:44Friends that have been in the police service for over three decades.
03:50And as I offered my condolences, I said,
03:59this tragedy really brings it home of how fortunate we are to have people like you.
04:14To every serving police man and woman who knew and served alongside your friend and colleague.
04:27The love and the support of our entire state of Tasmania is with you.
04:35We stand ready to provide any support possible, any support needed to our Tasmania police and our entire communities at this very sad and tragic time.
04:53Today is National Police Legacy Day and I know so many in the Big Blue family are grieving.
05:00This is an unimaginable tragedy and has fallen.
05:06A man of great service who has protected our community for decades.
05:11The family and loved ones of Constable Keith Smith are grieving today and the whole community stands united with them in support.
05:23Policing is more than a job.
05:26It's a calling to service and to supporting people right across the community.
05:32Those who you know and those who you don't.
05:35To run towards the danger when others are going away and to ensure that the peace is kept and that the law is upheld.
05:44Right across Tasmania today, there are police officers who are grieving, families who are grieving and a community who stands united with them in their grief.
05:55Here in Olverston, we're a close-knit community and this has affected so many people so deeply.
06:04We want to reach out to everyone who's been affected by this and say that support is available for you.
06:11We're here for each other.
06:13These are some of the moments where the true Tasmanian spirit comes through because we're a small place that looks after everyone.
06:21And that's what we'll be seeing over the coming days.
06:26In the immediate aftermath, we know that support needs to be provided to those directly affected and their families and loved ones around them.
06:35But our commitment is also to the longer term because these moments can reverberate over weeks and months.
06:42We just want to say that we're there for you, that we support you and that the service won't be forgotten.
06:51We know that Constable Smith has served with honour and every Tasmanian who pulls on the uniform of our state is worthy of our support and our respect.
07:01And we'll continue to provide that to you over coming weeks and months.
07:07Thank you, Minister.
07:08And thank you, Premier, for being with us today and for the offer of support to those in our community who will need it now and into the future.
07:18As the Minister has said, we're a tight-knit community made up of different communities and towns.
07:24And there will not be one amongst us who are not impacted in some way.
07:29Our hearts and thoughts and prayers are with those immediately affected.
07:34Central Coast Council is proud of our long-standing and close working relationship with the staff of the Western District.
07:41We see them regularly and we thank them for their service regularly.
07:46They are visible in our community and they provide service above and beyond.
07:51We are thinking of them all today.
07:53Thank you to the Premier and the Minister for their offer of support.
07:57Obviously, Council will play its role and do whatever we can to support those that are impacted.
08:04And, of course, I encourage those that are impacted or seeing that impact in others to reach out to support services
08:12and take care of themselves and each other at this time. Thank you.
