In 1981 Sandy graduated from the Victorian Police Force at the age of twenty-one. At that time women could only work in the women’s division. The general public assumed female police officers didn’t have the same authorities as males. With equal opportunity laws more women entered the police force, but not all the guys appreciated this change. Female police officers were not issued hand cuffs, or firearms. They were given a short trudgen and a handbag, and were told that if they needed to restrain a crook, to remove their pantyhose and tie them up.

A transfer from Melbourne to Bendigo in 1983 found Sandy working in ‘community policing’ with a focus on child and sexual abuse. Country policing meant that if you were the first person on the scene, you did the job. And with this ‘can-do’ mentality the small team in Bendigo became pioneers in policing family and domestic violence and abuse. They instigated domestic violence investigations as we know them today, Sandy did the very first intervention order in Australia, and another officer started a program for male offenders. They convened a national conference to discuss the lack of laws addressing family and domestic violence. The office also devised a kit for women who needed to or had escaped family violence. This kit was later funded by the Federal Government for all of Australia.

Sandy sustained faith throughout the incredible pressures and challenges of her policing career. God was always with her, tapping her on the shoulder, or guiding and protecting her in her times of greatest need.