By XAVIER SMERDON
WYNDHAM’S Police Inspector is leaving after just over five months in the position.
Inspector Cindy Millen took the reins from Bill Weatherly on 5 March this year but next week she will be leaving after accepting a promotion.
Senior Sergeant Damien Christensen from Flemington will take over from Insp Millen, who will be taking on the position of Chief of Staff for Chief Commissioner Ken Lay.
Insp Millen told Star she felt she had made improvements to Wyndham’s police force in her short time in Werribee.
“I think we have made some impact,” Insp Millen said.
“Internally we have made some changes that will positively impact our output.
“I’m leaving a very strong management team in place.”
The first female Inspector in Wyndham told Star she believed Sen Sgt Christensen, a former colleague of hers, would be able to continue with the work she had started.
“We’ve made an influence in terms of the visible police presence and that will definitely continue under him (Sen Sgt Christensen),” she said.
“The team I leave behind here are a great leadership team and I know Wyndham will be in really good hands.”
A Victoria Police spokesperson told Star however that Sen Sgt Christensen’s appointment would be as Acting Inspector and that at this stage it was not a permanent position.
Insp Millen said she was sad to be leaving Wyndham after just five months.
“I certainly had intentions of staying here… obviously opportunities come up and sometimes they’re hard to dismiss,” she said.
“Sometimes I sit here and I think about the things I still haven’t achieved but what we haven’t achieved I know Damien Christensen will take on.”
Insp Millen has previously been praised for bringing several high visibility police operations to Wyndham during her time in the job, but she said she would have liked to have branched into the community more.
Burglaries, theft from motor vehicles and hoon behaviour were listed as some of the major issues facing Wyndham’s police.
“Each area has it’s own problems so it’s just how you manage it,” she said.
“The members here have done a great job and have reacted very positively to me.
“They have such a busy area to police and they should be proud of the way they work.”
