From being deployed with Tasmania Police's elite Special Operations Group to Port Arthur in 1996 to leading daunting murder investigations, Glen Ball's career has been nothing if not intense.
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In this year's Queen's Birthday honours, Inspector Ball has been awarded the Australian Police Medal for his "sustained commitment" to the safety of the community and to Tasmania's police force since he joined in 1980.
"The professionalism, integrity, and sustained commitment shown by Inspector Glen Ball makes him a very worthy recipient of the Australian Police Medal today," Commissioner Darren Hine said.
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"Having spent the last 18 years in senior leadership and management, Inspector Ball leads by example with a commitment to sharing his knowledge and experience of policing as he mentors other members within Tasmania Police.
"On behalf of Tasmania Police, I thank Inspector Glen Ball for his dedication to duty and congratulate him on this honour today."
Starting out as a constable performing general duties in Hobart, Inspector Ball went on to serve in a number of different uniform and specialist roles.
It was in 1994 that he began working mostly in investigative and specialist areas. For the last 18 years, Inspector Ball has been in senior leadership and management roles.
He was deployed to Port Arthur when the massacre occurred 24 years ago, where he had a tactical role and was part of the team that arrested the gunman.
Inspector Ball was attached to the police's Specialist Capability Services for a time, which saw him oversee security arrangements for dignitaries' visits to the state, as well as the APEC meetings held in Hobart in 2007.
There was also a period where he was part of the Serious Organised Crime Division, examining cold case murder investigations, a major fraud investigation and cyber-crime investigations.
Inspector Ball helped formulate operational responses and legislation to combat the proliferation of outlaw motorcycle gangs in Tasmania.
He has previously headed up the Deloraine Uniform Division and the Northern Criminal Investigation unit.