Keith Banks BM VA and Bar served in the Queensland Police Service from 27 January 1975 to 10 February 1995. He was the recipient of 2 Police Valour Awards and the Bravery Medal and is one of the few police officers in Australia to have received the Valour Award twice. He was presented with the Valour Award and Bar by Commissioner of Police Jim O’Sullivan on 29 July 1994 at the Queensland Police Academy. To date he is the only police officer to have received both Valour Awards on the same day.
Detective Sergeant Banks being decorated with the Queensland Police Valour Award and Bar by Commissioner O’Sullivan at the Queensland Police Academy on 29 July 1994.
Image courtesy of Keith Banks
His first Valour Award was presented for his actions during Operation Flashdance on 29 July 1987. Then Senior Constable Banks was part of a Tactical Response Group assault team which entered a house in Virginia, Brisbane to arrest Queensland’s most wanted criminal, a violent armed robber and escapee from Long Bay Gaol. On entry the team was fired upon at close quarters by the offender which struck Senior Constable Peter Kidd and Constable 1/c Stephen Grant. Senior Constable Banks and another assault team member entered the bedroom where the offender was located and returned fire. The offender died at the scene and Senior Constable Banks went to the aid of Senior Constable Kidd who later died in hospital.
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His second Valour Award was presented for his actions during a siege in the CBD of Brisbane. On 23 September 1993, a man entered the foyer of the MLC Building in George Street Brisbane armed with a rifle, hand grenade and an improvised explosive device consisting of 16 sticks of gelignite and 3 electronic detonators. He fired shots at random around the foyer and the situation quickly developed into a siege situation. Detective Sergeant Banks was nearby and responded to requests for any unit to attend. On arrival he entered the building and approached the man who was seated on the floor of the foyer. He commenced negotiating with the male and was joined by another Police officer. During the next hour and a half Detective Sergeant Banks successfully persuaded the male person to surrender the rifle, the hand grenade and the explosive device and surrender to police custody. During this time the male continually threatened to detonate the device to kill himself, Detective Sergeant Banks and the other officer.
Former Detective Sergeant Banks being decorated by the Governor of Queensland, Mrs Leneen Ford AC at Government House, Brisbane in 1995.
Image courtesy of Keith Banks
Keith Banks was also later awarded the Bravery Medal for his actions during the MLC siege. By this time, he had resigned from the Queensland Police Service. This medal was presented to him by the Governor of Queensland in 1995.
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This article was written by former Detective Sergeant Keith Banks for the Queensland Police Museum’s FROM the VAULT series. The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. Email: museum@police.qld.gov.au