Despite returning to the place where his wife and children have remained during his time down south, Senior Sergeant Flegg said his promotion was bittersweet.
“I love it at Kowanyama. It’s a great community with some amazing people,” he said.
“It’s great to be back with the family in Weipa but there’s a lot that I’ll miss about Kowanyama.”
Senior Sergeant Flegg moved to Weipa around six years ago from the Torres Strait and quickly became known as a community-minded officer, often spending time at local schools and sporting groups.
He said he would bring that energy as the new officer in charge of the station, replacing Antoni Lesic.
“Policing can’t just be about responding to crime,” he said.
“It’s about having a connection to the community and encouraging strong behaviours, especially with the younger generation.”
Senior Sergeant Flegg said the Weipa station serviced the communities of Napranum and Mapoon and that work needed to be done to reduce the levels of domestic and family violence in those places.
“It’s on every community member to do their bit to stop domestic and family violence,” he said.
“It’s not acceptable anywhere and we’ve got too much of it in the Cape.”
Senior Sergeant Flegg is in charge of 13 sworn officers and two police liaison officers at Weipa and will team up with former Coen Sergeant Dave “Pockets” McCarthy, who has arrived to take on a new role.
“We’ve got a good team of people and we’re keen to make our communities a safer place to live,” Senior Sergeant Flegg said.
