A young constable killed in a horror car crash while on duty has been remembered as a talented, optimistic and calm recruit on a day of police mourning.
On National Police Remembrance Day, Mia Lay, 20, was honoured alongside Victorian colleagues killed by Dezi Freeman at a rural property last year.
Ms Lay had been on the force for 16 months before dying, crashing in pursuit of a stolen car at Redfern in Sydney on Friday.
Attendees talked of her youth and dedication at a solemn service in front of the Police Wall of Remembrance in Sydney’s Domain on Tuesday morning.
Premier Chris Minns said Ms Lay was “talented, optimistic, calm under pressure” and a stellar athlete who could have done anything, but chose to serve.
The 20-year-old’s death followed her graduation from the police academy at 19, and school the year before that, he noted.
“It’s a reminder that we ask our police officers to grow up incredibly quickly,” Mr Minns said.
“When their mates from school are going to uni or taking a gap year or getting a start on an apprenticeship, the men and women of the police force are already on the job, walking into danger well beyond their years.”
Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon thanked Ms Lay and loved ones for her service, saying they would always be a part of the blue family.
“Constable Lay (was) loved and respected … though in the infancy of her career, she was dedicated and passionate about serving the community and showed enormous promise,” he said.
Mr Lanyon said the polished granite memorial wall told tales of courage through each of the 286 inscribed names.
In 2027, Ms Lay’s name will be formally added to the National Police Memorial in Canberra, where 832 touchstones engraved on the memorial wall represent police lives lost since records began in 1803.
Police will add four new touchstones to the monument on Tuesday, including plaques for Victoria Police officers Neal Thompson and Vadim de Waart-Hottart.
The pair were killed in Porepunkah in August 2025 while serving an arrest warrant.
Their names are also engraved on the honour wall at the Victorian Police Memorial, alongside 176 other fallen Victorian officers.
“Every day, our officers deploy knowing full well that they may be required to place themselves in harm’s way to protect the broader community,” Victoria Police deputy commissioner Bob Hill said.
Fallen officers Maxine Bembridge and Mark Bransgrove will also be enshrined with touchstones on the national wall in Canberra.
A detective senior sergeant in the WA Police Force, Ms Bembridge died in hospital days after a crash while she was driving to work on the outskirts of Perth in May.
Sergeant Bransgrove, who served NSW Police across almost four decades, died in July 2025 from a medical condition as a result of his duties, eight years after retiring.
Remembrance services are taking place across the country on Tuesday, including a march to the Victorian Police Memorial in Melbourne and a NSW Police Force service at Sydney’s Domain.
The National Police Memorial will hold its 20th service in Canberra, where a procession of 300 officers will march over Kings Avenue Bridge to a crowd of officers, families and members of the public.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush will read the Honour Roll of the fallen and Western Australia Police Commissioner Col Blanch will read the Police Ode as around 40 wreaths are laid in tribute.
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