LEADING Senior Constable Dani Richardson is moving on from the Ararat Police Station Uniform Section to pursue her next career goal.
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Ms Richardson will join the Central Goldfields Highway Patrol, which is a unit of Bendigo Highway Patrol, early September 2019.
Ms Richardson has been stationed at Ararat for 11 years, after arriving at Ararat late 2008 as a probationary constable from Melbourne.
She will be leaving Ararat after attaining the rank of Leading Senior Constable.
"It has been my goal to join the Highway Patrol for over four years now, and I was not going to give up until I got a spot," Ms Richardson said.
"Most of my career here has been on the Ararat Divisional Van.
"I have also held the position of Youth Resource Officer for Northern Grampians for about three years, and I have had secondments and temporary duties in the Northern Grampians Highway Patrol, Divisional Tasking Unit, Criminal Investigation Unit, Sex Offence and Child Abuse Unit and Divisional Intelligence Unit during that time as well."
Throughout her time at Ararat, Ms Richardson has implemented community programs including the Three Seas Rugby Program, which evolved into the Maori community cultural involvements we now see on ANZAC Day, and the Beat The Heat Victoria youth automotive and motorsport mentoring program based in Ararat at Harris Automotive.
WATCH DANI RICHARDSON DRIVE A RACECAR:
Although Ms Richardson will be working in another region, she wished to assure the community that Beat the Heat Victoria will remain based in Ararat.
"I am a part of the Ararat community and so are the Beat the Heat cars," she said.
"We have seen some great things happen in our community, with young people getting involved in community leadership through motorsport and automotive.
"We have also seen the program become endorsed by the Magistrates Court of Victoria with Diversion and Community Corrections involvements.
"All of that will be continuing exactly as it has been, and the program will still be heavily involved with the Ararat Jail House Rock Festival and motorsports and car clubs in Warracknabeal and Stawell."
Ms Richardson wanted to encourage women to consider policing as a career.
"You can create a work-life balance, especially as a parent," she said.
"Every career has its challenges, and they aren't always the ones you identify when you first join.
"My best advice to women and girls considering a career in policing is to chase down your goals with everything that you have got.
"Find some good role models and develop a supportive network, those networks will stay with you throughout your career and be invaluable to you when you are going through transitional times or challenges. Never give up, let your success speak for itself."
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