Excellence in Policing Awards Program
The Rotary Club of Castle Hill hosts an annual Awards dinner to recognise outstanding sworn and unsworn members of The Hills Police Area Command (The Hills PAC). Our awards, which have been going on since 2005, celebrate professional excellence and dedication to service by officers and civilian staff.
We have six award categories. Three of these are local categories, specific to Castle Hill Rotary. Winners of the other three award categories are eligible for nomination for the State Police Officer of the Year Awards and are subsequently nominated to these awards by the Commander of The Hills PAC.
Over the course of the year, The Hill PAC leadership team collect nominations from Command members and the public, and then as we approach the awards, reviews and nominates individuals for one or more awards. Each nomination is accompanied by a citation – a 250-word description of the reason for the nomination. Working together, the Awards coordinator (a club Rotarian) and the police Commander decide the winner of each award.
The Rotary Club then invites all nominees and their guests to attend a formal Awards dinner, where the citations for each nominee are read, and the winners of each Excellence in Policing Award are announced.
In 2025, we introduced a perpetual trophy for the Terry O'Mara AM Constable of the Year Award in honour of our dearly missed past club president, who started these awards at the Rotary Club of Castle Hill. Terry had a long and distinguished career in child protection and was a passionate supporter of recognising police officers, particularly those in the early years of their profession.
The award categories
The Excellence in Policing Awards recognise and celebrate the outstanding service, dedication, and professionalism of police officers who go above and beyond to protect and support our community.
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Recognises the exceptional efforts of NSW Police Force employees who have worked for the benefit of the community, putting service above self whether on or off duty.
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Recognises exceptional customer service provided to members of the community, and those police who contribute to the overall customer service policy by their involvement in communications, problem solving and innovation.
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Recognises an individual who has consistently demonstrated exceptional performance, setting a benchmark of excellence.
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Recognises an individual who inspires others, exemplifies leadership, and motivates colleagues to excel.
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Recognises policing excellence for junior officers of the rank of Constable or Probationary Constable performing duties within The Hills Police Area Command.
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Recognises policing excellence for sworn officers performing duties within the Metropolitan Field Operations Commands.
Our 2025 Awards
In 2025, we celebrated the following:
Rotary Community Award - sworn and unsworn - Detective Senior Constable Heidi Sieders
Customer Service Excellence Award - Constable Kyle Steward
Consistent High Performance Award - sworn and unsworn - Ellie Heenan
Outstanding Role Model Award - sworn and unsworn - Sergeant Michael Roach
Terry O'Mara AM Constable of the Year Award - Constable Hendrik Nel
Metropolitan NSW Field Operations Police Officer of the Year - Constable Kaia Chapman
Our process organising the awards
The Hills PAC leadership team collect nominations over the course of the year. Nominations include details of the nominee and a reason for the nomination (250 words).
A function room and catering is booked at the Castle Hill RSL Club – a long time supporter of the awards - and an event is created to manage RSVPs and payments using a third party online booking site. Sponsorship is sought to reduce costs to attendees.
Nominees and Award winners are selected (with awardee names kept highly confidential)
Invitations to the awards dinner are sent to the nominees, all Command members, Rotarians and special guests. The Rotary club covers the cost of the event for nominees so that their attendance is at no charge, all other attendees pay for their attendance.
Trophies are procured for the Award winners together with a new plaque for the perpetual trophy.
The evening is planned, special guests invited, a raffle organised, booklets printed and decorations are arranged.
The Awards dinner
Dinner is a two-course sit-down meal, with a special cake arranged and served for dessert. Over the years, the awards' popularity has increased, and in 2025 we had 140 attendees. Every effort is taken to keep the cost reasonable for attendees.
The dinner is generally scheduled from 7 pm to 9.30 pm, with guests invited to arrive from 6.30 pm. A seating plan is created to ensure nominees can sit with their colleagues and guests, with Rotarians interspersed on tables.
The order of events is typically a welcome and presentation about Rotary, dinner, an address by The Hills PAC Commander, and then the awards are presented, with an interval during the awards presentation for cutting the cake and dessert.
The awards are presented by our Rotary Club President. Each nominee is read a citation, and they are presented with a certificate. The award winner is then announced and invited (with advance notice given) to give a short speech.
We engage a professional photographer to take photos during the evening, and we share these with the Commander.
Photos and a report of the awards are shared on the club website and social media.
The Commander nominates the eligible award winners for the State Police Officer of the Year Awards.
Get Involved Today
Castle Hill Rotary brings together business leaders, professionals, and community members who are passionate about giving back. Through our events and initiatives, we support local causes, empower communities, and create positive, lasting change.
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