King’s Birthday Honours for Mid North Coast police chief and region’s first dog handler

THE Mid North Coast’s most senior police officer and a dog handler who assisted in dozens of arrests in the Coffs command, have been recognised with King’s Birthday 2025 Honours.

Superintendent Shane Cribb and Sergeant Sean McDowell were among only nine serving officers from across NSW awarded the prestigious Australian Police Medal (APM).

Acting Commissioner Peter Thurtell APM said the award acknowledged their “career-long dedication and exemplary service”.

Superintendent Shane Cribb

Superintendent Cribb joined the NSW Police Force in 1991 at Paddington Police Station.

In 1995, he commenced at the South Region Major Crime, Drug and Homicide squads, conducting protracted investigations into organised and serious crime.

He moved to Cobar Police Station in the Western Region in 2001, and was later recognised for his role in securing 1100 tonnes of donated grain for drought relief.

In 2002, he was appointed Inspector at the Darling River Local Area Command and in 2005 became a Chief Inspector at the Coffs-Clarence Local Area Command.

His transfer to the Mid North Coast Police District in 2009 was followed by his promotion to Superintendent and Commander of the Canobolas Local Area Command.

Supt Cribb transferred back to the coast in 2017, serving in the Manning-Great Lakes Police District before moving to the Mid North Coast Police District in 2020, where he is currently based.

Supt Cribb is the local emergency management controller for the Mid North Coast and has led responses to floods, bushfires, the COVID-19 pandemic and other emergencies, including the 2019 Black Summer fires and most recently the fires of October 2023 in the Upper Macleay area west of Kempsey.

In 2019, he established the Manning-Great Lakes District Commanders Aboriginal Leadership Group and remains a strong advocate for First Nations People, establishing a number of community led committees to divert Aboriginal people, particularly young people, from the judicial system.

Sergeant Sean McDowell

Sergeant Sean McDowell joined the NSW Police Force in 1993 and was initially stationed at Wetherill Park and St Marys.

In 1997, he transferred to the Dog Unit where he has been responsible for training all general-purpose dogs and handlers across the state.

He was promoted to Sergeant in 2011.

As an accredited tactical handler, he has been deployed to high-risk incidents, including one in which he performed immediate first aid and the extraction of a tactical officer shot by an offender.

In December 2004, Sergeant McDowell and his police dog Titan were called to an armed siege at Seven Hills.

After hours of negotiations, the offender confronted police, armed with two knives.

Titan chased down the offender but received fatal stab wounds, only letting go following arrest.

In 2020, Sergeant McDowell took up a role as the first regional team leader based at Coffs Harbour.

He excels in difficult circumstances and emergency situations and has been recognised by NSW Ambulance for his resuscitation attempts of a man in cardiac arrest in Coffs Harbour in 2023.

Sergeant McDowell is the longest serving operational dog handler in the state and has been faithfully served by police dogs Jed, Titan, Ranger, Marvin, Uno, Bart, Jago (pictured) and Havoc.