HOME RUN: Wimmera Inspector Brad Dixon will leave the region to become Local Area Commander of the Bendigo police service area. He is originally from central Victoria and said he looked forward to living near family again. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
WIMMERA Inspector Brad Dixon will leave the region after more than two years on the job.
Mr Dixon, who works in divisional operations support for the region, will return to his family in central Victoria.
His last day working in the Wimmera is on Friday.
Mr Dixon will become Bendigo Local Area Commander, in charge of the Bendigo police service area.
"I'm from over that way, so I chose to go there," he said.
"It's part of a rotation process.
"I look forward to reacquainting myself with family.
"It's been difficult living away from home for the past two years.
"What I look forward to in my new role is getting more involved with the community.
"That role will allow me to become more involved."
Mr Dixon started work in the Wimmera in October 2010.
He said there had been a lot of changes during his time.
"Mainly they have been changes to the internal structure of the police force," he said.
"My position was a new one, operations support.
"So it took a while to get that established."
Mr Dixon said one of his achievements was seeing the full implementation of the Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team.
"Seeing where it is now, it's a really effective unit that deals with some pretty horrific things," he said.
"I just hope I've made a positive impact on the staff who I have been in charge of and anyone in the community who I have dealt with."
Mr Dixon became a policeman in January 1987 and started work in Melbourne.
He moved to the country for work in 1991 and had jobs in Wangaratta, Shepparton, Maryborough and Ballarat before coming to the Wimmera.
"Being a police officer was my first real career that I wanted to do," he said.
"I had other jobs in between starting to study radiography at university and signing up to the force.
"But I realised quickly that radiography was not for me.
"I chose to join the police because I had wanted to do it earlier and it appealed to me."
Mr Dixon said his daughter Leah Dixon, 19, was considering following him into the police force.
"I will support her if she chooses to go that way," he said.
Wimmera Senior Sergeant Stuart Green will become Acting Inspector while a replacement is found for Mr Dixon.
