A familiar face at community events, Mr O’Sullivan managed the North West Metropolitan district’s crime prevention unit for the last 11 years of his police career.
He told the Times he joined on April 8, 1974 after a few years working as a mechanic because he was deemed ‘a quarter of an inch’ too short for an officer.
‘It was just a childhood ambition, even as a young boy in Kalgoorlie,’ he said.
‘I thought it was so interesting, and it has been an interesting career.’
Mr O’Sullivan spent several years working as a traffic officer, including four years in Margaret River.
‘About 1981/2 I went to the criminal investigation branch ” now they are called detectives ” where I spent about eight years and had the rank of Detective Sergeant.’
He then returned to uniform duties and spent 4