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THE VICTORIA POLICE MAGAZINE
SPRING 2019
A global force THE MANY FACES FROM MANY PLACES THAT MAKE VICTORIA POLICE A WORLDLY WORKFORCE PLUS ON THE GROUND FOR FOOTY FINALS > TAKING DOWN TOMAHAWK KILLERS > BRICKIE BUILDS DETECTIVE CAREER AND MORE
SPRING 2019
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The final countdown AFL finals are just around the corner and Victoria Police is prepared to make the massive events a safe environment for all.
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New calling There’s a new way to report nonurgent crimes, freeing-up frontline police to respond to emergencies.
COVER: Like thousands of others, Protective Services Officer Vasilicki ‘Vicky’ Skoupas and Constable Panagiotis ‘Panos’ Roumeliotis have migrated to Australia from overseas and made working with Victoria Police part of their new lives. Photography: John Pallot Police Life is produced by the Media & Corporate Communications Department, Victoria Police, GPO Box 913, Melbourne, 3001, Fax: 9247 5982 Online police.vic.gov.au/policelife facebook.com/victoriapolice twitter.com/victoriapolice Email policelife-mgr@police.vic.gov.au
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Managing Editor Superintendent Jo Dolan
Paying tribute The sacrifice of two brave officers will be recognised on National Police Remembrance Day in September, with their names being added to the honour roll.
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A civilian star Aimee Milne becomes the first civilian to be awarded a Victoria Police Star, more than 80 years after losing her life while protecting her police officer husband in a bombing.
Editor Grant Condon Journalists Jesse Wray-McCann Danielle Ford Emily Wan Graphic Design Fluid – fluid.com.au Subscriptions 9247 6894 ISSN 0032-2598L Crown Copyright in the state of Victoria. For permission to reprint any part of this magazine, contact the editor. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Victoria Police.
REGULARS
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Snapped on Social Out & About True Crime Career in Focus
Recognisng trouble New mobile Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology is being used to police Victorian roads, and the results are startling.
A MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF COMMISSIONER Victoria Police is currently undergoing significant modernisation. We are providing members with new equipment and technology. As featured in this edition of Police Life, we have rolled out mobile Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology, which will help us detect unauthorised drivers and remove them from our roads. We have launched new and more accessible ways for the community to contact us in non-emergency situations through the Police Assistance Line (131 444) and Online Reporting at police.vic.gov.au. We are also undertaking our biggest ever recruitment drive. Victoria is one of the fastest growing places in Australia, and Victoria Police is growing with it. Victoria Police understands that to be our most effective, we need to continue building a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects diversity of age, gender, culture, religion and sexual orientation. The different attributes, life experiences and perspectives brought by a diverse workforce enrich our organisation and strengthen our ability to understand, connect to and respond to the community. 2
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In this edition, we are celebrating the cultural diversity of our workforce. Twelve percent of our workforce self-identify as having been born overseas, with around 101 birth countries nominated. We are telling the stories of five of our employees who were born abroad. They have different life journeys and have taken different paths to joining Victoria Police. What they share is how they have embraced the opportunity that Victoria Police has provided them – to have a meaningful career serving the Victorian community. The value of a modern and diverse police service was well understood by former Chief Commissioner Sinclair Imrie ‘Mick’ Miller, whose life and career we are honouring in this edition. During his 40-year career, Mr Miller was known for his sound judgment and foresight. These skills enabled him to successfully drive transformational change across our organisation, much of which was well ahead of its time. Victoria Police and the Victorian community are indebted to him.
Follow Victoria Police on Twitter at @VictoriaPolice
MAKING NEWS For the latest police news visit police.vic.gov.au/news
SHOWING PUBLIC A MODERN POLICE After a seven-year break, Victoria Police will return to the Royal Melbourne Show in 2019, coming back bigger and better than ever with its own interactive exhibit. Designed to give show-goers a hands on look at police capabilities and increase engagement with the public, the 378sq m activation space is the largest display Victoria Police has ever had at the event. Deputy Commissioner Wendy Steendam said Victoria Police was excited to be back at the show and to be providing an opportunity for the community to engage with police and learn more about what life in uniform is like. “We will have a whole range of policing capabilities on display across the 11 days,” DC Steendam said. “It’s a fabulous opportunity for people to come and visit us, learn more about what our different units do and see what Victoria Police looks like in the 21st century. “It’s also a good chance for people to consider whether a career in policing is for them as we will have a recruitment display where people can talk to frontline officers about their experiences on the job.”
With a packed list of activities designed to entertain people of all ages, the Victoria Police exhibit will have both indoor and outdoor areas with different attractions rotating throughout the 11 days. “There are great things for the kids to do, like be a detective for the day,” DC Steendam said. “They can also do forensic activities and take fingerprints. “We will have a water tank set up where people can watch our Search and Rescue Squad look for missing items. “Our always popular canines and horses from the Dog Squad and Mounted Branch will be there for ‘pat and chat’.” A range of specialised police vehicles, including boats, will also be on display for people to learn more about each vehicle, its purpose and how it is used.
“This will give them a chance to meet the community face-to-face, something that some of these units aren’t able to do in their everyday roles.” The Victoria Police exhibit will be open each day of the Royal Melbourne Show, which runs from 21 September to 1 October. Image On display DC Wendy Steendam and State Highway Patrol officers Sen Const Sarah Edwards and Ldg Sen Const Paul Gosling get to know a fellow show attendee. State Highway Patrol will be bringing some of its vehicles along to the show for the public to take a closer look. Editorial: Danielle Ford Photography: Andrea Hince
DC Steendam said the display will also provide a great opportunity for police to meet and engage with the community they proudly serve each day. “There will also be police officers from specialist areas within Victoria Police,” she said.
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SMALL TALK VOXPOP
POLICE LIFE POSTERS MAKING A COMEBACK
What’s something the general public doesn’t know about being a police officer? CONSTABLE ALANA STOPINSKI Glen Waverley Police Station
“There is a lot of paperwork for everything you do. Every action you take there’s paperwork to go along with it. Even when you get those action-filled days, there will still be paperwork for you to do at the end of the day.” CONSTABLE AMELIA BOYD Shepparton Police Station
“People told me it would be a busy job, but I didn’t realise just how busy it would be. But that’s a good thing because it means you get a chance to experience all different types of jobs.” FIRST CONSTABLE GERRARD HONDOW Brimbank Family Violence Investigation Unit
“People probably don’t realise how relevant the skills they’ve developed before entering policing can be. For instance, someone who has worked in customer service can come into policing and already be very good at dealing with difficult people.”
BE PART OF THE STORY Join the Conversation Police Life loves hearing what you think about the magazine, your local police and Victoria Police in general. Police Life GPO Box 913 Melbourne, 3001 Email: policelife-mgr@police.vic.gov.au
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A once much-loved feature of Police Life is back, five years after it was retired from duty.
The Mounted Branch plays a starring role on pages 16 and 17, while the Police Air Wing is given the poster treatment on page 18.
The Police Life Spring 2019 edition features three souvenir posters, celebrating the varied work of Victoria Police.
“Recent survey feedback showed readers wanted to see a return of the posters, so we listened and gave them an extra treat in this edition,” Police Life managing editor Superintendent Jo Dolan said.
A long-time staple of Police Life throughout the publication’s 64-year history, posters were last included in the Spring 2014 edition. The State Highway Patrol features in the first poster, showing off the latest BMW police cars and motorcycles on page 15.
Want to see more posters in future editions? Get in touch by visiting police.vic.gov.au/police-life-magazine
SECRET LIFE OF POLICE Since joining Victoria Police in February last year, Constable Johnathon Stock has been living a double life: policeman and professional beach handball player. As a player with Australia’s national beach handball side, he is well-versed in the sport, which sees two teams of four try to pass, bounce or roll a ball into the opposing team’s goal. Matches are played entirely on a sand court. “I love the fast pace of beach handball. It’s designed as a spectator sport. There are 360 degree spin shots and alley-oops that when performed, get you double points,” Const Stock said. As with a policing career, beach handball is about dedication and teamwork. “We usually train once a month in Melbourne or Adelaide for the national team and in between organise weekly games against local clubs,” he said. “My local team, the East Melbourne Spartans, have won gold at the national championships numerous times, including this year.” As a sport that requires a beach, court equipment and a good number of people, Const Stock said it’s often hard to arrange outdoor training sessions. “I play volleyball three times a week, so when I step onto the beach handball court it feels very natural to me,” he said. Const Stock has competed in high-level beach handball tournaments, including world championships, the World Beach Games and national championships.
“I feel proud and privileged that I have the opportunity to not only represent my country in a great sport, but to do it with great friends of mine,” he said. But Const Stock doesn’t want to stop there. “It’s looking as though beach handball will be included in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, so hopefully I’m still fit enough at that stage to make it,” he said.
He has competed internationally at the 2016 Beach Handball World Championships in Budapest and the 2017 World Games in Poland.
Image A handy player Const Jonathon Stock has competed in several high-level beach handball tournaments, including world championships.
Next for Const Stock is representing Australia at the World Beach Games in Qatar in October.
Editorial: Emily Wan
BEHIND THE BADGE
BEC ROBINSON Rank: Leading Senior Constable Age: 34 Graduated: 2004 Station: Major Crime Scene Unit
Why did you join Victoria Police?
Is there a case you have worked on that stands out to you?
This sounds ridiculous, but growing up my favourite TV show was CSI because I was always interested in the investigation of crime; death investigations in particular. So when I finished school I wanted to set about pursuing a career in that sort of field and I joined Victoria Police.
Due to the nature of the job we are always involved in quite high-profile cases, so there are a few I’ve worked on that stand out, such as the Jill Meagher case. But more recently I was involved in a job where the deceased had been stored inside a wheelie bin for 17 years and was obviously severely decomposed. However, the fingerprint experts were still able to obtain prints from the deceased, so that was quite interesting; I think that may have been a record for the office.
Tell us a bit about your career with Victoria Police. I joined Victoria Police when I was 19 and did eight years in general duties at Footscray and Williamstown. After that, I was looking for a bit of a career change and had been looking into Crime Scene Services when I saw an email saying there were vacancies at the Major Crime Scene Unit. I went along to the information session as it had always been an area of interest due to my CSI fascination. After the information session I applied for a role and was lucky enough to get it and I’ve been here since. Tell us about what you do in your role in the Major Crime Scene Unit. We attend all the major crime and complex crime scenes, such as homicide, sex offences, sudden deaths and aggravated burglaries. Once the crime scene is cordoned and contained, we are called upon and come in and process the scene. Our role is to record the scene as accurately as possible in the form of video, hand-written notes, photographs and sketches that can be produced at court and during the investigation. After we’ve recorded the scene, we collect items as exhibits we feel are relevant and could be used as evidence.
Is your job anything like what is depicted on CSI? Not a great deal. In real life you specialise and stick to your area of expertise. On those shows, the same people seem to follow an investigation the whole way through, from collecting the evidence, analysing it and then conducting the whole investigation. But really the detectives investigate and follow up all the avenues of the investigation, whereas we are responsible for recording the scene and then collecting the evidence, which then goes off to the specialised teams for further analysis. Image Capturing proof Ldg Sen Const Bec Robinson’s love of CSI led her to a career with Victoria Police, where she now works in the Major Crime Scene Unit recording and collecting evidence at complex crime scenes. Editorial: Danielle Ford Photography: Jesse Wray-McCann
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Get the latest police news at police.vic.gov.au/news
SNAPPED ON SOCIAL
One perk of being out and about helping keep the state’s roads safe is views like this. East Gippsland Highway Patrol's Leading Senior Constable Veronika Forai found her very own rainbow road at Connor’s Hill Lookout on the Great Alpine Road at Swifts Creek and had to stop to take a photo.
PSO Katherine Salik was spotted joining in on some medieval fun while on duty in Parkville at a Swordcraft session. PSOs have a presence at the weekly event, which is a live action role play and battle game where participants dress in real steel armour, chain mail, leather and costumes and battle using authentic-looking foam weapons.
NAIDOC week is an important event on the Victoria Police calendar as the organisation continues to grow a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities it serves. This year’s celebrations at Healesville were given some added star power with Marngrook Footy Show host Grant Hansen in attendance alongside Acting Chief Commissioner Shane Patton.
ODD SPOT CORNER than $5,000. Thousands of dollars in foreign currency, jewellery and four credit cards were also taken. Det Sen Const Wilkinson traced the use of the credit cards, with one being used at a shopping centre days after the alleged break-in. CCTV captured the alleged thief using the stolen credit card. The footage was uploaded to police systems, where it was seen by Sergeant Michael Sewell of the Caulfield Divisional Response Unit. Sgt Sewell recognised the female in the footage, not as a known criminal, but as the woman who had borrowed his phone a few days earlier when he was off duty catching a train.
A young woman’s desperate need to log into Facebook led to her being charged with theft and burglary by Victoria Police earlier this year. Detective Senior Constable Phillip Wilkinson of the Kingston Criminal Investigation Unit was in the midst of an investigation into an alleged burglary of a private residence in Clarinda in May when the case was cracked in the most unusual of ways. Approximately $40,000 worth of goods was swiped in the alleged burglary, including a $15,000 Cartier Tank watch and Gucci and Louis Vuitton handbags and wallets valued at more
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The woman had used the phone to contact a friend via Facebook. Realising this, Sgt Sewell checked his phone’s history, found the woman’s profile and was able to confirm her as the suspect featured in the CCTV footage. A search warrant was executed the following day at her residential premises in Chelsea, which resulted in 80 per cent of the missing property being located, including the Cartier Tank watch. The 17-year-old female was arrested and charged with a range of burglary, theft and deception offences. “It was a remarkable coincidence that she borrowed the phone, but Sgt Sewell showed an astonishingly keen eye to recognise her. He should be congratulated,” Det Sen Const Wilkinson said. “While the woman is obviously an avid Facebook user, I don’t think Sgt Sewell or I will be getting a friend request from her anytime soon.”
IN BRIEF police.vic.gov.au/news
PROACTIVE POLICING STORIES
ROVING REPORTS A REALITY A HEALTHY SPACE Police are out and about in the community more than ever before using information at their fingertips and completing tasks while on the go using iPads and iPhones. Information Systems and Security Command’s Superintendent Jason Kelly said a key update to a purpose-built app on the devices allows police to complete reports while in the field, benefitting police and the community. “Police now have more time for helping the community, spending less time on administrative duties as they no longer have to return to the station to complete reports,” Supt Kelly said. “In particular, in family violence situations, referrals can be provided to involved parties sooner so they can get the help they need faster.” Police and Protective Services Officers can also check vehicles, licences, locations and people, view and manage body-worn camera footage, view incidents in their local area and more to help make Victoria a safer place.
A new website has been launched to support current and former Victoria Police employees and their immediate families. Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said the Bluespace website had been created to provide access to information about mental health and wellbeing issues, and the services that are available. “The aim of Bluespace is to increase the recognition of early warning signs, provide accurate information about mental health issues and provide useful ways for people to engage with and support those who may be suffering from mental illness,” CCP Ashton said. “We’ve always had a wealth of information and resources available to our employees internally. “Having this external-facing website now means past employees and families can also access help when they need it most.” The website was developed from a study involving 5,800 participants (32 per cent of the Victoria Police workforce), along with extensive consultation with more than 4,000 current and former employees and their family members, who provided insight into the desired content and method of delivery. For more information, visit bluespacewellbeing.com.au
TRAILER TO CAPTURE CRIMINALS A new state-of-the-art tool is giving Victoria Police eyes in places where it was once blind.
that produce maximum clarity regardless of the time of day or night.
Victoria Police Transit Safety Division’s new CCTV trailer is now being deployed to various public transport locations across the state that were previously unmonitored by surveillance equipment.
“The footage from this unit can be viewed remotely in real time by officers on the ground or at a central access point,” Superintendent Alison Boyes said.
While it may look like an ordinary moving trailer, the unit houses multiple cutting-edge CCTV cameras, including two high definition cameras on top of a six metre-high boom. The cameras have 360-degree pan, tilt and zoom capabilities along with movement detection and person tracking technologies
“We previously didn’t have equipment that offered these operational benefits. “The unit is deployed around the clock, seven days a week for most of the year, so the community can be reassured that police are looking for people doing the wrong thing on and around the public transport network at all times.”
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OUT & ABOUT
ALL IN A DAY’S WORK It’s 1pm on a Thursday afternoon in Shepparton and 10 offenders have already been arrested and processed through the police cells.
But the day is about to get even busier for officers from Shepparton Police Station, with a report of high schoolers brawling at a primary school, a suspicious package being located outside a shopping centre, a call to euthanise a kangaroo hit by a car, a man threatening staff at a supermarket, random traffic intercepts, breaking up family violence arguments in the main street and attending a high-speed crash between a car and a truck. Yet this is not an unusual afternoon for Shepparton police, who work at one of the busiest stations in the state. Senior Sergeant Brad Fisher is one of three senior sergeants overseeing the station’s uniform section and made the move to Shepparton – a regional city of more than 63,000 in northern Victoria – six years ago. “Honestly, it’s the best move I’ve ever made,” Sen Sgt Fisher said. “The lifestyle up here is magnificent and the work really appeals to me because you don’t have days where you wonder what you’re going
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to do, you’ve always got something on the go.” Data from the Crime Statistics Agency shows the Greater Shepparton area has been in Victoria’s top five local government areas for highest criminal incident rates over recent years. Sen Sgt Fisher said each of his officers have an average of 20 briefs of evidence in the process of being prepared or before the courts at any one time, compared to officers at some quieter stations who might complete the same number of briefs over an entire year. “When you look at the statistics, Shepparton is often above some of the stations you would expect to be flat-out, such as Frankston and Dandenong,” he said. “Our officers certainly hold their own throughout the state.” A prominent factor behind the city's crime is the region’s high youth unemployment rate of 17.5 per cent – the second highest in the state. “A big thing we see is youth crime,” Sen Sgt Fisher said.
“Just recently, some of the youth were causing us grief with thefts of cars, evading police, burglaries and thefts from cars.” Shepparton’s Proactive Policing Unit, with its dedicated Youth Resource Officer, works closely with youth services in the area, such as Berry Street, Blue EDGE and Rumbalara Aboriginal Cooperative in an effort to change this narrative. The station is also planning to combat the “many and varied” youth issues by creating a sergeant’s role dedicated to overseeing all aspects of youth crime and engagement. Shepparton’s Multicultural Liaison Officer Senior Constable Matt Walker said engaging with young people was crucial in reaching the area’s many multicultural communities.
“Youth are the biggest influencers in our community, especially the multicultural communities, because they’re generally bilingual, whereas a lot of the adults are not,” Sen Const Walker said.
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“If they see something at home that isn’t right, they will let their families know that it shouldn’t be happening.” Connecting with the various cultures is an important part of the job of policing in Shepparton, which was one of the first stations in the state to have a Multicultural Liaison Officer.
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Every new officer at the station spends an orientation day visiting a local mosque and Rumbalara, and the station also runs a two-day cultural camp, where officers spend a night on the Murray River with Aboriginal elders. Efforts like the mosque visits have helped officers earn the trust of people in the area’s Middle Eastern communities, who are beginning to feel comfortable to report instances of family violence to police. “Traditionally, family violence is a bit of a taboo topic within multicultural communities and kept in-house,” Sen Const Walker said.
“The daughter is much happier and her dad is now very understanding and great to deal with, because I think he realised he didn’t want to lose his daughter due to a cultural tradition,” Sen Const Walker said.
Sen Const Walker and his colleagues last year stepped in to support a local high school girl who sought help after her family had arranged a forced marriage for her, receiving a dowry of more than $10,000 in exchange.
“If we hadn’t have got involved, she would have been shipped off overseas into a marriage she wanted no part of.”
“She was told that after year 12 she would be going overseas to be with her new husband,” Sen Const Walker said.
“I really take my hat off to the officers we have here,” he said.
Officers worked with the parents to explain that forced marriage is illegal in Victoria, and, while they initially resisted, the family agreed to call off the marriage and returned the dowry money.
Sen Sgt Fisher said going above and beyond was part of the culture at Shepparton.
“They won’t accept that near enough is good enough. “From my oldest and most experienced leading senior constable, right through to the person who’s only been here one week, they are all so keen to work hard and get great results.”
Images A busy beat 01 First Const Gary Scutt, Const Robert Morland, Constable Bridie Bremner-Graham and Sen Const Matt Krul patrol Shepparton’s busy Maude Street Mall. 02 Const Bremner-Graham chats with a Shepparton local. 03 First constables Nathan Berryman and Ian Watson attend a crash involving a car and a truck on the outskirts of Shepparton. 04 First Const Scutt carries out a random intercept breath test. 05 Sgt Trent Buscall (second from right) and his team of Police Custody Officers are kept on their toes in the Shepparton Police Station cells. 06 Frist Const Watson works with paramedics at the scene of a car crash. Editorial and photography: Jesse Wray-McCann
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A policing legend farewelled In the years during and after his Victoria Police career, stories have been shared of Mick Miller the leader, the innovator, the pioneer, the honest cop and the hard worker. At his funeral in August, stories were shared of Mick Miller, the man. The life of the 16th Victoria Police Chief Commissioner, Sinclair Imrie “Mick” Miller – nicknamed after 1940s boxing champion Mickey Miller – was celebrated at the Victoria Police Academy by overflowing crowds of family, friends, police, politicians and more. Current Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton led the tributes to Mr Miller, who served as a police officer for 40 years and retired in 1987 after 10 years in the top job. Mr Miller died on August 6, aged 92. CCP Ashton detailed Mr Miller’s immensely decorated career, saying he had “never seen a personnel file that contains so many commendations” and that he “set the gold standard”.
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“He will live on in our memory as the police officer all in the force should aspire to emulate,” CCP Ashton said. The Special Operations Group, the Air Wing, Victoria Police Legacy, Neighbourhood Watch and Crime Stoppers were all formed under Mr Miller’s stewardship, and Victoria Police had the greatest percentage of women of any police force nationally while he was Chief Commissioner. For all his almost countless honours, achievements and initiatives, those at the funeral celebrated Mr Miller’s character most of all.
Former Assistant Commissioner and one of Mr Miller’s staff officers, Bill Robertson, explained Mr Miller was “blessed with compassion” and dedicated every Friday morning to visiting police at the Victoria Police Hospital. Renowned crime reporter for The Age and family friend John Silvester shared stories of Mr Miller writing personal letters to junior police who had lost parents and of a time he visited the home of the family of a police officer who was experiencing mental health troubles.
Mick Miller career overview 1926
Born in Flemington, Victoria on 13 October 1926.
1985
Awarded Commander of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.
19451947
Served in the Australian Army in Australia and Japan.
1986
Awarded Officer of the Order of Australia.
1947
Joined Victoria Police on 5 November 1947. Went on to perform uniform duties at Richmond, detective at Brunswick CIB, Homicide Squad, Carlton CIB and Prahran CIB. Officer in charge at Gaming (Special Duties) Branch, Vice Squad, and Detective Training School.
1987
Retired from Victoria Police as Chief Commissioner on 28 November 1987. Awarded Victorian of the Year. Awarded The Police Association of Victoria life membership.
1988
Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) University of Melbourne. Chairperson of the Coordinating Council on Control of Liquor Abuse until 1997.
1991
Lecturer of Ethics and Accountability at Australian Management College, Mt Eliza.
1995
Awarded Victoria Police Legacy life membership.
1996
Named patron of Recreation Link (Reclink) Football League. RSPCA life membership.
1998
Named patron of Bereavement Assistance Ltd.
2003
Awarded Cavaliere of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.
2009
Neighbourhood Watch Hall of Fame inductee.
2013
Lifetime member of the Australian Queen’s Scout Association.
2019
Victoria Police Historical Society life membership.
1967
The praise for Mr Miller was not just limited to his working career, but his family life as well.
1971
His grandson Tim Riley said Mr Miller would never hesitate to cross anything off his calendar to spend time with his family. “I loved just how much time and effort he spent building a unique and meaningful relationship with everyone in his family,” Mr Riley said. Editorial: Jesse Wray-McCann
1976
First Australian police officer to be awarded a Winston Churchill Memorial Fellowship and to attend the United States’ FBI National Academy. As a sergeant, he was the first Australian police officer, below inspector rank, to be awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for distinguished police service. First Australian police officer to attend the Senior Command Course at the British National Police College in England. Appointed Assistant Commissioner (Operations). Appointed Assistant Commissioner (Crime).
1977
Appointed Chief Commissioner on 13 June 1977.
1981
Awarded Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order.
1983
Appointed chairman of the Bushfire Review Committee (Ash Wednesday fires). Awarded Victorian Father of the Year.
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When the eight competing teams in the 2019 AFL finals series take to the field for their season-deciding matches this month, there will be a ninth team that will never get to play in front of adoring fans. Instead, the Victoria Police team tasked with maintaining law and order on match days will use all their training and what they’ve learned from the 23-round regular season to ensure the safety of tens of thousands of supporters. It’s no easy feat. Finals see Melbourne’s two AFL venues, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and Marvel Stadium, transformed into “their own independent cities”, populated by up to 100,000 inhabitants, mostly divided into two fiercely rival tribes. Two of the key players in this epic crowd control task are Inspector Jamie Templeton and Senior Sergeant Henry Van Andel. Their pre-game preparation, game day execution and postmatch review are not dissimilar to that of an AFL team. Here’s how they help Victoria Police get a winning result on a game day.
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The pre-game When the AFL’s fixture is released prior to the season, the State Event Planning Unit (SEPU) analyses what days and times games will be played, the venue, crowd estimates and behavioural history to identify potential high-risk matches. This forms a season-long blueprint for police to follow and indicates where and when resources should be allocated, but it is flexible – a week is a long time in football, after all. The more intangible and unique aspects of football, like club rivalries, the current success or misfortune of teams and recent events in the world of AFL, see the model adjusted accordingly.
But nothing comes close to boots on the ground, with patrolling officers on the look-out for any tell-tale signs of misbehaviour.
If the exit phase of the game passes without incident, police end their patrols and Insp Templeton and Sen Sgt Van Andel begin a debrief with representatives from the AFL, security groups, paramedics, catering services and the stadium's licenced venues.
“Unfortunately, a lot of the people end up really arresting themselves,” Insp Templeton said.
One thing that isn’t discussed is the football itself.
“We give people a lot of opportunities to correct their behaviour. If the presence of security, police officers and a warning doesn’t do it, we will eject them for the safety and enjoyment of the people around them.”
“One of the keys to success is maintaining situational awareness of what’s going on off the field. It’s a trap to take your eyes off the crowd and pay more attention to what’s happening on the ground,” Sen Sgt Van Andel said.
The most common problems in the crowd are drunken behaviour, contraband such as alcohol being brought into the venue, underage alcohol consumption and antisocial behaviour, including abuse being levelled at players, umpires and other fans.
“We might see a maximum of 15 minutes of the game and most of that is prompted by the crowd responding to something that happens. We need to have some awareness of what’s happening on the field, to understand how people are acting off it.”
At the more serious end of offending, assaults can occur and have been seen in the 2019 season.
Insp Templeton is quick to point out the vast majority of games pass without major incident.
“The nature of the game can dictate how the crowd is behaving,” Insp Templeton said. “If a team is 50 points down at the end of the third quarter, we can see supporters become unhappy, agitated.
“Assessing the environment, we can have 80,000 people – the population of large cities – in a confined area, alcohol consumption and a fair bit of passion; the risk level can be quite high,” Insp Templeton said.
“Or if it’s close, we won’t see problems until the end of the game when emotions are running high.”
“However, we often see only four or five evictions, some for relatively minor things like offensive language.
They also have oversight of SMS lines where patrons can text in reports of anti-social behaviour.
The information gained by SEPU is fed to Insp Templeton and the Licensing and Public Safety team of North West Metro Region’s Specialist Operations, which communicates daily with stakeholders such as the AFL, stadium managers and security contractors to develop a match plan. When game day arrives, police assigned to patrol the game – often a group of more than 100 during finals – are briefed two to three hours before the game and then set to work. They spread much further than the stadium itself, covering the major transport hubs connected to the grounds and the many footbridges and other access points. “Coming into the finals, we see the footprint of the venues getting bigger and bigger,” Sen Sgt Van Andel said. “For a final at the MCG, there are activations all the way to Federation Square and into the city. It’s a massive event.” Football teams consider the third term of a match to be the game-deciding “premiership quarter”, while for Victoria Police it’s the initial stages of patrol that play a major role in how the day will play out. “We want people to see police on their way into the ground,” Insp Templeton said. “I encourage officers to interact with the crowd around the ground and in the bars before the game to build a rapport with the fans. It really breaks down any barriers that may arise later on.”
The four quarters With the crowds in, smaller police teams begin patrolling the venue. At the MCG, police take prime position in a specially-designed operations centre. It’s a crow’s nest-like room that sits high above the ground offering a 360-degree view of the on-field action and, more importantly, the grandstands below. Perched within it are Insp Templeton and Sen Sgt Van Andel. In his role as Police Commander, Insp Templeton is in charge of the strategic direction of the police patrols, while Venue Commander Sen Sgt Van Andel guides the officers in the stands to any issues that may arise. At their disposal, Insp Templeton and Sen Sgt Van Andel have hundreds of CCTV cameras from all over the venue feeding vision back to monitors inside the operations centre.
The post game With the game decided, players head into the change rooms to rest, while police enter what’s known as the “fifth quarter”. As thousands of fans hurry for the exits, walkways, ramps and public transport hubs become choked. It can be a volatile time as rival fans, half celebrating a win and half disappointed by a loss, are forced into close quarters. “All it can take for something to escalate is a comment from one fan aimed at another,” Insp Templeton said. “Sometimes it can be as innocuous as someone bumping into another person and spilling their beer.”
“Those numbers show that the football is an incredibly safe environment for fans and that the work police do with all the other stakeholders is effective.”
Main image More than a game Insp Jamie Templeton and Sen Sgt Henry Van Andel are ready for the AFL finals and the massive police effort it takes to keep the crowds safe. Editorial: Grant Condon Photography: Jesse Wray-McCann
Find out how you can join Victoria Police at police.vic.gov.au/careers
POLICE LIFE | SPRING 2019
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NEW LINE OF HELP Non-urgent crime and event reporting in Victoria has entered a new era with the launch of the Police Assistance Line, a dedicated phone number set up to take reports anytime, anywhere. Officially launched on 1 July, the service was introduced by Victoria Police to support the delivery of vital services and enhance the community's connection with police. Calls to the dedicated 131 444 number are answered at a contact centre in Ballarat, which is staffed by more than 300 civilian employees with supervision from 27 police sergeants, four senior sergeants and one inspector. Police Assistance Line Inspector Steve Towers said more than 61,307 calls were made to the Police Assistance Line in the month after it was officially launched, highlighting the need in the community for the service. “Before the introduction of these services, members of the public either called their local police station or Triple Zero (000) to seek help,” Insp Towers said.
Callers can also make general police enquiries and seek advice on neighbourhood disputes of a non-urgent nature. An online reporting service was launched alongside the Police Assistance Line, which can be accessed via the new-look Victoria Police website. Users can report some non-urgent crimes and submit Partysafe and absence from residence registrations. Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said the additional channels were introduced to help modernise the way Victoria Police delivers services to the community, allowing police more time to focus on local priorities and high-value policing.
“However, some people didn’t call at all out of concern that they would be hassling police with minor matters.
Main image Help on call Sgt Elke Harrison is one of the 32 police officers on hand to assist contact centre workers, like Louise, answer calls to the Police Assistance Line.
“With the Police Assistance Line, you can feel confident to contact us directly for these nonurgent situations and we’ll be happy to help.”
Editorial: Danielle Ford Photography: Scott McNaughton
The Police Assistance Line can be used to report a number of non-urgent crimes
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or events, such as property damage, theft and lost or located property.
POLICE LIFE | SPRING 2019
Check out the Police Assistance Line TV ad ‘When you need us, but not the sirens’ on Victoria Police’s YouTube channel.
EXAMPLES OF NONURGENT CRIMES AND EVENTS THAT CAN BE REPORTED USING THE POLICE ASSISTANCE LINE: • • • •
heft (including theft of a motor vehicle) T Property damage Lost property General police enquiries and more
CRIMES AND EVENTS THAT CAN BE REPORTED USING THE ONLINE REPORTING TOOL: • • • • •
Theft Lost property Property damage PartySafe registration Absence from residence
State Highway Patrol
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mounted branch
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air wing
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R EC O G N IS IN G
TROU8L3 When Senior Constable Uwe Stolzenberg’s highway patrol car alerted him to a suspended driver mere moments after hitting the road, he knew he had an incredible tool at his disposal. Sen Const Stolzenberg was driving one of Fawkner Highway Patrol’s cars newlyfitted with mobile Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), a powerful new technology that scans vehicles on the road to detect suspended, disqualified and unlicensed drivers, as well as unregistered and stolen vehicles. “We rolled out the gate of the police station car park and as soon as we turned left, the ANPR alert goes off with a suspended driver,” Sen Const Stolzenberg said. “We had literally only travelled about 20 metres before it went off. “He had no idea why we had pulled him over, but I explained the ANPR had picked him up as someone whose licence had been suspended for three months for speeding. “I rang my boss for authorisation to impound his car and she asked, ‘Have you even left yet?’ and I said, ‘Yeah, I’m only just around the corner’. “It was unbelievable.”
Since it was launched in February this year, the mobile ANPR technology has so far been installed in 57 highway patrol cars across the state, and is due to be rolled out to the entire highway patrol fleet of 221 cars by March 2021.
Even the most persistent of law-breaking drivers cannot escape the eagle-eyed technology. “I once gave the same bloke three unregistered vehicle tickets in one day because he just kept on driving and the ANPR just kept on picking him up,” Sen Const Coates said. “By the third time, and after more than $2,400 in fines, he finally decided to get out of his car and walk.” Road Policing Command's Assistant Commissioner Stephen Leane said the mobile ANPR technology was already an important tool in keeping Victorians safe on the road.
The technology can check more than 5,000 number plates in a 10-hour shift, compared to a maximum of 300-400 through the previous system of police manually entering number plate details.
“It has meant our highway patrol officers can do what they do best, which is watching the road, watching the people on the side of the roads and identifying the most important people they need to intercept,” AC Leane said.
Combined with the system’s video recording capabilities, mobile ANPR has armed road police with some of the most effective detection and evidence-gathering technology to date.
“Unauthorised drivers are involved in a significant number of serious collisions and we are determined to get them off our roads.”
Fawkner Highway Patrol’s Senior Constable Holli Coates said its impact had been “phenomenal”. She said drivers flouting the law were destined to be caught. “They just have no hope of avoiding us,” Sen Const Coates said. “They are eventually going to go past us, the mobile ANPR will pick them up and we will take them off the road.” Editorial and photography: Jesse Wray-McCann POLICE LIFE | SPRING 2019
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Denmark
1
Canada
23
Sweden
2
6
Scotland
20 Netherlands
10
2
Germany
27
2 Czech Republic
2 Belgium
Luxembourg
3
1
England Slovakia
1
398 31
1
Ireland
41
2 Wales
Austria Hungary
18
4
2
Switzerland
France
4
5 Slovenia
1
United States Of America
24
1
Albania
Croatia
1
»» While the percentage of police born overseas is lower than PSOs, they come from more countries: 91 countries are represented in police ranks and 62 by PSOs.
Bulgaria
18
Portugal
1 Gibraltar
»» A total of 1,814 police officers and PSOs were born outside Australia, making up nearly 11 per cent of the 17,000 strong workforce. A further 63 self-identify as having an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage.
Serbia
2
8
2
1
2
Malta
Kosovo
4
1
Police
PSO
2921
6
POLICE LIFE | SPRING 2019
12
2
Bosnia and Herzegovina
8
5
El Salvador
2 Nigeria
Ghana Colombia
Venezuela
2
1
5
Suriname
1
1
Brazil
5
1
Chile
3
Argentina
1
1
Uruguay
1
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With Victoria boasting one of the most culturally-diverse societies in the world, Police Life is sharing the stories of some of the many police and Protective Services Officers (PSOs) born overseas. 20
Italy
2
Macedonia
»» The highest percentage of police born overseas come from England, with 398 officers hailing from there. New Zealand and India round out the top three represented nations. »» India is the most represented country for PSOs, with 293 nominating the country as their place of birth.
Spain
3
1
1
2
1
Russia
Finland
1
5
1
Poland
8
Ukraine
5
Kazakhstan
1
1
1
Romania
9
2 South Korea
13
3
7
China
4 Libya
Egypt
2
3
Cyprus
3
4
Bahrain
Iraq
3
1
2
1
2
Lebanon
4
2
2
Jordan
3
2
4
Saudi Arabia
1
9
1
9
Nepal
Iran
7
7
8
Pakistan
13 Israel
20
Afghanistan
Japan
2
5
Turkey
Greece
31
Hong Kong Bangladesh
United Arab Emirates
2
1
4
5
Burma - Myanmar
1
Taiwan
2
3
India
87 293
Vietnam Thailand
2
8
4
1 Philippines Cambodia
Ethiopia
1
3
Sri Lanka
18
11
1
Dem. Republic of the Congo
1
3
1
16
6
Maldives
Kenya
Uganda
11
Malaysia
15 Republic of the Congo
1
1
2
Indonesia Singapore
15
6
5
Papua New Guinea
12
British Indian Ocean Territory
3
Angola
1
Samoa
East Timor
1
1
1
Fiji
Namibia
Botswana
1
1
Zimbabwe
3
2
5
Mauritius
13
8
4
Tonga
1
Australia
11,243 782 South Africa
56
7
New Zealand
182 27
Census data shows 28.4 per cent of Victoria’s population was born overseas, coming from more than 200 countries, with nearly 11 per cent of police and PSOs contributing to these figures. Of the nearly 17,000 police and PSOs employed by Victoria Police, 1,814 were born in a country other than Australia. PSOs make up the largest part of this figure, with nearly 38 per cent having been born overseas, coming from 63 countries, while nearly 9 per cent of police were born across 91 nations.
Deputy Commissioner Rick Nugent said having a diverse workforce was crucially important for Victoria Police and something it was constantly striving to increase.
While some people came to Australia as migrants hoping to create a better life for themselves and their children, others were simply drawn to the lifestyle Australia offered.
“We are committed to being reflective of the diverse Victorian community we serve,” DC Nugent said.
The one thing they all now have in common is their desire to serve the community they chose to settle in.
“It’s wonderful to see so many people from all over the world with great stories and backgrounds contributing to Victoria Police.
Data current as at 30/04/2019
“Our workforce is enriched by the presence of these people from all over the world.”
Read the stories of five people who help make Victoria Police a global force on Pages 22 and 23. Editorial: Danielle Ford POLICE LIFE | SPRING 2019
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MAKING THE MOVE TOGETHER A move across the world brought on by the crippling Greek financial crisis led this couple to a brighter future for their family and their dream careers with Victoria Police. Six years ago, Constable Panagiotis ‘Panos’ Roumeliotis and Protective Services Officer (PSO) Vasilicki ‘Vicky’ Skoupas were living in Greece struggling to make ends meet. This was amidst a financial crisis that saw the country experience an economic collapse lasting longer than the US Great Depression. “We didn’t have a mortgage to pay and we both had jobs, so we were seen as sort of the lucky ones,” Const Roumeliotis said of that time in Greece. “But we were still just making ends meet and the future wasn’t very bright.
“If our children wanted to go to university we wouldn’t have been able to afford it.” Wanting to create a better life for themselves and their two children, the couple packed up their lives and moved to Melbourne in 2013. “We had to build our life here from scratch, even just finding a house to rent was a challenge,” Const Roumeliotis said. Now, six years after the move, the couple and their two children have settled into life in Australia, a life which opened up the opportunity to follow a career in law enforcement for them both. “I always wanted to be a police officer but the system in Greece is very different and I never qualified. Once I was older than 26 I could no longer apply,” Const Roumeliotis said. “When we moved here, I saw it as my golden opportunity to achieve my dream of being an officer.”
Const Roumeliotis joined Victoria Police in October 2014 as a PSO before training to be a police officer four years later, graduating as a constable last September. In November, PSO Skoupas also joined Victoria Police, with her husband presenting her with her badge at graduation. “It was a really special moment because it was a moment where we could both stop and look at how far we have come since moving here,” PSO Skoupas said. “We feel very privileged to have these jobs and to serve the community. It’s something that’s only possible because we made the choice to move here.” Image Proud day Const Panos Roumeliotis (right) presented PSO Vicky Skoupas with her badge at her graduation from the Victoria Police Academy, marking a big day for the couple, who credit their move to Australia as changing the course of their life. Editorial: Danielle Ford
A PASSAGE FROM INDIA
After falling in love with Australia during a holiday in 2005, Amit Verma decided to return the following year and make his home in Melbourne. “It wasn’t an easy move because my parents and family were all back in India,” he said. “It took me about five months to start to feel really settled, but even during that time I knew Australia was somewhere I was lucky to be living.” The 28-year-old is now a constable with Victoria Police, an achievement he said wouldn’t have been possible had he not made the move to Australia. “I’d actually always wanted to join either the police or military back in India but I never quite felt confident enough to try and go for it,” Const Verma said.
“But since moving here, I have built a really strong support network that really pushed me to apply for Victoria Police when I told them I was thinking about it.” Highlighting multiculturalism as one of the things he enjoys most about living in Melbourne, Const Verma said since joining Victoria Police he had gained a greater appreciation of the role culture plays in policing. “I love living in a place that has such a culturallydiverse community,” Const Verma said. “I enjoy being among the many officers who represent that diversity is an important thing. If police are serving a diverse community, it’s important we reflect that to best serve Victorians.” Image Police privilege Const Amit Verma says being able to represent his Indian culture while serving his community as a police officer is something he feels privileged to do. Editorial: Danielle Ford
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POLICE LIFE | SPRING 2019
LOOKING BACK AND GIVING BACK For First Constable Karen Matias moving to Australia wasn’t her choice, but it’s something she said changed her life in ways she couldn’t have imagined. When she was 12, the now 37-year-old’s parents made the decision to move their three children from the Philippines to Australia. “While life was good over there, life is a particular way and if we had stayed in the Philippines, certain futures wouldn’t have been opened up for us. I probably wouldn’t have had the chance to be a police officer,” Const Matias said. After working at Crown Casino for several years, Const Matias was sworn in as a police officer in 2015 and worked as a general duties officer before joining the Operations Response Unit (ORU) two years ago. The ORU is a highly-trained response team tasked to tackle large-scale public safety
events, road policing and crime issues across the state and has the capacity to provide rapid response to major incidents at short notice. With all the opportunities living in Australia has provided, Const Matias said she joined Victoria Police as a way to “give back to the community that welcomed her family”. “Everyone in my family has had the opportunity to create whatever kind of life we want here in Australia and that is something myself and my family is so thankful for,” she said. “One of my brothers runs a family law firm and the other is a member of the Australian Federal Police, so we’re all in jobs that serve our community.” Despite having moved to Australia so young, Const Matias said her Filipino heritage still plays a big role in her life, most importantly in the way it has shaped her values.
Image Honoured to serve Const Karen Matias is proud to serve the Melbourne community and says it is her way of giving back to the people that welcomed her family when they moved from the Philippines 25 years ago.
“The Filipino culture really focuses on family, respect and integrity and these are things that I value in my life,” she said.
Editorial: Danielle Ford Photography: Jesse Wray-McCann
FROM MACEDONIA TO MELBOURNE Having been a stay-at-homemother for eight years, making the decision to join Victoria Police as a Protective Services Officer (PSO) was a big deal for Jordanka Petkoff. But for the now 48-year-old, it wasn’t the first life-changing decision she had made. Twenty years ago, when she was 28, PSO Petkoff packed up her whole life to move to Melbourne from the European country of Macedonia. “At that age it’s not easy when you leave all your friends and move to a place where you have to start afresh,” PSO Petkoff said.
“But I was lucky that I had a lot of family who lived over here, which made it a bit easier.” Even with the difficulties involved with the move, PSO Petkoff said she immediately felt that Australia was home. “A lot of my family had moved over here and I had been thinking about what to do next in my life and decided I’d come over here as well,” she said. “They all spoke so highly of the country and about the opportunities available over here.” Sighting the multiculturalism of Melbourne as one of her favourite things about living here, PSO Petkoff said the diversity of the community is greatly reflected at work.
“Just in our office at Moorabbin, we probably have staff from about 10 different nationalities,” she said. “It’s great because as PSOs, we serve a diverse community, so to have us coming from diverse backgrounds is amazing.”
Image Embracing culture Cultural heritage is what makes PSO Jordanka Petkoff love living in Australia even more. Editorial: Danielle Ford Photography: Jesse Wray-McCann POLICE LIFE | SPRING 2019
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POLICE REMEMBRANCE DAY 29 SEPTEMBER Every day across the state, thousands of Victoria Police officers serve and protect their communities and then head home after a job well done.
Leading Senior Constable Keith Patterson, who died in September 2018, is remembered as a “genuine bloke” who worked hard for the sake of his colleagues.
However there have also been officers over the years who have not made it home, those who have died in the line of duty.
In 2006 he returned to work, but over time, the replacement valve again became infected.
National Police Remembrance Day on 29 September will commemorate the sacrifices of these brave men and women. The day will be marked with a metropolitan march and service at the Victoria Police Memorial and with regional services held across the state. The Victoria Police Memorial, located within the Kings Domain gardens on St Kilda Road, includes an honour roll featuring the names of 166 Victoria Police officers who have died in the line of duty. Two new names have been sadly added to the honour roll in the past 12 months, those of Detective Senior Sergeant Vic Kostiuk and Leading Senior Constable Keith Patterson.
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POLICE LIFE | SPRING 2019
Ldg Sen Const Patterson, 63, died as a result of organ failure linked to long-term illness thought to be caused by a scuffle with a prisoner many years earlier. In May 2005, Ldg Sen Const Patterson cut his hand while trying to place the resistant prisoner in the rear of a divisional van. This led to a staph infection that affected a heart valve he had replaced the previous year and he was off work for a considerable period of time.
The staph infection meant he was unable to undergo surgery and he died from organ failure on 7 September last year. Ldg Sen Const Patterson joined Victoria Police in 1986 as a 31-year-old, following in the footsteps of his father, who was also a police officer. Ldg Sen Const Patterson was a valuable and respected member of several stations within the Wellington Police Service Area in Gippsland during his career. He worked mostly general duties before becoming a Divisional Intelligence Unit analyst in Sale. Ldg Sen Const Patterson made an important contribution as a members’ delegate with The Police Association of Victoria from 2000, becoming a life member in 2012.
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Association president Senior Sergeant John Laird remembers Ldg Sen Const Patterson as a “heart and soul” association activist, who always put his fellow association members first. “‘Patto’ was just a genuine bloke who always had the back of his members,” Sen Sgt Laird said. “There was never any fuss about him; he just simply got on with the job of doing his bit to support the association and his members in many of our successful campaigns over many years. “Members have a lot to thank Patto for.” Ldg Sen Const Patterson was posthumously awarded a Victoria Police Star in May this year. He is survived by his wife Di, and sons Ryan, Lachlan and Matthew.
POLICE REMEMBRANCE DAY 29 SEPTEMBER
“I still have fond memories of our time together working on a number of homicide investigations in the 1990s and while this was a time of great loss for many, I often think of the compassion and empathy Vic had for the families who had lost a loved one in tragic and violent circumstances. “I recall on one occasion following a Supreme Court trial, the family members of the deceased victim gave Vic a cook book as they recalled he mentioned in passing his passion for cooking. “That small token was something that was never normally seen and was a testament to how much the family thought of Vic.”
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Detective Senior Sergeant Vic Kostiuk was taking part in a motorcycle ride to honour fallen officers last year when he himself was tragically killed after being hit by a car. The death of the popular and respected officer on the Wall to Wall: Ride for Remembrance rocked Victoria Police just two weeks out from the 2018 Police Remembrance Day. Det Sen Sgt Kostiuk, 59, was taking part in the ride alongside his son and fellow police officer Senior Constable Felix Kostiuk on the Princes Highway near Orbost on 14 September when a car travelling in the other direction lost control and collided with his motorcycle. A year on from the tragedy and Det Sen Sgt Kostiuk is being remembered as a devoted and compassionate man. He joined Victoria Police in 1979 and worked in uniform policing, crime investigation and homicide, however he was best known for his work in family violence.
As the officer in charge of the Family Violence Unit at the Somerville Police Complex, he was an expert in the field of preventing family violence, respected by his colleagues as well as other agencies and service providers. The National Medal was awarded to Det Sen Sgt Kostiuk in 1995 for “diligent service and good conduct over a sustained period”. Superintendent Adrian White, who worked closely with Det Sen Sgt Kostiuk for many years, described him as “a man who was devoted to his family, his staff, and his job” and who would always get people laughing. “Without exception, every time I spoke with Vic he would make me laugh or at least break into a broad smile,” Supt White said. “His personal motto was ‘live life with passion’. “He was also indeed passionate about protecting the vulnerable in our community, particularly those that have been adversely impacted by family violence.
Det Sen Sgt Kostiuk is survived by his wife, retired Superintendent Pauline Kostiuk, and his son, Sen Const Felix Kostiuk. Images Honouring the fallen 01 Ldg Sen Const Keith Patterson died last year as a result of complications from an injury suffered while on duty. 02 Det Sen Sgt Vic Kostiuk was killed when a car hit his motorcycle while taking part in a ride to honour fallen officers last year. Editorial: Jesse Wray-McCann
The National Police Remembrance Day metropolitan march and service is on Sunday, 29 September. Participants are to gather in the southbound service lane on St Kilda Road from 9am, between Princes Bridge and Linlithgow Avenue. The step-off time is at 10am with a service to follow at the Victoria Police Memorial.
POLICE LIFE | SPRING 2019
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TRUE CRIME
A man’s body is found dumped with more than 20 axe wounds, leading to an investigation involving more than 100 interviews, a love triangle, a manipulative girlfriend and one celebratory bottle of champagne. Before he was murdered near Bacchus Marsh on 11 April 1996, Noel Anthony Connolly was known as a kind and gentle man, devoted to working on cars and looking after his two children. Inspector Bernie Edwards, who was a detective sergeant at the Homicide Squad and assigned to the case at the time, said Mr Connolly, 42, never deserved such a vicious end to his life. “He lived in Bacchus Marsh with his de facto partner of many years, Ivy Waite,” Insp Edwards said. “He and Ivy were attending an adult education centre with a number of people involved in this case. With the people we investigated, it was like some sort of soap opera of who was sleeping with who.”
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POLICE LIFE | SPRING 2019
While Mr Connolly was working hard to support his family, Ms Waite secretly started seeing another man, John Bewley Evans. Evans, who was 14 years younger than Mr Connolly, had an intellectual disability and was infatuated with Ms Waite. Ms Waite started filling Evans’ mind with falsehoods about Mr Connolly, claiming he would constantly beat her and the two children and pour hot water on them. Incensed and driven by his love for Ms Waite, Evans wanted to take action. Evans told his brother-in-law Keith Baskin, 33, that he was worried about the safety of Ms Waite and the children.
This triggered in Baskin memories of his childhood, when his father would drunkenly beat him and his mother. Baskin had previously been given a suspended prison sentence for attacking a man with a hammer in 1990. Baskin had been told the victim had been beating his own partner and son.
Joining Insp Edwards was Stephen Curnow, who retired from Victoria Police as an inspector, Ken Ashworth and Dean Thomas, both now inspectors, Dave Jones, now a superintendent, and Rick Nugent, who is now a Deputy Commissioner. “With the circle of people involved in this adult education centre, we had a lot of people to investigate,” Insp Edwards said.
“Evans just wanted to bash Connolly, but Baskin, who had never met Connolly, was far nastier and said, ‘Why bash him? I’ll kill him’,” Insp Edwards said.
“That’s where the local Bacchus Marsh police and their local knowledge of all the identities became vital.
Evans and Baskin hatched a plan to drive Mr Connolly to pick up some car parts and then pretend to have car trouble.
“We ended up interviewing more than 100 people, and some of them weren’t too forthcoming.
They did just that on the night of 11 April 1996 and pulled off the Old Western Highway at a location known as Anthony’s Cutting, between Bacchus Marsh and Melton West.
“When we went to tell Ivy about the murder, she feigned shock and horror, saying it was the first she knew about it.
According to Insp Edwards, when Mr Connolly offered to take a look at the engine, Baskin grabbed a tomahawk Evans had earlier placed in the boot of the Holden Kingswood.
“It was a really hard slog, with a lot of statements and a lot of door-knocking.” But a breakthrough came when one woman appeared to show too much interest during her interview.
It was a story at odds with Evans’ own claim that Baskin alone wielded the tomahawk. Police did not believe Baskin’s version of events due to the steepness of the ground he said he crossed to urinate. “It was pitch black out there and so steep, no one in their right mind would climb down such difficult terrain just to urinate,” Insp Edwards said. “It just was not at all believable.” Evans and Baskin were tried separately on murder charges at the Supreme Court and the detectives organised for the judge and jury in Baskin’s case to visit the scene of the crime to survey the steep terrain. The unique move worked, with Justice John Coldrey and the jury refusing to believe Baskin’s toilet tale. “I have no doubt the jury regarded this assertion as absolutely ludicrous and were satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that you never left the scene of the killing,” Justice Coldrey said in his sentencing remarks in April 1998.
“She was quite concerned with the viciousness of the murder, asking questions like, ‘Were his injuries really bad? Would he have suffered?’” Insp Edwards said.
Both men were found guilty of murder, with Baskin sentenced to 16 years in prison with a minimum of 12 years and Evans sentenced to 14 years in prison with a minimum of nine years and six months.
“She was too inquisitive and that made me take notice.
Yet Ivy Waite, described as “manipulative” by Justice Coldrey never fronted the courts.
Baskin and Evans then dumped Mr Connolly’s body in nearby bushes.
“I remember saying to her how brutal it all was and how much pain he would have gone through.
“Ms Waite was more sophisticated than Mr Evans and was able to manipulate him,” Justice Coldrey said.
Evans dropped Baskin back at his Melton South home before going to tell Ms Waite of the murder.
“The next day, she contacted us again and said, ‘What I said wasn’t right’, and she ended up making another statement.”
“Evans and Ivy caught up with other friends and, in two car loads, they drove through a bottle shop at Deer Park to buy champagne to celebrate the killing,” Insp Edwards said.
This statement led the detectives to Baskin and Evans.
“While Ivy had planted the seed in Evans’ mind, there was never any evidence she actually told him she wanted him to kill Connolly,” Insp Edwards said.
“Evans is alleged to have held the champagne out the car window and shouted, ‘Let’s celebrate!’”
Baskin tried telling police that when they stopped the car, he had gone off into the bush to urinate and came back to find Mr Connolly dead at the hands of Evans.
“As Connolly’s looking under the bonnet, Baskin hits him with the tomahawk and then just keeps on hitting him,” Insp Edwards said. Mr Connolly suffered more than 20 wounds, mainly to the head and neck, but also to his hands, indicating he tried in vain to shield himself from the onslaught.
The following morning, a farmer and his son stumbled across Mr Connolly’s brutalised body. The Homicide Squad was informed and Insp Edwards’s crew started what would turn into a thorough six-month investigation. The crew was made up of brilliant investigators, who would all go on to rise through the ranks of Victoria Police.
When interviewed, each man blamed the other for Mr Connolly’s murder.
Yet when police produced the murder weapon in the interview, he dramatically changed his story. Baskin said Evans was still striking Mr Connolly when he came back from urinating and the tomahawk was then passed to him. Baskin claimed he only struck Mr Connolly once to the jaw and twice to the throat.
In the months after the murder, Ms Waite was ready to make a claim for thousands of dollars in crime compensation as the de facto partner of Mr Connolly. After getting wind of the compensation proceedings, Insp Edwards explained the evidence police had of Ms Waite, Evans and their friends celebrating with the champagne. Ms Waite duly dropped her compensation claim. Image Recalling tragedy Insp Bernie Edwards returns to the scene where Noel Anthony Connolly was murdered more than 23 years ago. Editorial and photography: Jesse Wray-McCann POLICE LIFE | SPRING 2019
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Farming safety solutions If you live in the middle of a major city, chances are farm crimes, such as livestock theft, aren’t a pressing issue. But for residents in the rural Pyrenees area in Western Victoria, they’re among their top concerns, according to the results of a community safety survey. The survey was conducted as part of the Victorian Government-funded Community Safety Networks, which have been set up in 12 communities across the state to give residents a greater voice in Victoria Police’s ongoing efforts to combat crime. The Pyrenees Community Safety Network was established as part of the larger Ballarat Community Safety Network after Inspector Dan Davison identified the need to focus on the specific needs of the rural region. “The Pyrenees falls into the Ballarat Police Service Area but it’s a very different community with very different needs and safety concerns,” Insp Davison said.
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“So when Ballarat was chosen as one of the 12 areas to have a Community Safety Network set up, we worked with the program to have the Pyrenees establish its own survey and program.” Nearly 400 people from the Pyrenees area completed the community safety survey, with results revealing the top three safety concerns as road safety, dangerous driving and farm crime. With the agricultural industry being one of the biggest sources of employment in the area, Avoca Sergeant Mick Rentsch said it wasn’t surprising to see farm crime highlighted as a main concern. “It’s a common crime reported in the area due to the number of farms there are,” Sgt Rentsch said. “Livestock theft is the most common farm crime and can have a huge financial impact on local farmers.” Following the survey, local police established the Pyrenees Community Safety Advisory Group in collaboration with other community stakeholders to address the concerns identified.
The group travelled through the area in June to engage with the local community and identify possible solutions to safety concerns. The committee will now meet on a bimonthly basis to ensure residents continue to be provided with accurate information and resources about local crime trends and safety issues, including crime prevention advice. Lyn Mather, who owns a café in the Pyrenees town of Avoca, is a community representative on the committee and said it’s important for residents to have a place where they can raise their concerns with police. “While we may not have the safety concerns that some bigger cities have, there are still issues in a small town like Avoca and surrounding towns, which are often quite specific,” Ms Mather said. “Our local police are always helpful and good at letting us know if there’s anything happening. “But having a regular committee meeting where police can update the community and residents can bring any concerns to the table is wonderful.”
A walk through justice Ldg Sen Const Harrison, Ldg Sen Const Bowker and community member Lyn Mather have all been involved in helping address concerns raised by residents in the community safety survey.
With most shops in the Pyrenees town of Avoca, including Lyn’s café, being situated on a highway, police were not surprised that dangerous driving and road safety were among the top three safety concerns of locals.
Results from the Wyndham community safety survey showed a key safety theme for residents was a desire to have a stronger connection with local police. From this, Wyndham police and several community and government groups combined to deliver an eight-week citizens academy program, titled ‘A Walk through Justice’. The program saw a group of 15 culturallydiverse community leaders get a first-hand experience of Victoria’s justice system. “Many of the participants have migrated to Australia from countries where there is distrust of judiciary bodies,” North West Metro Region Division 2 Inspector Marty Allison said.
Residents of the rural Pyrenees area noted farm crimes, such as livestock theft, as one of the main safety concerns they wanted addressed as part of the Community Safety Network.
The Community Safety Networks aim to build a stronger connection between police and residents across the state.
Insp Davison said the network had proven to be a great way to further build the strong connection between police and the community.
“I am tremendously proud of what we have achieved to date under the Community Safety Networks project,” A/Cmdr Fraser said.
“You find in the regional areas that residents really like to get to know their local police,” he said.
“Supporting our frontline members to develop innovative ideas to reach into their local community has been incredibly valuable.
“But through the Community Safety Networks we’ve seen more communities engage with police and really take ownership of their safety.”
“The networks have also enabled us to work more closely with key partners such as Neighbourhood Watch, CrimeStoppers Victoria, and the Crime Statistics Agency.”
In addition to the Ballarat and Pyrenees programs, Community Safety Networks have also been set up in Brimbank, Cardinia, Frankston, Dandenong, the Geelong and Bellarine area, Shepparton, Knox, Latrobe, Melton, Whittlesea and Wyndham. Priority Communities Division Acting Commander Murray Fraser said the networks had been well supported in all areas, with each program receiving great support from several community groups as well as police in the regions.
“But the academy was hugely successful in providing participants with a new insight into how Victoria’s laws work to keep the community safe, and enhancing relationships between community members and the government and law enforcement.” Wyndham police were involved in giving the program participants a look at how Victoria Police goes about enforcing the law and Insp Allison said it was an honour to be involved in such an innovative program. Participants also spent time exploring the parliamentary and court systems as well as looking at government-funded programs that exist to help prevent youth crime, another key safety concern highlighted by residents. “It was an amazing program that we are hugely proud to have been a part of,” Insp Allison said. “It proved to be a huge success and it concluded with a celebratory graduation with all of the participating organisations there to congratulate the participants for their commitment.
Main image Engaging safety Avoca resident and business owner Lyn Mather chats with local police officers Ldg Sen Const Dale Harrison and Ldg Sen Const Mark Bowker at her café.
“The feedback from all participants was incredible and there is a huge appetite in the community for this program to continue and we would be more than happy to be a part of it again.”
Editorial: Danielle Ford Photography: Brendan McCarthy
Find out how you can join Victoria Police at police.vic.gov.au/careers
Visit engage.vic.gov.au/ communitysafetynetworks to read more about the Community Safety Networks, and the programs other areas are running.
Image Citizen academy The 'A Walk through Justice' program concluded with a special graduation ceremony where 15 community leaders were recognised for their participation and enthusiasm.
POLICE LIFE | SPRING 2019
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CAREER IN FOCUS
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OLD DOG’S NEW BRICKS
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When Danny Vakulcyzk was 17 and working as an apprentice bricklayer on the C Block building at the Victoria Police Academy, the thought of being a police officer never crossed his mind. “When we were working on C Block it was all scaffolded up and I would be standing up there watching the recruits out the back running around the oval,” he said. “I’d have a bit of a chuckle every now and then and think ‘You’d never catch me out there'.” Thirty-eight years later, the now 55-year-old is a detective senior constable at Heidelberg Crime Investigation Unit (CIU), having joined Victoria Police when he was 47. “After finishing my apprenticeship, I continued to lay bricks right up until I joined Victoria Police,” Det Sen Const Vakulcyzk said.
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Heidelberg CIU before applying for full-time placement with the unit. Showing that age is no barrier, Det Sen Const Vakulcyzk completed his detective training in June, which at 55 made him one of the oldest people to have gone through Victoria Police’s Detective Training School. “A few of the jokesters in the office like to say Danny was adamant to tick it off his bucket list,” Heidelberg CIU Detective Sergeant Andrew Beames said.
“I’d always been looking for something other than bricklaying to do, but it was more a question of what exactly I wanted to do.
While joining Victoria Police at an older age has made for some good-natured workplace banter, Det Sgt Beames said Det Sen Const Vakulcyzk gives a lot of the younger police a run for their money.
“I remember seeing a police recruitment ad on TV one day and it appealed, so I applied and here I am.”
“He may be one of the oldest at the unit but he’d have to be the fittest,” Det Sgt Beames said.
After working for just over two years as a general duties officer, Det Sen Const Vakulcyzk completed two secondments with the
“He is always out there at the coalface doing the heavy lifting, which was evident in his first shift back after completing Detective Training School, which ended up being a 15-hour stint.”
POLICE LIFE | SPRING 2019
Det Sen Const Vakulcyzk said he has loved every minute of his career change and said he had one piece of advice for people hesitant about making the switch to a career in policing. “Give it a go, you won’t regret it,” he said. “I’m certainly glad I’m not out in the cold weather laying bricks anymore.”
Image Trading tools 01 Det Sen Const Danny Vakulcyzk traded in bricks and a trowel for a gun and handcuffs when he left his 30-year bricklaying career to join Victoria Police at the age of 47. 02 As a 17-year-old bricklaying apprentice, Det Sen Const Danny Vakulcyzk worked on the C Block building at the academy, never thinking about joining Victoria Police at the time. Editorial: Danielle Ford Photography: Jesse Wray-McCann
Find out how you can join Victoria Police at police.vic.gov.au/careers
A SPOUSE’S SACRIFICE
The support of police officers’ families has forever been crucial to Victoria Police, but in 1936 Aimee Milne made the ultimate sacrifice when she was killed by bombs intended to murder her detective husband.
The wife of Detective Sergeant Fred Milne, Aimee this year became the first ever non-police officer to receive the prestigious Victoria Police Star, an honour traditionally reserved only for officers who are killed or seriously injured in the line of duty.
Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said Aimee’s sacrifice had gone unrecognised for too long.
Det Sgt Milne was a brilliant detective, known for investigations into some of the most high-profile organised crime figures of 1920s and 1930s Melbourne, including the infamous Squizzy Taylor.
“While this is unprecedented, to me this seems very natural, very important and it just seems right,” CCP Ashton said.
His tenacity in bringing criminals to account meant Det Sgt Milne received his fair share of death threats.
When the Victoria Police Memorials Committee approached him to posthumously award Aimee with the Victoria Police Star and a special grave dedication, CCP Ashton gladly gave his approval.
“Every achievement that any police officer makes in their career is made off the back of the support of those who love them. “We talk about Victoria Police being a family, Aimee is always a part of that family.
The threats tragically became reality when two improvised explosives were thrown into the main bedroom of his and Aimee’s home in Geelong in the early hours of 13 July 1936.
“This is a unique opportunity to send a message to all those who support their police officers today, that we thank you for your support and sacrifice in doing that.”
The explosion killed Aimee but Det Sgt Milne miraculously survived, along with their two young children.
The Milnes' grandson Rory Milne told those gathered at Aimee’s grave site for the medal presentation that it was difficult to express just how much the honour meant to his family.
“For our family today, this is just so wonderful,” Mr Milne said. “Acts of extreme violence can occur in such a short time but have an effect on victims for decades afterwards. “While we stand here in memory of a dreadful crime in 1936, we should also commemorate all the good policing that has prevented, and will prevent, violence in the community.” Editorial and photography: Jesse Wray-McCann
PART OF THE FAMILY A posthumous Victoria Police Star more than 161 years in the making has been awarded to a senior constable killed during Victoria’s gold rush period.
Deputy Commissioner Wendy Steendam presented the award and said that while Sen Const Barnett has no known relatives, he would always be part of the Victoria Police family.
Senior Constable Edward Barnett was murdered on 1 February 1858 at the White Hills Goldfield near Carisbrook when trying to arrest robber William Brook.
“One of our commitments is to honour the memories of members who have made the ultimate sacrifice, as we’re doing here,” DC Steendam said at the ceremony.
Brook, who had just shot dead restaurateur Charles Lopez during a bungled robbery attempt, shot Sen Const Barnett in the heart while escaping.
“This ensures that Sen Const Barnett, just like so many years ago, is still acknowledged and valued as part of the extended Victoria Police family.”
The police officer was buried at Carisbrook Cemetery and his grave site was the location of the Victoria Police Star presentation ceremony held in August this year.
DC Steendam also commended Avoca Leading Senior Constable Chris Trimble (pictured right) for his efforts in championing the honour for Sen Const Barnett.
Sen Const Barrett’s grave was also dedicated and the award now hangs inside the nearby Maryborough Police Station. Editorial: Jesse Wray-McCann Photography: Riley Upton, The Maryborough District Advertiser POLICE LIFE | SPRING 2019
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THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF VICTORIA POLICE
