When a volunteer at the Salvation Army Family Store in Nelson came across a well-preserved case containing the 28-year police long service and good conduct medal, she wondered how it could have got there.
The inquisitive and caring worker named Kaye was curious about why something so personal had ended up in a place where they are more used to sorting through pants, spatulas and souvenir coasters.
Kaye mentioned the find to her sister - Tasman District Senior Constable Nyanne Graf-Pollard.
Nyanne knew the medal's true value and set off on an attempt to return it to its rightful owner or custodian.
As it turns out, the medal was awarded to a late high-ranking police officer by the name of Lindsay Hunter who died in 2018.
Nyanne later learned that Lindsay had quite the constabulary career, serving in Canterbury, Tasman, Wellington and at the RNZPC.
Hot on the trail, she and her partner turned to a retired police network on Facebook, which led to a phone call from Lindsay's sister Lauree.
She helped Nyanne track down Lindsay’s widow Kay.
Kay was surprised to hear about the find and confirmed the award had once been kept in the Hunter household.
Nyanne and Kay caught up in Nelson.
And, to Kay’s delight, she was reunited with her late husband’s medal.
Said Kay: "I have no idea how it made its way to the op shop.
"I have moved house, so it’s possible that it got moved on in a bag of stuff to be recycled. I guess we’ll never know.
"Having the medal now back in my hands is yet another reminder of all those years Lindsay and I spent together and, in particular, his dedication to police work and the friendships we both developed amongst his police colleagues.
"I plan to take great care of it and I really appreciate the efforts from Nyanne and everyone else to get the medal back to me."
After some digging, Police Museum staff discovered Lindsay had served in Canterbury, Tasman, Wellington and at the Royal New Zealand Police College.
Lindsay was part of the No 2 Walter Nash Cadet Wing No 2 in 1958, then became a probationary constable in 1960.
He was promoted to sergeant in 1965, senior sergeant in 1971, inspector in 1975 and then superintendent in 1991.
Lindsay was appointed director of training at the RNZPC in 1988.
The book With Confidence and Pride states his appointment “coincided with Commissioner Malcolm Churches' changing of the police style from ready response to community-orientated policing".
Staff had to be trained for the new methods and a huge programme of district training was designed.
