General News
14 March, 2025
Forty years on the force
Superintendent Sharon McCrory has marked an incredible milestone this week, celebrating 40 years of service in Victoria Police.
SUPERINTENDENT Sharon McCrory has marked an incredible milestone this week, celebrating 40 years of service in Victoria Police.
Superintendent McCrory is in charge of policing across Western Region Division 4 which stretches from Ararat to the South Australian border, an area of about 40,000 square kilometres.
This week, Ararat Police Station celebrated her remarkable policing career.
Reflecting on her career, which began in the mid-1980s, Superintendent McCrory admitted she never imagined she would still be in the force four decades later.
“I don’t think I would have said, walking through those gates, that I’d be here 40 years later. I’m pretty proud I’ve made it.”
Throughout her career, Superintendent McCrory has seen significant changes in policing, both culturally and operationally.
“I joined in the mid-’80s, so it was a very different culture back then, very different to what it is today. From our acceptance and openness to people from all walks of life, and embracing culture and the differences in our own people and the community. The changes within Vicpol have been amazing.”
Superintendent McCrory has worked across numerous divisions, including prosecuting, surveillance, and intelligence, but her true passion has always been operational policing.
“My heart has always laid with the operations side of (Policing), so it’ll be nice to finish off my career in an operational role,” she said.
With no intention to retire any time soon, Superintendent McCrory is happy to put down roots and for her career with Victoria Police to end here.
“I’ve changed workplaces every three or four years, and I feel really blessed to be finishing my career here in this role,” she said.
Before her current post, Superintendent McCrory was stationed in Stonnington, where she worked on crime and youth-related offences.
Her move to regional Victoria brought new challenges, shifting her focus from urban crime to emergency management, including fires and floods.
“I’ve gone from a youth crime focus to coming up here. It’s a totally different focus up here. Yes, we have crime, but not at the same level. For me, it's been that impact of the emergencies, with fires and floods.”
One issue that has remained deeply personal to her is road safety.
“I can’t help but take every death on our roads personally. I see it as a failure on our part to achieve what we set out to do, zero road deaths.”
Superintendent McCrory’s leadership and dedication to her team have not gone unnoticed.
Ararat Senior Sergeant Elissa Smith praised her unwavering commitment.
“Forty years as a police officer is a huge achievement. She’s still happy to come to work, and her loyalty and professionalism remain top-notch.”
Superintendent McCrory’s influence is evident in her hands-on approach.
“Over the long weekend, she was here working alongside us. She’s approachable, and that makes it easier for us to do our jobs and gives us more confidence,” said Senior Sergeant Smith.