LIFE LOSS AFTER
LOSING A PARTNER WHO WAS A MEMBER ENTRENCHES YOU WITHIN THE POLICING COMMUNITY FOREVER. FOR DR DEBRA BATEMAN, IT WAS THIS ONGOING LOVE AND SUPPORT THAT HELPED HER SURVIVE THE DARK DAYS AFTER HER HUSBAND SUDDENLY DIED WHILE ON-DUTY.
VALUING OUR PEOPLE EDITORIAL JANAE HOUGHTON PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREW HENSHAW
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enior Constable Mark Bateman loved being a police member. He joined as a 23-year-old in 1995 and enjoyed his time on the beat. He started at Northcote police station before moving on to Transit and he then did a stint with the Force Response Unit. His wife, Dr Debra Bateman, remembers his passion for policing.
“He was a believer. He loved everything that being a police member stood for. He had pride putting on the uniform and enjoyed going to court and talking with other, more experienced police,” she said. “For Mark, when he started at Northcote police station, it was like home. There were some fantastic characters there and it had a rich history.
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OCTOBER 2011 POLICELIFE
“He became quite good friends with a lot of the members there and they often played practical jokes on each other. For the things they would see that would be horrid, it was important for them to be able to balance it out with humour.” Sen Const Bateman returned to Northcote police station in May, 2000 and was working the nightshift when he was called out to a job with Senior Constable Fiona Robinson. On their way, their van was clipped by another car as it tried to overtake them, becoming airborne. Both members died instantly.
Dr Bateman was at home with her two children, Daisy, 10 weeks, and Jack, one, when she was given the news. “I went down to the morgue to see Mark. Some people didn’t think it was a good idea, but even though Mark died doing what he loved as a policeman, he was still mine. “I remember standing in the hallway at home that night and deciding to make sure I built an excellent life for my two children.” This year, Dr Bateman was the face of National Police Remembrance Day, or Blue Ribbon Day, as it is also known. They are held annually on 29 September for police and the community to honour those who have lost their lives in the line of duty. “There is an incredible sadness and loss when someone dies that never goes away. But I have worked hard to develop a rich and fulfilling life for me and my children,” Dr Bateman said.