NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley has had a baptism of fire since taking on the role in April this year.
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There were calls in Parliament for her dismissal after accusations of a cover-up over the alleged police tasering of great grandmother Clare Nowland, 95, at Yallambee Lodge in Cooma on May 17.
Mrs Nowland died in hospital six days later. Her family is now suing the NSW Government and the matter is before the courts.
On a visit to Katoomba's Echo Point Lookout on Wednesday July 12 to celebrate with the Blue Mountains police family the success of the new TV series Police Rescue Australia, Ms Catley was keen to talk about the heroic efforts of the rescue crew. But she also did not shy away from the recent controversy.
"I've come up to the Blue Mountains to meet the police who do amazing work up here and in particular ... with Police Rescue and I'm just in awe of NSW Police of what they do ... I'm learning so much."
She visited the stations at Katoomba and Springwood and witnessed a skills demonstration by Police Rescue at the tourist hotspot Echo Point.
"Police on a daily basis just face any number of different scenarios ... I was only 72 hours into the job when some local constables at the Newcastle Command were both stabbed and the perpetrator was shot," she said.
"It really is a challenging occupation there's no doubt about that, but what the police also do very well is ensure that they investigate every incident and if someone does the wrong thing they're the first ones to stand up and make sure that justice occurs.
"The [tasering] investigation is still underway ... and of course we will have the Coronial outcome. The police officer is going to court soon, so we will see what happens there. The police will continue to do better and I have confidence that is exactly what will occur."
Annually, four million tourists come to the Blue Mountains. Each year, 130 of those people go missing or require rescue.
The TV show Police Rescue Australia follows the elite Blue Mountains and Sydney units as they rescue rock climbers, canyoners, bushwalkers and coordinate swift water rescues during flood events.
Police Rescue team leader Sergeant Dallas Atkinson showed the Police Minister some of the rescue squad's capabilities and highlighted the incredible work of his entire team in the success of the recent TV show.
Mrs Catley said police find themselves in more dangerous and harrowing situations than any other workforce across this state.
She told the Gazette she had had "private conversations" with the Nowland family. She had also met with the many teams that came together at the tragic bus crash in Greta which happened on June 11.
Blue Mountains MP Trish Doyle and Minister Catley were both elected in 2015 and Ms Doyle was keen to show off the beauty of the Mountains region to her colleague during her one day visit to the area.
