MOUNT Isa District cross-cultural liaison officer Sergeant Catherine Purcell was among the list of six police officers and emergency personnel in Queensland to receive Queen's Birthday Honours.
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Sergeant Purcell received the award for her work in safety and domestic violence awareness in the Doomadgee and Mount Isa communities.
She was humble about her achievement and was quick to praise the police officers she has worked with in Mount Isa and Doomadgee.
``There is no individual recognition, you never achieve anything like this by yourself,'' she said.
She said these police officers went beyond their core responsibilities, which included arresting people.
``The police officers all donated large amounts of their own time to volunteer,'' Sergeant Purcell said.
``Each went above and beyond what they were paid to do.''
In her current role Sergeant Purcell works to increase her understanding of different cultures in Mount Isa and brings that knowledge back to the station.
She received her award for her work in numerous projects including the Doomadgee Community Watch Newsletter.
Doomadgee PCYC and the Barista program at Doomadgee School received funding because of Sergeant Purcell's successful application.
Sport equipment was vital in small communities where there were no other recreational facilities, she said.
``Everything comes back to sport. Their [the children's] confidence is built back to sport,'' she said.
``Sport also builds leadership.''
Sergeant Purcell also worked with the Real Families Don't Fight program, which created domestic violence awareness, and the Ladies Night project which developed relationships between female police officers and the women of Doomadgee.
Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services Jack Dempsey said the awards reflected the dedication these officers showed in service to the Queensland community.
``Each day Queenslanders benefit from the actions of our emergency services men and women, especially in times of hardship and it is a privilege to see their contributions rewarded,'' Mr Dempsey said.
