SMALL TALK VOXPOP
PODCAST TELLS TALES OF COURAGEOUS POLICE
What do you think might be different about policing in the year 2050? LEADING SENIOR CONSTABLE BERNICE CANTY Ballan Police Station
“I think we might see some non-lethal weapons that are so effective that we will rarely have to use our firearms. We will probably have some sort of all-in-one delivery system that includes a lethal weapon, OC spray, a taser, a camera and any other new technology.” CONSTABLE LEIGH BUTLER Sale Police Station
“I think every police officer hopes there’ll be a whole lot less paperwork to do. We will probably spend less time on all the extra reporting we have to do because we’ll have technology that automatically talks to all our internal and external systems and does the work for us." SENIOR CONSTABLE SIDD PATIL Craigieburn Police
“I think there will be a wider variety of crimes, particularly technology and internet-based crimes due to advancements in technology. The advancements in technology won’t just impact the types of crime but will also improve how we respond to crime. I think there will be more cohesion between police and other organisations and agencies where we will have a combined internal database we can access when making inquiries, which will save us doing lots of paperwork.”
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
Victoria Police has launched a new podcast series, Distinction, which will shine a light on extraordinary tales of courage from inside Victoria Police. Distinction is a four-part series where each episode focuses on an individual story of courage, which resulted in the awarding of high-level service commendations. Victoria Police Marketing and Engagement senior manager John Thompson said the series allows the force to share this rich catalogue of amazing stories. “The devotion to duty that comes with the uniform has remained strong for over 150 years,” Mr Thompson said.
“Podcasts are incredibly popular at the moment and are an ideal platform for this type of storytelling.” Distinction not only explores some of the most courageous acts of service, but also does not shy away from the consequences of those actions. “I’m really proud of what we have been able to produce and would like to sincerely thank all those interviewed,” Mr Thompson said. To listen to the podcast, visit police.vic.gov. au/distinction-podcast
SECRET LIFE OF POLICE 2020 has been a year like no other for Victoria Police, one that is difficult to summarise with words. Fortunately, if the adage ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ rings true, Police Custody Officer (PCO) Brent Davidson has captured the emotions and events of the difficult past year in one striking artwork. The Dandenong Police Station PCO is a budding artist away from work and spent two months creating an oil-paint portrait of an anonymous officer in uniform. The finer details of the piece cover the two most significant events for the force in 2020, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the tragic deaths of four police officers in Kew in April, among others. “The blue skin of my model displays that Victoria Police officers are blue through and through,” PCO Davidson said. “The four badges show the registered numbers of the four officers who that tragically lost their lives, and the mask represents 2020 as a whole. The organisational values are on the mask to show that Victoria Police upholds these values and they are always with us. “The different colours represent the diversification across the organisation, including members of the LGBTIQ community. “My inspiration for the painting was to do a reflection on the challenging year 2020 has been.” The painting will now go on display in the wings of the Dandenong Police Station. PCO Davidson has been painting for 20 years and holds a diploma in visual arts. You can check out more of his artwork on Instagram by searching @dingleyartist.
Image Painting PCO PCO Brent Davidson put his paintbrush to canvas to summarise what a challenging year 2020 has been for Victoria Police. The striking portrait will now go on display at the Dandenong Police Station. Editorial: Grant Condon
4
POLICE LIFE | SUMMER 2020-21
