By CASEY NEILL
DETECTIVE Sergeant Dean Hedge has spent the past 20 years sparring with youths, forming fast friendships and breaking down barriers.
The Greater Dandenong CIU member received a Divisional Commendation for his “selfless dedication and commitment” to the Greater Dandenong Blue Light Boxing Club at the Southern Metro Region Division 3 honours and awards ceremony on 19 May.
The citation said his efforts established relationships with the community and City of Greater Dandenong, “providing life-changing opportunities to disadvantaged youth”.
“I love boxing and I love the kids and I loved the fact I was representing Victoria Police and that the project worked,” he said.
“I’d train with them, I’d spar with them, you’d mentor them, you’d talk to them one-on-one – it broke down the barriers.
“It was great to get the recognition. It wasn’t expected. I didn’t ask for it, I didn’t really know it was coming.
“It could have never run without the help of the committee members and the non-police members who were down there over the years.
“They take as much credit as I can.”
The club closed its doors in December last year.
“Unfortunately there was no real succession planner,” Det Sgt Hedge said.
“It was a lot of work, a lot of time.
“I’d been doing it for so long that I couldn’t cover all the nights.”
He had been at the council hall on Hammond Road, Dandenong, three to four nights a week and some weekends.
“It was all voluntary,” he said.
“I would love to see something to take its place. It’s sad that there isn’t a program like that.”
Det Sgt Hedge joined the club in 1994 at the suggestion of its founder.
“We called him OM,” he said.
“He, basically, wanted to start a boxing club and get police involved to link with young people.
“We ran it together with other trainers.
“We had a lot of non-police members as well as police members.”
Some sparring partners went on to box competitively but the focus was on fitness and youth-police interaction.
“We run it at a bare minimum, so the kids in the area could afford to come,” he said.
Then OM passed away after suffering a heart attack on a treadmill at the club.
“We didn’t know which direction it was going to go,” Det Sgt Hedge said.
“It was going to fold because we didn’t have a figurehead there.
“I decided that I’d keep it going.”
He included kids on the committee to give them a sense of responsibility.
“A couple of thousand kids would have come through there over the years,” he said.
“I still see them around. I’ve got a great rapport with them all.
“Our motto was race, religion and politics stayed at the door.
“You had nationalities there from all over the world from different political persuasions.
“We all trained together.
“They were great kids, and great people, too.”
