Acting Senior Sergeant Sharni Jackson of Jimboomba Police Station had just arrived at a traffic crash on the Mount Lindsey Highway in August when a thoughtful community member handed her a phone they had found nearby.
When Sharni had a chance to look at the phone, she noticed a contact named ‘Myself’.
Sharni made the call and found herself speaking to Martin*, an elderly gentleman living in nearby Beaudesert and missing his mobile phone.
Martin was also missing his car. He had been a victim of a break and enter.
Thieves had broken into his house and stolen his car. After the robbery, the offenders had thrown Martin’s phone out the window on the highway.
They had also thrown his much-needed mobility walker away.
Sharni got to talking with Martin and he told her that, without his car he hadn’t been able to get down to the supermarket for food.
Martin wasn’t expecting anything more than his phone back, but instead Senior Sergeant Sharni flew into action.
A quick call to Able Care Jimboomba secured a food package for Martin.
Another call to Red Cross Beenleigh meant a free walker was on the way.
Senior Constable Ben Condon and Constable Matt Price from Jimboomba Police Station collected the grocery hamper.
Senior Constable Leanne Cole and Constable Jeff Duprez had meanwhile located Martin’s stolen car. They came themselves to Martin’s home in Beaudesert and returned his phone to him with a huge hamper of food.
A few days later, Sharni and Martin met face-to-face for the first time (pictured, Martin’s face blurred to protect his identity).
Sharni also delivered Martin’s new walker, and he happily confirmed it was a superior model to the one that had been so callously stolen and then discarded.
Martin has been living in the same house in Beaudesert since 1945, when Jimboomba was a hotel, a shop, a school and not much more and the roads were all dirt. The local police officer was Sarge Holden and if you were acting up, he’d give you a kick up the arse, he told Sharni.
Thanks to the support of important charitable organisations – often staffed and managed by volunteers – Martin’s story has a happy ending.
And Snr Sgt Sharni’s advice: check up on your neighbours, especially if they’re elderly.
Special thanks to Jimboomba and Beaudesert Police, Able Care Jimboomba and Red Cross Beenleigh for looking after Martin.
*Names have been changed as requested.
