By Alesha Capone
During his career with Victoria Police, Eric Sutton investigated hundreds of crimes from petty larceny to murder.
Mr Sutton said he grew up in a “poor family” and left school at 14 after obtaining his certificate of merit.
But Mr Sutton said his decision to join the police force led to a job that he loved, and that saw him rise through the ranks to retire as a commander.
Mr Sutton was among the attendees at the 38th annual Retired Police Lunch in Hoppers Crossing last Friday (December 17).
He actually welcomed guests to the first-ever lunch in 1983.
At the time, Mr Sutton was a superintendent based at the former police station in McArthurs Road, Altona North.
Now aged 92, Mr Sutton said it was sad that many of his former colleagues have died.
“I met so many great people in the police force,” he said.
“What I have enjoyed is the lifetime friendships I still have to this day and the loyalty.”
Mr Sutton said that the western suburbs “was all paddocks when I first policed out here in 1950”.
He said that he was “very proud” of his career, which has included multiple commendations from Chief Commissioners.
“I received a Valour Award in 1961 for disarming a bloke with a gun at a house in Middle Park,” he said.
Mr Sutton said that many of the cases he investigated, including rapes and homicides, “are still with me”.
One case he has never forgotten is the disappearance of eight-year-old Eloise Anne Worledge who was abducted from her Beaumaris home in January 1976.
No-one has ever been arrested for her abduction and no trace of Eloise has ever been found.
Mr Sutton spent part of his career based at the Russell Street Police Headquarters complex, which was bombed on March 27, 1986.
The bombing killed Rose Taylor, the first Australian policewoman to be die in the line of duty.
Mr Sutton was away on the day of the bombing, but assisted with the administrative side of the investigation afterward and a review into police security.
Mr Sutton also served on the Police Service Board, which heard matters including those relating to internal discipline.
