Wairarapa parents surprise top cop

ACHIEVEMENT: Former Masterton man Ben Stevenson (left) is presented with the Commissioner's Award by Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart at a graduation ceremony for Queensland police training graduates this month. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

The Masterton parents of a top Queensland police cadet were flown in secret to his graduation in Australia for an elaborate "sting" operation involving fellow recruits and ranking officers.

Former Masterton man Ben Stevenson, 32, was named recipient of the Queensland Police Commissioners Award for overall highest achievement during the second intake of a 25-week training course held at the Brisbane Police Academy.

A ranking officer at the academy phoned Graeme and Rosemary Stevenson and outlined a plan to fly the couple to Brisbane, all expenses paid, for a mock graduation parade ahead of the actual ceremony on August 8, when Police Commissioner Ian Stewart would present their son with a personal award and a trophy shield.

The cover-up reached to the very top, Mr Stevenson said, with the police commissioner playing along with the ruse.

A student had devised the plan to smuggle the couple to the official ceremony, Mr Stevenson said, and "all 90 of the students managed to keep the whole plan a secret".

"They opened a bank account so cadets and staff could secretly collect the money for our flight and allow us to surreptitiously arrive during a 'mock parade' that doubled as a surprise birthday celebration for one of the tutors as well," Mr Stevenson said.

After arriving in Australia, the couple were driven from the airport to the Brisbane Police Academy in a marked police car, and on arrival had to be hidden before they were handed over to a protocol officer to wait for the sham parade to begin.

"We met several high-ranking officers as well as the cadet who organised the trip. At the parade the cadets began singing Happy Birthday to their tutor so the commissioner could walk myself and Rosemary unobserved between two groups of cadets to a point just behind the flag-bearers.

"At the end of the song Ben had to march from the ranks to the rostrum, where he was to read his declaration of allegiance to the state and Queen. So he had his back to us until he turned to face the assembly," Mr Stevenson said.

"His eyes swept across the crowd once, twice, and on the third sweep he saw us. His mouth dropped open and tears came to his eyes. Several others had tears in their eyes as well."

Mr Stevenson said the couple, who have five adult children, were proud of their son's achievement and grateful to his fellow recruits and tutors for the opportunity to be at the graduation.

He said the bona fide ceremony was memorable and included displays of dog handlers, pipe bands, motorcycle police and, of course, the swearing in of their son as a Queensland police constable.

Mr Stevenson said his son, who was home-schooled and holds the Boys Brigade Queen's Badge Award, had started his working life as a Wairarapa Times-Age paper boy ahead of several other jobs in Masterton before he left for Australia several years ago.