Hi there TTBN...

And that's about the size of it too; I reckon TTBN. Today, most people seem to have, little confidence in the police force. I suspect many citizens are of the belief the police are very much a political 'plaything' for the amusement of powerful politicians and their many acolytes?

By having someone close to a ranking copper, can prove useful, or so it was claimed. A case in point, I recalled a few years ago, there was a kerfuffle over Freemasonry, and allegations their members were being approached to gain an advantage, by associating with other Masons? All this was apparently 'teased out' by the electronic media. Suggesting there was a significant 'powerplay,' between the Masons and the Catholics within the Department. Like most things, it all tended to fizzle out and settle down, and nothing dramatic ever came of it.

In reality, my closest mate in the job had been a staunch Catholic all his life, and I'd been a Freemason since the early seventies. So much for this nonsense of simmering conflict, between Catholics & Masons. Any antipathy between the two had its origins within someone's, especially fertile imagination.

The bloke is is paying for the security out of his own pocket,
ttbn,
You'll find that he'd be writing his expenses off & as per usual it's us, the taxpayers who end up footing much of the bill.

Dear AC,

You wrote,

“But why are taxpayers winning his stupid prizes too?”

To be perfectly clear it isn't the taxpayer it is the insurer.

If it didn't happen in your state then it won't even impact your premiums.

So why the whinging?

O Sung Wu,

Many years ago (about 60) a mate of mine was posted to Lidcombe as a Probationary.
One of the first things that he was asked by the Crown was, was he a Catholic or a Mason.

He said to himself, that this was a bit rich, but answered: "Neither Sir, but why do you want to know?"; the answer was that the Masons and Catholics swapped shifts for their respective Annual Balls and they needed to know well beforehand to cover everyone, so he put himself down as a swap for either.

Hi, there IS MISE...

That's not too far from the truth I reckon IS MISE, both camps take their responsibilities quite seriously. The unofficial police Lodge in Sydney is Lodge MACKAY so named after the former Commissioner. A greatly revered man of his time, so I was told.

My 'Mother' Lodge was Lodge Long Bay, a Lodge peppered with a fair number of Prison Officers, and coppers as members. Whereas my Chapter, the 'Red', was 'Maroubra Royal Arch', very much the unofficial Chapter of the NSW Fire Brigade. Really welcoming, terrific blokes the 'Firies'!

How it worked for me, was purely convenience, very much closer to my home. Both the Blue Lodge and the Red were held in the same Masonic Temple. I attend neither now, as such I'm known as unattached (in good standing) for both. I do miss the fraternal atmosphere of Lodge nights, but I'm too old now to attend, which saddens me.

O Sung Wu,

Just as an aside, I had just come off the ferry at Cockatoo Island and was carrying a cased set of flintlock duelling pistols, their wooden case was inside a light protective black leather case, one of the blokes said: "Gee, I didn't know that you were in the Craft."

So I took him into the office and shewed him the "Regalia"; a bit of a surprise!

I've never been a Mason, though have had the honour of being offered a proposal a few times.