Police Life AUTUMN 2021 by Victoria Police

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THE VICTORIA POLICE MAGAZINE

AUTUMN 2021

Still healing POLICE RESPONSE TO 2019-20 SUMMER BUSHFIRES CONTINUES AS RESILIENT COMMUNITIES REBUILD PLUS WORLD’S LONGEST-SERVING FEMALE OFFICER STILL ON DUTY > BORDER PATROLS A BLAST FROM THE PAST > FENDING OFF CRIME ON THE CITY FRINGE AND MORE

AUTUMN 2021

Assessing threats When fixation turns into the threat of real violence, a team of police and mental health experts takes action.

World leader Detective Senior Sergeant Joy Murphy has been recognised as the longest-serving female police officer in the world.

COVER: As fire-hit towns continue to recover from the 2019-20 summer bushfires, police like Mallacoota’s Senior Constable Judy Taylor are playing an important role in the healing process. Photography: Jesse Wray-McCann Police Life is produced by the Media & Corporate Communications Department, Victoria Police, GPO Box 913, Melbourne, 3001 Online police.vic.gov.au/policelife facebook.com/victoriapolice twitter.com/victoriapolice

Email policelife-mgr@police.vic.gov.au Managing Editors Superintendent Jo Dolan

Stopping a swindle The diligent work of two investigators has helped police take down a travelling conman who fleeced hundreds of thousands of dollars from Melbourne families.

A lone ranger no more After a career spent working as the only officer in town, a country cop has joined one of Victoria Police’s newest teams.

Editor Grant Condon Journalists Danielle Ford Jesse Wray-McCann Roslyn Jaguar Graphic Design Fluid – fluid.com.au Subscriptions (03) 8335 8564

FSC POSITIONAL ONLY PRINTER TO STRIP IN. 100% From wellmanaged forests

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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

5 22 24 26

27 A journey back in time

By the numbers Out and About Career in focus Behind the Badge

A reunion with a historic police car has driven back memories for a retired officer.

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF COMMISSIONER COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria (CQV), to provide an enhanced security capability to Victoria's COVID-19 Quarantine and Health Hotel program. Further to this, we redeployed a significant number of police to manage border control, missing their holiday season with family and friends. While these commitments have led us to close some police station receptions overnight, Victoria Police takes pride in responding to the greatest public health risk in recent times and assures the Victorian community that our focus on preventing crime in our state has not diminished.

We have welcomed 2021 with further uncertainty and I could not be prouder of the resilience and flexibility displayed by Victoria Police employees during these trying times.

In February 2020, our Eastern Region commenced trialling CommConnect, a community policing model that focuses on reducing crime and increasing trust and confidence between the community and local police. I will conduct a trial evaluation of CommConnect in early 2021 to inform the model's future directions.

On 7 December 2020, we activated Operation Tidewatch in support of the lead agency,

In this edition of Police Life, you will learn how policing has changed in the growing suburb of Sunbury.

POLICE LIFE | AUTUMN 2021

This is an excellent example of where police have listened to and worked with the community and adapted practices to meet the demands of the local area. Importantly, this edition reflects on the 2019-20 bushfires through a range of stories that touch on the recovery of the land and the people impacted by the fires. I took the opportunity to travel with the Police Minister to Mallacoota in January 2021 to officially open our Mallacoota Police Station and launch Victoria Police's online bushfire exhibition, Victorian Bushfires Remembered. Visiting the town 12 months on from the devastation was a moving reminder of the courage and determination among the community that we serve. We continue to work closely with our partners to learn from, plan and prepare for future emergencies. Stay safe.

Follow Victoria Police on Twitter at @VictoriaPolice

MAKING NEWS For the latest police news visit police.vic.gov.au/news

TACKLING QUARANTINE CHALLENGES WITH TIDEWATCH When Victoria’s revamped hotel quarantine program for returned international travellers kicked off on 7 December 2020, more than 450 police and Protective Services Officers (PSOs) were deployed across the quarantine and health hotels. To oversee this program, the Victorian Government established a dedicated agency, COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria (CQV), with Victoria Police called upon to carry out supervision, enforcement and compliance duties at all quarantine and health hotels. To manage and coordinate these duties, Victoria Police established Operation Tidewatch in November 2020 to oversee police resourcing, training and compliance of officers deployed to the operation. Operation Tidewatch Police Coordinator Acting Superintendent Jamie Templeton said with more than 450 police required to provide security at the 12 hotels each day, a key role of the operation is to manage the resourcing of police and PSOs from across the state.

“Operation Tidewatch management liaises with Victoria Police’s regions, departments and commands to deploy staff from across the state to the operation,” A/Supt Templeton said. “We ensure that any policing resources pulled from our stations and specialist units are effectively covered to staff Operation Tidewatch while providing the same level of service to our communities across the state.” Operation Tidewatch Operations Commander Deputy Commissioner Ross Guenther said the operation had been established with the safety of the community and Victoria Police employees front of mind. “Safety is at the core of policing and ensuring community and officer safety through effective infection prevention and control is the primary objective of both Operation Tidewatch and the overarching hotel quarantine program,” DC Guenther said.

“In supporting CQV, as the lead agency, and other key stakeholders by providing an enhanced security capability, Victoria Police is committed to maintaining community confidence in assisting our stakeholders in maintaining infection prevention and control within Victoria.” DC Guenther also noted the support of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel who are working alongside Victoria Police to provide added resources to the operation. “The support from the ADF is invaluable in our mission to ensure community safety,” he said.

Image Immense response More than 450 Victoria Police officers, along with supporting ADF personnel, are deployed to Operation Tidewatch at one time. Pictured are police and ADF personnel at mandatory induction training before beginning duties on the operation. Editorial: Danielle Ford

POLICE LIFE | AUTUMN 2021

SMALL TALK VOXPOP

EXHIBITION REFLECTS ON BUSHFIRES

If you hadn’t become a police officer, what career path would you have chosen and why? SENIOR SERGEANT WARREN TAYLOR Sunbury Police Station

“I’ve coached a lot of sport and worked in sports management prior to joining. I would love to have gone overseas to develop my coaching and see where that might have taken me.” CONSTABLE ELLEN NOUGHER Melbourne West Police Station

“Probably firefighting. It’s similar kind of work to Victoria Police. I like the excitement of emergency services and the fact that every day is different.” SENIOR SERGEANT PAUL MASLUNKA Police Assistance Line, Ballarat “I’d say at this stage in my life, I would be a farmer. There’s something about working on the land that is very relaxing. I have some land now that I work on in my downtime from policing.”

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 an online exhibition to remember and reflect upon the organisation’s involvement in the 2019-20 bushfires. Victorian Bushfires Remembered comprises still images, video footage, media clippings and personal stories, and captures the extraordinary contribution police made in protecting the community and keeping Victorians safe. Five new videos, produced specifically for the online exhibition, reflect on the impact of the fires and the ongoing recovery across East Gippsland, including at Mallacoota, Cann River, Orbost and Buchan. The videos feature police members who live and work in these towns, along with representatives from partner agencies and local community members.

In one video, Eastern Region Superintendent Simon Humphrey says he is “incredibly proud” of the police officers who responded to the fires. “I think we had close to 1200 members up here from start to finish, many of them from outside this area, and many of them with absolutely no experience in this type of event. “Their ability to keep pushing on, day after day, was really heroic and I think we provided really good support to the communities,” Supt Humphrey says.

Visit police.vic.gov.au/victoria-bushfiresremembered

SECRET LIFE OF POLICE When Leading Senior Constable Leigh Johnson isn’t in uniform, you’ll most likely find him on a stage. From Oklahoma and Jesus Christ Superstar to Hair and Rock of Ages, the Sunbury Youth Resource Officer (YRO) has a wide range of stage experience as a member of Altona City Theatre, an amateur musical theatre group in Melbourne’s west. Having first been bitten by the theatre bug when he was in high school, Ldg Sen Const Johnson has been performing in amateur theatre around Melbourne and regional Victoria since finishing high school in the 1980s.

“I’ve found during my more than 30-year career with Victoria Police that theatre has been a wonderful balance between work, family and life. “It gives me the opportunity to work and perform with people from all walks of life, whether they are a teacher, student, doctor or tradie, we all come together to put on this show and have some fun.” Of all the shows he has done, there is one that stands out above all else. “I once did a show, Age of Aquarius, where my whole family was in the show together and it was the best show I’ve been a part of,” Ldg Sen Const Johnson said.

“Back in the day, I started out as a bass player of average ability and didn’t mind singing a few tunes,” Ldg Sen Const Johnson said. “I always enjoyed musicals and when I left school I tried my hand at my first show called Godspell and was hooked. “It was a great group of people I was performing with and I loved performing for an audience – I’ve been doing shows on and off ever since.” Today, the Sunbury YRO has about 70 shows under his belt and said performing on stage helps keep balance and wellbeing in his life. “I’m a firm believer in balancing life and finding pursuits that are good for your wellbeing,” he said.

Image Police performer Ldg Sen Const Leigh Johnson centre stage as part of his theatre group’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Editorial: Danielle Ford

POLICE LIFE | AUTUMN 2021

VICTORIA POLICE BY THE NUMBERS:

150

vessels were checked as part of two operations focused on inland waterways over the Australia Day long weekend in January. Water Police issued 65 infringement notices to boat and personal watercraft operators during operations JetLock and Reinforcement, with the majority due to dangerous operation of a vessel and speeding.

4,876

32 is the number of vehicle checkpoints Victoria Police officers staffed on the NSW border as part of Operation Sentinel IV. Read more about the border operation on Page 13.

is the approximate number of female police officers in Victoria Police in 2021.

is the number of years that Detective Senior Sergeant Joy Murphy has served with Victoria Police. An advocate for change within the family violence and sexual assault investigation fields throughout her career, Det Sen Sgt Murphy was recently inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women. Read about her career on Page 8.

extra police officers were deployed into the Eastern Region during the 2019-20 Victorian bushfire emergency. Police Life revisited the impacted areas one year on from the devastating fires. Read about the recovery on pages 14-19.

kilometres from Melbourne is the suburb of Sunbury. The once quiet city fringe location has been transformed by an ongoing population boom and local police have seen their job change significantly over the past decade. The Sunbury Police Station is the focus of the Out and About feature on Page 22.

14,440

minutes is the time it takes for the Victoria Police Air Wing to travel from Melbourne to Shepparton via helicopter.

is the number of lives that the Victoria Police Lifeblood Team aims to save during the Bleed4Blue challenge, a three-month law enforcementfocused blood drive that runs across Australia.

2,070 police officers were awarded the prestigious Australian Police Medal for their exemplary service and dedication to protecting the Victorian community on 26 January.

is the number of episodes in Victoria Police’s new podcast series Distinction. POLICE LIFE | AUTUMN 2021

FOCUS ON THE FIXATED A partnership between police and mental health clinicians is producing behind-thescenes results in managing people whose pathological grievances and fixations could otherwise end in extreme violence.

“These can be people whose grievance over a period of time becomes all-consuming, it takes over their thoughts and actions, often they may stop looking after their health and lose friends and family,” Insp Cooper said.

The Victorian Fixated Threat Assessment Centre (VFTAC) is a joint Victoria Police and Forensicare unit that was launched in March 2018 with the aim of reducing the risk of lone actor, grievance-fuelled violence.

“They don’t just snap, it’s an escalation of behaviour over time.

Fixated threat assessment centres exist around the world, with the first such unit being established in the United Kingdom in 2006 to address the risk posed by people with pathological fixations on members of the British Royal Family. VFTAC Inspector Steven Cooper said his unit largely deals with people who have an underlying mental illness and a pathological grievance against individuals, companies or other organisations.

POLICE LIFE | AUTUMN 2021

“The people we work with don’t primarily belong in prison, they need mental health intervention and, at times, need it urgently. “And that’s why VFTAC exists – to intervene well before it escalates into a violent act.” The unit is made up of a number of case management teams, with each comprising a police investigator, an analyst and a senior mental health clinician. While most referrals of people to the unit come from frontline responders, Superintendent Peter Seiz said a range of sources can be involved, such as other government departments, educational institutions or mental health services.

“For instance, a person might be unhappy with decisions the government has made and this grievance is exacerbated by underlying mental illness,” Supt Seiz said. “They might start attending Parliament House and even shout threats at politicians, which is when the Protective Services Officers at parliament become involved and realise the person may have a mental illness.” At this point, the person would often be taken to hospital for assessment and eventually released. But if a referral is made to and accepted by VFTAC, this enables the unit to monitor the individual, search police and mental health databases and undertake a threat assessment to determine the level of risk the person poses. “We can then put in place a plan for mental health engagement and treatment for them with clinical experts,” Supt Seiz said. “But there can be critical occasions when the police in our unit are needed to make an arrest.

We work with a range of stakeholders to ensure referred persons can be treated in the least restrictive fashion, supported by our partners within local hospitals and health services.

“Bringing in the incredible expertise of our health experts allows us to achieve outcomes that keep the individuals out of jail and improve their overall health.

Since VFTAC’s inception, it has received about 700 referrals, taken on about 180 clients and has about 35 current clients.

“It’s important to note while some people with mental illness may be at risk of engaging in these types of behaviours, people with mental illness are actually more likely to be victims themselves and they and their families are the ones at most risk of harm from these kinds of concerning behaviours.”

The average length of a case with VFTAC is 152 days.

“

FROM A POLICE PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS A GROUND-BREAKING WAY OF DEALING WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO WE HAVE TRADITIONALLY STRUGGLED TO DEAL WITH, INSP COOPER SAID.

”

VFTAC Forensic Mental Health Operations Manager Dr Jennifer McCarthy said the unit’s clinicians are just as impressed with the work of their police colleagues. “One of the biggest things for me has been to see the engagement skills of the police with the clients,” Dr McCarthy said.

“We’ve had clients who have had a grievance towards police for 20 years, but then we’ve had one of our police investigators engage with them and they’ve then got a completely different, positive experience with police. “This is a partnership that is both keeping the community safe and improving the lives of vulnerable people.” Image Collaborating on cases Senior clinician Alex Harry, intelligence analyst Zac Panopoulos and Det A/Sgt Gavin Roberts form one of the highly-collaborative case management teams the Victorian Fixated Threat Assessment Centre uses to help keep the community safe. Editorial and photography: Jesse Wray-McCann

“Even as the mental health engagement experts, we’ve learnt a lot from them because they’re amazing at talking with the clients.

POLICE LIFE | AUTUMN 2021

A worldwide trailblazer

01 8

POLICE LIFE | AUTUMN 2021

THERE’S A GOOD REASON DETECTIVE SENIOR SERGEANT JOY MURPHY KNOWS THE WORLD IS A DIFFERENT PLACE TO WHAT IT WAS ALMOST 50 YEARS AGO WHEN SHE FIRST JOINED VICTORIA POLICE – SHE HELPED CHANGE IT.

With 47 years of policing under her belt, Det Sen Sgt Murphy is recognised by the International Association of Women in Policing as the titleholder of the longest-serving female police officer in the world. In her nearly five decades of service, the detective has not only seen a wealth of changes within the policing environment, but she’s also been at the forefront of some of them. A staunch advocate for the advancement of women in policing and the broader community, she was the first female in Victoria Police to be appointed as officer-in-charge of a crime squad when given the top position in the Sexual Offences Squad in 1987. “Back when I joined, women didn’t lead many teams and certainly not a crime team, so it was a big thing for me to get that role,” Det Sen Sgt Murphy said. “It’s great to now be in a place where a female officer-in-charge is nothing out of the ordinary and we’ve got women in leadership positions right up the ranks.” While ground-breaking for women in the organisation, the appointment to the top of the Sexual Offences Squad wasn’t a surprising career move for the detective who has dedicated her career to helping victims of sexual assault and family violence.

“I was exposed to this field of policing very early on in my career because, at the time, policewomen were responsible for child protection investigations, the welfare of women and children and taking reports of sexual assaults,” Det Sen Sgt Murphy said. “I quickly became very passionate about these areas and knew I wanted to be a part of helping these women and children and making the reporting and investigation process better for them.” With her decades of experience in these areas, Det Sen Sgt Murphy has made a name for herself as an expert in the family violence and sexual assault investigation fields, having represented Victoria Police on several panels and committees dedicated to improving policing in these areas.

Images Paving the way 01 During her nearly 50-year career, Det Sen Sgt Joy Murphy has been at the forefront of significant changes to policing, both within the organisation and the community. 02 Today, Det Sen Sgt Murphy manages the ND5 Sex Offender Registry administration and community engagement team. 03 Det Sen Sgt Murphy is pictured with her parents at her graduation from the Victoria Police Academy. Editorial: Danielle Ford Photography: Jesse Wray-McCann

“The thing I enjoy about sexual assault and family violence investigation is that if you do it well, you can have a huge impact on the lives of the victims and you can make a terrible situation a little easier and a little less stressful,” she said. Today, Det Sen Sgt Murphy manages the North West Metro Division 5 (ND5) Sex Offender Registry administration and community engagement team. In this role, Det Sen Sgt Murphy oversees the proactive monitoring and management of offenders in the area on the Sex Offender Registry.

“Our role is to check in with these offenders to ensure they are sticking to the requirements that have been placed on them as part of their release,” she said. “By doing this, we are helping to reduce the likelihood of them reoffending, which can help reduce the number of sexual offences needing to be investigated by our Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Teams (SOCITs) in the division.” SOCITs were first formed in 2009 as dedicated, specialist teams that respond to and investigate serious reports of child abuse and sexual offences. Det Sen Sgt Murphy said the Sex Offender Registry team works closely with SOCITs in ND5 and she noted the development of SOCITs and dedicated Family Violence Investigation Units as one of the most significant changes to policing she has witnessed in her time. “There have been great advancements to technology and equipment but, for me, how Victoria Police has evolved to better address sexual assault and family violence offences is the greatest achievement,” she said. “These types of crimes are unfortunately so prevalent in our community and the importance of having expert teams who are highly-skilled in these areas is vitally important to ensuring we best serve and support victims.” In recognition of her 47 years of being an advocate for changes within the ranks and within the family violence and sexual assault investigation fields, Det Sen Sgt Murphy was recently inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women under the trailblazer category. The honour, awarded by the Victorian Government, is given to inspiring role models who effectively lead the way for women starting out in a field which is traditionally maledominated and help break new ground in their line of work by challenging traditional gender stereotypes, attitudes and norms. Det Sen Sgt Murphy said while it’s a huge personal honour, the recognition honours all the advancements made for women in policing over the past 50 years. “I see it as recognition for all women in policing and of how far we’ve come,” she said. “I started in a force that had only about 200 female police officers, with very few, if any, in leadership positions. “Now I work alongside about 5,000 female police, who work across all ranks and fields. “I was chosen for the honour because I’ve been a vocal advocate over the years, which has allowed women today to reap the rewards of people like me who have been tireless advocates for changes within the organisation. “The art and values of policing are still the same, to serve the community. But how we do that has advanced in so many ways.”

POLICE LIFE | AUTUMN 2021

TRUE CRIME

TRICKS OF THE

'TRADIES When Detective Acting Sergeant Steve Sinclair first started looking into reports of an alleged roofing scam in 2018, he had no idea how far-reaching the scheme was. “I noticed similarities between the circumstances and the more I started digging into the reports, it became evident that this was more than just a case of a one-off dodgy dealer,” Det A/Sgt Sinclair said. What began to emerge was a pattern of sophisticated offending across the greater Melbourne area, which saw one eastern suburbs victim lose $260,000 after being tricked by the con. The scam involved fake tradies, also referred to as travelling con men, offering to do maintenance work on a person’s home or office and disappearing once payment had been made. Their work was usually substandard or left unfinished, that is if the work started at all. While older or vulnerable people were specifically targeted in the scam, Det A/Sgt Sinclair said the con group would often drop flyers in letterboxes across several suburbs to flush out more victims.

“People often think of these roofing scams and question how people get tricked into it, but these offenders are well-established and run a highly-sophisticated operation that could easily trick anyone into believing them,” Det A/Sgt Sinclair said. Recognising the severity and criminal nature of the deception offences, Det A/Sgt Sinclair and his team – Leading Senior Constable Kelly Bowen, Detective Senior Constable Jason Stewart and Senior Constable Georgia Harris – started an in-depth investigation into several reported offences across northern, eastern and southern Melbourne suburbs. The team, working as part of the Eastern Region Division 1 Divisional Crime Team’s High-Harm, High-Impact Offending Team, spent hundreds of hours investigating reports of these types of roofing scams. “As part of the con, thousands of flyers were printed using unregistered business names, which are designed to make the business look like a legitimate operation specialising in property maintenance,” Ldg Sen Const Bowen said. “Often they will use an existing ABN to display legitimacy, but they don’t have any link to this business.

POLICE LIFE | AUTUMN 2021

“They will also list phone numbers which have been set up using false identities.” With such a sophisticated set-up giving the scammers the appearance of legitimate businesses, Det A/Sgt Sinclair said the level of deception pulled off by these organised scam groups was very high, resulting in victims being fleeced of large sums of money. “People contacted these fake businesses because they came off as legitimate, even if you did a quick search of the ABN,” he said. “The group would then attend an address and provide a quote for the work required, which generally started off at a reasonable price before unexpectedly increasing after work had started because the workers claimed issues had been located. “This work is often unnecessary, but the group was able to convince the victim it was required by claiming the property was unsafe without the work being done.” The investigation process Det A/Sgt Sinclair and Ldg Sen Const Bowen undertook involved the investigators obtaining the records of more than 50 mobile numbers linked to the fake businesses, tracking down printing places where flyers advertising them were produced, accessing CCTV and sharing information with interstate and international law enforcement agencies.

THE MAN HAD RIPPED OFF MORE THAN $360,000 FROM VICTIMS ACROSS MELBOURNE’S EASTERN SUBURBS

' S “With so many elements of these fake businesses being set up in different names, it was a matter of finding any information that would point us from one person, to another, and so on until we could identify the top-level offender,” Det A/Sgt Sinclair said.

“Most tradespeople out there are legitimate workers, but it’s important people are aware of these types of scams so they can identify and report any of these groups,” she said.

The two years of investigative work put in by the team resulted in a United Kingdom national being sentenced to two years’ jail in June 2020.

Image Setting sights on scammers Det A/Sgt Steve Sinclair and Ldg Sen Const Kelly Bowen are part of a team of police that have become experts in the investigation of scams across Melbourne involving ‘fake tradies’. The scams have resulted in unsuspecting victims being conned out of thousands of dollars.

The man had ripped off more than $360,000 from victims across Melbourne’s eastern suburbs between 2018 and 2019. The investigation and arrest have also resulted in a huge disruption to a ring of similar offending across Melbourne, with several other high-level offenders being identified through the process.

Editorial and photography: Danielle Ford

“There are many people involved at the top level of these scams, often related to, or known to, each other,” Det A/Sgt Sinclair said. “This means that when we look into one person, we are alerted to other possible offenders, which helps disrupt the offending because they are put on alert that police are looking into the set-up.” Ldg Sen Const Bowen said anyone with concerns about getting repair work done on their house should consult the Victorian Consumer Affairs fake tradies information page, consumer.vic.gov.au/faketradies.

POLICE LIFE | AUTUMN 2021

drawn to the job

Ask Dimpy Oliver to describe herself and you’ll soon hear why she is so well suited to life as a Victoria Police Protective Services Officer (PSO). “I consider myself a good listener, someone who has a lot of compassion and empathy, a giver, and someone who has the ability to calm others,” PSO Oliver said. “I think I also have good social awareness; I don’t judge people at work or in my private life.” But while she possesses all the sought-after traits one would traditionally look for in an officer of Victoria Police, PSO Oliver’s journey to the force is less conventional. It started in Delhi, India, some 10,000 kilometres from Melbourne. It was 2010 when PSO Oliver was pregnant with her first child and working as a software engineer in India’s capital, that she and her husband made the decision to move to Australia in search of a better work-life balance. Working in IT as an accessibility consultant and having another child after settling in Australia, it was 2017 when PSO Oliver applied to join Victoria Police. “I didn’t expect a quick response, but to my surprise I had a response from recruitment within hours, stating I had three months to sit the entrance exam. I hadn’t even told my husband that I was considering a career change. I was waiting for the weekend to arrive to discuss it with him, but I only lasted for three days before I told him,” PSO Oliver said. “When I did, he was not surprised. He was aware of my admiration for emergency service workers and my zeal to help the community, but was concerned about my safety and wellbeing.

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“I took the plunge, not only to serve the community but to be a role model for my children. “I knew joining Victoria Police would also allow me to learn more about Australia, its people, culture and help me integrate in the community.” The career change provided all those things and now, after three years of loving her new career with Victoria Police, PSO Oliver is encouraging others to take the plunge and apply to become a PSO. She’s one of the faces of a new series of animations released by Victoria Police, aimed at attracting more females to the PSO role. The How I got here animations showcase several women working as PSOs, how they came to join Victoria Police, and how the unique role is suitable to a wide range of people. A key focus of PSO Oliver’s animation is how she balances the job that has her spending most nights patrolling train stations across Melbourne, with raising her two young daughters, aged 9 and 11. While she admits it hasn’t always been easy balancing her duty as a mother alongside her sworn duty as a PSO and that there were initially concerns for her safety from her husband and extended family, PSO Oliver has managed to find a solution to all the challenges. “My children and my husband are very proud of me when they get to talk about me and what I do,” she said. “I think it shows my daughters that being independent is important and looking after yourself and the community is important. “I have a journal for each of my children and every day before I leave for work, I write them a message in their book and hide it under their pillows or somewhere in the house.

As soon as they come home from school, they find the journal and write a message for me and hide it for me to find when I get home from work. “Even though I’m not physically in the house, I have a presence and connection to my family through the journal.” Ultimately, PSO Oliver wants more people like herself – people from different backgrounds and walks of life – standing next to her in uniform. “There are a lot of people out there who need your help or someone to brighten their day,” she said. “If that is something you want to do, this job allows you to do it.” Images Picture perfect career As well as being a proud mother and Protective Services Officer, Dimpy Oliver is now the illustrated face of a series of animations aimed at showcasing the role of PSOs to the community. Editorial: Grant Condon

Border patrol When police officers were imagining what their 2020 Christmas Day might look like, hundreds couldn’t have pictured they would spend it living out of tents in remote border locations. But if 2020 was known for anything, it was for the unexpected. With Victoria having brought the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to heel within its own borders in the last few months of the year, attention turned to worrying outbreaks in South Australia and New South Wales. As a result, the State Government announced separate border closures with both states. Victoria Police quickly set about the massive task of establishing dozens of vehicle checkpoints to enforce the Chief Health Officer’s directions and ensure the safety of Victorians. The closure of the New South Wales border a week out from Christmas during the travel-heavy holiday period was a particularly large undertaking. Deputy Commissioner Rick Nugent said it required more than 30 checkpoint sites across 1,400km, with almost 700 police personnel deployed to help support the local areas in managing the operation, known as Sentinel IV. The day-to-day operation of the checkpoints was managed by four Incident Police Operations Centres and seven forward command posts. The remoteness of many of the checkpoints required police working at them to live in temporary tent “cities” for several days at a time.

The tent cities in places like Cann River were reminiscent of similar scenes a century earlier in 1919 when the Victoria-New South Wales border was closed and quarantine tent camps were set up in Albury to deal with the deadly Spanish flu pandemic. When the callout went across the state in late December for personnel to join Sentinel IV, DC Nugent said he was buoyed by how many officers cancelled their holidays or days off to help out.

He said coronavirus (COVID-19) operations such as Sentinel IV again showed the importance of Victoria Police’s flexibility and professionalism. “Within just 30 hours of the New South Wales border closure announcement, Victoria Police had established checkpoints staffed with hundreds of our officers,” he said. “It was amazing to see our people rise to the occasion and make this massive logistical operation work for the safety of the community.”

“Our officers were outstanding in their dedication to that operation,” DC Nugent said. “The year of 2020 was one of sacrifice and missing out on important events, for both the general community and also Victoria Police employees. “It was incredible for these officers to volunteer to be away from home at Christmas and give up special time with their loved ones.

“ Their continued commitment to their duty of protecting the public is admirable and, on behalf of all Victorians and Victoria Police, I want to thank them for performing those critical roles.” DC Nugent also thanked the community for its patience and understanding, particularly from the thousands of Victorians who were stuck at the border, waiting to drive through checkpoints and back home.

Images Stopping the spread Main Hundreds of police staffed vehicle checkpoints such as this one on the Snowy River Road at Wulgulmerang. Inset A century ago tent cities were set up in places like Albury in 1919 as quarantine camps during the Spanish flu. Editorial: Jesse Wray-McCann Photography: Supplied

POLICE LIFE | AUTUMN 2021

Resilience in recovery Almost a year after bushfires terrorised residents and holidaymakers in Mallacoota, Senior Constable Judy Taylor walks the wharf where people desperately sought refuge from the flames. Hundreds, including Sen Const Taylor, huddled together on that frightening New Year’s Eve in 2019, having been forced down to the water, and even on to boats, as the firestorm surrounded them and ravaged its way through the East Gippsland town. Now, as Sen Const Taylor walks along the wooden planks of the wharf, it’s a very different scene on a calm day with very few people around.

But someone catches her eye. She approaches a woman she knows well, silently sitting on the edge of the wharf and looking out at Mallacoota Inlet. As soon as Sen Const Taylor asks if she is OK, the woman begins to break down. Sen Const Taylor comforts the woman, who, even months on from the fires, is still haunted by what she went through. The poignant moment is captured on the front cover of this magazine. The woman's story is just one of many of people dealing with the troubling mental scars that remain after the fires in East Gippsland and Victoria’s north east. Sen Const Taylor recalls everyone in the town enduring more than 24 hours of distress, not knowing exactly when or if the unpredictable fire might come upon them.

“I remember the embers because they were burning holes in our blankets. “I was sitting in the edge of the water and I had my sister and my husband and my friends near me, and I went, ‘OK, there’s going to be a moment there when we’re going to have to just jump into the water’.” Further around the foreshore, a group of people were forced to dig trenches, lay down and press their faces into the sand to stay safe from the flames. “I can’t imagine what it would have been like to be stuck there,” Sen Const Taylor said. “I still think it’s going to be a very long time before we get back to anywhere close to what we were. “The mental health of people is still too raw.” Compounding the mental recovery process has been the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

On the morning of 31 December 2019, after hundreds of people had already spent a sleepless night down on the wharf, the sky went black as smoke blocked out the sun.

In each town affected by the bushfires, people speak of how the pandemic and its restrictions have made it difficult to come together as a community for any kind of cathartic debrief.

It then turned an ominous red as the fires bore down on the town, which had been cut off from the rest of the world.

Corryong Sergeant Liam McMahon said their little town in Victoria’s north east had unfortunately experienced a small number of suicides following the fires.

That’s when Sen Const Taylor heard a chilling call over the police radio for all officers in the area to get to their safe places. “I put myself down at the wharf,” Sen Const Taylor said.

“We’ve been really hampered by the COVID-19 restrictions and it has delayed a lot of the healing that has needed to happen,” Sgt McMahon said.

01 14

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One year on from the 2019-20 Victorian bushfires, Police Life revisited the impacted areas to document the ongoing recovery of the land and the people who call it home. In this special six-page feature, we share the stories of a few from an emergency that impacted so many. “After the suicides, we formed some committees pretty quickly with Bushfire Recovery Victoria (BRV) to look at the preventative side of things, as well as getting welfare services in to help.

Mr Brick even jokes about putting Ldg Sen Const Moreland on the pub’s payroll, such has been the importance of the officer’s listening ear with patrons.

“There have been important little community events start to take place and, in about 12 months down the track, we’ll be doing a lot better.

In Cann River, during the days after fires surrounded the small town, the simple act of police from Melbourne playing footy with local kids helped strengthen the sense of community and kickstart the recovery process.

“There is a lot of hope and lot of resilience.” BRV’s constant presence in each fire-hit community – alongside other charitable organisations and benevolent businesses – has provided crucial practical, financial and psychological services and support. In Mallacoota, cranes installing modular homes to replace people’s destroyed houses were a daily occurrence over the recent summer months. Police, too, have played an important role in the recovery of their communities. In Buchan, local pub owner Greg Brick has hailed the small town’s lone police officer, Leading Senior Constable Ray Moreland, as part of the glue that has kept the community together. “Ray has a lot of empathy. He knows everyone,” Mr Brick said. “When you're the local policeman, they’ve got to become the natural leader in town. “We had some people go to water after the fires and Ray was magnificent. “It’s not about the usual police work they do, then. It’s a different type of police work.”

Orbost Sergeant Jo Geddes made the most of her unique dual position as a part-time police officer and part-time dairy farmer to coordinate the delivery of cattle feed to desperate farmers. “We had a lot of dealings with very emotional older men who normally would be stoic people and wouldn’t be upset by much, but they were absolutely destroyed,” Sgt Geddes said. “They’re quite emotionally attached to their animals. They want the best for them and to not be able to feed them was quite a stressor at the time.” Back in Mallacoota, Sen Const Taylor not only thinks back on the events of that New Year’s Eve, she also looks ahead optimistically at signs of the town’s recovery. One of her most cherished parts of Mallacoota now is a field of xanthorrhoea plants – also known as grass trees – which are in full bloom beside the road out of town. “They only flower after a fire and they’re amazing,” she said.

For Sen Const Taylor, the grass trees perhaps serve as a symbol for the once-in-a-lifetime display of strength from the people of her town. “I love this community because they’re so resilient,” she said. “A lot of people are still struggling with things, but we banded together, we looked after each other and it was a fantastic feeling post-fire that everyone was helping each other get through. “I love the place, I love the community policing and I’ll be here until I die.” Images From the ashes 01 Xanthorrhoea plants have sprouted up around Mallacoota following the fires. 02 Sen Const Judy Taylor and the rest of Mallacoota have shown great resilience following the fires. 03 Orbost sergeants Andrea Craigie and Jo Geddes survey the recovery of the fire-affected foreshore at Cape Conran. 04 Sen Const Taylor and her family sheltered at the water's edge as the flames descended on Mallacoota. Editorial: Jesse Wray-McCann and Clare O’Donnell Photography: Jesse Wray-McCann and supplied

For 24/7 crisis support or suicide prevention services, please call Lifeline 13 11 14. If life is in danger call Triple Zero (000). Current and former Victoria Police employees and their families can also access wellbeing services via bluespacewellbeing.com.au.

“I don’t think we’ll ever see that again in our lifetime.”

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Courage under fire Ian and Gwen Strobridge are in no doubt they are only alive today because of the bravery of leading senior constables Ray Moreland and Andy Trace. On 30 December 2019, several large bushfires were sweeping across the hills surrounding Buchan, consuming everything on their way to the small East Gippsland town. Sitting atop one of these hills, about 2km north of the town, the Strobridges' home sat right in the warpath of the biggest fire front. The Strobridges, aged in their 80s, had made the decision to stay and defend their home of several decades but they were hopelessly outmatched when the blaze hit. Standing inside the door of his home, Mr Strobridge was trying to keep the flames at bay with a simple garden hose but was unaware of the full impact the fire was having on the house around him. As Mrs Strobridge sat petrified inside her pitch-black home which had lost power, the fire had started engulfing the carport and side of the house, and flames were likely filling the roof cavity above her. “It was a very angry fire,” Mrs Strobridge said. “Nothing would have stopped it.

“I’ve never felt anything like it and I don’t ever want to feel like that again.”

joined during the fires by Ldg Sen Const Trace, who usually works for Knox Highway Patrol.

In that moment, leading senior constables Ray Moreland and Andy Trace, the only two police in the area, left the relative safety of the Buchan township when they saw the fire front flaring on the ridgeline where the Strobridges lived.

Almost a year on from the night they saved Ian and Gwen Strobridge, the two officers caught up with the elderly couple, who are renting a small unit in Buchan while planning to rebuild their home.

They arrived just in time to rescue the elderly couple from their burning home and get them safely into town.

It was an emotional reunion, only made possible by the officers’ brave actions on that day.

Mrs Strobridge believes they only had a few minutes to live. “There’s no way we would have got out in time,” she said. “Any time I wake up through the night, I just shudder and think, ‘Gee, we could have just been a speck of dust’.” They wouldn’t have been the only victims in Buchan that day, with the very same fire front earlier in the evening claiming the life of 67-year-old Mick Roberts on his farm just 2km north of the Strobridges. Ldg Sen Const Moreland was devastated to lose his friend Mr Roberts but delighted to help save the Strobridges. “One didn’t survive, but two did survive that day,” Ldg Sen Const Moreland said. “I’ve never seen anything like those fires. “The wind and the smoke and the flames – it was red and black and smoky, and you could hardly see two feet in front of you or hardly breathe. “That’s the most scared I think I’ve ever been. It was like hell.” Ldg Sen Const Moreland is the long-serving lone officer at Buchan Police Station and was

Victoria Police has awarded the following officers with accolades in recognition of their efforts during the 2019-20 Victorian summer bushfires. Medal of Courage: Ldg Sen Const Ray Moreland, Ldg Sen Const Andy Trace. Medal of Merit: Supt Simon Humphrey, Insp Mark Edwards, Sen Sgt Alan Rice, Sgt Luke Banwell.

“We just thank those two we’re alive and that we can hopefully celebrate our 60th wedding anniversary in two years,” Mrs Strobridge said. The Strobridges were particularly pleased to hear their two heroes will be recognised with bravery awards from Victoria Police and the Royale Humane Society for their rescue efforts. For Ldg Sen Const Trace, the return to Buchan to reunite with Ldg Sen Const Moreland, the Strobridges and others he helped within the small community was something he had been looking forward to for months. “This was my first country deployment to help out in a projected fire season,” he said. “I was there for several days helping out after the night the fires came through because the town was cut off. “In that time, I formed some really close bonds with the community. “I’d do it again in a heartbeat.” Images Heroes return Leading senior constables Ray Moreland and Andy Trace reunited with Ian and Gwen Strobridge almost a year after saving them from their burning home. Editorial: Jesse Wray-McCann and Clare O’Donnell Photography: Jesse Wray-McCann

Regional Commendation: Supt Helen Sattler, Supt Lisa Winchester, Insp Peter Wheeler, Insp Steve Frost, Insp Rob Wallace, Insp Stephen Cooper, Sen Sgt Joel Hughes, Sen Sgt Angelo Lando, Sen Sgt Brad Johnstone, Sen Sgt Rod Findlay, Sen Sgt Eamon Leahy, Det Sgt Glenn Owens, Sgt Scott Wealands, Sgt Stuart Johnston, Sgt Leah Windebank, Sgt Wayne Redmond.

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Burnt into memory After more than 34 years in policing, many of which have been spent in senior leadership roles, Superintendent Simon Humphrey has made countless big decisions with significant consequences.

About 10pm that night, Supt Humphrey told the 24 police officers in Cann River that although there was a fire 15km away and another 20km away, the ICC was comfortable the town was not at risk.

Supt Humphrey said the ordeal had left some of the officers traumatised.

But there are few that still weigh on him like the decision to send a team of police officers into Cann River on 30 December 2019, as bushfires began to take hold in areas around the small town.

But this was a fire season like no other, and these were fires that behaved like none before them.

“Some hours after they got to Cann River, it quickly became anything but safe,” he said.

The fires had turned so ferocious they were creating their own weather, including thunderstorms and a wind change that had pushed the fires back towards Cann River.

“Even when the fire got close, the consistent advice we had from the ICC was they would be safe at the school, but this was just a beast of a fire and would have been frightening to be confronted with.

As the Divisional Area Commander for the East Gippsland Region, Supt Humphrey was one of those at Bairnsdale Police Station in charge of managing police resources in response to the massive fires. “We were making life and death decisions several times a shift, and the deployment into Cann River was really challenging for us,” Supt Humphrey said. Supt Humphrey needed to replace police officers who had been working for a number of days in and around Cann River to operate roadblocks, maintain order and provide community reassurance. The information from the control agency Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning’s Incident Control Centre (ICC) in Bairnsdale was that sophisticated modelling and weather predictions showed the fires were not expected to hit Cann River. Supt Humphrey put together a team of police, mostly made up of officers from Melbourne, and sent them in to relieve their colleagues.

About 3am on 31 December, the police who were off-duty and sleeping had to evacuate their accommodation.

“Decisions around routine deployments like this are generally made as a collective by the incident management team but, as the police commander, it was ultimately my decision.

The officers donned protective fire equipment and some even joined local Country Fire Brigade (CFA) firefighters in manning the hoses at the school.

“While any deployment during an emergency event carries some element of risk, what was initially a safe changeover of staff quickly turned into a dangerous and precarious situation.”

Supt Humphrey said the fire came within 500m of the school, leaving some of the officers fearing it may hit the town.

But Supt Humphrey praised the “incredible” efforts and bravery of the police and other authorities involved in keeping people safe through the fires.

As they tried to keep the community members calm, a heroic group of local contractors used their bulldozers to clear vital fire breaks on the edge of Cann River. A favourable change in conditions then directed the fires away from the town, ensuring everyone’s safety.

“Their ability to just keep pushing on and on and on, day after day after day was really heroic, and I think we provided really good support to the communities,” he said. Images Deployment distress 01 As the blaze got closer to Cann River, police and firefighters sought to keep people safe at the local school. 02 Officers working at the Bairnsdale Incident Police Operations Centre during the fires. Editorial: Jesse Wray-McCann and Clare O’Donnell Photography: Jesse Wray-McCann and George Katris

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“I still feel very deeply about putting those officers in harm’s way.

They joined their colleagues and about 200 other people at the school in town, which had been identified as a place of last resort for the community.

With the fires cutting off all the roads around Cann River, the beleaguered officers were among the last to evacuate the town days later, doing so under CFA escort through tracks that were still on fire in some parts.

Although no one could predict the fire conditions that eventuated, Supt Humphrey remains troubled by the situation his troops faced.

Strength through unity In the aftermath of the bushfires that hit towns across eastern Victoria in late 2019, everyday community members and leaders stood up to help police and authorities kickstart the recovery process. In Corryong in the state’s north east, Sergeant Liam McMahon was struck by the actions of locals who became the glue that kept a distressed community together. “The Red Cross, the Lions club, Country Fire Authority (CFA) and State Emergency Service volunteers, they’ve been incredible,” Sgt McMahon said. “A lot of the church groups have really come together to support the community, too, and that’s been really well-received. “Those little community groups are what make the biggest difference and I’d hate to think how much worse off we’d be without them.” Sgt McMahon said he also found personal and professional support from other community leaders within organisations such as the local health service, CFA, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning and local school principals. “We all became a backstop for each other and checked in on one another, which was really important for each of us individually,” he said. Road closures and downed powerlines meant dozens of towns were cut off from supplies, electricity, water and support in the days after the fires swept through. But this gave these proud country communities a chance to shine. In Buchan, the staff at the Buchan Caves Hotel worked under the light of headlamps to keep the many firefighters, police and paramedics fed.

Similarly, in isolated Cann River, local café Relics stepped up to the plate by serving up meals to anyone stuck in town. Further east in Mallacoota, local police had the mammoth task of coordinating the evacuation of thousands of stranded holidaymakers and residents after the fire. Led by Acting Senior Sergeant Glenn Owens, who usually works in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, police organised important meetings at the town’s community centre where they and representatives from other agencies could update people on the evacuation plans and incoming supplies. Central to the police efforts in keeping the community informed and listening to their concerns was A/Sen Sgt Owens’ partnership with Mallacoota P-12 College principal Tim Cashmore. Mr Cashmore, with his standing in the town and connections with so many school families and other locals, became a crucial conduit of information between the community and the authorities. “I wanted the community to have a voice because that’s who we were there for, so I ensured we had a community leader as part of our emergency management team,” A/Sen Sgt Owens said. Among the many things Mr Cashmore did in the fire aftermath, he produced daily newsletters with important information for the community.

A/Sen Sgt Owens said the police and community were indebted to the efforts of Mr Cashmore. And the feeling is mutual, with Mr Cashmore a year on from the fires often speaking of his admiration of A/Sen Sgt Owens’ and the local police. “When I met Glenn Owens, he made himself available, he would stand there and people would come at him and he calmly answered everybody,” Mr Cashmore said. A/Sen Sgt Owens said he formed a special bond with Mallacoota and its people. “I’d never been to Mallacoota before and I fell in love with the place,” he said. “It’s an absolutely beautiful part of the world, and I’ve never been to a place like it where you’re walking down the street and people would clap you and come and give you a hug. “To get that recognition from the community was heartfelt, it was amazing.” Images Working together 01 Mallacoota P-12 College principal Tim Cashmore worked with police and other authorities to keep the community informed in meetings in the local community centre gym. 02 Sgt Liam McMahon said the efforts of community groups and other organisations have been vital in getting Corryong back on its feet. Editorial and photography: Jesse Wray-McCann and Clare O’Donnell

“We were trying to get the newsletter out every day, just letting people know what the latest information was, where they could access help, whether you’re a tourist trying to get out or a permanent local,” Mr Cashmore said. 01

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NEW TEAM PLAYER After 27 years at the coalface of country policing, Sergeant Tony Walker has found a new avenue to “do something good” for the Victorian community.

“And I knew that my time at single-officer stations wasn’t good for the extensive knowledge bank needed to perform the role of a sergeant.”

And his new role at the Ballarat-based Police Assistance Line is proving the “perfect fit” for an officer who, until December last year, had spent almost the entirety of his policing career on the road.

But Sgt Walker’s dedication to succeed – the same dedication he had shown to his country communities – saw him secure a sergeant’s position within a year of turning his mind to the task.

For the past 21 years, Sgt Walker has been a stalwart of Victoria Police’s crucial one-person station network, serving the tiny communities of Minyip and Linton in Victoria’s west.

He said his new role at the Police Assistance Line (PAL), Victoria Police’s hotline for reporting non-urgent crimes and events, was “completely different” from the frontline policing role he knew inside and out.

“I’ve basically been on-call to the community for the past 21 years,” Sgt Walker said. “There’s no such thing as off-duty when you’re at a one-person station. “You can’t even mow your front lawn without someone stopping by to ask a question or have a document signed. “It’s extremely rewarding – you’re part of the fabric of the town – but it does take its toll.” So last year – amidst a global pandemic – Sgt Walker set about making the changes that would ensure his longevity as a police officer. With his eyes on the future, he gained the qualifications and hands-on experience required to seek a promotion to the sergeant rank, despite recognising the challenges this path presented. “I hadn’t seen many members getting promoted to sergeant after 30 years in the job,” Sgt Walker admitted.

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Now, Sgt Walker spends his time providing advice to civilian call-takers about reports they receive from the community. And he said his extensive frontline policing knowledge and top-notch communication skills had set him up for success in his career beyond the divisional van. “If the job doesn’t fit the criteria of the types of reports PAL is able to take, the call-takers come to us for advice about what to do next,” he said. “I’m not undertaking investigations, I’m not going home stressed or carrying that residual worry about people after you’ve been to jobs.

“I was four when a policeman let me try on his old white hat in the local pub,” he recalls. “It was then my aim for adulthood to join the police force – I let all my friends, family and teachers know for my whole schooling life.” Sgt Walker joined the Victoria Police Academy in 1985, and after graduating spent the first seven years of his policing career in the city in a variety of locations and roles – including Collingwood, St Kilda Road, D24 and the Protective Security Group. In 1992, after his father hurt his back in a farm accident, Sgt Walker headed to the bush and took a position at Donald Police Station. “It wasn’t necessarily my intention to return to country policing, but I always said that you can take the boy from the bush, but you can’t take the love of the bush from the boy,” he said. It was during his six-year tenure at Donald that Sgt Walker became heavily involved in the local community – he was a CFA volunteer, a school councillor, played football and cricket and ran bike education for all the local children. Since then, his community service has never wavered.

“Members at other single-officer stations who I’ve gotten to know over the years have already noticed a difference in me.”

Over the years, Sgt Walker has been a football umpire, golfer, lawn bowler, member of the swimming pool committee, and fundraiser for local health services, along with his continued involvement with local school boards.

Remarkably, it’s now been half a century since Sgt Walker set his sights on a career in policing, after an encounter with a police officer in his hometown of St Arnaud.

He has clocked up 37 years as an active CFA member, was chosen to take part in the Sydney Olympics torch relay and was recognised as Golden Plains Shire Citizen of the Year in 2019.

“When you go to a small town, it’s about all the P’s – the important people are the priest, the principal, the politician and the police officer. “We are leaders within our communities and I have always taken that role very seriously.” Aside from his many and varied commitments outside work, Sgt Walker has also provided additional support to his Victoria Police colleagues through his roles as a peer support member, and as a health and safety representative. During his stint at Minyip he formed the Single Member Consultancy Committee, holding meetings to hear issues and concerns from members at other single-officer stations, which were then raised with management. “I’m lucky to be one of those people who has enjoyed everything they’ve done in this job, and that extends to my new role,” Sgt Walker said. “As long as I can do something good for someone, I’m pretty happy.” Images Learning new tricks Main Sgt Tony Walker is enjoying the challenge of his new role at the Police Assistance Line after decades on the frontline. Insets In more than 15 years at Linton Police Station (bottom right), Sgt Walker built strong community relationships, including with local farmers Howard and Kaye Draffin (top right) and CFA volunteers Sarah and Stella Ross (above right). Editorial: Roslyn Jaguar Photography: Brendan McCarthy

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WHERE

city country COLLIDE

Outside Sunbury Police Station stands a small, 160-year-old gaol, built to house criminals from the area during the Victorian gold rush.

The historic bluestone building was originally located in Aitkens Gap, a tiny township that has long since been swallowed up by the growth of Sunbury. While the gaol serves as a reminder of how much policing in the area has changed over the years, the many new housing estates cropping up around Sunbury serve as a predictor of the big changes still to come.

Thirty years ago, Sunbury was a country town on the very outskirts of Melbourne with a population about 15,000, but now it has a population of more than 40,000 – expected to double in 20 years – and is considered a suburb of metropolitan Melbourne. Much of the population growth has occurred in the past 10 years, which Acting Senior Sergeant Len Pickles and Acting Sergeant Justin Kaminski have experienced both as police officers and residents. As far as policing goes, they still see elements of both the city and the country at play. “We get a real variety of jobs out here,” A/Sen Sgt Pickles said. “There are the family violence and road trauma incidents like anywhere else, but then we also get the kangaroos on the side of the road, sheep that have escaped their paddocks and cows walking through people’s front yards. The pair noticed work has become much busier as the population has grown in recent years. “When I first started here, you could have one person staff the front counter of the station, now you’re struggling with two,” A/Sgt Kaminski said.

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Although now a fast-growing suburb, Sunbury is still home to residents who are more than capable when it comes to farm skills.

“It was a hot and windy day, so it spread rapidly. FRV did well to control it and save all the houses.”

A/Sgt Kaminski was thankful for this fact a few years ago when responding to reports of a wild snake scaring people in Sunbury’s busy shopping precinct.

A/Sen Sgt Pickles said it is the responsibility of police during fire events to support FRV by managing traffic, evacuations and ensuring the community is kept at a safe distance.

“It was laying in the gutter and we were keeping people away from it while waiting for the council to come and collect it,” he said.

“Once the fire is made safe, we establish a crime scene and call our fire investigators out,” A/Sen Sgt Pickles said.

“It was a brown snake, so I certainly wasn’t touching it.

Sunbury is also one of three police service areas that cover Melbourne Airport, which brings another variety of jobs, such as hazmat incidents and even people who have died during their flight.

“A couple of locals then came out of the pub, had a look at it and said, ‘Oh, it’s only a little brown’, and they picked it up and put it in a box.” The growth of the suburb has been intensified since Sunbury Train Station was included as part of the Melbourne metropolitan train network in 2012. To meet the increased commuter traffic, Protective Services Officers (PSOs) were added to the train station in 2013 to supplement the work of police. A/Sen Sgt Pickles said the PSOs have made an “immense impact” on anti-social behaviour around the station. Police at Sunbury in the heat of summer are always on alert with Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV, formerly the Country Fire Authority) for grass fires that can quickly rip through the hills and plains surrounding the suburb. “We get some very nasty grass fires in the summer,” A/Sgt Kaminski said. “Sunbury plays a key role in state-wide summer fire operations, with intelligence collection, specific tasking and management of high-risk individuals playing a part in keeping the community safe. “One of the worst fires was deliberately-lit on Christmas Day in 2015.

“When someone passes away on an aeroplane, it’s the investigative responsibility of wherever the plane lands, so local police commence the investigation on behalf of the coroner,” A/Sen Sgt Pickles said. “We also get the odd call in advance that a plane is coming in transmitting a distress signal. “It might be an issue of something like smoke in the cargo holds but, 99 times out of 100, it thankfully doesn’t eventuate into anything. “We’re always ready, though.”

Images Changing community 01 A/Sgt Justin Kaminski and Sen Const Jill McLeod are among the officers who look after town-turnedsuburb Sunbury. 02 The historic Aitkens Gap gaol sits outside Sunbury Police Station. 03 Sen Const McLeod and A/Sen Sgt Len Pickles enjoy the diversity of tasks they cover while policing in Sunbury. 04 Sen Sgt Warren Taylor and Sen Const Lauren Sullivan discuss the latest jobs in Sunbury. 05 A/Sen Sgt Pickles says close connections with the community are an everyday part of the job. Editorial and photography: Jesse Wray-McCann

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CAREER IN FOCUS

DIFFERENT EVERY DAY She’s been a police officer for little more than six years, but Senior Constable Rebecca Rose already has a career’s worth of policing experiences to her name.

“The following day I went to Mallacoota where we worked with the Australian Defence Force on the HMAS Choules in evacuating about 1,100 people.”

PORT members were among the first tasked to Operation Sentinel, an operation that required 500 police per day across the state for coronavirus-related tasking.

From policing onboard a navy ship during the 2019-20 bushfires to conducting daily checks and duties to help community safety during a global pandemic, 2020 was a year of extreme experiences for the senior constable in particular.

Being one of only four police onboard with more than a thousand civilians in the middle of a devastating emergency provided an experience that Sen Const Rose said she felt honoured to be part of.

“When you sign up to become a police officer, you don’t imagine that you would spend shifts checking that people are following health directions to help slow the spread of a virus,” Sen Const Rose said.

“It was cramped conditions and people were very stressed and anxious because they didn’t know what was going to happen and whether they’d lost their homes,” Sen Const Rose said.

“Whether it’s working Sentinel shifts, where we would be out and about ensuring people were following the Chief Health Officer directions, or policing demonstrations where people were protesting the restrictions, PORT worked COVID-related duties for a large part of 2020.”

In her role as a member of Victoria Police’s Public Order Response Team (PORT) – a frontline support unit that provides increased frontline capacity across the state as operationally required – Sen Const Rose started the year deployed to East Gippsland as part of the organisation’s response to the bushfires. “I’d worked a New Year’s Eve shift in the city and I received notification on 1 January that officers were needed in East Gippsland and I was deployed to Bairnsdale for briefings,” Sen Const Rose said. 24

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“The experience really helped me learn how to engage with the community in a way I’ve never had to before and it’s something I’ve taken with me during my everyday role.” After the fire response wound down, Sen Const Rose found herself on the frontline of another huge organisational response, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

While the experiences of last year were out of the ordinary, Sen Const Rose said daily duties in PORT are always varied, which is what drew her to the unit.

“You get to work in a lot of different areas and respond to a wide variety of jobs,” she said. “We have daily tasking to different policing regions to help with targeting high-harm, high-impact offending, so you get to work in different areas all the time. “You also get to be a part of different operations from road policing to summer safety and major events. “Plus, we perform our specialist public order response role at protests and public order events.” But it’s not just the operational side of Victoria Police where Sen Const Rose has experience. Her journey with Victoria Police started prior to donning the blue uniform, first joining as a Victorian Public Service (VPS) employee in 2011.

“I previously worked in the financial services industry and when the global financial crisis happened the sector was hit pretty bad, I was made redundant,” Sen Const Rose said. “Growing up, I’d always been interested in policing and thought if I was ever going to become a police officer, this was my chance. “I wasn’t quite ready to join at that stage, though, so I applied for VPS positions so I could work within the organisation and get an understanding of what it was like and learn about the different areas.” Spending time working in administration and support roles at the Victoria Police Academy and the Operations Response Unit (now known as PORT), Sen Const Rose said her time as a VPS employee cemented her desire to be a police officer.

“I used that time to network and ask as many questions as I could about the job,” she said. “I consider myself really lucky to have been able to experience so many parts of the organisation and to have been on the frontline during huge, historical responses Victoria Police has been involved in.”

Images Roving responder Her name is Rebecca Rose, but the senior constable has had anything but a garden-variety career with Victoria Police. From administration work as a Victorian Public Service employee, Sen Const Rose is now a member of the Public Order Response Team and enjoys being at the frontline of the police response to major emergencies and events. Editorial: Danielle Ford Photography: Grant Condon

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BEHIND THE BADGE

CHRIS JEFFERY Rank: Protective Services Officer Senior Sergeant Age: 52 Graduated: April 1988 Unit: Protective Services Unit

Why did you join Victoria Police? I moved down from Newcastle and was working at a company that made home gymnasiums. A local sergeant dropped in one day and I got talking to him. He told me about these Protective Services Officers (PSOs) that were being formed and that I should give it a go. I thought at the time, “It’s a secure job and I might give it a few years and maybe go across to the police or move back north”. Thirty-three years later, here I am. Tell us about your career. I was happily cruising along for quite a while. Then, seeking career advancement, I went about creating opportunities, such as developing training packages for emerging technologies like CCTV, electronic alarms and access control. It kept me busy and further opportunities came along, such as maintaining PSO recruit law notes and then PSO recruit training. As rank structures within the unit increased, I kept throwing my hat in the ring and it eventually led me to where I am today. Tell us about your role as a PSO Senior Sergeant. I have oversight of the parliamentary precinct. This precinct comprises Parliament House and the Office of the Premier. I work with six PSO sergeants and 38 PSO seniors 26

POLICE LIFE | AUTUMN 2021

and first class. We provide protection for the Premier, as well as maintaining the good order and security of Parliament House. Public order management and stakeholder engagement at this precinct certainly keep things busy. What is something people may not know about PSOs? Since the early 1990s, PSOs have been responsible for the security and ceremonial services at the Shrine of Remembrance. PSOs can qualify as Shrine Guards by undertaking a course comprising foot and ceremonial/rifle drill. Officers are deployed from the Shrine of Remembrance and, while the primary duty is the security of the location, they also perform ceremonial duties at the Shrine. The Shrine Guard is often called upon, and has performed ceremonial duties, at locations such as the Victoria Police Academy, various locations throughout Victoria for Blue Ribbon dedications and events, Canberra and two trips to France and Belgium. What’s one of the more interesting jobs you’ve responded to or worked over the years? A long time ago, I was with some fellow officers and we had cause to conduct a pat-down search of a fairly large and intimidating male. I drew the short straw and was ‘volunteered’ to conduct the search. Luckily, he was compliant but unknown to me was that he was hyper-ticklish.

I’m sure it was a sight to see a six-and-ahalf-foot person squirming around giggling uncontrollably. The search took about 15 minutes. What is some of the advice you pass on to new PSOs? When attending an incident, don’t rush, and take some time to formulate a plan. Think before you speak. Never send an email in anger. Don’t get bogged down with things outside of your control or that do not impact you. A well-used cliché – people may not remember what you said or what you did, but they will always remember how you made them feel. And finally, know your role. What is the most rewarding part of your work? I enjoy the people development side of the role. Whether it’s the recruiting process of guiding people through the journey from civilian to PSO, helping someone through the promotion process or helping run a local training day, it’s great. Image Protective perspective In his more than three decades in the job, Chris Jeffery has seen the levels of Protective Services Officer ranks grow, and he has risen with them to the rank of PSO Senior Sergeant. Editorial and photography: Jesse Wray-McCann

Retired police officer Graham Allchin drove the Hume Highway countless times over his many years in highway patrol cars, but his latest trip was one down memory lane. The 80-year-old former sergeant was reunited recently with a beautifully restored 1970 XW Ford Falcon 351, the kind Mr Allchin used to patrol in. Mr Allchin was overcome by nostalgia upon getting behind the wheel of the Falcon, which has been brought back to glory by its owner Don Campanile, a member of the Victoria Police Historical Society. “It takes me back 50 years to see a car like this,” Mr Allchin said. “When Don hit the siren, the hair stood up on the back of my neck. And there’s nothing like listening to those twin exhausts from a big V8 engine like that.” Mr Allchin said one of the only things missing from the experience was the smell of burgers inside the car from many meals out on the road. Mr Allchin joined the Victoria Police Traffic Branch in 1962 and, from 1965, spent several years with Seymour Highway Patrol. Being a huge car enthusiast, Mr Allchin always loved the different patrol cars he drove, and the XW Falcon was one of his favourites.

Sergeant Jim Stafford organised to bring the 1970 Falcon in to meet one of its successors – the State Highway Patrol’s last remaining Ford Falcon V8. Sgt Stafford, who used to work in Victoria Police’s Traffic Operations Group but is now part of the Air Wing, even brought an old patrol uniform along for the occasion. “These two cars have both performed the same role, just 50 years apart, so this has been a great way to see the old with the new,” Sgt Stafford said. “It’s been great to see Graham get back in the car, bring back some memories and have a yarn about the good old days.” The 1970 XW Falcon is just one of four former police patrol cars Mr Campanile owns and often displays at events for the historical society. His interest started with his enthusiasm for Ford vehicles when he was young and evolved into being captivated by high-performance police pursuit cars. “To have one as original as this, I think it’s a privilege,” Mr Campanile said. “To see Graham sit in it and acknowledge and appreciate the equipment in there, which can be very hard to come by, it is very satisfying.”

“We looked after them and they looked after us,” he said. “The bucket seats were comfortable enough that you could easily drive all day and the car absolutely loved the highway speeds.”

Images Restoration road 01 Victoria Police Historical Society member Tactical Flight Officer Sgt Jim Stafford with former highway patrol officer Graham Allchin. 02 The restored 1970 XW Ford Falcon 351 sits next to its descendant, the State Highway Patrol’s last remaining Ford Falcon V8.

The reunion with the historic car came about after Mr Campanile and fellow Victoria Police Historical Society member Tactical Flight Officer

Editorial and photography: Jesse Wray-McCann

POLICE LIFE | AUTUMN 2021

SETTING TH E Late Officers’

Despite their deaths in 2020, the dedication two officers had for improving their Being both a proud Maori man and a long-time police officer gave the late Leading Senior Constable Eddie MacDonald a unique opportunity to help change his community for the better.

A/Sen Sgt Colcott said his late colleague is fondly remembered during his time at Dandenong for his leadership in developing the “Backyard Rugby” sporting project, which organised youth touch rugby games.

Following his death in July last year, he has been remembered as a man who passionately made the most of that opportunity.

“Eddie was aware that, at that time, Pasifika youth were over-represented in the judicial system and he worked tirelessly to address this issue from within the community,” A/Sen Sgt Colcott said.

Ldg Sen Const MacDonald was the popular Crime Prevention Officer in Dandenong for 10 years, where he took a particular interest in going above and beyond to improve the lives of disadvantaged and at-risk Maori and Pasifika youth. Ldg Sen Const MacDonald died due to an illness that was likely a result of a needlestick injury he suffered while working in a custody centre in 1995 and was honoured by Victoria Police in a memorial service at Dandenong’s Harmony Square in February. Dandenong Police Station Acting Senior Sergeant Robbie Colcott said Ldg Sen Const MacDonald was a proud and spiritual Maori man, always extremely fit and athletic and was very well known and respected by his colleagues.

POLICE LIFE | AUTUMN 2021

“The results were remarkable. “There was an instant, direct impact on street robberies, which fell by up to 68 per cent overall, and it also led to a significant improvement in robbery clearance rates.” His colleague Ldg Sen Const James Waterson remembers Ldg Sen Const MacDonald as a trailblazer and an authentic character who always genuinely had the best interests of youth in the community at heart. “He was a maverick and a fierce advocate for members of the community to support each other, regardless of their particular tribal heritage or identity,” Ldg Sen Const Waterson said.

“These ideals seemed to drive and punctuate Eddie’s career with Victoria Police. The legacy of his leadership and engagement with the Pasifika community continues today.” Youth worker Jeremy Nikora worked with Ldg Sen Const MacDonald on various initiatives. “He would be there to help people at the drop of a hat if his community needed him, no matter what time of the day or night it was,” Mr Nikora said. “He could be firm with some of the kids he dealt with, but he was also a big advocate for understanding what they may have been going through. “Eddie’s big mission was to instil in the young kids their cultural identity and that they can have a role to play in society by being themselves. “As a police officer, he represented the law and the system – which a lot of young people have a really one-sided opinion of – but by being strong in his cultural identity, that was a way he could reach out to them and be a real bridge between the police and the youth. “His passing was a big blow for us in our community, but I know his incredible efforts will live on in the lives of all the kids he has helped over the years.”

STAN DARD Efforts Live On

community continues to inspire their former Dandenong Police Station colleagues. When Senior Constable Glenn Paton died in February last year, his colleagues reflected on the positive impact the much-loved officer had on their lives. But several months after his sudden passing due to a brain aneurysm, it was revealed that a simple and routine task by Sen Const Paton while working the front counter at Dandenong Police Station had a profound and lasting impression on a woman experiencing family violence. Sergeant Dave McAuliffe, who had worked with Sen Const Paton for some time, met with the woman in November last year to discuss a family violence investigation. It was then the woman explained her story and how Sen Const Paton’s professionalism and genuine support helped restore her trust in Victoria Police. 03

Dandenong Inspector Jacki Kline said she was not at all surprised by the woman’s admiration and gratitude for Sen Const Paton. “He was a man that would lead by example and he typified the Victoria Police values,” Insp Kline said.

“She said she had a variety of responses from police, ranging from positive and supportive to dismissive and negative,” Sgt McAuliffe said.

“If there was ever any doubt as to the impact we police can have on people’s lives, this is the story that confirms it,” Insp Kline said.

“She was well aware that the reports she was making were not serious assaults and damages.

“For the majority of our contact with people, we will never understand or know the extent of how our contact has influenced their lives.

“Her reports were for intimidation, harassment and controlling behaviour and, more often than not, they did not require an immediate police response.”

“Although Glenn is no longer with us, his legacy will be remembered by an unknown amount of people.”

“Unfortunately, over time, this had created a mindset for her that police were dismissive and not supportive,” Sgt McAuliffe said. But on 1 April 2019, the woman came into Dandenong Police Station to make another report. As she and her children waited at reception, she wondered if it was even worth being there.

Editorial: Jesse Wray-McCann Photography: Supplied

“She described Glenn as the best police officer that she has ever spoken to and said even her daughter remembers him fondly,” Sgt McAuliffe said.

She said Sen Const Paton had become the benchmark for police officers for this woman and her daughter.

But when making the reports, she would be told there was a lack of evidence or that it did not constitute a breach of the intervention order in place.

Images Inspiring his community 01 Ldg Sen Const Eddie MacDonald made a positive impact wherever he worked, particularly during his time at Dandenong. 02 Community members honour the life and career of Ldg Sen Const MacDonald with a haka at his memorial service.

Sen Const Paton took a statement from her, offered referrals, support and spent time to help her save CCTV footage of a particular incident as evidence.

The woman told Sgt McAuliffe she had made multiple calls to Triple Zero (000) and attended police stations to make family violence reports between 2017 and 2018.

When calling 000, she would be told there were no available units or that she would have to attend a police station to make a report.

“He spent time listening to her story and could see that there was a possible breach of the intervention order and that it deserved more attention and an investigation to determine if it was a breach.”

“The officer that day was Sen Const Glenn Paton and he immediately impressed her,” Sgt McAuliffe said.

Sen Const Paton’s legacy will also be remembered by Victoria Police’s annual Sex Offences, Child Abuse and Family Violence Practitioner of the Year Award being named in his honour. The award recognises the dedication, hard work and achievements of Victoria Police personnel who have made significant contributions to the organisation’s response to family violence, sexual offences and child abuse.

Image Profound impact 03 Former colleagues of Sen Const Glenn Paton say they are not surprised to hear about the legacy the popular officer has left. Editorial: Jesse Wray-McCann Photography: Supplied

“She described him as being very professional, courteous and genuine.

POLICE LIFE | AUTUMN 2021

IN BRIEF police.vic.gov.au/news

PROACTIVE POLICING STORIES

MORE STATIONS JOIN TESTING TRIAL Motorists travelling through Victoria’s country areas can expect to be drug tested more often, with police from additional regional stations now joining the effort to nab drug drivers. Following the success of a trial in the state’s west that began in late 2019, the roadside drug testing program has been expanded to allow for officers at 17 extra police stations to conduct the tests. Prior to the trial, roadside drug testing was only led by specialist units, which included state and local highway patrol units, the Heavy Vehicle Unit and the Road Policing Drug and Alcohol Section. Road Policing Command Western Region Inspector Michael Phyland said regional areas are unfortunately overrepresented in serious injury and fatal collisions. “The sad reality is that drugs and alcohol are often underlying factors in these collisions,” Insp Phyland said. “If this expansion means more police officers can help take even one drug driver off our roads, that’s already a huge win. “Drivers can expect to be pulled over for a roadside drug test at any place and any time, so be warned – if you take drugs and drive, you will be caught.” The trial is expected to run until the end of March and may be expanded further and to other areas depending on the results.

DC NAMED LGBTIQ+ LEADER Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Neil Paterson was recently named in the 50 Outstanding LGBTI+ Leaders Report. The report, by Deloitte, recognises role models in the community and aims to inspire all people to work towards creating more inclusive workplaces and communities, all around Australia and the world. In the report, DC Paterson notes how everyone can have a role by ensuring they are never bystanders to poor behaviour. “If you are present when someone voices a LGBTIQ phobic view through their words or behaviour, have something to say that draws a line in the sand so they know that it’s not acceptable,” DC Paterson said. “Coming out is a choice, but if you are ‘out’, then be proud and participate in all aspects of life so that others who may not be as comfortable with their sexuality can gain strength from you.” DC Paterson said he was delighted and honoured to be recognised in the prestigious report, which first launched in 2016 and aims to help LGBTI+ people ‘be what they see’ and inspire a new generation of leaders from many diverse parts of our community. “I was surprised and delighted with this wonderful recognition, as I am also proud of Victoria Police for the extraordinary commitment it has shown over the past five years to embrace all aspects of diversity,” he said. “The change in our organisation has been encouraging to witness and I applaud the many people who have led that change. There is a long way to go, but without doubt, the changes we have seen have had a flow-on positive effect to the service we provide to the broader LGBTI+ community.” Visit deloitte.com/au/out50 to read the full report.

POLICE LIFE | AUTUMN 2021

HAVE YOUR SAY ON SERVICE DELIVERY Victoria Police is calling for community input to help guide planned changes to service delivery. An online survey has been launched by the organisation’s Service Delivery Transformation Command (SDTC), which was established late last year. SDTC is tasked with setting the future course for Victoria Police and transforming the organisation’s service delivery by 2025. Assistant Commissioner Tim Hansen said the online survey contains questions about how people come in contact with police, what the experience was like for them, what is working well and what Victoria Police can do better. “We want to understand the community’s views and genuinely listen to their insights and ideas,” AC Hansen said. “The results of the survey will help Victoria Police determine whether our services are meeting community needs, whether the level and methods of service are appropriate, and whether there are services we should start or stop delivering. “Getting feedback from the community is vital to helping us review, map and design how we can transform our service delivery from good to great.” AC Hansen said Victoria Police was focused on building a responsive, agile and modern organisation that was best equipped to keep the Victorian community safe. The survey is open until 10 April 2021. To take part, visit: police.vic.gov.au/ service-delivery-transformation

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First Constable Charlie Wilson pictured with some ‘Care Bears’. These bears were recently donated to Wonthaggi Police Station to be given to provide comfort to children, who, through no fault of their own, find themselves at the station during a time of crisis.

Leading Senior Constable Gabrielle Tyacke, a North West Metro LGBTIQ Liaison Officer, in attendance at the AFLW pride match between the Western Bulldogs and Carlton.

Hooning is illegal, reckless and a nuisance to other road users and the wider community. Victoria Police’s message about hooning is straightforward; if you are caught hooning, this is the fate that awaits your car.

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ODD SPOT CORNER When Traralgon Police Station received a call from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning for assistance at a job to seize a snake, Sergeant Jodi Thoroughgood was the person for the job. What might have been a daunting job to others was nothing out of the ordinary for this reptile fanatical sergeant. Sgt Thoroughgood and her family currently have five pet snakes, two bearded dragons, a goanna and a spencer’s monitor.

“I love reptiles, so I put my hand up to go to this job straight away.” While some may think five snakes and four lizards is a lot of reptiles to have as pets, Sgt Thoroughgood said it’s actually a small number for her family. “We did have 15 snakes at one point but the cost of electricity to keep that many was very high so we rehomed some,” she said.

“I was in my element during that job,” Sgt Thoroughgood said.

POLICE LIFE | AUTUMN 2021

PSO POSITIONS ARE NOW AVAILABLE Apply at police.vic.gov.au/careers