Cobram detective retires after 41 years of service

Det Sgt Boyd joined the police academy in 1984 at just 19 years old, drawn to the job by its flexibility, unpredictable nature and sociable aspects.

“My grandfather was a policeman in the 1930s up until the 1960s in Jamieson ... so we’ve always had police blood in the veins,” he said.

After graduating from the academy, Det Sgt Boyd worked at Collingwood police station as a junior constable, doing everything from court security to highway patrol.

“It was a great eye-opener for a fresh-faced country boy,” Det Sgt Boyd said.

After that, he was stationed at Flemington police station for three years, where he made up his mind that he wanted to be a detective.

“That was a really great learning experience — it was a tough suburb, there was lots going on,” he said.

Det Sgt Boyd moved to Shepparton in 1993 where he was promoted to sergeant and ran the divisional response unit, successfully recovering drugs and stolen property.

In 2004, he was offered his dream job as a detective sergeant for the Cobram criminal investigation unit, where he has stayed ever since.

“I’ve had a really enjoyable career ... I’ve loved it up here,” he said.

One of the high-profile cases he worked on was the fruit orchard extortion racket in Cobram back in the early 2000s, where he was able to establish a connection to Shepparton.

“As a result, I was able to bring in the detectives from Melbourne Organised Crime Squad and as a collective we were able to take out the main offender, utilising a lot of modern investigation techniques,” he said.

“We had a lot of success out of that, and I think we got a lot of trust there from the community.”

Det Sgt Boyd said dealing with children who had been offended against was one of the hardest parts of the job, but he was grateful to have his wife by his side.

“My wife, Carolyn, has been a really good support for me. It is really important that you’re supported outside the job,” he said.

Det Sgt Boyd has faced many hardships during his career, one that almost took his life and stopped him from returning to the force.

Four years ago, Det Sgt Boyd and his partner were involved in a collision with a van at the intersection of Labuan Rd and Murray Valley Hwy, leaving them both severely injured.

The driver of the van died in the crash.

“I broke 13 bones in my body, I broke seven ribs, cracked my sternum and punctured a lung,” Det Sgt Boyd said.

“But I’m here to fight another day ... the support I had from friends, family and Victoria Police as a whole was unbelievable.”

After the accident, it took Det Sgt Boyd 18 months to fully recover and return to work.

“I was really determined to get back and finish on my terms, which I am really proud of,” he said.

Det Sgt Boyd faced more dark times when he lost a good friend and colleague, Neal Thompson, during the shootings at Porepunkah three months ago.

“I was working that day, and it was very tough on everyone,” he said.

“We do have a very strong bond being in the police force, I say it’s the blue brotherhood and sisterhood.”

Retired detective senior sergeant Garry Barton has known Det Sgt Boyd for 20 years and said he was “one of the best policemen around”.

“He's an excellent investigator and an excellent police officer ... we're losing a lot of experience,” he said.

Det Sgt Boyd said he felt fortunate to have worked with so many great detectives and was now looking forward to spending more time with his family.

“I’ll definitely miss the camaraderie of my colleagues, I'll miss the unknown ... but at the same time I know I’m ready to go,” he said.

“I want to thank everyone in Moira Shire for their support and wish everyone well.”