A NSW police funeral with full honours will take place today for Detective Chief Inspector Darren Steel, who passed away last Wednesday.
The service is being held at the Melaleuca Station Memorial Gardens at Chinderah this morning.
Insp Steel joined the police academy in 1985 and served as a police officer in Moree, Tamworth and the Tweed/Byron Local Area Command, rising through the ranks to become crime manager.
Superintendent Wayne Starling, Tweed/Byron’s local area commander, said Insp Steel would be sadly missed by all.
‘I think we are all better people for having Detective Chief Inspector Steel in our lives,’ he said.
Insp Steel passed away last Wednesday with his wife and two children present.
Tweed MP Geoff Provest said he was saddened by the event but praised the efforts of an officer who dedicated 33 years of his life to his duties and never once took a sick day.
‘I worked with him for many years and always found him a fine, upstanding officer, deeply committed and dedicated to the wider Tweed community,” MrProvest said.
‘I was very shocked and saddened by what happened and my thoughts and my sympathies go out to his family and friends.’
An honest, knowledgeable and caring police officer with whom I had the pleasure of working with at Tamworth PS. His experience and impressive ‘lead by example attitude’ was a credit to him. A natural leader of men and women in the field many of us aspired to gather skills such as he possessed. He will be sadly missed and our thoughts go to Nicole and family. RIP ‘Dash’ your friend Bruce Taylor former Sgt #16728
An honest, knowledgeable and caring police officer with whom I had the pleasure of working with at Tamworth PS. His experience and impressive ‘lead by example’ attitude was a credit to him. A natural leader of men and women in the field many of us aspired to gather skills such as he possessed. He will be sadly missed and our thoughts go to his wife Nicole and family. RIP ‘Dash’ your friend Bruce Taylor Fmr Sgt #16728