Former Tenterfield cop Troy Grant recalled some of the tough times in his prior posting during a speech following his appointment to the role of NSW Police Minister.

Mr Grant was elevated to the position following the Coalitions re-election.

Grant served 22 years as a cop in Tenterfield and NSW’s central west and was faced with distressing incidents that left him physically and mentally scarred.

He was met with incidents where victims had turned on him and fellow officers – a Tenterfield memory particularly stood out.

“She was on all fours and gasping for air,” Mr Grant said.

The Police Minister was referencing a domestic violence call out during his Tenterfield stint.

“I kicked the back door in and got him off her.

“But then she attacked me - I had to break down a door to get in for what I thought was saving her welfare.

“But in court she was in there giving evidence against me - it was unbelievable,” he said.

It was at least the third time that Grant, who won two commendations for courage, had been attacked by people he was trying to help.

“Policing is always conflicted. You’re there to serve but then you can be attacked by those you’re actually helping sometimes,” he said.

The 45-year-old, who entered politics in 2011 and became Deputy Premier last year and is now the Baird government’s new police minister, was also attacked with a stick by a woman who he rescued from another domestic violence incident in Tenterfield.

Speaking about the abuse frontline officers routinely face, Mr Grant intimated that changes needed to be made in all avenues of society.

Grant said he would use his time as minister to try an address police issues in rural communities, like Tenterfield.