Police Life WINTER 2018

THE VICTORIA POLICE MAGAZINE

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Burning with ambition AN ARSON INVESTIGATOR DIVIDES HER TIME BETWEEN DIGGING THROUGH THE DUST AND GIVING BACK TO HER COMMUNITY. PLUS FINDING LOST FAMILY MEMBERS > EXERCISE PREPARES POLICE FOR ANYTHING > MILLIONS SEIZED BY SQUAD > WATCHING OUT FOR VICTORIANS AND MORE

WINTER 2018

WINTER 2018

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Exercising caution Get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of a high pressure training exercise.

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Life savers A sergeant who lost his wife to illness speaks about the importance of organ donation.

COVER: Arson investigator and volunteer firefighter Detective Senior Constable Di Dale.

Photography: Andrew Henshaw 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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Dodgy dollars The Criminal Proceeds Squad takes cash and cars right out of criminal hands.

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Ashes to Arson Squad A community-minded arson and explosives detective shares her story.

Managing Editor Superintendent Jo Dolan Editor Maria Carnovale Journalists Anthea Cannon Donna Magness Chris Metevelis Ashlee Williams 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

PLUS

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Behind the Badge True Crime Badge and Beyond

Policing past Step back in time and learn the secrets behind old police station walls.

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF COMMISSIONER In April police prosecutors began night court duties in the now fully-serviced Bail and Remand Court of the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, which is already demonstrating valuable outcomes for our police and Victorians.

Bail decisions can be thoroughly considered and matters are more likely to be finalised straight away than if an accused is brought before a bail justice, saving police time and resources, and ultimately allowing police to return to policing duties quicker.

It can also result in a better outcome for an accused.

In one case, two accused were brought before the night court charged with murder. They were remanded in custody and the matter was adjourned to a filing hearing. In the past, the accused would have been remanded by a bail justice to appear before a magistrate on the following day, and police would have been required to attend both hearings.

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POLICE LIFE | WINTER 2018

In a similar case, outlaw motorcycle gang members were arrested and police worked through the day processing scenes, gathering evidence and laying charges. Rather than using a bail justice, they were all brought before the night court and dealt with at once.

The night court has also led to early guilty pleas, saving police from preparing a brief of evidence, which can take hours, sometimes weeks to complete.

I am pleased by the early success of the night court, and hope this will encourage our people to utilise its services more and more.

Not only will this ease the pressure on police, it will ultimately result in better outcomes for the community we protect.

Graham Ashton AM Chief Commissioner Follow CCP Ashton on Twitter at @GrahamAshtonCCP

MAKING NEWS For the latest police news visit vicpolicenews.com.au

BOOTS FOR MORE THAN WALKING A senior constable is encouraging police to dust off their old uniforms for a worthy cause.

Springvale Police Station’s Senior Constable Jo Malec has visited Samoa 14 times over three and a half years, bringing with her second-hand goods for local schools.

With so much clothing gathering dust in lockers, Sen Const Malec saw an opportunity.

Within 24 hours a deal was struck with the Victoria Police warehouse responsible for managing old and new uniforms.

“When I told them my idea, they were keen to jump on board,” Sen Const Malec said.

She recently found she could take it a step further, giving police uniform items that were no longer being used to those who needed them.

“The manager said they’d rather repurpose the boots than destroy them, so they agreed to store them until they were ready to be shipped.

“A Samoan friend of mine called and asked if I could bring a pair of boots for him on my next trip, as he had a new job landscaping,” Sen Const Malec said.

“The team has been so brilliant; I couldn’t have done it without them.”

“When I looked around the office I realised many of my colleagues had old uniform boots laying around.”

Sen Const Malec said the agreement had benefits on both sides.

“We destroy two containers worth of uniforms each day,” she said.

“At no cost to us we can recycle our old boots and make a difference to someone’s life.”

With the help of a local Samoan support group, Sen Const Malec is preparing a container ship to send the much-needed footwear overseas.

Her goal is to get 1,000 pairs by July.

Sen Const Malec said she was inspired to give back to the community that welcomed her with open arms.

“In Samoa the work is incredibly hard and the pay is around $2 an hour,” she said.

“They don’t have much, yet they open their homes to me every time I visit.”

Sen Const Malec is hoping to expand the initiative and make it an ongoing commitment.

“We’re collecting tactical pants now as well, so it’d be great to see more police sending us their unwanted uniforms,” she said.

Image Boots Off Sen Const Malec is giving the boot to wasteful practices.

Editorial: Ashlee Williams POLICE LIFE | WINTER 2018

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SMALL TALK VOXPOP

DID YOU KNOW?

How do you look out for one another in your community?

GARY COLLINS Farmer, Bridgewater

“The locals catch up weekly, and we can tell pretty quickly if someone’s a bit off. It’s a good opportunity for us to get together and unwind.”

Contrary to what you might see on television, you do not have to wait for a person to be missing 24 hours before reporting to police.

“If you have concerns about someone, you can report it straight away,” the Missing Persons Squad’s Detective Leading Senior Constable Anna Dickinson said.

Missing Persons Week is a national campaign aiming to raise awareness of and reduce the incidence and impact of missing persons in Australia. It runs from Sunday, 29 July to Saturday, 4 August.

Visit missingpersons.gov.au to find out more.

See page 10 of Police Life to read about Victoria Police’s Missing Persons Squad.

SECRET LIFE OF POLICE

MITCHAL COLLINS Farmer, Bridgewater

“If we see something unusual, we contact the local police and talk to our neighbours. The bush telegraph works very well.”

TIM FERGUSON Mechanic and Country Fire Authority captain

“My role as group officer for the fire brigades here sees a lot of crossover with emergency management, so I work very closely with the police.”

BE PART OF THE STORY Join the Conversation Police Life is always looking for ways to improve, so we would appreciate if you could take a few minutes to complete a short survey and go into the running to win a prize.

Complete the survey at police.vic.gov.au/policelife Police Life loves hearing what you think about the magazine, your local police and Victoria Police in general. Write or email Police Life at: Police Life GPO Box 913 Melbourne, 3001 Email: policelife-mgr@police.vic.gov.au

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POLICE LIFE | WINTER 2018

Roads or skies, Sen Const Kilroy couldn’t decide so he does both.

Restaurateur-turned-police officer Senior Constable Andrew Kilroy covers the roads at work and the skies in his own time.

So he focused on family and career, and flying took a backseat.

Before spreading his wings and heading north to Mildura, where he works in the Highway Patrol, he worked in a few suburban stations.

Sen Const Kilroy is also hoping to complete an air crash investigator course with Recreational Aviation Australia to be a local resource.

“I joined Victoria Police later in life, after having my own restaurant,” he said.

“Mildura is a great place to be a police officer.

The lifestyle is amazing. There is so much to do.

The station is huge and has solid camaraderie.”

After work, Sen Const Kilroy has the ideal getaway, he takes to the skies.

“Being in the Highway Patrol is a dream come true. Working as a police officer has with it certain challenges and being able to get up in the air is a great way to ‘switch off’,” he said.

Sen Const Kilroy has had a life-long passion for aviation. He started flying in 1991 with the hope of being a commercial pilot, but given his eyesight wasn’t perfect, was told he wouldn’t make the grade.

He is now part of the Mildura Sport Aviation Club, which gives him the chance to fly regularly and is training to be an instructor.

BEHIND THE BADGE

MICHAEL VARKER Rank: Police Custody Officer (PCO) Supervisor Age: 61 Graduated: July 2016 Station: Geelong Police Station What did you do before becoming a PCO? I was a Victoria Police officer for 16 years. I mainly worked in the uniform branch in the Geelong area, but I also did some time in drug squads, antibikie taskforces and crime investigation units. I also did some proactive work at schools, where I talked about drug use and bike education.

After that I spent 16 years at the Australian Federal Police (AFP), where I was initially a shift supervisor at Melbourne Airport. For the last 12 years of my time at the AFP, I was the team leader in the Air Marshals flying on domestic and international deployments. This involved counter-terrorist hijacking capability and security on board Australian registered aircraft travelling interstate and overseas. I also trained air marshals from the Philippines, Singapore, United States, New Zealand and Japan.

Tell us about being a PCO Supervisor.

I manage the PCOs on my shift. Our duties include running the daily operations of the cells and ensuring the welfare of detainees.

We also arrange fingerprinting, hospital guards, prisoner transport, court escorts and more.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I really enjoy working with my colleagues and being part of a team that makes cell management such a smooth operation. Now there are PCOs embedded in police stations, police are free to focus on other work.

I also get to see my daughter whenever she’s on shift, which is a bonus.

You have won numerous Police and Emergency Services Games medals. Which sports do you compete in?

I’ve been competing in the Police and Emergency Services Games since 1984; in fact I kicked off the police games triathlon many years ago. I’ve never missed a competition and have won the Victoria Police triathlon 13 years in a row. Just recently, I won silver medals in cycling, road racing and a gold medal in the aquathon. I have also been taking part in the Australia and New Zealand Police Games, World Police and Fire Games, the International Law Enforcement Games and civilian triathlons since 1983. It’s really important to maintain a healthy body and mind. Physical fitness is like the fountain of youth.

What made you decide to apply for the role of PCO? After resigning from the AFP, my daughter suggested I look at the PCO role. She is a senior constable in Geelong and heard good things about the position. I think law enforcement is in your blood, so you sort of gravitate back towards that. My passion has been law enforcement for 32 years, so it’s pretty hard to get it out of your system. Coming back to Geelong has been like coming back home. It’s fantastic because a lot of the sergeants here were trainees under me many years ago as young constables. The superintendent was even my squad mate. It’s great to come back and work with the old comrades from way back when.

Find out how you can join Victoria Police at policecareer.vic.gov.au Editorial: Ashlee Williams Photography: Scott McNaughton POLICE LIFE | WINTER 2018

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VICTORIA POLICE

BY THE NUMBERS:

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YOUTH SPECIALIST OFFICERS will be deployed across the state by the end of the year to focus on the most serious youth offenders in a bid to reduce further offending.

333

1,447 11

is the number of police stations across Victoria as of February 2018.

136

body worn cameras were issued to Epping and Ballarat police for use in operational duties, as a pilot program. By the end of 2019, a minimum of 7,500 cameras will be deployed.

8-15 JULY

Australians had a new chance in life, thanks to organ donations from 503 people in 2016. Read more about Victoria Police’s commitment to organ donation on page 12 of Police Life.

new and updated firearm offences have been made to the Firearms Act 1996. The changes mean it is now an offence to possess any firearm part or equipment for the purpose of manufacturing firearms.

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Eyewatch pages are now on Facebook, reflecting all of Victoria’s police service areas and spreading good news stories and crime prevention messages.

years of service have been celebrated by the Protective Services Unit.

Turn to page 30 to read more.

$97.8 MILLION

was seized by the Criminal Proceeds Squad last year. See page 14 to read about how they crack down on criminal activities.

is National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) Week, recognised by Australians from across the country. This year's theme is 'Because of her, we can'.

Keep up with the latest police news at vicpolicenews.com.au

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POLICE LIFE | WINTER 2018

Get the latest police news at vicpolicenews.com.au vicpolicenews.com.au

SNAPPED ON SOCIAL

Instagram

Facebook

Eyewatch Wyndham

Number one Highway Patrol fan Archie was recently treated to a meet-and-greet with the cast of the popular television show. The 14-year-old who was born with cerebral palsy, was thrilled to take a seat in the back of a police car while wearing his honorary constable uniform.

Greater Dandenong Highway Patrol spied the perfect number plate ‘DNTSPD’ during a local patrol in the lead up to Operation Nexus. The week-long road policing operation focused on speeding, mobile phone use and other potentially deadly behaviours. The driver hadn’t committed an offence and was more than happy to pose for a snap to spread the safety message.

A joint effort with the Islamic College of Melbourne, Country Fire Association (CFA) and State Emergency Service (SES) was required to rescue a kitten stuck in a pipe under a portable building in the school. The CFA and SES helped to excavate and gain access to the pipe, before police coaxed the kitten out with some Twisties and tuna.

The kitten was taken to a vet for monitoring.

ODD SPOT CORNER Many arms of the law

Under siege

The long arm of the law had no trouble rounding up eight arms causing a driver distress on a country road around Yarck, in Victoria’s north-east.

A 35-year-old man realised no one is Above the Law after he was caught watching a Steven Seagal movie on his phone while driving in Heidelberg last month.

Caroline Chambers was driving along when a huntsman emerged on her windscreen.

Local police were stunned to see the man watching the blockbuster film while waiting at traffic lights.

She pulled over, put her hazard lights on and called her husband.

They made the Executive Decision to intervene and the man paid $476 for the viewing experience.

With a long wait for her husband, Ms Chambers stood outside hoping someone would stop to help.

The officers said they were simply doing their job looking Out for Justice.

Along came a car, police lights flashing and out stepped two police who hunted for the culprit with fly spray at the ready.

They located the offender, flicked it to the curb and neutralised the threat.

Ms Chambers thanked local leading senior constables Robyn Reed and Anika Field for “not just being the only ones to stop, but for their kindness, patience, and sense of humour”.

POLICE LIFE | WINTER 2018

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Police are faced with the unknown every time they start a shift. A large-scale exercise in Victoria's south put police through their paces to ensure they’re ready for anything.

It’s just like any other day in the south eastern shopping centre.

Sen Sgt Campbell said it was an extremely large operation run by local police.

“That’s why these exercises are so important – you learn to expect the unexpected.”

The centre is bustling with customers picking up groceries, perusing shop windows or enjoying a coffee with friends.

“I’ve been planning this for about nine months and more than 300 people have been involved, so it’s quite a complex exercise,” he said.

When the remaining offenders start taking hostages into a department store, the sound of helicopters fills the space.

That’s why what happens in the next three minutes is so unexpected. Two men acting aggressively towards staff at a café draw the attention of security. Their behaviour results in a call for police assistance.

“We have volunteers from the State Emergency Service, St John Ambulance, Victorian Council of Churches and Kingston City Council playing victims with special effects make-up for injuries.

“It’s about as realistic as it can get in an exercise environment.”

Flash bangs deploy and a police dog locates the offenders, the SOG descends from above and infiltrates the premises. The observers aren’t privy to their tactics, but with the combined efforts of uniform and specialist police, they have the offenders cornered.

As the scenario unfolds, it becomes clear police are in for a challenge.

The siege comes to a close and the remaining victims are directed out by police.

Eight offenders are scattered throughout the multi-level centre, spraying bullets and creating hysteria. But throughout the ordeal, police remain focused.

Sen Sgt Campbell said the success of the operation was the result of a team effort.

As the pair is walked out of the premises, one of them turns and swings a machete in a single, fluid motion. In the blink of an eye a security guard has fallen to the ground and police have shot the offender. His co-conspirator has disappeared.

This is all part of an elaborate counter-terrorism exercise set up by local police. And it’s just the beginning.

For two hours, police are immersed in a fastpaced, realistic scenario. With no background knowledge, they must react to what unfolds before them and devise a strategy.

Exercise controller Senior Sergeant Paul Campbell is watching from what’s known as the bunker.

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As more uniform officers arrive and engage in gunfire with those acting as terrorists, CIRT advance through the building, rifles raised and at the ready. The guns are loaded with blanks, but the sound is still deafening.

Independent assessors are close by, watching every move the officers make. The event might not be real, but every decision will be analysed and critiqued.

Inside are representatives from local police, the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT), the Special Operations Group (SOG) and shopping centre management. They communicate with their teams over the radio while keeping an eye on the security camera footage.

Sen Sgt Campbell said it was all part of the learning experience for the participants.

Local police have set up a separate incident control centre in a second location. In what’s possibly a first for Australian police, they have direct access to the shopping centre’s security camera footage so they can provide strategic advice in real time.

“They may have thought there would be one offender involved but they would have never imagined eight.

POLICE LIFE | WINTER 2018

“Some of the officers were feeling the pressure and you could see it on their faces and hear it in their voices,” he said.

“We had representatives from every party sitting on a committee, so we were working together every step of the way,” he said.

“We’ll get together soon and have a full debrief.”

Initial feedback from the day has been positive.

“There were a number of learning outcomes identified straight away and everyone got something out of it,” he said.

“We had a few firsts in this exercise, including the CCTV feed to our local operations centre, so we’re hoping to make it an ongoing arrangement moving forward.

“We know that if anything were to happen tomorrow, we’d be ready.”

Image Ready to act 01 A police officer sets his sights on one of the offenders in the intense training exercise.

Editorial: Ashlee Williams Photography: Craig Sillitoe

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t o n FORGOTTEN Last year, 13,164 Victorians were reported missing. Whether missing persons are trying to get away from personal issues, rebelling against authority, or escaping family violence, their families, friends and police determinedly try to locate them.

Fortunately, 99 per cent of those reported missing are found or return of their own accord.

However, it is the one per cent of people who remain missing that are of concern, as some of them may have met with foul play. That’s where the Missing Persons Squad (MPS) steps in.

A constable at Melton Police Station was the first port of call for a young woman who hadn’t heard from her mum. She reported her mother missing on a Saturday in March and inquiries to find her began straight away.

The MPS’s Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper said there were concerns about her disappearance.

“It was unexpected,” he said.

“She had a dog she loved, but had left it behind without food or water. Her family said she always looked after her dog.”

The constable had an initial discussion with the MPS and they decided to head out to assist. Visiting the woman’s home gave them more to be concerned about and two days later her body was discovered in Mulwala, just over the New South Wales border.

A 57-year-old Melton man will face court in July charged with murder.

The MPS takes on any suspected homicide where a body isn’t found or when human remains are located and there appear to be suspicious circumstances.

Some cases that have crossed their desks include the high-profile murder of Brunswick’s Jill Meagher in 2012, and Avondale Heights woman Karen Ristevski last year in July.

These both started as missing persons, with suspicious circumstances coming to light during the investigation. Unfortunately, both women fell in the one per cent group. They were found murdered.

Adrian Bayley is serving life in prison for Ms Meagher's murder. The court case continues for Ms Ristevski’s murder.

These cases are few and far between, and Det Insp Stamper said vulnerable children accounted for the highest proportion of those who go missing in Victoria.

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Det Insp Stamper doesn’t easily let go of things either.

He worked in the squad 15 years ago, and returned recently to manage the team, hoping to finally get answers about some of the missing people he tried to locate back then, as a detective senior constable.

His resolve to locate those still missing hasn’t wavered with time.

One of those is Kath Bergamin who went missing from her Wangaratta home on 18 August, 2002.

“Sadly we haven’t found her, but we’re still actively looking,” he said.

“It’s an investigation that’s solvable.”

“There are people who repeatedly go missing and do so for a range of reasons,” he said.

“Family violence, financial troubles, or they just want to get away.”

This was the case for a middle-aged Collingwood man’s disappearance.

“He was leading a quiet life in a share house,” Det Insp Stamper said.

“He disappeared and it wasn’t long before someone started to sell off all his property.

“His car was sold to wreckers, other goods at pawn shops. It was all highly suspicious.”

They feared the worst, but a week later, while police were investigating the possible homicide, the man was found sleeping rough in Melbourne’s CBD. “It turned out he just wanted to get away from his life for a while,” Det Insp Stamper said.

“It was a win. We found him alive.

“We learn something from every case.”

There are 15 detectives in the MPS including a number of part-timers, and Det Insp Stamper is proud to say they are a good mix.

“We manage investigations as a team.

When you need it, everybody pulls together and gives all to the work.”

Detective Leading Senior Constable Anna Dickinson has been in the squad for just over two and a half years, working part-time and has just signed off on her first murder charge.

While she’s worked on many cases in her 17 years in policing, the mother of four boys under seven said it was a proud moment to put her signature on the charge sheet for the murder charge.

“It is the most serious offence – someone’s death by suspicious circumstances, where foul play is suspected,” she said.

Some of the cases being investigated by the MPS occurred more than 20 years ago.

“The passage of time makes these cases a challenge, and also makes them interesting,” Det Ldg Sen Const Dickinson said.

Fifty years ago two teenagers went missing from Bendigo. At the time it was suggested the teenagers had run away together, but Det Ldg Sen Const Dickinson is still searching for the truth.

In any current missing persons case, investigators can have a huge number of witnesses, but for cold cases, witnesses have often passed away, forgotten or moved away.

DNA evidence was uncommon prior to the mid-1980s.

“Often it is people who help solve things like this,” she said.

“Loyalties change and perceptions of people change over time.

“Especially as a mother, I cannot imagine not knowing what happened to my child or where they were. That would really affect me.

“The unsolved jobs really stick with you.

You get to know the victims and their lives, their relationships. I’d love to solve this for the families.”

A $1 million reward is offered for information about her disappearance.

With advances in DNA technology constantly improving, police are hopeful they can one day reunite the families of those who are missing with their loved ones.

“Families never give up, and neither do we,” Det Insp Stamper said.

He points to one of his staff who has a brief of evidence open in front of him. The detective closes it discreetly, keen not to share the details of the case, but says it is “almost there”.

“He gets a call every couple of months from the family of a woman who went missing in 1984,” Det Insp Stamper said.

“They want to know that we haven’t forgotten, and we haven’t.”

Missing Persons Week runs from Sunday, 29 July to Saturday, 4 August, aiming to raise awareness of missing persons.

Find out more about current Victorian missing persons, rewards for information and more at vicpolicenews.com.au/ missing-persons

If you have any information about missing persons, call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Image Looking for answers 01 T he MPS's Det Ldg Sen Const Dickinson, Det Insp Stamper, Detective Senior Constable Matthew Heffer and Detective Sergeant Angela Hantsis search for people who have gone missing in suspicious circumstances.

Editorial: Maria Carnovale Photography: Nicki Connolly POLICE LIFE | WINTER 2018

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thE

Gift of Lif

As Sergeant John Lowe’s heart was breaking, his wife’s began beating in a stranger’s body.

Sgt Lowe’s wife, Louise, passed away in 2014 after a brain aneurism.

But she lives on. As an organ donor, Louise went on to save the lives of six people, including two children under the age of five. And at least 22 others have benefited from a better quality of life from further tissue and bone donation.

After the trauma of this life event, Sgt Lowe, who works at the Victoria Police Academy in a training capacity, made it his mission to educate others about organ donation, starting with his colleagues.

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Sgt Lowe said there was more to it than signing up.

“The simple fact is, not enough people have registered their decision about organ donation in Australia,” Sgt Lowe said.

“Signing up to the registry is not the end of the story. If a situation arises where you could become an organ donor, your next of kin have to make the decision.

“Your loved ones need to know that you’re willing to donate. You need to have a conversation with them so they know what your wishes are.”

Registration is important, with nine in 10 families respecting their loved ones’ wishes when they are registered. Knowing his wife’s intention made the decision for Sgt Lowe easier, and it wasn’t long before the family saw how important it was.

Eight months after she passed away, while still coping with the loss of his wife and mother to their two boys, aged 11 and 17, Sgt Lowe received letters from some of the organ recipients.

“We got two letters. A letter from a young lady who got Louise’s heart and lungs, she was completing her nursing degree.

She was very thankful,” he said.

“And one from a little boy. His parents wrote a letter to me and he did a drawing, which his parents put in there. He got one of Louise’s kidneys.

“It was wonderful, but heartwrenching at the same time.

“It was wonderful to know that a little boy was living a normal life. His parents said that he wasn’t able to swim or do other things because of the risks to his health, but since getting the kidney he was enjoying life and swimming, something he loved doing.

“Heartwrenching because Louise had to die – but it gave that little boy the chance to live.

"Since then, my son Alexander has told me that he wishes to be an organ donor if something happens to him." The business of saving lives is one that police are familiar with, however, Sgt Lowe said that some of his colleagues had benefited from organ donation too.

“I’ve been given a second chance, someone lost their life, yet was able to save mine and I want to make the most of it.”

Sgt Wallace is also spreading the message of organ donation far and wide.

“Given my circumstances and the fact it was a life-saving transplant, the majority of my family and friends have all registered their decision to be organ donors,” he said.

In Australia, families are still approached about organ donation when their loved one isn’t registered, but they are more likley to decline if they are unsure of what their loved one wanted.

Victoria Police recently joined forces with DonateLife to encourage more families to talk about each other’s wishes and raise awareness of organ and tissue donation.

Deputy Commissioner Andrew Crisp is leading the partnership and encouraging Victoria Police staff to save lives in more ways than one.

The Brimbank Divisional Response Unit’s Sergeant Jason Wallace went on to conquer the infamous Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea less than 18 months after life-saving surgery.

“Organ donation saves lives and Victoria Police is proud to be joining with DonateLife to extend the reach of the DonateLife message to members of Victoria Police, their families and friends,” he said.

In January 2014, he was diagnosed with a rare auto-immune disease and told he needed a liver transplant.

“Just one in five Victorians have registered their decision to be an organ donor. I’m encouraging all staff in Victoria Police to have the conversation with their families about it and register their donation decision.

“I had been feeling sick for a while but my level of fitness had delayed my symptoms and diagnosis,” he said.

“That meant alternate treatments were not viable and I was put on the liver transplant list.”

Three months later he was at the Austin Hospital for a transplant that would involve splitting a liver so he and a 10-month-old boy would benefit.

“Everything happened so quickly when the liver became available and fortunately for us the transplant was a success,” Sgt Wallace said.

“It takes less than a minute to sign up online,” DC Crisp said.

Sgt Lowe said he and his wife were aware of each other’s wishes.

“We both signed up, we had that conversation with each other. When I lost Louise, it made those decisions a lot easier to make and I knew what she wanted.”

the facts NE ORGAN AND TISSUE O DONOR CAN TRANSFORM THE LIVES OF 10 OR MORE PEOPLE. BOUT 1,400 PEOPLE ARE A ON AUSTRALIAN ORGAN TRANSPLANT WAITING LISTS AT ANY TIME. IN 2016, 503 DECEASED ORGAN DONORS AND THEIR FAMILIES GAVE 1,447 AUSTRALIANS A NEW CHANCE IN LIFE. ORGAN DONATION IS A PRECIOUS AND RARE OPPORTUNITY, WITH JUST 1 TO 2 PER CENT OF DEATHS IN A HOSPITAL SETTING OCCURING IN THE VERY SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH ALLOW DONATION TO TAKE PLACE.

Image Life changing 01 Sgt Lowe is driving awareness of organ donation at Victoria Police, along with Sgt Wallace, pictured on right, with one of the nurses who assisted with his transplant.

Editorial: Maria Carnovale Photography: Andrew Henshaw

Register now

He was off work for five months as he recovered and was soon making plans to walk the Kokoda Track.

DonateLife Week, from 29 July to 5 August, aims to increase organ and tissue donation and transplantation outcomes. It is held yearly to encourage Australians to register their donation decision and discuss it with their loved ones.

“It was a great motivator for me to build my fitness and something I always wanted to do,” he said.

Visit donatelife.gov.au/vicpol to find out more about organ donation and to register.

POLICE LIFE | WINTER 2018

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01

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF

Criminal

PROCEED$ Squad

Investigating proceeds of crime can be a tangled web of hidden wealth, backdoor deals and faceless criminal figures. The Criminal Proceeds Squad finds the evidence and hits the offenders where it hurts most – their bank accounts, cars and properties.

“If you want to disrupt organised crime, charge the offenders.

If you want to shut it down forever, take their money.”

That is the mantra of Detective Inspector Brian Clarke who heads up Victoria Police’s Criminal Proceeds Squad (CPS).

Over the past 18 months he has overseen the team responsible for taking millions of dollars worth of assets from some of the state’s most dangerous criminals.

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Forensic accountant Neil Barlow is one of the team members who crunches the numbers and uncovers the correlation between the crime and the criminal’s new car.

“Once detectives have gathered the evidence, we look at the particularly complex information and interpret it for them,” he said.

“Just recently an investigator suspected a couple had purchased a house with drug money, but he couldn’t prove it.

Through the work of investigators, forensic accountants, intelligence analysts and solicitors, the squad is able to identify offenders with unexplained wealth and uproot illegal operations hiding in plain sight.

“He had a lot of information and bank statements, so we put it all together for him and proved how the money used was proceeds of crime.

The most commonly seized proceeds of crime are luxury vehicles, properties and businesses.

“The evidence was there, but it was hidden in the detail, it was just a matter of drawing out the relevant information.”

POLICE LIFE | WINTER 2018

Det Insp Clarke said the key to their success was collaboration and an eye for detail.

9:15AM

“Every day we proactively scan incident fact sheets, overnight interviews, incidents and other police information, so it’s almost impossible to miss a potential case.”

While the team provides assistance with local police investigations, the majority of their work is with large-scale operations focusing on organised crime, outlaw motorcycle gangs and drug trafficking syndicates.

Det Insp Clarke said targeting an offender’s funds was a crucial step in bringing a criminal network down.

“Just last month we took $4.2 million off a prolific drug trafficker, which included his properties,” he said.

“An offender will happily do a few years inside knowing he’s walking out to millions, but take that away and he doesn’t have much to look forward to.”

While the pay-off can be high, taking down high-level criminals is rarely a straight-forward affair.

Members of the Criminal Proceeds Squad and other specialist squads discuss an investigation.

11:30AM

“Many organised crime figures employ accountants and solicitors who are experts in the field of hiding money, so it can be quite a lengthy process to get a result,” Det Insp Clarke said.

Despite the distance between the initial investigation and the end result, the impact the CPS has on organised crime is satisfying for the team.

Detective Sergeant Marianne Luttick said they’re having particular success dismantling illegal brothels.

“There are more than 500 illegal brothels operating in Victoria and when they’re taken to criminal court, they often walk away with a small fine,” she said.

“The damage these brothels create is huge. Women are often being trafficked out of their home country, stripped of their identity and raped.

“When we take our cases to the civil courts we can also create a big impact by taking their wealth away.”

The CPS's Detective Sergeant Andrew Beans leads a briefing about a search taking place that day.

1:00PM

One case that has stuck with Det Sgt Luttick involved an innocent child caught up in a crop house operation.

“A husband and wife with a young child were running multiple crop houses and the evidence was strongly pointing to the wife as the main offender,” she said.

“When the Department of Health and Human Services took the child away, the mother didn’t shed a tear.

“After we seized everything she owned, I spoke to her in jail and told her all her designer bags, jewellery and properties were gone. That’s when she started to cry.”

Detective Leading Senior Constable Sally Fraser inspects a seized vehicle.

With the emergence of new technology such as cryptocurrency, the playing field is continuously changing.

Det Insp Clarke said the squad was evolving to keep up with the offenders.

3:25PM

“We work closely with the e-crime team on any cryptocurrency cases and we have been extremely successful in this new area of money laundering,” he said.

Image Money talks Ms Duffy, Det Sgt Beans and Det Ldg Sen Const Fraser with two newly-seized Porsches. .

Editorial: Ashlee Williams Photography: Andrew Henshaw

Det Ldg Sen Const Fraser and Sarah Duffy conduct a door-knock of a suspected drug house.

POLICE LIFE | WINTER 2018

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When she’s not busy being a police officer, Arson and Explosives Squad’s Detective Senior Constable Di Dale keeps herself occupied by wearing other important hats.

Det Sen Const Dale is accustomed to the smell of burnt and smouldering debris. She works hard with the squad investigating suspicious fires, and when off-duty, she fills her time volunteering with the Country Fire Authority (CFA) and State Emergency Service (SES).

At any time, Det Sen Const Dale is ready to put out spot fires. And that’s how she likes it.

Her efforts to support her community have not gone unnoticed. Her colleagues recently nominated her for an Australia Day award, which she duly won, naming her Citizen of the Year in Macedon Ranges.

The award recognised her community-centred efforts, as well as peer support and welfare work with the organisations.

“It was very unexpected,” Det Sen Const Dale said.

“A couple of my colleagues from the SES completed a submission to the council and I wasn’t aware I was a recipient until close to the award ceremony.”

And if that’s not impressive enough, she also found time to train for and compete in the gruelling Melbourne Firefighter Stair Climb, held in September at the Crown Metropol Hotel.

In the challenge, Det Sen Const Dale wore 25 kilograms of fire-fighting uniform and breathing apparatus and raced up 28 floors alongside more than 650 firefighters. This feat she completed in a mere 10 minutes and 26 seconds, placing her second in her age group.

She’s not resting on her laurels though.

“I’m training again for my second attempt,” she said.

“The Stair Climb is for a great cause, it raises funds to support those organisations that support people. Facilitating welfare and support to people is very important to me, especially in the emergency responder sector. Last year’s funds recipient was the Black Dog Institute, which supports people with mental health matters.”

So how does she fit it all in? It’s easy, when it’s part of your upbringing, explained Det Sen Const Dale.

“Both my parents were volunteers in their community, so that’s where my volunteering passion stems from,” she said.

“We all have a vested interest in our community, and as volunteers in our community, we work with people that have a common doctrine.

“If you love what you do, it’s not difficult to fit everything in. It all just integrates into my life. I don’t feel as though I have to juggle anything.”

Det Sen Const Dale didn’t start her working life as a police officer.

“I was a chef before deciding on a career in law enforcement,” she said.

“I graduated from the Victoria Police Academy in December 2007, and completed my constable training in Craigieburn. I also spent time at the Bendigo Divisional Response Unit, the divisional van in Keilor Downs, and did temporary duties with the Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team, Brimbank Embona Taskforce and Community Policing Unit.”

These varied experiences have prepared Det Sen Const Dale for her current role, one she is thoroughly enjoying.

“The Arson and Explosives Squad is a great place to be a detective because we are fortunate enough to undergo training in both arson detection and investigations, and in addition are trained in bomb scene examination.

The certifications are recognised statewide and nationally,” she said.

“It is a great place to put your training into practice. I plan to stay in the squad long term and continue to upskill to become as proficient as I can be as an arson detective.

There is a lot of opportunity to enhance and acquire new skills.”

Det Sen Const Dale said her core role as a detective at the Arson and Explosives Squad was to investigate suspicious fire deaths, or injury likely to result in death, bomb/explosive devices and fatalities involving wildfires and bushfires.

The squad also responds to and supports regional policing units in investigating fire-related deaths, politically-motivated fires, complex suspicious fires and other bushfire incidents.

Image Volunteer extraordinaire Det Sen Const Dale at work at an arson crime scene.

Editorial: Donna Magness Photography: Andrew Henshaw POLICE LIFE | WINTER 2018

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OUT & ABOUT

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Ldg Sen Const Balazs and Const Balazs prepare to start their day with a briefing at the police station.

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10:30AM

The father-and-son duo work near the Loddon River.

12:10PM

They catch up with local farmer Gary Collins and his son Mitchal.

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The Balazs family are part of the Bridgewater community in more ways than one. The single-person police station grew by one for a day.

Newly-graduated Constable Lachlan Balazs is following in his father’s footsteps. Literally.

Const Balazs, 20, who graduated in February, got the chance to spend one of his first police shifts with his dad, doing the rounds in hometown Bridgewater.

Dad is Leading Senior Constable Michael Balazs, who single-handedly manages the police station at Bridgewater on Loddon, in north central Victoria.

The picturesque town of Bridgewater is about 163 kilometres from Melbourne.

It is home to just under 400 people, and it looks like Ldg Sen Const Balazs knows most, if not all, of them.

The sense of camaraderie is palpable, as Ldg Sen Const Balazs waves to locals as he does his rounds. There are local farmers Gary and Mitchal Collins, and Country Fire Authority captain and local mechanic and towie Tim Ferguson, who all have a few minutes for a chat and a catch-up about the state of affairs in their neck of the woods.

Growing up in Bridgewater and living in the police residence behind the station makes Const Balazs as well known as his dad.

Const Balazs chats easily with the locals who are proud to see the young child who moved to the town now a police officer. In addition to getting some policing experience under his belt, Const Balazs has also volunteered as a firey, under the auspices of Mr Ferguson.

It gives Const Balazs a well-rounded view of life in the country and the issues that can prevail.

One such issue is speeding on the highway that runs through the town, and just a few hours into their shift, Const Balazs pulled over a speeding truck driver and issued a ticket. He also attended to a call about a hooning driver, and dealt with that situation.

“I’m still learning, and it’s been good to work with dad,” he said.

This hands-on experience is invaluable and cannot be gained anywhere else but on the beat, acknowledges Ldg Sen Const Balazs.

The Balazs family and the townsfolk are also very fond of their old police station in Park Street. It was built in the 1870s, and opened in 1872. The much-loved building was flooded in 2011, and there was talk of tearing it down.

The locals went up in arms, said Ldg Sen Const Balazs, and their determination saved the historic building, much to the Balazs’ relief.

“We love our old police station,” he said.

“The timber that was used to build the station came from London, I believe.”

After today’s shift, Const Balazs will have to get to know a new beat at Doncaster, and spend a bit of time being mobile in a road policing role.

As for his father, home is definitely Bridgewater and where he plans to stay and eventually retire, though that’s a long way off yet.

“Once I moved out here, I’ve never looked back. We’re really part of the community here,” he said.

He also reflects on country life and the value of the ‘bush telegraph’.

“We’ve got the bush telegraph, also known as the local community, on text. So for example, the other day, we were looking for a driver in a particular car that had evaded police.

Stay connected with the police in Bridgewater and surrounds at facebook.com/eyewatchbendigo

After spending 12 years in Melbourne, Ldg Sen Const Balazs arrived in Loddon 17 years ago and worked at nearby Inglewood for six years before starting at Bridgewater in 2011. Const Balazs was just 10 years old at the time. They lived in the police residence so young Const Balazs grew up living and breathing police life, and catching the bus to school in Bendigo, about 40 kilometres away.

“So we sent out a text to see if anyone had spotted it, and sure enough, they had.

Someone will always know something out here.”

“It’s been a good day,” Const Balazs said, after spending the shift with his dad.

“We are busy covering the highways, Calder and Loddon Valley, and main roads.”

“It’s been good to get out with him and learn how things are done.”

“We also keep busy by the river, especially in summer. There’s water skiing, and the caravan park fills up with tourists, who mainly come from Melbourne. There’s also antisocial behaviour occasionally.”

Image Good shift 01 C onst Balazs and Ldg Sen Const Balazs catch up at the Bridgewater Police Station's front gate.

2:45PM

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Heading down one of Bridgewater’s many dirt roads, en route to a job.

That said, things are pretty peaceful in Bridgewater.

“There’s not a lot of crime here, which is great,” Ldg Sen Const Balazs said.

Speedsters watch out. Const Balazs uses the radar gun to check drivers are obeying the speed limit.

All about Bridgewater Bridgewater On Loddon is a town in north central Victoria. The town is on the Calder Highway, north-west of Bendigo, with the Loddon River running through it.

At the 2011 census, Bridgewater On Loddon had a population of 363.

Editorial: Donna Magness Photography: Andrew Henshaw

After a day on the street, the police head back to the station from the historic post office on the Calder Highway.

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CAREER IN FOCUS

SERGEANT CHRISTIAN WAKE A master of reinvention, Sergeant Christian Wake continues to build on his wealth of experience to help others.

“I had a child when I was very young and I needed a secure job. Influenced by a mate in the force, I joined Queensland Police in 2000.

I’d always been involved in sport, and was stationed at Noosa and Coolum Beach.

When it comes to an adrenaline rush, a desk job isn’t the first thing that springs to mind.

“On my first day at the Victoria Police Academy it was 18 degrees and it was bloody cold. I did an abridged course but there was a lot of different legislation to get my head around.

But for Security Services Division’s intelligence manager Sergeant Christian Wake – a former police bomb technician – the race for intel as a situation unfolds sends his pulse racing more than his years delicately disabling a potentially deadly explosive device ever did.

“I’d like to say you cut the red wire like in the movies, but bomb response is not gung-ho like that,” he said.

“You don’t get nervous, and I’m not just saying that because I’m being tough, there’s a process you follow and you have confidence in the process and the people with you.

“The potential is there for high risk but you mitigate the risk through planning.

“With intelligence you sometimes act on ‘hot’ intelligence that needs to be actioned immediately and with a situation like the Brighton siege I was managing a team of analysts who did a great job to find out who the person was and getting the information to the people who needed it. It’s a rush.”

The transition from bomb response to intelligence was a steep learning curve for Sgt Wake, but the Queenslander brought plenty of practice with him.

“I studied physical education teaching in Queensland but I didn’t like it,” he said.

“I’d built up a reputation for working hard and I had to start again. In Queensland your arrest powers are in one act of legislation, unlike here.

I was almost going to leave it was so different, then I put in for the Bomb Response Unit.

“Traditionally there has not been a good relationship between indigenous people and police so we have to break those barriers down.

“My grandfather was a Rat of Tobruk and his two sisters were taken while he was away. Police did the taking so there’s a stigma still attached.

“We have about 80 identified indigenous employees but that’s less than one per cent of Victoria Police, when the indigenous population is three per cent of the overall population.

“The more indigenous people we can get into the organisation as a whole will assist perceptions of police and our interactions in the community.”

“I hadn’t worked toward it; it just popped up and sounded interesting. I ended up staying 11 years.”

Sgt Wake is hoping to formalise a mentoring program for indigenous recruits and is looking forward to whatever will come next in his career.

The physical nature of the training and the tightknit group appealed to Sgt Wake who travelled internationally to learn from other agencies.

“I’ve only been a supervisor for 18 months but I’m definitely looking at further promotion,” he said.

“I identified there was a gap in capability so I developed a national course and worked for three years to deliver it,” he said.

“There are so many new things, intel is ever evolving and plans change every day.”

“Victoria has the number one bomb response in Australia in regards to new technology and equipment, training and staff skills.”

Sgt Wake’s background in explosives was an ‘added bonus’ for his new intelligence speciality and his indigenous heritage also assists new recruits.

“I wanted to expand my knowledge outside the bomb world and now I’ve seen the bigger picture I see I can have value in other areas, such as Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander recruitment,” he said.

National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) Week is held from Sunday, 8 July to Sunday, 15 July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The theme this year is ‘Because of her, we can’. Visit naidoc.org.au to find out about the events taking part during NAIDOC Week.

Image Always changing Sgt Wake's police skills have taken him across the country and to various roles.

Editorial: Anthea Cannon Photography: Andrew Henshaw

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Shared skills of resilience, leadership and community-mindedness are just some of the reasons footy and the force make such great team mates.

At work and at play, Detective Acting Sergeant Emma Kerry likes to be among the action.

The basketballer turned footballer won eight premierships with the Darebin Falcons before last year coaching the inaugural Keilor women’s team to an undefeated season and premiership.

“There were six policewomen and some paramedics on the team, many who’d never played before but you could see their leadership qualities transferred into footy quite easily,” Det A/Sgt Kerry said.

A year into her 13-year policing career, a colleague introduced A/Sgt Kerry to the women’s footy league and across uniform and specialist detective roles in Broadmeadows, Avondale Heights, Moonee Valley, Fawkner and Moreland it was her constant.

“The stations I’ve worked at have been great, at Moreland there was another local footy player so I’d worked Saturdays for him to play and he’d work Sundays for me,” she said.

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“Footy is a good outlet for me, it’s a chance to hang with mates and it’s a friendship base away from work.”

Senior Constable Georgia Hammond excels at rising to a challenge.

Det A/Sgt Kerry said she had always wanted to be a police officer, but first studied a Bachelor of Business Management, which had come in handy as she rose up the policing ranks and took on coaching.

Usually found in the forward line, she last year tried her hand in the ruck with the Victorian Football League (VFL) Women’s reigning premiers Darebin Falcons. Now she’s looking to do the same with her career by stepping up to the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT).

“I could have worked in the corporate world but this job is rewarding and that drives me to go to work,” she said.

“I think the challenge was what enticed me most to join Victoria Police,” Sen Const Hammond said.

“It’s a real team-oriented workforce and there are so many different career avenues and variety.

“I was studying nursing when I left school and I got a bit over the studying aspect.

I really wanted to challenge myself and work outdoors in an environment where I don’t know what I’m going to walk into every day.

“When I graduated from the Victoria Police Academy I wanted to go into Prosecutions but then I loved getting out and being amongst it and catching crooks.

“I’ve always been a victim-focused detective.

I couldn’t sit at a desk Monday to Friday, I like the different hours, the different shifts.

There’s an energy, like in footy.”

“The most intense part about training to apply for CIRT is the mental aspect I think constantly reminding yourself that you can do it and to not give up. If you keep telling yourself that you can do something I think you’ll find that you will.”

Sen Const Hammond said there were no limits for women in policing, and now there were none for women in football with the development of Australian Football League Women’s (AFLW) competition and grassroots pathways.

“I had to stop playing footy at 12. I was only one of two girls in my league but the boys got around me and made me feel part of the team, so to be told you can’t do it anymore was really challenging,” she said.

“I want to always better my game, whether it’s playing with AFLW or with senior police at work it always makes me want to do better,” she said.

“I’ve loved every minute of my career so far and I’m looking forward to the next 10 to 20 years to come.”

“I was able to restart at 16 or 17 but to watch girls come right through from Auskick all the way up to 18, 19, 20 is amazing, and you’ll see it in their talent on the field.”

Victoria Police is proud to partner with the VFL Men’s and Women’s leagues and Victorian Country footy in Goldfields and Gippsland.

Sen Const Hammond said despite their run of success, Darebin wouldn’t be resting on its laurels this year, with a shake-up of VFL Women’s teams ensuring the competition will be as fierce as ever.

Keep up to date on the Marngrook Footy Show Victoria Police Player of the Week on their Facebook page.

You’re more suited than you might think for a rewarding career with Victoria Police.

Visit policecareer.vic.gov.au Editorial: Anthea Cannon Photography: Andrew Henshaw

POLICE LIFE | WINTER 2018

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There’s an Eyewatch page near you...

Australian monthly Facebook users

Active Eyewatch pages on Facebook

Sharing crime prevention messages Help in locating missing persons Help solve local crimes

Connecting with local communities

15,000,000

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, 380 000 Facebook users follow

Eyewatch pages across the state Road safety reminders

All Eyes On Victoria Want to be first to know what’s happening in your local area? Get online and follow your Eyewatch page on Facebook for the latest police news.

Wherever you are, whoever you are and whether you live, work or travel in an area, there’s an Eyewatch page near you.

Fifty-four Eyewatch pages are now active across the state in every police service area.

The platform gives police another forum to engage with communities, seek assistance in solving crimes and share crime prevention messages.

Police ask for the community's help in locating missing persons, getting information about people wanted for arrest and appealing for information about crimes in the area.

Eyewatch is also used to share crime prevention tips, and issue road safety reminders.

It is where you can find out about a local emergency, or community events, such as fetes and markets, that local police are attending.

Here are a few examples of local people banding together to solve local problems with Eyewatch.

Facebook to the rescue When a loved one goes missing, thousands of pairs of extra eyes can be involved in the search with Eyewatch on board.

Police were grateful for the help of a community-spirited member of the public who found missing Scoresby woman Maureen Van Deuren recently.

The 68-year-old was reported missing one afternoon in March and police had serious concerns for her welfare due to her age and a medical condition.

Doctor Andrew Slack, who was visiting from Queensland, heard the police helicopter and, curious about what was happening, checked the Eyewatch Knox page.

He saw the Facebook post about the missing woman and he and his family began searching the nearby Dandenong creek. He found Ms Van Deuren, who had become trapped after slipping and falling into the creek and led police to her before she was transported to hospital.

Knox Police Station’s Sergeant Col Clausen later thanked locals in a post on the Eyewatch page.

“We appreciate the Knox community displaying an active interest in what is happening in our local area,” he said.

“You are our eyes and ears.”

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Connect with your local police on Facebook Eyewatch Facebook pages connect local police to their communities to help with crime prevention, neighbourhood safety and solving local crimes Find your local Eyewatch page here: www.police.vic.gov.au/eyewatch

Solving crime Frankston police reunited a victim with their stolen items, solved a burglary and arrested an offender all in one go through a post on Eyewatch.

Police spoke to a woman who was sitting in her car, who appeared worried and was evasive when police approached her.

On a not-so-positive note, Port Phillip police shared their shock on Eyewatch when they caught the driver of a Porsche travelling at 100 km/ph in a 40 km/ph zone.

They impounded the brand-new luxury car, which had been driven out of the showroom only minutes earlier.

Wanted on warrant

On searching the car, police found a number of items they believed were stolen and arrested her.

Warrant Wednesdays in Ballarat are seeing people wanted for serious crime being brought through police station doors in droves.

A short time later, the Eyewatch Frankston page posted an appeal for information about the goods and within 24 hours a man called and identified the owner of the stolen property.

He also informed police the items had been stolen during a burglary several weeks earlier.

Eyewatch Ballarat features wanted people weekly and Leading Senior Constable Janine Walker said the community got involved, often with fast and interesting results.

Road safety

“There was an incident where a boss brought one of his staff members into the police station after seeing him on Eyewatch.”

Eyewatch Northern Grampians pulled together 300 children from four primary schools in Stawell and its surrounds to send an important safety message – slow down in school zones.

Police helped the group of children gather into the shape of ‘40’ and arranged a local photographer to take a snap from above with a drone.

“His friends were taking photos of him and posting them, saying ‘we’ve found him’,” Ldg Sen Const Walker said.

While his friends thought they were being funny, their posts provided police with current photos of the man and information about his activities.

“We received information that he would be playing cricket on the weekend, so the sergeant went to the game and arrested him as he went up to the crease for his bat.

“He clearly knew he was being sought by police, so that was used in his remand hearing and showed his disrespect for the justice system.”

“These are people who are clearly avoiding police,” she said.

Another man, who had eight outstanding warrants for family violence and traffic offences, was featured on Warrant Wednesday, and a flood of posts from his friends followed.

Find your nearest Eyewatch page at police.vic.gov.au/eyewatch

Editorial: Maria Carnovale

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TRUE CRIME

It was a call-out that two mornington police would never forget.

One night in July 1980, Sergeant Lou Allain and Senior Constable Bill Liefting responded to a call at the Rye Pizza Parlour, where there was an armed intruder.

The intruder turned out to be notorious criminal Garry David. Also known as Garry Ian Patrick Webb, David was born to an alcoholic mother and an abusive father in 1954. By age four, David and his siblings had been placed into an orphanage.

At 11, David began a life of crime, committing various offences including larceny and threats to kill. At 13, he was diagnosed with a personality disorder with psychopathic traits.

By the time he decided to stage a shootout in Rye, he was 25 years old and intent on killing police so he could “go out like Ned Kelly and be a hero”. He had been released from a Ballarat psychiatric facility just five days earlier.

Newspaper reports at the time indicated he had a deep-seated hatred of police and wanted to make the Queen Street and Hoddle Street shootings “look like a picnic”.

Sgt Allain and Sen Const Liefting arrived at the pizza parlour to find owner Albert Zimbardi at the front of the shop, where he had been closing up for the day.

He had realised there was an armed intruder in his backyard and called the police, who picked him up and drove to the back of the shop.

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Meanwhile, his wife Raffaela was wondering what was keeping her husband, and went down the rear external staircase to investigate.

The intruder shot her at point-blank range through the neck, leaving her critically injured and a quadriplegic.

The police and Mr Zimbardi arrived to find Mrs Zimbardi on the ground, with her 16-year-old son trying to shield her from further attack.

Sen Const Liefting went to her aid while Sgt Allain radioed for help.

But David was lying in wait and shot Sen Const Liefting. Sgt Allain returned gunfire.

It was a shootout planned by David, in which he wanted to kill as many police as possible. And one in which Sen Const Liefting paid the price for his bravery. He was critically injured, having been shot in his chest and back and required a blood transfusion at the scene.

David escaped on foot but was spotted by a news crew and apprehended.

Sen Const Liefting died a couple of times on the operating table, but surgeons managed to revive him. He still carries a bullet in his back.

Although he returned to work just five months later, continuing ill health compelled him to retire in 1982.

These days he’s a successful small businessman, operating a Peninsula-based painting business.

Sgt Allain continued in the force, rising to the rank of Detective Senior Sergeant, and worked across Victoria, including in the Stolen Vehicle Squad, Drug Squad and Parkdale Criminal Investigation Branch.

01

He resigned in 1989, and launched a second career in the construction industry, where he’s spent the past 27 years.

Fast forward to March 2018, and the retired officers were honoured for their bravery in the intense shootout. They were presented with a framed tribute recognising their involvement.

Those affected by the events of that day attended a presentation at Mornington Police Station, along with pizza shop owners Mr and Mrs Zimbardi, former colleagues, family, friends and the surgeon who operated on Mr Liefting 38 years ago.

“My biggest issue was the guilt I felt that Bill got shot,” Mr Allain said.

“I always question myself, ‘what could I have done differently or better?’”

Mr Liefting echoes his sentiments.

“My biggest thing was that if we were a minute earlier, Mrs Zimbardi may not have been shot. But we couldn’t have got there any faster,” he said.

02

Garry David was jailed for 14 years.

In 1989, the State Government passed special legislation that ensured David remain incarcerated for life, with no possibility of release.

He died in prison from complications of self-inflicted injuries in 1993.

Images Bravery recognised 01 M r Liefting and Mr Allain revisit the scene of the 1980 shootout, at the rear of the Rye pizza shop with current local police officers.

02 T he former police were presented with a framed tribute for their bravery.

Editorial: Donna Magness Photography: David Johns

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t s a p e h t f o s n o i t a t Polices 01 They were often regarded as the community’s epicentre, providing a reassuring sense of safety, where disputes could be resolved, crimes investigated, and real-life drama unfolded behind their walls.

These are the defunct police stations that are now confined to the archives of Victoria’s history, with many of them still gracing their towns, but in a different way, oblivious to a passing parade of locals and visitors.

Police Life revisited some of the former police stations and explored aspects of their past.

t est BourkeStreeW

Melbourne’s former Bourke Street West police complex at 621-629 Bourke Street, was built in 1887, when the city was experiencing a population and economic boom.

Former Superintendent Peter Macievic served more than 43 years with Victoria Police, and used his recent retirement to research Bourke Street Station’s history. He noted that in one decade, Melbourne’s population in 1890 had increased by a staggering 75 per cent, to 490,000.

His historic account also stated “by virtue of the boom, Melbourne became the second largest city in the British Empire after London and reportedly the richest city in the world at that time”.

It was during this period of change and growth that led to the formal establishment of the Bourke Street West Police Station in 1890.

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03 century buildings in the city’s first government precinct dating back to 1837, bounded by Bourke, King, Collins and Spencer streets.

Sergeant 2nd Class John Rankin was the first officer in charge at Bourke Street West and was supported by six troops.

It has since been acclaimed on the heritage register for its “high Victorian eclectic architecture”, including its red bricks, Florentine arches, and “decorative dressings derived from the work of acclaimed French architect, Eugene Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc”.

When the two-storey complex closed in 1976, it was regarded among the last remnants of 19th

In 1982 the building was classified by the National Trust and is now a bar and restaurant.

Kew

The first Kew police station opened in 1855 on Bulleen Road, which later became known as High Street.

Yarraville

The Yarraville Police Station, in Schild Street, was a brick building with an adjoining double-storey residence when it opened in August 1956.

The station closed eight years later but reopened on the same site in 1864. In 1888, a new station of red brick and render replaced it at 190 High Street.

Police from this station served warrants, performed general duties including mobile and foot patrol, and crowd control at local football matches.

The Kew Police Station’s first tenants were Sergeant 1st Class James McGrath who served Victoria Police for 27 years, until his retirement in 1893, and constables John Garde, Henry Gray and Michael Cregan.

The officer in charge occupied the adjoining residence, until this practice ceased in 1977.

The Police Gazette at the time recorded “horse and cattle stealing, highway robbery, deserters from Her Majesty’s Service and escaped inmates from the Yarra Bend Lunatic Asylum”, among its most serious crimes.

A subsequent 1930 Gazette described the building as a six-roomed brick dwelling, with slate roof, three cells, a bathroom, luncheon room, medical and educational facilities.

In 1988, a Kew urban conservation study noted that the police station, court house and post office were “unified in design and combined to form one of the most impressive complexes of buildings in Victoria”.

It added the buildings were “an early and successful example by architect John Henry Harvey of ‘English vernacular free style’ and an influential precursor to Edwardian architecture”.

The Kew Police Station closed in 2002 and its operations were relocated to Boroondara Police Complex in Kew East, where its more prevalent crimes now include theft, burglaries, property damage and assaults.

The old station, which was the longest continuously operating metropolitan police station, and the adjoining court house are heritage-listed by the National Trust.

The former police station now houses the Kew Historical Society and an art gallery.

This was the last of three police stations in Yarraville, with the first to open in Simpson Street, in December 1879. It operated until 1937, when it was relocated to Willis Street.

In its early history, Yarraville was characteristically a highly industrial area, predominantly comprising migrant blue-collar workers who earned their living from local factories and nearby wharves.

The town’s small commercial centre in Anderson Street once provided a choice of three banks, a similar number of grocers, butchers and pharmacists, and a department store.

Yarraville is now a vibrant village with a number of cafes and restaurants added to its strip that are well-patronised by a new generation.

One of its longest-serving police and officer in charge, Sergeant Graham Johnson, was presented a Police Award in December 1985, for his work towards the “development of harmonious relations between police and ethnic communities”.

Sgt Johnson, who accepted his award from Chief Commissioner Mick Miller, said he had tried to instil in his staff the importance of breaking down barriers with migrants.

“The police at my station have developed a good rapport with the ethnic communities in the area who often help us with information, which makes our job a lot easier,” he said.

Yarraville Police Station closed in December 1997, and the building is now used for osteotherapy consulting.

Warrnambool – 7-9 Gillies Street Four police buildings, comprising police station, residence, stables and lock-up, constructed between 1883 and 1888, closed in 1998. It is now used by South West TAFE. Brighton – 27 Wilson Street Built in 1853, it replaced the town’s first police station in Dendy Street.

The two-storey building is now a residential property.

Eltham – 728 Main Road A police complex incorporating a courthouse opened in 1860. The buildings closed in 1984 and is now used by community groups including the Eltham District Historical Society.

Southbank – 234 St Kilda Road This former Victoria Police Depot from 1912 housed the mounted branch stables, riding school, drill hall and police hospital.

The site is now occupied by the Victorian College of the Arts.

Echuca – 1 Dickson Street This single-storey red-brick building was designed by the Public Works Department and completed in 1866. Additional rooms and a three-cell lockup were added later.

The buildings were closed in 1969 and are now used as a museum.

Hawthorn – 616 Glenferrie Road This police station, which was occupied at the beginning of the last century, closed in 2002. The site is now occupied by a motel and commercial premises.

Coburg – 160 Bell Street Built in 1928 and closed in 2005, this former police station is on the Victorian Heritage register for its local historic and aesthetic significance to the City of Moreland. It is now a restaurant, named in honour of its former occupiers, called the 'Old Cop Shop'.

Trentham – Camp Street The town’s first police station and courthouse was built in 1866.

The building is now the town’s historical society museum.

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Images Police Stations of the Past 01 T he first Victoria Police members of Bourke Street West Police Station.

02 Bourke Street West police cells.

03 Front view of Bourke Street West Police Station.

04 K ew Police Station and courthouse.

05 Yarraville Police Station in 1997.

06 T he former Brighton Police Station building in Wilson Street.

Editorial: Chris Metevelis

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POLICE LIFE | WINTER 2018

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“We walked down there in our brand-new tunics and skirts. We walked into court and relieved the police of their duties, and they were glad to hand over to us,” she said.

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In subsequent years, the PSU has taken over many of the static security duties that had previously been undertaken by police.

These include providing security at police stations, public buildings such as Parliament House, Government House and the Shrine of Remembrance.

In those early days, the PSOs were unarmed and carried only rubber truncheons. Things have changed since then.

Today's PSOs are armed and have greater powers too.

PSU’s Inspector Michael Glinski is very proud of his unit’s achievements over the years.

30 YEARS OF PROTECTING THE COMMUNITY Victorians will be familiar with Protective Services Officers (PSOs) working on the city’s train platforms, but may be less familiar with the security PSOs, who have been quietly and diligently going about their duties for the past 30 years.

It began operations on 1 May, 1988 and since then, the PSU has gone from strength to strength and is celebrating 30 proud years of protecting the community, with PSOs working to provide specialist security services.

The Protective Services Unit (PSU) was formed after the Russell Street Police Station bombing tragedy in 1986 as a result of a security review.

Supervisor Denise Howship is from the original first squad, and remembers her first shift at the Magistrates’ Court.

MURDER, MANSLAUGHTER AND MYSTERY Dark Room: Photographs and Stories from Victoria’s 1930s Crime Scenes is the latest exhibition at the Victoria Police Museum.

The exhibition tells the stories behind black and white crime scene photos and sheds light on some of the early, brutal crimes that occurred in Victoria.

A body found in a Bendigo mine, shootings, gangs, a conspiring couple and more mysterious stories are examined in the exhibition, which uses the glass plate negatives taken at crime scenes from the investigating police’s perspective.

The exhibition opens in July at the Victoria Police Museum, Mezzanine Level, 637 Flinders Street, Docklands. The museum is open 10am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.

Visit policemuseum.vic.gov.au to find out more.

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POLICE LIFE | WINTER 2018

The unit’s first officers were deployed to provide security services to magistrates and the courts.

Image Dark room 01 C rime scene photos from the 1930s feature in the latest Victoria Police Museum exhibition.

“Our reputation and the rapport we’ve built with important stakeholders means we’re always being asked to expand our role,” he said.

Currently, the PSU provides a security service to 17 separate and diverse deployment locations including the Supreme Court, County Court, Magistrates' Court, Suburban magistrates' courts, the Victoria Police Centre and Parliament House.

“The places our PSOs work are high-profile where the chances of an incident occurring are heightened due to the effect it would have,” Insp Glinski said.

Image Protective Services 01 T he PSU is celebrating 30 years of protecting significant Victorian buildings and sites.

Editorial: Donna Magness

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BADGE AND BEYOND

POLICE HISTORY IN WRITING Dr Robert Haldane is an author and historian, accredited with many other titles during his 34-year service in Victoria Police.

Driven by a passionate sense of duty, he launched his career as a police cadet in 1968 with an ambition to become a detective.

It has been a career with many unexpected turns, which gave him prominence as Australia’s first police academic and more.

“In 1981, I became the first police officer in Australia to receive a study grant which involved a three-month study tour at the FBI Academy and other precincts in the US and Canada,” Dr Haldane said.

He worked in Fitzroy, Preston and Broadmeadows, where he became a detective.

Then, while in Bairnsdale in 1979, Chief Commissioner Mick Miller recalled him to Melbourne for a special role.

“He was aware that I had done some writing, that I was studying at tertiary level,” Dr Haldane said.

“He asked me to take on a role in a relatively new department devoted to research, and then in 1983 I became the editor of Police Life, as a senior sergeant, and completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honours).”

In 1983, CCP Miller approached Dr Haldane and, with a simple handshake, agreed to write a transparent and accurate account of Victoria Police’s history.

“Right from the very beginning he was adamant that it had to be a serious ‘warts and all’ history,” Dr Haldane said.

“It became known as The People’s Force.”

The People’s Force is now in its third edition with the most recent chapter exploring chief commissioners and ground-breaking developments in DNA profiling.

Dr Haldane regards the benefits of encouraging and recruiting more women to Victoria Police, to be among the most significant changes in its recent history.

“The influence that women have had on the organisation has been one the most notable changes compared to when I first started, when there were only a handful of women in Victoria Police,” he said.

The People’s Force is available from the Victoria Police Museum, Mezzanine Level, 637 Flinders Street, Docklands.

Open 10am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.

If you know a former police officer who would like to share their interesting career during and beyond policing, contact policelife-mgr@police.vic.gov.au via email.

“When I began writing The People’s Force, personal computers hadn’t even been invented, so all 260 pages were hand-written in pencil.

“I just loved what I did in the Victoria Police force and that made it easier to cope with the nature of the workload. I loved every second of it,” he said.

Image Historic account 01 D r Haldane during his time as an inspector in East Gippsland.

Dr Haldane retired as a superintendent in 2001.

Editorial: Chris Metevelis

POLICE LIFE | WINTER 2018

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YOU’RE MORE SUITED THAN YOU MIGHT THINK

With more than 3000 new positions available, a career with Victoria Police can offer you: • Paid training and great starting salary • Rosters planned in advance allowing for work/life balance • Generous leave entitlements • The chance to make a difference to your community • The opportunity to specialise after as little as 2 years

policecareer.vic.gov.au Authorised and published by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne