Commissioner Katarina Carroll today joined Minister for Police and Corrective Services and Minister for Fire and Emergency Services, the Honourable Mark Ryan MP, to send off riders on a memorial motorcycle ride to honour fallen police officers.

The Wall to Wall Ride for Remembrance is an annual motorcycle journey that sees police around Australia join with families and friends to remember those police who have been killed while on duty.

Traditionally, riders journey to Canberra for a national memorial ceremony. With the ride cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19, this year’s trek has been modified to suit current restrictions, keeping Queensland Police within the state for the duration of the ride.

A key component to the ride is the Commissioner’s Baton, which is a hand-crafted wooden classic police accoutrement engraved with each police organisation’s logo alongside the words, “We remember them”. Each baton has a hollow centre, and contains a scroll bearing the names of any serving police officers who were tragically killed within the previous year. Police jurisdictions throughout Australia hope to arrive at their destination with an empty baton each year.  

The name of Senior Constable Dave Masters was added to the Queensland Police Service’s scroll this year, following his tragic death at Burpengary in June.

The riders will initially travel to Caboolture Police Station where they will be joined by other participants, then continue their journey stopping at a number of regional centres.

Commissioner Carroll showed her support of the ride and encouraged riders as they started on their journey.

“This annual event is a solemn one, but one that brings together police and the community from all walks of life for a shared interest,” she said.

“I am tremendously saddened that I cannot hand an empty baton over to the team this year with the passing of Senior Constable Dave Masters, but we pay our deepest respects to him through this tradition of remembrance. Our thoughts remain with Dave’s family, friends and colleagues.”

Minister Ryan commended the officers on their show of unity and support.

“I know that the passing of Senior Constable Dave Masters is a source of great heartache, especially for Dave’s family but also the broader police family.

“In memory of Dave and all other fallen officers, the people riding in the Wall to Wall Ride for Remembrance are participating in a solemn act of remembering those we have lost in the line of their duty as police officers.”

The convoy will stop at several significant locations to gather and pay their respects to fallen colleagues, heading through Biloela, Emerald and Childers before returning to Brisbane.

A memorial ceremony will be live streamed from the National Police Memorial in Canberra to riders and locals in Emerald on Saturday, September 18.