A career police officer, Tom Croydon is initially portrayed as somewhat of a chauvinist, referring to Maggie Doyle as "girlie" when they first meet. He is firm, loyal to the officers under his command and committed to justice. He takes an old-fashioned approach to policing, firmly believing that being a cop in a country town involves more than just charging people for every minor infraction. Although he's been known to let a troublesome kid spend a few hours in the cells, or to pay penance by washing the police vehicles, he's equally willing to come down hard on anyone who needs it.