Rev. David Riethmuller, Principal Chaplain, NSW Police Force

David Riethmuller grew up in Sydney’s western suburbs, and upon completion of his tertiary studies, he began a career as an Environmental Health and Building Surveyor.  Over the next 17 years he worked in Local Government throughout NSW, rising to senior management.

In 1991 he received a scholarship to study his profession in Sweden, and in 1995 he moved to South America with his wife Sue and their two children, undertaking community development work in war-torn Peru.  Living in isolated communities, they were able to improve living conditions in areas impacted by violence.

In 2001, David and the family moved to Ecuador where David became the chaplain of a number of prisons, while Sue taught at an international school.  Two years later they returned to Australia to take up the management of an international Christian aid agency.

In 2005, David began studies at Charles Sturt University in preparation for ordained ministry.  Upon completion of a Bachelor of Theology degree, he was ordained as a minister in the Uniting Church, serving in a number of congregations in Sydney’s western suburbs.

In 2011 he began serving as a NSW Disaster Recovery Chaplain, becoming Assistant Senior Chaplain of that network.  The following year he was commissioned as a Regional Police Chaplain with the NSW Police Force. In 2015 David became Senior State Police Chaplain. He currently the Principal Chaplain to the NSW Police Force.

In his role as a chaplain, David has been involved in major incidents such as the Quakers Hill Nursing Home fire and the Lindt Café siege, as well as caring for Police at many major incidents and events around NSW.

David currently lives in the Blue Mountains with his wife Sue.