Keilor Downs Police Station will never be the same after the departure of dynamic duo Trevor and Denese O’Shanassy last week. 84519 Picture: KRISTIAN SCOTT
By NATALIE GALLENTI
IT WAS 40 years ago when a young Denese Monks first spotted a fresh-faced policeman on duty in Melbourne.
It may have been the man, the uniform, or a combination of the two but something definitely caught her eye. The man was Trevor O’Shanassy and like any good love story their paths continued to cross over time.
But this story has a twist worthy of a Hollywood script.
Decades on and the duo has shared a marriage, raised two kids and spent a lifetime fighting crime.
Trevor, now Senior Sergeant O’Shanassy, was always destined to work in the force, and jokes that the then 18-year-old Denese may have had eyes for the uniform.
As he worked his way up the Victoria Police ranks, Denese thought she might give it a go with him.
And they never looked back. The St Albans couple have worked alongside one another at Keilor Downs Police Station for the past 19 years and never let the job get in the way of their marriage.
“Trevor is my boss for eight hours a day,” Denese said.
“But once we hit the traffic lights, there’s no more talk of work.”
Now with four grandchildren and many things planned on their “to do” list, the duo decided it was time to retire. The pair said goodbye to the force last Friday.
“We’ve done our time,” Trevor said.
“This job can get to you after a while. But we’ll miss the people.
“There’s a team atmosphere here, it’s like an extended family.”
His wife agreed and said while it will be a huge adjustment, the appeal of enjoying time with friends and family was just too great.
It seems this romance story has a happy ending.
