"All the car had was a radio and a spotlight," he said.

"We didn't even have sirens in those days. We had to use the horn, and had one single blue light.

"Now we've gone from old-fashioned analog policing to digital policing."

First Class Constable Greenwood's 40 years of service to the force was recognised at the Tasmania Police Medal and Awards Ceremony at the University of Tasmania on Tuesday.

He was among 30 officers to be recognised at the ceremony.

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First Class Constable Greenwood said while the friendship and camaraderie in the force was a constant, the other side of the blue line was constantly evolving.

"The offending is often pretty much the same, but it's the motive that has changed. It's much more drug-related these days than what it used to be," he said.

"It's smaller groups of people responsible for more crime.

"We're definitely getting better at what we do, and technology has certainly helped. Keeping up is always a challenge, we always need to keep ahead."

He was joined by his son, Sergeant Stuart Greenwood, now serving with Deloraine police and approaching 20 years of service himself.

Sergeant Greenwood said the police force had given him a stable career after his time in the Australia Army.

He said the mateship of his fellow officers helped them through what was an unpredictable working environment.

"In the 20 years, I've noticed that there's a greater recourse to violence, there's less likely to be an acceptance of responsibility," Sergeant Greenwood said.

"Nobody ever nods their head to anything these days, even if you catch them red handed."

He said the sense of giving back to the community was what drove him, and others, at Tasmania Police.

Recipients of the Commissioner's Medal:

- Sergeant Cassandra Breadmore

- Constable Jarrod Burleigh

- Constable Mathew Dunstone

- Constable Jarrod Fawdry

- Constable Christian Schriever

- Constable Rachael Shorter

- Constable Jonathan Wadley

National Medal:

- Sergeant Jonathan Riley

National Police Service Medal and National Medal:

- Constable Jareth Anderson

- Constable Nikki De Quincey

- Constable Tarnya Frost

- Sergeant Nathan Johnston

- Constable Kristin Males

- Constable Talitha McKenzie

- Constable Ashley Reinkowsky

- Constable Sharee Smith

- Constable Gavin Spencer

- Constable Lisa Turner

- Constable Katrina Woodgate

Third Clasp (40 years):

- Constable Stephen Greenwood

Second Clasp (30 years):

- Constable Sharon Deane

- Sergeant Jason Jones

- Inspector Grant Twining

- Constable Brett Tyson

First Clasp (20 years):

- Commander Robert Blackwood

- Sergeant Anthony Roughan

- Constable Christopher Smithurst

- Constable Gavin Storay