Nathan Deutschbein was a much-loved police rescue operator and on April 16 Blue Mountains Police honoured his memory, introducing the "Dutchy Award" at their annual police officer of the year awards night.
The Leading Senior Constable was killed in a mountaineering accident in New Zealand in November 2018.
The award went to Blue Mountains police rescue co-ordinator Sergeant Dallas Atkinson, for his leadership through the difficult time after Const Deutschbein's death.
"Sgt Atkinson managed the welfare of his operators through the initial breaking of the news, the bringing of Nathan's body home and the funeral service that followed. He gave freely of his time and always made himself available if anyone just needed a talk," said Chief Inspector Peter Scheinflug.
"It is only fitting that the first rescue operators to receive Nathan's award should be the man who led the squad through dealing with his loss."
Const Deutschbein's widow Skye, said her husband would be "honoured, if a little confused" by the award. She described a man who "made people feel seen".
"It was the way he valued others that set him apart," she said.
The awards night, organised by the combined Rotary clubs of the Blue Mountains, heard stories from 14 finalists. There was everything from negotiating with knife-wielding offenders, to sensitively speaking with people threatening self harm, and supporting 12-year-old Harriet Davis from Winmalee, who lost her hand in a boating accident on the Nepean River.
But there could be only two winners.
Senior Constable Joel Murphy received the Blue Mountains Police Officer of the Year peer award for his dedication to duty and work ethic.
Snr Const Murphy charged 55 offenders, usually with multiple offences, in the past 12 months. He also recorded 436 police incident reports and gathered 45 information reports used by police to monitor criminal activity.
"This is a very high workload by an individual officer and he continues to chase more work and track down more offenders," said Chief Insp Scheinflug.
"He is consistently the top performing officer in our command."
The Mid Mountains-raised police officer said that local knowledge was a useful tool.
"I've always lived in the Mountains and I don't like crims getting away with it," he said.
"I try to be as thorough as I can."
The Blue Mountains Police Officer of the Year community award went to Senior Constable Graeme Gray, for going above and beyond his duties.
An elderly woman had her Katoomba home broken into while she slept, and Snr Const Gray provided support. The home was targetted a second time, and bikes belonging to her daughter and grand-daughter were stolen. The 11-year-old girl's bike was a birthday present, and only two weeks old.
Snr Const Gray, who also had an 11-year-old daughter, felt for the girl and the single mum who couldn't afford to replace the bikes.
He came across an adult's and child's bike by the kerb for rubbish clean-up and fixed them up to give to the mother and daughter, much to their delight.
"As a single parent this was a very kind act that I will forever be grateful for the kindness he showed," the woman wrote in nominating the officer for the award.