Slain officer remembered for caring manner to have laneway named after him

Slain Tasmanian police officer Constable Keith Smith will have a laneway in Ulverstone named after him, a memorial service marking the first anniversary since his death has heard. Constable Smith, 57, was fatally shot on June 16 last year, when he attempted to serve a repossession notice at a property at North Motton, in Tasmania's north-west. Leigh Geoffrey Sushames pleaded guilty to his murder in January this year, and is expected to be sentenced in the Supreme Court in Burnie next Friday. Constable Smith was farewelled at a police funeral, with full ceremonial honours and followed by an honour guard, in Devonport a week after his death. Today's memorial service, in his home of Ulverstone, 18 kilometres west of Devonport, marked 12 months since his death and the impact he had on his community. Central Coast Council Mayor Cheryl Fuller opened the proceedings, remembering Constable Smith's fondness for a "cuppa" and a chat. She also revealed an Ulverstone laneway would be renamed "Keith Smith Lane" in his honour. Tasmanian Police Commissioner Donna Adams said she had heard countless stories about "a police officer who didn't just do his job, but who took the extra time to listen, to reassure, and to make people feel seen". "Over the past year, what has stood out most is something quieter, but deeply significant — the way Keith's influence continues to shape how we serve, and how we care for our community every day," she said."As commissioner, I am committed to building a lasting legacy that reflects who Keith was and how he served — and one that will make his family proud." She pointed to the Tasmania Police Keith Smith Community Policing Award, set up to recognise officers who do the job with compassion, connection and care. She said police also set up a blood donation initiative that used Constable Smith's badge number as its target — Team 2390 — which aimed to save 2,390 lives. "Today is not only a time to remember how we lost Keith," she said, "it is a time to remember how he lived." "A 25-year career built not on recognition, but on reliability, on doing the job properly, and on treating people with dignity, even in the most difficult circumstances."