Toora's police station has a new face after the role sat vacant for several years, with Senior Constable Peggy Palling now on the ground and keen to get to know the local community. Peggy is no stranger to rural life. "I have grown up regionally, rural all my life, and then 15 years in the job, all with rural and regional policing," she said.
Asked what drew her to policing, SC Palling said it came down to a simple desire to help people, and the particular value of rural policing in connecting communities with the services they need. "I like being able to be somebody that can bridge a gap where there's gaps between services for those in rural and remote areas. I enjoy the community engagement, the time that you can have in a smaller community to deal with something from start to finish."
Peggy said community involvement was central to effective policing, and she has already been getting out and about to introduce herself around town. "I've been into Windmill, and the Tooradeli, I've been into the Foodworks, I've checked out the little coffee caravan at the rest stop," she said. "I'm big on supporting local."
With a busy weekend of community events coming up, including the Panton Store's 17th birthday celebrations and the Lions grand opening, Peggy said she was planning to drop in and say hello to as many people as possible.
On the challenges ahead, Peggy acknowledged there is work to do simply getting the station back up and running after years sitting vacant, along with the usual process of a new officer becoming known in a tight-knit community. "I suppose it's people getting the gauge on me and what I'm about."
Her message to the people of Toora and the surrounding district is a simple one. "I'm here, I'm open. I'm trying to make sure the car's out the front when I'm on, just as a bit of an awareness for people. Come and say hello!"
David Barrett
