Moving from Harrow to Tangambalanga 18 months ago, Leading Senior Constable Lisa Lorenz became the first female in the Victoria Police eastern region, and the second statewide, to run a single-member station.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
"There's approximately 100 single-member stations across Victoria, of which four are staffed by female members, and there's only been six in the history of Victoria Police," she said.
"This is my 19th year with Victoria Police and I've loved working at a single-member station.
"Being part of the community, you're not simply responding to jobs, you're actively preventing them from happening."
More on IWD:
Leading Senior Constable Lorenz celebrated International Women's Day today with Lions Club of Wodonga and Little Kickers, speaking about the 2019 theme of 'Balance for Better'.
"Victoria Police is recruiting officers at the moment and this is a prime time to point out, if this is something you want to do you should give it a go," she said.
"We can do it just as well as blokes can - different yes - but just as well."
Additional to her role, the mum-of-two is part of another first for the force as one of nine people on the eastern region division four women in policing local committee.
The committees were formed in each region following the independent review into sex discrimination in the force, by the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission.
Victoria Police accepted all 20 recommendations and since 2015 has implemented changes including a new parental leave backfill scheme.
News today:
"We've been running for a little over a year at this stage and it doesn't just come down to us fighting for equality," Leading Senior Constable Lorenz said.
"It's the little things like acknowledgement of what we're doing; upgrading without having to be in the boys' club; it's being able to go to the toilet - we can't just stand behind a tree.
"It's putting things into a way that is respectful and that we as people would be proud to have our children do.
"At the moment my daughter is 11, would I want her joining the police?
"In a couple years, yes, but I don't want her to have to fight for what I've had to."
Leading Senior Constable Lorenz said there had been major changes in Victoria Police.
"There are blokes who see we are equal and are being male champions," she said.
"Victoria Police has for a very long time paid equal money for equal responsibly and that's something we should be proud of.
"We've still got a long way to go and International Women's Day is a good day to acknowledge that."
