Sergeant Steve Bloomfield retires after three decades of dedicated police service

Riverina Police District’s Sergeant Steve Bloomfield was given a guard of honour outside Wagga Wagga Police Station by his colleagues and family members as he farewelled the force.

Sgt Bloomfield retired from the NSW Police Force after serving his community for 34 years.

Following the march-out, he was given a drive around Wagga in a vintage V8 Holden Commodore police car.

Sgt Bloomfield felt overwhelmed as his colleagues, family and friends turned up to support him on his march-out.

“It’s been very good … there’s a lot of people I haven’t seen in a long time and people I have worked with and work with at the moment,” he said.

The veteran officer said his career had been “great fun”.

“It’s a long time in any career but it’s a job that gives you a lot of variety and things to do,” he said.

“I’d do it again without a second thought.”

Sgt Bloomfield had ideas of what he wanted to do when he was young, but his father had his own visions for him.

“This was something I had considered but wasn’t old enough when I left school … I thought I’d give it a go, and I did.”

Born and raised in Sydney, Sgt Bloomfield had no intention of working there after graduating from the police academy.

“I wanted to get as far west as we could,” he said.

“I started in Walgett, and from there we did a lot of western and remote locations and we enjoyed every minute of that, they were great places to raise kids.”

Sgt Bloomfield worked in Wagga for years, making it his 12th residential base.

“We didn’t think we’d end up in Wagga … it just happened and this is where I’ll retire,” he said.

“That opportunity to move and try different places and get to know different communities and those little places where you had to be part of the community … probably the highlight of the whole time.”

Sgt Bloomfield has had a special farewell to a career alongside his daughter, Riverina Police District Senior Constable Hannah Bloomfield.

“My daughter will allow me to retain a connection with the police force and I’ve got a son who has ambitions in four or five years,” he said.

The 55-year-old said he would miss the V8 police cars and the camaraderie with the people he had worked with over the years.

Asked about his proudest career moment, he said it was hard to pinpoint one thing.

“If you’re in a career where your kids want to emulate you, that’s got to be a positive thing,” Sgt Bloomfield said.

He will be swapping police cars for trucks in his post-police life.

“I’m going to be truck driving … something completely different,” he said. “I’m going to start at the bottom, which is something I’ve always wanted to do.

“My work colleagues are having a bet of who’s going to light me up first.”

Snr Const Bloomfield is happy to see her father start a new adventure.

“He leaves a great legacy behind him and he has done something amazing things,” she said.

“He is going to be a big loss to our section.

“I’m sure I’ll still see him but it may be in a seat of a Kenworth rather than a highway patrol car.”