Police Life AUTUMN/WINTER 2022

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THE VICTORIA POLICE MAGAZINE

AUTUMN/WINTER 2022

Staying on track TRANSIT PROTECTIVE SERVICES OFFICERS MARK 10 YEARS OF KEEPING COMMUTERS SAFE ON VICTORIA’S EVER EVOLVING PUBLIC TRANSPORT NETWORK PLUS HOW LOCAL DETECTIVES BROUGHT SERIAL ARSONISTS TO JUSTICE > A MULTI-AGENCY APPROACH SMASHES DRUG SYNDICATE > PROSECUTOR’S COURT CONNECTION BRIDGING CULTURAL GAP AND MORE

AUTUMN/ WINTER 2022

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COVER: PSOs Natalie Castel and Michael Hadzic conducted a commemorative patrol at Flinders Street Station to mark 10 years since the first Transit PSO patrol.

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Criminal wealth How the specialised skills of a detective led to Australia’s first cryptocurrency seizure, setting the momentum for an increasingly vital Cybercrime Squad.

From bitumen to bay From its iconic features and foreshore attractions to million-dollar mansions, backpacker hostels and more, police in St Kilda are equipped to handle anything that pops up.

Photography: Jesse Wray-McCann Police Life is produced by the Media, Communications and Engagement Department, Victoria Police, GPO Box 913, Melbourne, 3001 Online police.vic.gov.au/policelife facebook.com/victoriapolice twitter.com/victoriapolice

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Email policelife-mgr@police.vic.gov.au Managing Editor Beck Angel Editor Danielle Ford Journalists Sarah Larsen Cathy Le Lane Mihaljevic Cassandra Stanghi Jesse Wray-McCann Graphic Design Fluid – fluid.com.au Subscriptions (03) 8553 8566

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Building a network Senior Constable Arsene Juste Bounda’s involvement in the Victoria Police African Employee Network stems from his passion for both his career and culture.

A lifelong bond Senior Sergeants Mark Knight and Melanie Woods are the new station commanders at Lilydale, but their story started long before their policing careers.

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For permission to reprint any part of this magazine, contact the editor.

Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Victoria Police.

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Behind the badge By the numbers Odd spot In brief

Holden-on to the memories The much-loved V8 engine growl of the Holden Commodore is now a sound of the past for Victoria Police Highway Patrol units.

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF COMMISSIONER The Victoria Police family is mourning the tragic loss of one of our officers.

Senior Constable Bria Joyce of Mildura Highway Patrol was undertaking regular duties on 8 April when she was killed in a collision on a rural road between Red Cliffs and Iraak, near Mildura.

The collision also seriously injured Senior Constable Joyce’s colleague, a Leading Senior Constable, who was her partner in the police car, and claimed the life of the civilian driver of one of the other vehicles involved.

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AUTUMN/WINTER 2022

particularly members in the tight-knit community of Mildura, and throughout the community.

No one expects to go to work and not come home. This is a stark and tragic reminder of the dangers our frontline police face every day in their duties to help keep the Victorian community safe.

My thoughts are with the family and friends of our fallen colleague, as they come to terms with such a tragic loss.

At the time of writing this, the Leading Senior Constable is in the Royal Melbourne hospital in a serious but stable condition.

Bria was a member of Victoria Police for six years, joining the Mildura Highway Patrol last year, and was known by her colleagues for her warmth, beautiful smile, her infectious positivity and her dedicated service to the community.

The loss of Bria has had a huge impact on her family and friends, our whole Victoria Police family,

In the Spring/ Summer edition of Police Life, which will be released in September, we will have a special tribute to Bria’s life and service.

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

A DECADE OF HOLDING GANGS TO ACCOUNT After more than 10 years of foiling murders, shootings, drug trafficking, arson attacks and more, former and current Echo Taskforce Officers-in-Charge (OIC) have recounted the taskforce’s decade of operations.

Four of Echo’s five OICs – Inspector Chris Murray (2011-2012), Insp Ian Campbell (2012-2015), Commander Martin O’Brien (2015-2018) and Insp Graham Banks (2019-current) – recently gathered to reflect on their time in the taskforce.

They all agreed that the enforcement of outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMCGs), organised crime entities and street gangs in Victoria had changed and evolved significantly since the start of the Echo Taskforce in 2011.

Insp Ian Campbell said other states already had OMCG-specific police taskforces, which resulted in OMCGs pouring into Victoria.

“Other states, especially Queensland and New South Wales, had started to introduce legislation to support the policing of OMCGs, so we became a bit more of an easy target for them,” Insp Campbell said.

In 2015, Echo merged with the Santiago Taskforce, which focused on organised crime entities.

Cmdr O’Brien said that, as Echo and the groups it policed continued to evolve, there was one consistent theme for all the OICs.

Insp Chris Murray was the first head of the taskforce and said the biggest change came from within Victoria Police itself.

“A common thread through everyone’s time has been that push for intel – knowing who’s who, who’s moving around and who the key players are,” Cmdr O’Brien said.

“Just prior to 2011, we were not hearing or seeing OMCG-related issues and the thinking was that they mustn’t be a problem,” Insp Murray said.

“Through covert and overt intel gathering, we’ve prevented shootings, murders, arsons and a number of other serious crimes.”

“It’s only when we scratched the surface that we saw the festering issues.”

One of the taskforce’s high points has been its involvement in Operation Ironside – a three-year covert operation run by authorities across the world that targeted organised crime syndicates using encrypted communications.

The escalating numbers of people arriving at hospitals with gunshot wounds who refused to cooperate with police was a concern.

“We saw time and time again, they were a law unto themselves,” he said.

“We were out of the game and we wanted to get back in and start policing them and policing them heavily.”

It culminated on 7 June last year with hundreds of arrests and seizures of drugs and weapons across the globe, including 58 arrests in Victoria.

Insp Graham Banks said the impact of Operation Ironside was widespread thanks to proactive policing from the Echo Taskforce.

“What the public saw was that end result, the day of resolution with a lot of warrants, but the leadup to that was months of actions we undertook to stop murders, significant violence, seize significant quantities of drugs on route to other places and seize firearms,” Insp Banks said.

“And we had to do it all in a way that wasn’t going to blow the overall operation.”

Insp Banks said the taskforce would continue with its proactive focus into the future.

“With the OMCGs and organised crime entities, we are predicting who is seeking to control serious and organised crime, and with gangs, we’re predicting who is trying to influence and direct young, easily-influenced people.

“We want to disrupt and dismantle them.”

Assistant Commissioner Bob Hill said the Echo Taskforce’s achievements had been “nothing short of extraordinary.”

“OMCGs, organised crime entities and crime gangs continue to be a priority for Victoria Police,” AC Hill said.

“While there is much to celebrate for this anniversary, our work continues and the methodology as to how we target and disrupt these groups continues to evolve.”

Image Arresting outlaws Arrests like this have been common scenes throughout the Echo Taskforce’s more than 10 years of existence.

Editorial: Jesse Wray-McCann

POLICE LIFE | AUTUMN/WINTER 2022

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SMALL TALK VOX POP

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF COMMISSIONER

What is something that people don't know about the Transit PSO role?

PSO SERGEANT KATRINA SPACKMAN Transit South 2 – Moorabbin

PSO NATALIE CASTEL Transit Central 1 – Melbourne

SECRET LIFE OF POLICE

I think hearing that PSOs have only been at stations for 10 years. It surprised me that it was only in 2012 that the role started because PSOs are such a regular sight on public transport today I thought they had been around longer.

PSO PAT DOWLING Transit Central 1 – Melbourne That we aren’t onboard public transport to check if people have valid tickets. People often see us and start getting their Myki card out, ready for us to check it but our role is to engage with people and help improve public safety, not to check for ticket compliance.

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

POLICE LIFE |

You may notice that this Police Life is slightly different. We are now publishing Police Life twice a year and are working on a new project that will bring you the best stories from across the organisation in a new format. We will provide more details on this new project soon.

In this edition, I am pleased to announce the rollout of our Neighbourhood Policing model across the state. The model guides how we will keep the community safe.

It creates processes for local police to listen, understand, and respond to the issues raised in their community. Police will then work closely with local businesses,

It might surprise people to know that we do very similar operational training as police. We also get nine weeks leave, which is an added bonus to a great job.

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Welcome to the first issue of Police Life for 2022.

I hope that, like me, you are looking forward to the year ahead and are making plans for a return to normality.

AUTUMN/WINTER 2022

After Senior Sergeant Adrian Filzek received a Weber charcoal barbeque as a wedding present, it sat in his garage collecting dust for months because he thought it was too difficult to operate.

“I looked for the button to turn it on and where to connect the gas hose to,” Sen Sgt Filzek said.

“I soon realised it was a charcoal barbeque and I wasn’t interested in it because of the hard work involved.”

With that false start to his time on the tongs, it’s hard to imagine how Sen Sgt Filzek has since turned into an award-winning competitive barbeque pitmaster.

Sen Sgt Filzek – who works in the governance space at the Victoria Police Academy and spent most of his 21-year police career in general duties – eventually figured out how to work the Weber and has not looked back since.

“It just grew exponentially into an obsession about cooking over charcoal,” he said.

His wife helped foster the fanaticism early on by getting him into a barbeque masterclass.

“I got talking with other people there about the mammoth smokers they’ve got, and I realised it was time to upgrade,” Sen Sgt Filzek said.

“My very generous wife saw me in the barbeque store pretty much drooling over this massive offset smoker and she said, ‘Yes, you can get it’.”

He now owns eight different barbeques and smokers, which all belong in a space in his backyard signposted as “Pit Lane”, right next to his outdoor bar.

“My wife is really good because she knows that it’s my escape from life and she’ll send me outside to my toy pen, if you like, to play out there for a few hours,” he said.

Sen Sgt Filzek and a close friend take part in Victorian and interstate barbeque competitions,

organisations and members of the community to prevent and reduce crime.

We share examples of how Neighbourhood Policing is working in the four trial sites launched in July 2021. These examples demonstrate the positive results that we expect to see state-wide.

In this edition, we also feature: • Victoria Police’s response to family violence perpetrated by employees, which includes a new team dedicated to investigating these matters and revised policies.

• The 10-year anniversary of Protective Services Officers on the transit system, celebrating their important role and how their functions have expanded over the decade.

Enjoy the articles and stay safe.

including against former Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton, under the team name Fahrenheit 205, a nod to the perfect internal temperature for beef brisket.

Their specialty dish, pork ribs, have won them a number of first places.

While the key to their award-winning pork ribs includes liquid injections, plenty of butter, maple syrup and a top-secret glaze, Sen Sgt Filzek has another secret, if unconventional, cooking weapon.

“Country and Western music played in the background makes them a lot more tender.

I swear by it,” he said.

While delicious smoked meat is a brilliant reward for many hours of hard work, Sen Sgt Filzek often doesn’t eat much of the fruits of his labour.

“For me, it’s more about the journey and an escape from day-to-day life,” he said.

“I’m pretty lucky I haven’t taken any mental health tumbles in my 21 years in the job, and I think having this as a hobby, something that I’m so passionate about that I can escape to, is one of the reasons for that.

“It’s a form of mindfulness for me.”

BEHIND THE BADGE

TRINETTE CHARLESON Rank: Age: Graduated: Station:

Senior Sergeant 49 1996 Sex Industry Coordination Unit

Why did you join Victoria Police?

I joined Victoria Police in an endeavour to help people, particularly children. I also liked the fact that there was a diversity of opportunities available within the organisation, including various occupations and specialist streams.

Tell us about your career.

My career has been very diverse. I’ve worked with the Security Intelligence Group, Crime Command (Echo Taskforce, Drug Taskforce, Clandestine Laboratory Squad, Purana Taskforce), Special Projects Unit, Film and Television Office and in country regions such as Moe and Morwell. I’ve spent the past four years as Unit Commander of the Sex Industry Coordination Unit (SICU).

Tell us about your current role within SICU. SICU is a small unit comprised of one senior sergeant (myself), one sergeant, one tactical intelligence operative and five senior constables who investigate crimes against the Sex Work Act, Summary Offences Act and Crimes Act across Victoria.

Our mission is to protect vulnerable people from exploitation in the sex industry through gathering intelligence, building productive, sustainable relationships with internal and external stakeholders and identifying

and investigating illegal activities within the sex industry.

Can you name a highlight of your time at Victoria Police?

We liaise with a wide variety of government agencies, inclusive of, but not limited to, the Australian Federal Police Human Trafficking Team, Australian Border Force and Consumer Affairs Victoria. We also liaise with non-government agencies such as Vixen Collective (a peer-led sex industry support agency) and Resource Health and Education Department, as well as sex workers operating from licensed and unlicensed brothels.

I can’t pinpoint one particular highlight of my time with Victoria Police so far because I’ve been lucky enough to work in a wide variety of locations with fantastic colleagues. I’ve enjoyed my time in each one of my diverse roles and look forward to what the future holds.

SICU strives to bridge the gap between Victoria Police and the sex industry, providing a safe, supportive and secure space for sex workers and sex industry employees to report offences committed against them.

What is the most rewarding part of your work?

The most rewarding part of my work is providing sex workers who are often misrepresented with a safe and secure environment to report offences – changing the perception of police within the sex industry and improving the reputation of police through consistent engagement with sex workers and sex industry employees.

Do you have any advice for new recruits?

If you want to stay with Victoria Police long term, carve out a career and don’t treat it as ‘just a job’. If you’re bored and can’t find anything that you’d be interested in doing with the force, you’re probably not looking hard enough, because there is just so much diversity within Victoria Police. Remember that you always have the ability to change direction.

Image Crafting a career Sen Sgt Trinette Charleson has worked in a wide variety of roles during her time with Victoria Police and encourages new recruits to do the same.

Editorial: Lane Mihaljevic Photography: Jesse Wray-McCann

POLICE LIFE | AUTUMN/WINTER 2022

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TRUE CRIME

It’s 13 December 2019 and not only are police on high alert, but after weeks of Friday night arson attacks, residents in small farming communities outside Bendigo are living in fear.

At 3pm, Detective Leading Senior Constable Andy Heazlewood starts his shift at Bendigo Crime Investigation Unit (CIU), wondering if the pattern of deliberately lit bushfires will continue.

On three of the past five Friday nights, a serial arsonist had lit several roadside fires along the quiet Elmore-Barnadown Road and surrounding back roads between Bendigo and Shepparton, all around 11.30pm.

A Country Fire Authority (CFA) fire investigator and some of Det Ldg Sen Const Heazlewood’s Bendigo CIU colleagues had investigated the arson attacks and were beginning to look at a number of persons of interest.

Det Ldg Sen Const Heazlewood had barely gotten his feet under the desk when a report of a fire on the Elmore-Barnadown Road came through on the police radio about 3.30pm.

“I knew that around late Friday night there could be a fire, but I wasn't ready for it to happen in the afternoon,” Det Ldg Sen Const Heazlewood said.

As he and his partner, Det Ldg Sen Const Jessie Uren, were driving out to the scene, reports of more fires came through over the radio.

The two detectives were stunned when they arrived at one of the fires at Avonmore.

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While most of the arsonist’s previous attacks had resulted in small roadside fires, this fire had run rampant.

Dozens of CFA trucks and even two firefighting helicopters were needed to control the 180-acre fire.

The fire threatened a home and farm machinery, and destroyed $64,500 of farm fencing and hay, as well as a hayshed.

“It was pretty confronting to see a huge expanse of blackened farmland,” Det Ldg Sen Const Heazlewood said.

After gathering as much evidence as possible, Det Ldg Sen Const Heazlewood returned home for the night about 10.30pm.

He hadn’t been asleep for long when he was called back into work.

The late-night fire-lighting spree had hit again, but this time it had ramped up with nine new fires.

“At the end of the afternoon session, I was thinking, 'Well, if it's some kids or someone just mucking around, hopefully they've realised how bad things can get with that huge fire and they'll pull their head in and stop’,” Det Ldg Sen Const Heazlewood said.

“But they didn't. They actually escalated.”

Specialised chemists from Victoria Police’s Arson Squad meticulously investigated the fire scenes and, on the following Monday, the local police bosses, investigators and CFA discussed next steps.

“A lot of people, especially those living on the ElmoreBarnadown Road, were petrified when Friday nights came around.”

“Obviously we were in the middle of an investigation, but it had quickly also become a conversation around people's safety,” Det Ldg Sen Const Heazlewood said.

“A lot of people, especially those living on the Elmore-Barnadown Road, were petrified when Friday nights came around.”

For the next four Friday nights, police flooded the area.

The suppression strategy – which involved up to 30 police doing high-visibility patrols – was successful, with the pattern of arson offending coming to a halt.

Det Ldg Sen Const Heazlewood was still furiously pursuing the case, investigating other new fires throughout the region and looking into several persons of interest.

But the investigation was difficult, due to the remote and quiet locations and lack of witnesses.

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Knowing that he would need more evidence before arresting them, he let the men go and began investigating them in earnest.

“Some of my dream conversations that they could have talked about actually happened,” Det Ldg Sen Const Heazlewood said.

He was even more convinced when checks revealed the locations of their mobile phones were remarkably consistent with the locations and times of the fires up to that point.

“We decided, ‘Yep, that's enough. Today's arrest day’.”

On Friday, March 20, police travelled to Shepparton to get a feel for the three men’s regular Friday route and photographed their Mazda ute outside the tenpin bowling alley while the men played inside under their regular team names “The Three Terrors” and “Bad Boys 2”.

As the men drove back home to Bendigo, reports started coming through over police radio of roadside fires along the route.

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On 17 January 2020, the first Friday after the suppression patrols had been scaled back, a fire was deliberately lit on the ElmoreBarnadown Road at Goornong about 11.30pm.

Days later, police installed a tracking device and listening device in the Mazda ute.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions forced the suspension of the tenpin bowling, so instead, the three men spent their evening of Friday 27 March driving to Melbourne and back.

As the fires resumed, so did the intense police patrols.

On the way, they bought sparklers and stopped at the Melbourne Airport viewing area to eat ice creams.

Det Ldg Sen Const Heazlewood was patrolling the Elmore-Barnadown Road at Goornong at 11.30pm on Friday, 24 January when he pulled over only the second car seen travelling south that night.

While there, Valli was recorded as saying to the two brothers, “Not interested in talking about ice creams now. I’m more interested in a fire, alright?”

He explained to the three men inside the Mazda ute that he was there because of the regular arson attacks along the road.

They gave him their names – Justin Hagley, Scott Hagley and Andrew Valli.

“Then they told me something that immediately made my brain go a million miles an hour,” Det Ldg Sen Const Heazlewood said.

“They told me they go tenpin bowling at Shepparton every Friday night and they always come back along this road.

“It just fit straight into the pattern.

“Internally, I started jumping up and down.”

He returned to his car to run some checks on the three men and discovered both of the Hagley brothers had previous convictions for a serious series of arson attacks in Bendigo in 2006.

“I knew I'd hit the jackpot,” Det Ldg Sen Const Heazlewood said.

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As they drove further south, Det Ldg Sen Const Heazlewood and his colleagues warned police stations along the route that they should be prepared to respond to fires.

When driving south, the three men were struggling in their attempts to light fires with the sparklers, causing Valli to say, “Starting to get f***ing frustrated. Been driving for nearly two hours and not one fire has been lit”.

“That’s why we’re going out here,” Justin Hagley replied.

After visiting St Kilda, they started driving back north and stopped at the airport viewing area for ice creams again at 9pm, where they talked about possibly lighting a fire in a nearby vacant house.

As they drove back to Bendigo via back roads, they continued with several successful and unsuccessful attempts to start fires, while also talking about fires they had lit on previous Friday nights.

At one point, the three men drove past Det Ldg Sen Const Heazlewood’s police car and Justin Hagley was recorded as saying, “Unmarked cop car going up there”.

Despite this, they continued throwing sparklers out of the car and lighting fires.

At 10.45pm, police intercepted the men’s car and they were recorded talking about coming up with a fake story to give police.

“They can’t say that we lit them because . . . they can’t prove that we lit them,” Justin Hagley said, not knowing that everything he was saying had been secretly recorded to prove their guilt.

After arresting them, Det Ldg Sen Const Heazlewood, through the interviews and the early court process, laid out the comprehensive evidence he and his colleagues had methodically gathered.

When they understood the full weight of the case against them, all three men caved and made early guilty pleas.

The three men were ultimately convicted at the County Court of lighting 49 fires between 8 November 2019 and 27 March 2020 and each sentenced to six years and four months prison.

Det Ldg Sen Const Heazlewood names it as the biggest and best case of his career.

“It was one of the best jobs because we were able to get evidence so good that there was just no fight by the defence,” he said.

“I’m pretty happy I solved it because the alternative was that these three guys didn't get caught and were free to light another series of fires in the summer of 2020/21.”

Images Farmland fire spree 01 Det Ldg Sen Const Andy Heazlewood spent months investigating almost 50 arson attacks in farm communities outside Bendigo.

02 The biggest fire in the arson series was a 180-acre fire that also destroyed this hayshed.

03 Arson investigators discovered sparklers as the source of ignition at many of the fire scenes.

Editorial: Jesse Wray-McCann Photography: Jesse Wray-McCann and Andy Heazlewood

POLICE LIFE | AUTUMN/WINTER 2022

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A decade of staying on track They are now a well-known fixture across Victoria’s public transport network, but 10 years ago Victoria Police’s first squad of Transit protective services officers (PSOs) started patrols at just two stations – Flinders Street and Southern Cross.

Today, a lot has changed in the role.

Starting as a squad of just 18, the first ever Transit PSOs hit the stations on 22 February 2012 as a new resource to help Victoria Police improve community safety at the two busy stations.

In addition to the growth in PSOs and stations covered, the shifts worked has also expanded, with the introduction of Integrated Transport Security Model (ITSM) shifts in 2018.

Of the initial 18 members, 15 are still with the organisation – nine serving as police members and six still in the PSO role, while one works as a police officer in another state.

PSO Sergeant Joe Bianchi is one of those still working in the role, joining the first squad after looking for a career change.

“I was a marketing and communications manager, having worked in government and the private sector over several years, and I was growing tired of the everyday grind,” PSO Sgt Bianchi said.

“I wanted to do something more exciting that was based in community service and Victoria Police had just started recruiting for this new Transit PSO role and it sounded like exactly what I was looking for.”

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From just 18, there are now more than 1250 Transit PSOs across 216 metropolitan train stations and four regional rail hubs in Bendigo, Traralgon, Ballarat and Geelong, working from 6pm until the last train each night.

ITSM enabled PSOs to undertake flexible, intelligence-led patrols across the public transport network at any time, allowing them to be in areas where police intelligence shows there is a need for a safety boost.

In 2019, the ITSM capability was expanded allowing PSOs to patrol tram stops and bus interchanges and board moving trams, in addition to their existing capabilities at train stations and onboard moving trains.

Transit and Public Safety Command Assistant Commissioner Dean McWhirter said the biggest change to the role came about in the past two years as part of Victoria Police’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“The role and function of our PSOs during the COVID-19 response has been amazing in terms of the support they were able to provide to police,” AC McWhirter said.

“We were able to deploy them to several operations including hotel quarantine, regional and state border checkpoints and patrolling shopping centres and major precincts around metropolitan Melbourne during the lockdown periods.

“Their capacity to work on these operations enhanced Victoria Police’s ability to help ensure community safety during the pandemic.”

Working in the role for the past 10 years, PSO Sgt Bianchi has had a front-row seat to all these changes but said the main mission of the role has stayed the same.

“While we are now able to be used as a resource further across the state, not just at train stations like we initially were, the basis of our role has stayed the same – to provide an outstanding service to the Victorian community and to enhance community safety,” PSO Bianchi said.

This mission of service and community safety is something PSO Pat Dowling said was evident before he joined.

PSO Dowling said he has always had an interest in a policing career, having an uncle who is a sergeant with Victoria Police and was drawn to the PSO role due to the community engagement element.

“I wanted a job where I can be involved and really engage with the community every day,” PSO Dowling said.

“Since I graduated from the Academy in October, I’ve enjoyed getting to be out there talking with the public and helping people feel safer while travelling around.”

With more and more Victorians returning to public transport following the removal of most COVID-19 restrictions, AC McWhirter said the 10-year milestone was an opportune time to highlight the role Transit PSOs play in helping to keep the Victorian community safe.

“We are looking forward to our PSOs fully returning to their regular function on the public transport network as it gets busier and we move out of COVID-19 life,” AC McWhirter said.

“I thank every PSO who served in the past 10 years and I look forward to seeing how we can continue to develop the role in the future to ensure we are continuing to meet the needs of the growing Victorian community.”

Image Platform patrol To mark the 10-year anniversary of the first patrols conducted by Transit PSOs, members of the first squad (pictured in white shirts) joined some of the newer members and Assistant Commissioner Dean McWhirter (centre) for a commemorative patrol at Flinders Street Station.

Editorial: Danielle Ford Photography: Jesse Wray-McCann

POLICE LIFE | AUTUMN/WINTER 2022

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DISMANTLING A DRUG RING 10

POLICE LIFE | AUTUMN/WINTER 2022

Examination of the chemicals purchased for use in the manufacturing process resulted in the identification of several additional syndicate members over the following weeks.

It didn’t take long for a routine rental inspection to take a turn after chemicals, waste product and scientific glassware were uncovered at a Werribee address in October 2016.

A sophisticated illicit drug laboratory was operating in the heart of suburbia, unbeknownst to anyone who walked by.

Clandestine Laboratory Squad Detective Acting Inspector Nicholas Allwood said he can recall the chain of events “all too well.”

“Receipts and shopping dockets found at the Werribee Lab led police to commercial businesses where the syndicate had purchased materials necessary for the manufacture of methylamphetamine,” Det A/Insp Allwood said.

“The squad trawled through hundreds of hours of CCTV footage until they found evidence of an unknown male and female purchasing equipment.”

It was later determined that the couple pictured in the footage were ‘meth cooks’ flown in from Canada to work for the group.

The pseudoephedrine was seized and substituted by the strike force at the time of its discovery, so when the shipping container finally made its way to the syndicate’s Tottenham factory in late December, there were no drugs inside.

It was at this point in the investigation when police were able to intercept incriminating phone calls.

“Because the individuals unpacking the shipping container at the factory were unable to locate the pseudoephedrine, they made several calls in the days following its delivery,” Det A/Insp Allwood said.

“At the time of the Werribee Lab’s discovery, the pair were already heading up the Hume Highway,” Det A/Insp Allwood said.

“Numerous conversations with facilitators in Vietnam and Canada were intercepted where Melbourne-based syndicate members were repeatedly told to check the shipment.

“Their phone trail eventually went cold near Gundagai in New South Wales, where the head of the syndicate was later found to be located.”

“It ended up getting to the point where the head of the syndicate travelled from New South Wales to inspect the boxes and pallets himself.”

“That’s when they called us in.”

Investigations conducted under Operation Lingers gathered more information about the group’s activities over the following weeks and months.

Thanks to the efforts of all agencies involved, evidence obtained following the delivery of the shipment led to the arrest of eight syndicate members, including the head of the group.

The Victoria Police Clandestine Laboratory Squad is a dedicated specialist resource responsible for the entry, assessment and processing of all suspected drug laboratories and chemical storage sites.

“Once the size of the syndicate’s operation became clear, the squad reached out to federal partner agencies seeking notification of any further businesses, individuals or activity that may be associated,” Det A/Insp Allwood said.

All were charged and remanded for a mix of state and Commonwealth offences, including the importation of precursor chemicals and large-scale commercial manufacturing of methylamphetamine.

The squad also conducts high-level investigations into serious and organised crime syndicates seeking to manufacture illicit drugs within Victoria.

“It was then discovered that a member of the syndicate had provided an address to police during a routine traffic stop that was linked to an incoming shipment of a large amount of washing powder.

Det A/Insp Allwood said the positive outcome goes to show the importance of investigations like these, noting that manufacturing drugs is not a victimless crime.

“While every drug bust is significant, some are certainly more memorable than others,” Det A/Insp Allwood said.

“Local police attended the premises and immediately identified that the site was being used for the large-scale production of methylamphetamine – more commonly known as ‘ice’.

The discovery of the contaminated home kicked off a significant investigation.

“It took our forensic chemists four days to process and dissemble all of the materials found on site,” Det A/Insp Allwood said “About 100 drums containing approximately three tonnes of waste was removed from the premises and it was estimated that the lab had produced more than one tonne of methylamphetamine.

“That’s equivalent to $90 million on the streets.”

What would later be referred to as the ‘Werribee Lab’ became the cornerstone of Operation Lingers, an investigation into a major Asian crime syndicate operating in Melbourne’s west.

In the days following the discovery, Clandestine Laboratory Squad investigators seized more than $100,000 in cash, a firearm and 11 kilograms of methylamphetamine from home and business addresses in Sunshine North, Keysborough and Bulleen with assistance from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC).

“One member of the syndicate was arrested because his prints matched those found inside the Werribee Lab, and another was remanded into custody for manufacturing offences,” Det A/Insp Allwood said.

“After further investigation, it became apparent the group was communicating with associates both interstate and internationally.”

“Piles of discarded washing powder had been found at the Werribee Lab in October, so there was a genuine concern that the incoming importation contained drugs or precursor chemicals.”

It wasn’t long until police suspicions were confirmed.

“We were notified that a potential drug import had been detected on 19 December 2016,” Det A/Insp Allwood said.

“Normally, importations are the remit of federal authorities.

“But given the syndicate was found responsible for previous importations in 2014 and 2015, it was determined that the best way forward was to implement a joint agency investigative strategy.”

Operation Lingers quickly evolved into Operation Haughton, a multi-agency ‘strike force’ that had the combined resources to bring the syndicate’s operations to an immediate halt.

“The involvement of the Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force (ABF) and ACIC ended up being pivotal to the operation’s success,” Det A/Insp Allwood said.

A shipping container concealing 300 kilograms of pseudoephedrine arrived at the Port of Melbourne, hidden in among boxes of Vietnamese branded washing powder, where it was detected by the ABF.

“The chemicals and substances used in illicit drug labs pose significant health and safety risks to the community, because many of them are highly volatile, explosive or carcinogenic in nature,” he said.

“Fumes, gases and waste can contaminate neighbouring properties, endangering both human and environmental health.”

He also highlighted the impact these set-ups can have on properties and homeowners.

“Spare a thought for the owner of the house used for the Werribee Lab, who was unaware that illegal activity was taking place inside the property,” Det A/Insp Allwood said.

“It took several years before the site was rehabilitated to a level fit for habitation.

“The effects of drugs can be devastating, especially if they end up making their way to the streets.

“That’s where multi-agency operations like these come in – to shut down organised crime syndicates before they cause significant harm.”

Images Uncovering a lab Photos of what police found inside the Werribee house that was being used to manufacture methylamphetamine. It took forensic chemists four days to process and dissemble everything.

Editorial: Lane Mihaljevic Photography: Supplied

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sand and street beat As Senior Sergeant Stuart Browne patrols down St Kilda’s bustling Acland Street on a hot Saturday afternoon, he spots a local who had some unsavoury words for him just a few days prior.

Sen Sgt Browne approaches the man with a good-humoured smile on his face.

“Ben*, last time I saw you, you pretty much bit my head off,” Sen Sgt Browne says.

“What was all that about?”

The pair then chats about how Ben has been travelling lately and Sen Sgt Browne reminds Ben how anti-social behaviour can affect St Kilda’s residents, traders and visitors.

As he continues his foot patrol, Sen Sgt Browne explains to Police Life that Ben spends a lot of time hanging out on Acland Street.

“Most of the time, he’s good to deal with, but when he’s been drinking, he can become a handful,” he says.

“And that’s what happened the other night when he was having a go at me.

“So when I saw him just now, I wanted to hear how he’s been going and just remind him that we are always around.”

The interaction and relationship between Ben and Sen Sgt Browne may have been a small thing, but it’s at the heart of what it’s like to do policing in St Kilda.

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For all the equipment on their belts and technology at their disposal, the number one tool police use in St Kilda is people skills.

In heading up the team of nearly 90 at St Kilda Police Station, Sen Sgt Browne and Sen Sgt Anthony Town have been impressing upon their officers the need to understand the issues and priorities that drive everyone they come across.

With its iconic beaches, foreshore attractions, nightlife, multi-million-dollar mansions, backpacker hostels, restaurants and more, St Kilda is a melting pot of all types.

“St Kilda is an eclectic place and we need to have the skills to understand and engage with all kinds of people, including those with significant and complex mental health needs and dependencies,” Sen Sgt Town said.

While they’re always ready to take firm action with troublemakers, Sen Sgt Browne said the best results often come when police have the big picture in mind and seek to engage rather than enforce.

“We’ve got a lot of people with complex issues, so you’ve got to present yourself as someone they’re going to want to engage with in the first instance,” Sen Sgt Browne said.

“A big part of working with them is to get them to trust you so that you can refer them to services.

“If you’re on the wrong path from the start, you might miss an opportunity to link people with services that could ultimately help them into the future.”

Sen Sgt Browne said such colourful characters weren’t unwelcome in St Kilda.

“That’s what brings people to St Kilda – that diversity, the left-of-centre style of life,” he said.

“The traders tell us it’s also what brings them to the area and what makes St Kilda so unique.

“But they are aware, as we are, there’s a very fine tipping point between that and the public order issues that can come about because of some of those complex social circumstances.

“Our officers are always trying to help everyone find that balance.”

Constantly liaising with traders along the area’s vibrant Acland, Fitzroy and Carlisle streets – along with residents’ groups, Port Phillip Council and the various stakeholders from the many events on St Kilda’s famous foreshore and parks – is key for St Kilda police.

Sen Sgt Town has come from many years of working as a detective and is now enjoying a different approach to the job.

“It was refreshing for me to be working from a different perspective, becoming more aligned to the community and building harm prevention strategies rather than the strong focus on enforcement,” he said.

“We want everyone that comes to St Kilda to know if they commit crime, they will be held to account, but if they need help to deal with the drivers of the crime, we’re definitely able to help them on that path as well.”

“At times, I found we were focusing on an issue the community was not necessarily concerned about, that there was a more evidence-based approach available or a better equipped organisation to take the lead.”

This is why Sen Sgt Town is excited about Victoria Police’s new Neighbourhood Policing initiative.

Neighbourhood Policing, rolled out across the state in March, aims to provide more opportunities for people to share their safety priorities and concerns.

The initiative involves Local Safety Committees – made up of police and community safety partner organisations – acting as a forum for people to discuss local safety concerns.

The committees will develop a safety plan and strategies for the area to address local safety concerns through both policing and nonpolicing activity.

“This is the kind of collaborative work we have had going in St Kilda for a while, and I’m looking forward to the structure Neighbourhood Policing will bring to it,” Sen Sgt Town said.

“We know there are complexities to issues that police, at times, don’t need to be involved in.

“There are plenty of other organisations locally who are experts in the areas of mental health and at-risk youth.

“Sometimes we need to have the maturity to know when to take a step back and hand over to, or introduce, those partner organisations, with us supporting when appropriate.”

To help this happen, Sen Sgt Town has been working with the Inner East Local Learning and Employment Network – which specialises in facilitating support for vulnerable and at-risk young people – on a plan to have one of the network’s specialist workers based at St Kilda Police Station each week.

The station is also working hard to reinvigorate relationships with St Kilda Police and Citizen’s Youth Club – a not-for-profit organisation mentoring young people of all ages and backgrounds.

“We want everyone who comes to St Kilda to know that if they commit crime, they will be held to account, but if they need help to deal with the drivers of the crime, we’re definitely able to help them on that path as well,” Sen Sgt Town said.

“Our goal is that everyone is safe, feels safe, and enjoys all the area has to offer. This includes our own members.” *Ben is not the man’s real name Read more about how Neighbourhood Policing is making a difference across the state on Page 24.

Images Iconic and eclectic As one of Melbourne's most famous and colourful suburbs, St Kilda is a busy place for residents, visitors, traders and police.

Editorial and photography: Jesse Wray-McCann

The worker would be introduced to people brought into custody or victims at the station to link them in with relevant support services.

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VICTORIA POLICE

BY THE NUMBERS:

300 KILOGRAMS of pseudoephedrine was intercepted at the Port of Melbourne during Operation Haughton in 2016. Find out how the multiagency taskforce was able to shut down a clandestine laboratory operating in Melbourne’s west on Page 10.

is the number of days Victoria Police’s State Police Operation Centre was activated during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Victoria Police uses the specialised facility to manage its response to unplanned or anticipated large events and emergencies.

2006

is when the Children’s Koori Court started operating in Melbourne. Find out how Victoria Police Prosecutor Sergeant Mark Stephens has contributed to the court’s success on Page 16.

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20 54

members made up the first squad of Transit Protective Services Officers, who started patrols at Flinders Street and Southern Cross stations 10 years ago. Find out how this role has changed during the last decade on Page 8.

is the number of years that Victoria Police has taken part in the Victorian Pride March.

is the number of Police Service Areas Victoria is divided into. These areas correspond with those of other Victorian government departments, enhancing cross-department service delivery.

POL LYF

112,000,000

number plates have been scanned by mobile Automated Number Plate Recognition technology since it was first installed in Victoria Police vehicles in February 2019.

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680

4 MINUTES is the maximum amount of time applicants are given to swim 100 metres in order to join Victoria Police. Find out more about the fitness testing and recruitment process at police.vic.gov.au/ police-recruitment-process.

CROPPING OUT crime proceeds

When Victoria Police’s Air Wing discovered a heat source at an address in Melbourne’s outer-west during a routine training exercise, it kicked off a chain of events that would result in almost $7 million of assets recovered by the state and a sophisticated drug syndicate shut down.

From the outside, it looked like an unassuming suburban house, but after the initial tip-off from Air Wing, local members discovered an elaborate hydroponic cannabis crop set up.

“Our initial investigations confirmed the properties were all owned by the one woman,” Det A/Sgt Feben said.

“We then applied for her income records from the Australian Taxation Office, which showed no steady income source despite owning millions of dollars of property.”

Detective Sergeant Lindsay Stephens, a detective senior constable at the Wyndham Crime Investigation Unit (CIU) at the time, said it didn’t take detectives long to begin their investigations.

From here, the squad continued to dig into the woman’s financial records and discovered that the properties had been purchased by obtaining false loans using fake employment details and payslips.

“The uniform members acted quickly to lock the house down and establish a crime scene and when our team started in the morning, we got a search warrant and went to the address to take over the crime scene,” Det Sgt Stephens said.

“Almost 90 cannabis plants were seized from the property and the hydroponic setup dismantled.”

Det Sgt Stephens said ‘crop house’ jobs were a relatively regular occurrence in the area, and it wasn’t until further investigation it was discovered that 16 other properties across Melbourne’s western suburbs were owned by the same woman.

“They had all been purchased within the previous two years and it was suspected several of them may have been used as crop houses also,” she said.

“We suspected that she was running a sophisticated drug set up and employing ‘sitters’ to mind the crop houses.”

Despite being able to link the properties, the investigation kept hitting dead ends when the sitter of the Hoppers Crossing address

“Almost 90 cannabis plants were seized from the property and the hydroponic setup dismantled.” could not be found and there was no concrete evidence linking the owner to the operation of the crop house.

It was at this point Det Sgt Stephens reached out to the Criminal Proceeds Squad to approach the case from a different angle.

The Criminal Proceeds Squad is a specialist team that investigates unexplained wealth around criminals and their syndicates.

“After discovering these false loans, we were able to bring charges against the woman under the Confiscation Act 1997,” Det A/Sgt Feben said.

“As a result, all 16 properties were restrained and recovered by the state for a total of about $6.7 million.”

While criminal charges were not able to be laid, Det Sgt Stephens said the result of this case was a win for detectives.

“That’s 16 potential crop houses shut down and a large amount of cannabis that was removed before it could be sold,” she said.

Images Shut down The unassuming property in Melbourne’s western suburbs housed a sophisticated hydroponic cannabis crop setup.

Editorial: Danielle Ford Photography: Supplied

Detective Acting Sergeant Tim Feben was working in the squad when the job came in.

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CAREER IN FOCUS

Changing courts

A career in prosecutions wasn’t always the plan for Sergeant Mark Stephens but, following a big change in his personal life, he found it was the ideal career path.

“I was a single guy in my late 20s and I had been doing foster caring for a few years when I got a call asking me if I could take on a young boy whose mother had recently passed away,” Sgt Stephens said.

“I had only ever experienced court as a uniform police member before, so being in there, for something as simple as a guardianship hearing, opened my eyes to what it’s like on the other side of proceedings,” he said.

It was through this work that Sgt Stephens ended up becoming the sergeant prosecutor in charge of the Koori Court and later the Children’s Koori Court when it started operating in Melbourne in 2006.

“I took him in and, after about six months, I went through the court process to become his permanent, legal guardian and, despite having the best support from my family, I wanted a role at work that would allow me more stability to be with him more.”

Shortly after this, Sgt Stephens applied for a role in the Melbourne Prosecutions Unit and has been there for the past 20 years.

The Children’s Koori Court was first established in Victoria in 2005 to address the over-representation of young Aboriginal people in the criminal justice system.

This got Sgt Stephens thinking about a move to prosecutions.

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He quickly found his niche in the therapeutic court space, which are courts that focus on alternative ways of processing cases with a focus on rehabilitation and diversion to prevent offending.

All Koori Court sessions are held in a special courtroom that features an oval-shaped table and vibrant Aboriginal artwork, with Elders and Respected Persons sitting on either side of the judge or magistrate across from the young person.

It's just about going into every case with an understanding of how a person's life experience and culture can impact their perception of police and the courts.

01 02

Melbourne Children’s Koori Court Magistrate Jennifer Bowles said the way Sgt Stephens engages with the young Koori people and the Elders is exemplary.

“Mark is so dedicated to this court and everyone involved in it from myself and the Koori elders to the young Koori people fronting the court and the victims,” Magistrate Bowles said.

“We recently had a young Koori girl whose matter was approaching finalisation while Mark was on leave.

“He heard the case was nearing finalisation and cancelled his leave so he could appear for Victoria Police on the matter.

“When I asked him why he did it, he said, ‘Koori Court thrives on a safe environment and I know this young girl is comfortable with me being in the courtroom and I didn’t want to jeopardise the case or the progress she had made by having another strange face in the courtroom’.”

When Sgt Stephens talks about his role in the Children’s Koori Court, it is clear his passion goes beyond it simply being a part of his job.

“As a white person living in this country, on Aboriginal land, I feel it’s my responsibility to help these young people as best as I can,” he said.

“The Koori Court isn’t about going easy on these young people; it’s about holding them accountable for their actions but coming from a cultural point of view.

“For many of the young people who come through the court, getting told by the Koori Elders that they have bought shame on their community is more confronting than being arrested by a police officer.

“It’s still a court system like any mainstream hearing and, as a representative of Victoria Police, I am there to first and foremost advocate for the victim and for community safety.

“However, by approaching cases in a different way, we can connect with the young person and have more of an impact in terms of rehabilitation and diversion to reduce reoffending.”

In addition to his Koori Court work, Sgt Stephens has also headed the Assessment and Referral Court Prosecution Team at Melbourne Prosecutions since its inception in 2010.

Ever humble, Sgt Stephens reluctantly acknowledges the profound impact his work has had on strengthening connections between police and several marginalised communities.

“It’s just about going into every case with an understanding of how a person’s life experience and culture can impact their perception of police, the courts and the offending they have taken part in,” he said.

“My main goal is to connect with them and get them to understand the impact their actions have had on the victims and the community.

“It’s something I’m passionate about, which you have to be to keep doing it for 20 years, and I want to keep doing it for many years to come.”

Images Making a difference 01 Sergeant Mark Stephens has worked in the Children’s Koori Court in Melbourne since it was started in 2006.

02 Court Magistrate Jennifer Bowles with Sergeant Mark Stephens at an awards ceremony where he received a Victorian Multicultural Service Award.

Editorial and Photography: Danielle Ford

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No special treatment Support groups have welcomed a new Victoria Police team tasked with investigating officers who perpetrate family violence as an important step in keeping victims safe.

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Family violence services peak body Safe and Equal, which has advocated for improvement in how Victoria Police deals with perpetrators within its ranks, has welcomed the creation of the team.

Chief executive officer Tania Farha said it was an important step forward in how Victoria Police tackled the issue.

A stand-alone policy has also been introduced to give police clear directions about how to handle cases where a Victoria Police employee is a suspected family violence perpetrator.

“The policy is an important start in tackling this complex issue and is a first step in not only ensuring that victim survivors feel confident and safe to report incidences of family violence perpetrated by a police employee but that police attending know how to respond,’’ Ms Farha said.

“While a lack of available data means we do not know the true scope of this issue, we do know that a robust response from Victoria Police is fundamental - and how the policy and investigation units are implemented is critically important.”

Victoria Police consulted victims and support agencies in the lead-up to creating the team and policy changes to ensure the voices of those subjected to family violence were reflected in the reforms.

“We support policies like this one that standardise police practice and processes that are safe and fair for victim survivors and ensure they are listened to, believed and supported, and their confidence and confidentiality upheld,’’ Ms Farha said.

“Safe and Equal looks forward to seeing the additional safeguards Victoria Police will employ to ensure that victim survivor safety and perpetrator accountability underpin the implementation of the policy and hope Victoria Police will continue to listen to and be informed by survivor voices.”

The new Employee Related Family Violence Investigation Team operates within Professional Standards Command’s newlyestablished Sexual Offences Family Violence Unit, formerly known as Taskforce Salus.

It’s been established in response to the Royal Commission into Family Violence which found Victoria Police – as a reflection of the community - would likely have perpetrators among its ranks.

Assistant Commissioner Tess Walsh, of Professional Standards Command, said she hoped the team’s establishment would give victims greater confidence to report to police.

“We know victims of family violence don’t report to police for several reasons.

This is especially the case if the perpetrator is a serving officer,” AC Walsh said.

“Family violence offending doesn’t reconcile with who we are as police officers. Our job is to prevent crime and help the community.

“It doesn’t land well with me nor my colleagues when they hear an officer has been involved in family violence.

“Family violence incidents are complex, and we know there will be added challenges for police when perpetrators of these crimes are their colleagues.

“However our message is clear there is no special treatment for police accused of committing family violence and we want victims to report these crimes.”

The Employee Related Family Violence Investigation Team will investigate both current and historical reports of family violence and sexual offences committed

by Victoria Police employees.

Frontline police handling such cases will now have access to specialist advice aroundthe-clock.

“Dedicating a unit to this crime demonstrates how fervently we want to get this right,” AC Walsh said.

Nine specialist detectives and two witness support officers make up the new investigative team.

Victoria Police employees who commit a crime are not only subject to a criminal investigation but internal disciplinary action.

They’re responsible for investigating the most serious and complex cases involving Victoria Police employees accused of family violence and oversee all cases across the state.

This can lead to their employment being terminated.

The focus on victims has also led to the creation of a new guide, developed in consultation with victims and family violence organisations, that steps victims through the reporting and investigation process.

The reporting process can be intimidating, and the guide is designed to help victims understand the options available to them each step of the way to hopefully make it less daunting. We want victims to know they will be supported when they take that step.

“If we’re doing our job right, we’ll receive all accounts of family violence.

“We want a spike in confidence to report these crimes and spike in successful court matters, in line with the outcomes we see for the rest of our community.”

The new standalone policy for dealing with police who perpetrate family violence sets out clear obligations responding police must follow to ensure a consistent approach and prioritise victim safety.

Assistant Commissioner Lauren Callaway, of Family Violence Command, said victims could now have confidence there was one clear set of rules stipulating how their cases would be investigated.

“Multiple policies existed previously, which has led to confusion and an inconsistent approach,’’ AC Callaway said.

AC Callaway said the development of the policy was a “leadership moment” for Victoria Police.

“We know that there’s still a long way to go but the establishment of the new team and policy are definitely steps in the right direction,” she said.

“There should be no culture of impunity for officers and especially not at the expense of keeping victims safe.

“If we want the community to trust that police treat family violence seriously, we need to be applying the same level of effort and accountability to our own officers.

“We will continue to engage those with lived experiences, particularly children. Over recent months I’ve personally met with people who have shared their lived experience with me and are supporting Victoria Police to help us do better.

Listening to victims has been central in shaping this policy and how we improve.”

Image Strong stance Assistant Commissioners Tess Walsh and Lauren Callaway are at the forefront of the significant changes to how Victoria Police handles cases where a Victoria Police employee is a suspected family violence perpetrator.

Editorial: Cathy Le Photography: Grant Condon

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Cracking Open Crypto Crime When a seized hard drive landed in the hands of Detective Sergeant Dion Achtypis in 2013, cryptocurrency was an unknown entity to most.

Images Specialists at work 01 The cryptocurrency team taps into Cybercrime’s digital specialists and technology when needed.

02 Cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin, has become a popular method for concealing and laundering funds.

03 Seized technology is being investigated for evidence of darknet activity and cryptocurrency use.

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Editorial: Sarah Larsen Photography: Jesse Wray-McCann

His discovery led to Australia’s first cryptocurrency seizure and set the momentum for an increasingly vital Cybercrime Squad.

Detective Sergeant Achtypis describes himself as a self-taught tinkerer who first dabbled in Bitcoin’s software to stress-test computer hardware in his spare time.

As one of the few investigators with cryptocurrency experience, he was asked to examine the hard drive that belonged to an offender at the centre of a drug investigation.

“It started as a relatively routine investigation with the seizure of drugs and a range of technology. The investigators asked me to take a look at the hard drive to check for red flags,” Det Sgt Achtypis said.

“I discovered evidence of cryptocurrency use and darknet activity. This person was one of the most active sellers on the darknet in Australia.”

What is Cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrency, or crypto, is a digital form of currency. It uses encryption to verify transactions, which makes it nearly impossible to counterfeit. The decentralised system does not rely on regulating authorities or banks and therefore makes money cheaper and faster to move.

Owners of cryptocurrency have digital wallets which contain keys, or passwords. Crypto holdings can only be accessed using private keys. If you lose your private key, you lose your money.

The first and most well-known cryptocurrency is Bitcoin which was launched in 2009 and is valued at $54,000.

Det Sgt Achtypis took the hard drive to e-Crime Squad’s digital forensic analyst Troy Pretty to painstakingly uncover three accounts in a cryptocurrency wallet.

A cryptocurrency team was formalised and led

by Det Sgt Achtypis, with the ability to tap into Cybercrime’s covert online operatives, digital forensic specialists and intelligence officers when needed.

The first account held three Bitcoin, each worth approximately $120, causing a laugh among the colleagues.

One month later, the team seized another $8.5 million in cryptocurrency as part of an investigation with the Criminal Proceeds Squad.

“We joked that the boss will be really happy.

Australia’s first Bitcoin seizure was worth a few hundred dollars,” Det Sgt Achtypis said.

“Although we’re dealing with cryptocurrency, the fundamentals of an investigation remain the same, but it’s the melding with specialised technical skills that gets us an investigative outcome,” Det Sgt Achtypis.

While the second account raised the stakes with 15 Bitcoin, it was the third account that revealed 24,500 Bitcoin, worth $3.6 million at the time.

Through customer service calls and a seemingly successful investment, the victim is encouraged to contribute more money.

They are unknowing until they try to withdraw the funds which, at that point, are gone.

“We’ve had countless versions,” Sen Const Gornowicz said.

“They think they’re going to be millionaires, but they’ve emptied their bank account.”.

It is reported that 17 per cent of Australians own cryptocurrency, but only one in 10 feel they understand it.

As for soft skills, Det Sgt Achtypis values conflicting attributes.

The cryptocurrency team and the wider Cybercrime Squad are in demand.

“All of a sudden, this became a very high priority but, like so many things in cybercrime, this was a first. There was no roadmap on how to achieve this seizure. We were writing the rule book as we went along.”

“To work in this field, you need to be extraordinarily stubborn and flexible at the same time,” he said.

They are called upon to provide technical expertise to various investigations across Victoria Police, while also responding to the growing needs of the community.

Victoria Police, government and lawmakers were required to not only act, but learn fast, thanks to briefings and technical demonstrations led

by Det Sgt Achtypis.

“What I know now is completely different to what I did three years ago, and completely unrecognisable to what I did six years ago.

That’s why I’ve been here for nine years.”

The seizure, worth $1.3 billion today, was an Australian first and one of the largest in the world. It highlighted the emergence of cryptocurrency as a method to enable and obfuscate criminal wealth.

In response, Victoria Police supported Det Sgt Achtypis to build a specialised capability within the e-Crime Squad.

In July 2021, the evolving digital landscape demanded further investment, transforming e-Crime into a standalone Cybercrime Squad.

“The minute you get something down pat, a line of code will change, or an update will occur and your system doesn’t work anymore.

Sharing these values is Senior Constable Adam Gornowicz, a coding and programming specialist who traces untraceable funds.

Sen Const Gornowicz witnesses the daily impact of cryptocurrency’s emergence on the community.

He frequently responds to cases from people who have fallen victim to the likes of romance scams and fake exchanges.

“Happening far too often are fake exchanges, which are websites that look like legitimate cryptocurrency trading platforms,” Sen Const Gornowicz said.

The victim is encouraged to set up and deposit into an account, which is the offender’s account.

The platform displays an artificial dashboard, showing the victim’s money doubling in a matter of days.

Det Sgt Achtypis believes fulfilling both these priorities can be achieved through broader awareness and education of cybercrime, both within the organisation and across the community.

“A strategic focus of ours is making sure Victoria Police as an organisation is always getting better with its capabilities and knowledge in this area,” Det Sgt Achtypis said.

“That means more members in the field identifying it and fewer victims in our community.”

Broader knowledge is vital as the team tackles a rapidly evolving landscape.

While constant change may be frustrating to some, it keeps Det Sgt Achtypis and Sen Const Gornowicz returning to work every day.

“Adam and I aren’t there because it’s easy,” Det Sgt Achtypis said.

“We’re there because it’s hard.”

“There’s a tremendous sense of satisfaction knowing no-one else has done this before.

“The rule book is constantly being rewritten and we’re forever trailblazing.”

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CONNECTING THROUGH CULTURE In that time, it has quickly become a significant part of Victoria Police’s commitment to culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

experiences, while strengthening the relationship between Victoria Police and the state’s African communities.”

Moreland Crime Investigation Unit’s Tactical Intelligence Officer Senior Constable Arsène Juste Bounda, Chair of the Network, said VICPOLAEN is shaping the force’s relationship with the African-Australian community by simply being present.

But it’s Sen Const Bounda’s life experience that really sheds light on the importance of the network.

“The benefits of the network are two-fold,” Sen Const Bounda said.

“It provides a safe platform for employees of African background to connect and share

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Just three years since its launch, the Victoria Police African Employee Network (VICPOLAEN) is making strides in the diversity and inclusion space.

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“I was born in the Congo-Brazzaville and arrived in Australia as a refugee in 2004,” he said.

Despite his passion for policing, Sen Const Bounda recalls feeling “a little bit lost”.

That was until he read a Police Life story celebrating the achievements of an AfricanAustralian employee.

“It was an inspiration for me,” Sen Const Bounda said.

“I had never seen another employee of African “I joined the force in 2015 because I knew I wanted heritage wearing the Victoria Police uniform, to be a police officer, but I didn’t know of any let alone recognised in print.” members with African background.

He was thankful that he had found someone “I was pretty much on my own.” he could turn to.

02

But today, African-Australian employees can turn to an entire network.

VICPOLAEN consists of police officers, Protective Services Officers, Protective Custody Officers and Victorian Public Service employees.

“It’s all about providing African employees with the opportunity to interact with a wide variety of people,” Sen Const Bounda said.

“Peers of different ranks, managers, even members of Victoria Police Executive Command.

“The goal is to build up their confidence so that they can advance their careers.”

Green, pink, yellow and blue in colour, its design is representative of the fabrics that both African women and men wear proudly.

Excited to see what VICPOLAEN’s future holds, Sen Const Bounda is especially grateful for the network’s support team.

Soon to be on permanent display at the Victoria Police Academy, the banner will act as an important visual reminder of the network’s presence.

“I’d like to say a big thankyou to everyone involved,” Sen Const Bounda said.

“It will be a key part of ensuring that recruits know about VICPOLAEN and feel comfortable being at a Victoria Police workplace from the onset,” Sen Const Bounda said.

DC Ross Guenther couldn’t agree more.

Thanks to the dedicated individuals who devote their time to operating the network, members now have the opportunity to take part in the VICPOLAEN Mentoring Program.

“Pursuing a policing career is challenging within itself, but more so for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds,” DC Guenther said.

“The program is scheduled to commence in May, so it’s still in its growth phase,” Sen Const Bounda said.

“So we hope that the presence of the network’s banner at the Victoria Police Academy will remind African-Australian recruits that support is available.”

“But we’ve received nothing but positive feedback and encouragement so far.”

The program aims to support African-Australian employees in setting and progressing their professional goals by providing them with the opportunity to tap into the experiences of senior staff members.

“It’s so great to be receiving expressions of interest from employees of all different ranks and cultural backgrounds,” Sen Const Bounda said.

“From constables looking to take part as mentees, to members of Victoria Police Executive Command who would like to mentor.

Having seen the impact of VICPOLAEN through his role as executive sponsor, DC Guenther is a big believer in the network’s value to Victoria Police employees and African-Australian communities.

“VICPOLAEN is providing our African-Australian employees with the guidance they need to take the next step in their careers with Victoria Police,” he said.

“It’s also providing us with the opportunity to better understand African culture and specific challenges faced by African-Australians.”

“The network wouldn’t be where it is today without our executive sponsor Deputy Commissioner Ross Guenther, champion Assistant Commissioner Bob Hill, the Victoria Police Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Unit, Airlie Leadership Development Centre, the African Employee Network Council and every member that has joined VICPOLAEN since launch.

“Let’s continue to create a sense of belonging and community for AfricanAustralians, both within the force and outside of it.”

Images Passionate and proud 01 Tactical Intelligence Officer Senior Constable Arsène Juste Bounda shares his love for policing with his passion for empowering fellow AfricanAustralian employees.

02 Members of VICPOLAEN gather to celebrate the launch of the network’s mentoring program at the Victoria Police Centre.

Editorial: Lane Mihaljevic Photography: Danielle Ford and supplied

“The diversity is just so fantastic to see.”

During the official launch of the program in December 2021, Sen Const Bounda and Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety and Security Ross Guenther also unveiled the VICPOLAEN banner.

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Listening to your voices When illegal dirt bikes plaguing the Craigieburn area rode through a children’s soccer match it was clear the behaviour had crossed a line.

Local police made the problem a priority, listening and following through on community concerns identified through a new grassroots policing model, Neighbourhood Policing.

They worked with the community through local sporting groups and the council to address the issue – staging extra patrols, mobile camera operations and supporting the construction of new roads and parkland to deter offending.

The effort has resulted in around 50 motorbikes being taken off Craigieburn’s streets in less than 12 months while numerous offenders have been held to account.

“The feedback we’re getting back from the community about the impact we’ve had is really positive,’’ Inspector Dean Clinton, Hume’s Local Area Commander, said.

“The bikes were basically riding around kids and parents, through the middle of sporting grounds and on footpaths. They posed a serious safety risk.

“We’ve put a lot of resources into various operations to target the problem in this community.

“And we’re hearing positive things about the change that it’s making out here.”

The win against illegal dirt bikes in Hume is being credited to the new model of community policing and engagement which has been rolled out across the state.

Neighbourhood Policing sees police compile a register of issues that matter most to their local community, task officers to specifically address these concerns and report back to residents on their progress.

Police work closely with partners like local councils, community groups and government agencies when issues are complex.

Neighbourhood Policing was initially rolled out to eight locations including Hume last year.

The initiative has been used in the Glen Eira Bayside area to address illegal events and alcohol consumption along the foreshore at Half Moon Bay and Black Rock.

Inspector Catherine Wilkins, the Local Area Commander, said digital and traditional signage was used to deter the behaviour, complemented by messages posted on the local council and Victoria Police’s Eyewatch social media pages.

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Police and the council had also worked together to increase targeted patrols.

“This has led to early identification of emerging issues on warm days and timely responses from police and council officers, helping prevent safety and public order issues,’’ Inspector Wilkins said.

Assistant Commissioner Tim Hansen said Neighbourhood Policing signalled a return to the basics of police work, by working with the community to address safety concerns.

The voice of the community was key in deciding what was a police priority, along with other indicators such as crime, public order and road policing data.

“It’s a wholesale shift in how Victoria Police does business – we don’t want to just be responding to calls but also prioritising problem-solving and prevention,” AC Hansen said.

“We will always be focused on catching crooks, but we want to provide a more even balance between reactive and proactive policing – helping identify emerging issues before they become a problem.”

For more information about Neighbourhood Policing, visit police.vic.gov.au/neighbourhoodpolicing

Images Local issues Police in the Hume Police Service area have been using the Neighbourhood Policing model since 2021 to better understand the issues most important to the local community.

Editorial: Danielle Ford Photography: John Pallot

Sticking through tough times When Stawell born-and-bred Sergeant Liam McMahon made the move across the state to become Officer-in-Charge at Corryong Police Station, he planned to be in the far northeastern town for three years.

But when a catastrophic bushfire season in the summer of 2019/20 swept through the small town of Corryong and surrounding areas, Sgt McMahon’s devotion to the community he had come to love shone through as he stayed to help lead the difficult recovery process.

“A lot of the policing issues we were dealing with in Corryong were directly resulting from people not coping with the trauma they've been through in the fires,” Sgt McMahon said.

“People struggle at the best of times and at the worst of times,” he said.

“I could have easily gone back home after the fires, but when I saw what people in the community were going through, I wanted to stay around for them.”

Now, as he establishes himself as one of the experienced heads at Horsham Police Station, helping junior colleagues manage their mental health is a top priority for Sgt McMahon.

Sgt McMahon said the small town was deeply affected by suicides that followed the fires.

“The junior guys on the van, they’re faced with some pretty traumatic stuff,” he said.

One of the resulting funerals triggered a mental health episode in a man who aggressively confronted Sgt McMahon in the middle of the main street.

“You'll sometimes see them very quiet, usually a day or two later after something has happened.

Knowing that the man was struggling, Sgt McMahon tried to diffuse the violent situation and, with the help of an off-duty paramedic, was able to restrain the man and arrange mental health treatment.

“The guy was a professional deer shooter and, because I had to take his guns after the incident, he was left without a job or livelihood,” Sgt McMahon said.

After the man finished his period of treatment, Sgt McMahon went the extra step and helped organise a new job for the man, driving a water truck.

It was a significant sacrifice for Sgt McMahon to make, because his supportive partner and two teenage boys still lived in Stawell and he had already spent three years doing 13-hour round trips to visit them every fortnight.

“As a country cop, if you can try and help people so they ultimately don't need to come and interact with the police as much, you've done your job, because you've led them to what they really need, which is the actual help,” he said.

But after five years in Corryong, he is back with his family, having landed a job at the nearby Horsham Police Station.

Sgt McMahon said his own mental health troubles over the years have helped him understand what others are going through.

Sgt McMahon believes his time at Corryong, his first stint as a sergeant, made him a better police officer, especially in understanding the impact of mental illness.

He was left with post-traumatic stress disorder after seeing significant trauma in his career and sought professional help before taking up work in non-frontline roles throughout Victoria Police for a time for the sake of his recovery.

“It's all about just trying to understand what their situation is.”

“That's something that I'll pick up on straightaway and go, ‘Hey, you're not yourself today. Are you okay?

“When you've been there yourself, you can remember what those days were like, hoping that someone was going to grab you and go, ‘Hey mate, you alright? What was it like?

Do you want to talk about it? If not now, here's my number for later.

“It’s not ticking the boxes, it's about being truly empathetic, showing that you do care.”

Images Country-forged career 01 Sgt Liam McMahon (right) with friend and Horsham police prosecutor Sgt David Cosgriff who worked as a Country Fire Authority volunteer in the 2019/20 summer bushfires in Corryong.

02 Mentoring and supporting junior colleagues is an important part of the job for Sgt Liam McMahon.

03 After working in Corryong away from his family in Stawell for five years, Sgt Liam McMahon has returned to the area at Horsham Police Station.

Editorial: Jesse Wray-McCann Photography: Brendan McCarthy

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01

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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

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oming ull

ircle

The trip of a lifetime driving around Australia and following their fathers’ into policing careers aren’t the only things senior sergeants Mark Knight and Melanie Woods have in common.

The pair recently started as the station commanders at Lilydale Police Station, but their story starts 33 years ago, long before their policing careers did.

In 1988, Sen Sgt Knight was in his early 20s and working as a chef at the iconic Cuckoo restaurant in the Dandenong Ranges alongside much of Sen Sgt Woods’ family.

Their fathers also worked together as police officers in Croydon and they soon discovered a shared interest in four-wheel driving.

It wasn’t long before the families packed up their four-wheel drives and took off on a four-month trip around Australia, with incredible stops at Broken Hill, Alice Springs, Broome and Cape York to name a few.

“It was the trip of a lifetime. The places we visited and the times we had, they’re the most wonderful memories and I still get such a thrill talking about it,” Sen Sgt Knight said.

While Sen Sgt Woods was only four years old at the time, she still has distinct memories of a Cabbage Patch Kids cassette tape being played on repeat in her parents’ car.

“I still have the tape and remember all the words so it must’ve had a few runs,” Sen Sgt Woods said.

“Having young kids of my own now, I don’t know how my parents coped.”

In 1989, shortly after their trip ended, Sen Sgt Knight joined Victoria Police, marking the beginning of a decades-long career in the force.

He moved through varied areas and specialist roles, including suburban and rural police stations in the state’s east, crime investigation units, the Dog Squad and the Victoria Police Academy.

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Fast forward to 2006 and a 22-year-old Sen Sgt Woods joined the force with ambitions to carry on a family tradition.

“I always wanted to join and to follow in my dad’s footsteps, so I was really happy to get in,” Sen Sgt Woods said.

Sen Sgt Woods’ career to-date has seen her work in frontline roles across the Southern Metro and Eastern Regions, including as the first gazetted female sergeant at Knox Police Station, as well as detective roles investigating sexual offences, child abuse and other local crime.

Having not seen each other for several years, a pivotal moment for the pair came in 2008 when they bumped into each other at the Academy where Sen Sgt Knight was attending a training course.

“I had to check the name badge but said hello and that was the start of our working relationship and friendship,” Sen Sgt Woods said.

Over the next few years, the officers crossed paths at jobs while they were working at different stations in the same area and would drop in for a chat or some scones whenever they found themselves nearby.

In December 2021, the pair came full circle and landed as station commanders at Lilydale Police Station in the Yarra Ranges, an area close to both of their hearts.

“I worked at Monbulk Police Station for eight years and I live in the area with my family, so I was already involved in the community through sports clubs and the like,” Sen Sgt Knight said.

“Having that connection to the area is such a help in this job.”

Sen Sgt Woods agreed, with roots of her own in the Lilydale community.

“I was born at the Lilydale Bush Hospital, went to the local high school and now I’m raising my own family out here too,” Sen Sgt Woods said.

“It’s nice to be helping the community I know so well.”

Now just over four months into their new roles, the two officers have hit their stride running the station together, with strong ambitions to help their members be the best they can and best serve the local community.

While both Sen Sgt Knight and Sen Sgt Woods are heavily involved in the day-to-day operations of the station, the unique skills learned from their most recent experiences as station commanders at Monbulk and Knox respectively are proving to be worth their weight in gold.

“We both have our different strengths and we complement each other really well,” Sen Sgt Knight said.

Sen Sgt Woods has taken a strong interest in creating a supportive culture and fostering member welfare, while Sen Sgt Knight makes use of his strong emergency management background as the Municipal Emergency Response Coordinator for the Yarra Ranges area.

“Because of our long history, we already had a lot of respect for each other,” Sen Sgt Woods said.

With almost 50 years of policing experience between them, the new station commanders consider their friendship to be among their greatest assets.

“There was no need to break the ice; we already knew what one another was all about.

“We can be honest with each other and while we might not always agree on everything, we talk things through and back each other,” Sen Sgt Knight said.

The pair have shared a lot through their 33-year history, but now they’re happy to be sharing an office wall.

Images A team 33 years in the making Senior sergeants Mark Knight and Melanie Woods are finally colleagues after first meeting decades ago, with their friendship proving to be a key to their success.

Editorial: Cassandra Stanghi Photography: Danielle Ford

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The Commodore's

They’ve been the backbone of the vehicle fleet for decades, but the end of the Holden Commodore era at Victoria Police is nearing.

A milestone was reached in recent months, with the last Commodores remaining in highway patrol duties hitting the road for the final time.

The much-loved V8 engine growl of the Commodore SS variant long used by highway patrol units has been replaced by high performance BMWs. With local car manufacturing having ended in recent years, the Commodores are the last Australian-made vehicles in the Victoria Police fleet.

Sergeant Jason Doyle, who has spent much of his career in highway patrol units, is sad to have seen the Commodore SS go.

“These cars have been excellent servants for Victoria Police highway patrol over the years,” Sgt Doyle said.

“They accelerate well, they brake well, they handle magnificently on the road and they’re also very robust.

“No matter what we throw at it, they can handle it.

“They’ve stood the test of time and it’s a sad day to see them go, even though we do have magnificent replacements in the BMW.” Sgt Doyle’s love for the Commodore hit a high point in 2017 when it kept him safe from a rampaging truck driver in Campbellfield.

He and his patrol partner were driving an unmarked VFII Commodore SS when they intercepted the truck driver for using his mobile phone.

“We had pulled over in a large car park and my partner gave him a ticket,” Sgt Doyle said.

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“The driver was going off tap, so I said, ‘Let’s go’ and we drove off through the car park.

“While I was waiting for a break in the traffic, I looked in the rear-view mirror and saw the truck barrelling towards us.

“We had no time to react and it hit us hard.

“The car took the blow and protected us both from injury.”

The officers quickly called for urgent backup, got out of the crumpled Commodore and arrested the driver.

“No wonder I love those cars,” he said.

Former police officer and long-time highway patrol member Allan Edwards recalled a Commodore SS he and his colleagues at Melton Highway Patrol nicknamed “The Taxi”, due to its distinct yellow paint job and blue and white chequered pattern.

Mr Edwards and Leading Senior Constable Shane Roberts were once doing a drive-through in the bright yellow vehicle at the Diggers Rest Football Club car park, where an end-of-season party was being held.

“A drunken bloke comes running over to the car and says, ‘Who are you here to pick up?’”

Mr Edwards said.

“I said, ‘No one in particular, but for anyone who wants to volunteer, I’m guessing they won’t like where I end up taking them.

01

“He looked kind of confused, so I said, ‘Step back and have a better look at the car’.

“He did and then laughed when he realised it was a cop car and not the taxi he had ordered.”

“They’re like a German tank, these things, they’re very well built.”

Transport Services Division manager Frank Melilli said Victoria Police has used Commodores ever since the model first rolled off the production line in the late 1970s.

Victoria Police now has fewer than 180 Commodores in its fleet, mostly working in general duties and other uses across the organisation.

“Yes, we’ve lost the great SS but the replacement, the 5 Series BMW, is brilliant and has just about every safety feature known to man, and that’s our top priority,” Mr Melilli said.

“But they’re all in runout mode and will be replaced by vehicles like the Hyundai Sante Fe, Kia Sorrento or Volkswagen Tiguan,” Mr Melilli said.

HOLDEN Commodore

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Images Approaching the finish line 01 The Holden Commodore SS has been a workhorse for highway patrol police across the state for decades.

02 This one-off Holden VZ CV8 Monaro was given a special paint job to mark the 2006 Commonwealth Games being held in Melbourne.

03 The yellow paint scheme on this VZ Commodore SS meant police affectionately nicknamed it “The Taxi”.

04 In April 2007, Victoria Police launched its VE Commodore SS “Smart” car at Calder Park Thunderdome.

05 Officers in 1986 carefully take a Commodore through flood waters after the Maribyrnong River broke its banks in Van Ness Avenue, Maribyrnong.

Holden Commodore SS

Editorial: Jesse Wray-McCann Photography: Sen Const Jake Thornton and supplied

VZ CV8 Monaro

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VZ Commodore SS

03

VE Commodore SS “Smart” car

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SNAPPED ON SOCIAL

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

Members of the Water Police Squad were lucky enough to spot some fantastic silo art in the small town of Colbinabbin on their way to Waranga Basin for a deployment.

Police were forced to smash the window of a parked car to save a puppy from extreme heat after being notified that the family pet had been left unattended. The inside of the vehicle was estimated to be above 45 degrees. But thanks to the efforts of local officers, everything turned out okay.

Victoria Police members walked proudly alongside thousands of festival goers to celebrate inclusion, diversity and respect during the 2022 Pride March on Sunday, 6 February. This year marked 20 years of the force’s participation in the event, making it an extra special one for all officers involved.

Follow Victoria Police on Twitter at twitter.com/ victoriapolice

Like Victoria Police on Facebook by visiting facebook.com/ victoriapolice

The blue skies and colourful sighting shore did float their boat!

Follow Victoria Police on Instagram at instagram.com/ victoriapolice

ODDSPOT CORNER Quick fin-king police came to the rescue of a dolphin stranded in Port Phillip Bay earlier this year after it was seen beached in shallow water.

The Water Police Squad arrived at Greenwich Reserve in Williamstown just after 4pm on 7 February, following a request for police assistance lodged by marine animal experts from Melbourne Zoo. Two inflatable rescue boats carrying four officers were deployed from the beach and a sling was made to tow the dolphin into deeper water. A fifth police member was stationed on shore to watch over the rescue effort.

Animal experts assessed the marooned mammal before its successful release, deeming it healthy and fit to swim.

Police on the scene were even heard telling the rescue team that this was the first slippery customer they were pleased to see get away.

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IN BRIEF police.vic.gov.au/news

PROACTIVE POLICING STORIES

POLICE OFFICERS REMEMBERED AT STATE MEMORIAL

BACK TO SCHOOL FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Nearly two years after the tragic incident that took their lives, Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Senior Constable Kevin King, Constable Josh Prestney and Constable Glen Humphris were formally honoured at a State Memorial Service on 3 February.

Victoria Police is supporting schools to teach children about important safety issues such as cyber safety, road safety and who to talk to if they’re experiencing family violence.

The officers’ families, friends and colleagues were joined by hundreds of police, protective services officers (PSOs), Victorian Public Service (VPS) employees and community members to reflect on the lives, service and sacrifice of the four fallen police.

At the service, Chief Commissioner Shane Patton reflected on the strength shown by the loved ones of Lynette, Kevin, Josh and Glen, as well as the Victoria Police family.

“As a police family, we mourn the loss of our colleagues and we continue to grieve their loss,” CCP Patton said.

“What has got us through this though is the support we have received from other police and emergency services from across the nation and around the world.

“I can only imagine what this very public show of support meant to each of the families.”

As part of a renewed partnership with Victorian schools, a new Schools Engagement Model will involve specialist and frontline police officers working with schools to deliver crime prevention and safety messages to primary and secondary students across the state.

The new model, launched late last year, is part of Victoria Police’s broader focus on community engagement to build strong connections with young people and their families that help to keep the community safe.

“Community engagement is the cornerstone of policing,” Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said.

“Our relationships with young people and their families are central to this.

“This new model ensures every interaction with police is having the greatest impact on our young people.

“It sets us on a path that will see schools getting the best out of their police now and into the future.”

Premier Daniel Andrews and Police Minister Lisa Neville also spoke at the service, before Lynette, Kevin, Josh and Glen’s families and colleagues made moving tributes to their loved ones.

Police have been equipped with appropriate information and guidance on what engagement activities are most effective with schools to ensure interactions between police and students reflect good practice and address their specific issues.

Police, PSOs and VPS employees in attendance formed a guard of honour for the procession walk at the end as Lynette, Kevin, Josh and Glen’s families led their loved one’s images and caps out of the stadium.

The model enables a consistent approach across the state and was developed following consultation with educators, police, youth service providers and young people.

For more information about the Schools Engagement Model, visit police.vic.gov.au/youth

SCANNING PLATES TO SAVE LIVES The rollout of new technology, which allows police to scan around 45 million number plates per year, has been completed.

Registration information can also be matched against a database of vehicles of interest so they can be identified and removed from the road.

Automated number plate recognition (ANPR) technology has now been fitted to more than 200 highway patrol vehicles, providing Victoria Police with increased capability to detect unauthorised drivers putting lives at risk on Victoria’s roads.

Unauthorised driving was a factor in around 10 per cent of fatal collisions in 2021, with police more determined than ever to stop the senseless loss of life.

It allows police to detect drivers who are suspended, disqualified or unlicensed, as well as unregistered and stolen vehicles and fraudulent number plates.

“Automated number plate recognition technology gives us another set of eyes on the roads to stop unauthorised drivers in their tracks,” Assistant Commissioner Road Policing Glenn Weir said.

Since the first Victorian Police vehicle fitted with mobile ANPR hit the roads in February 2019, more that 112 million number plates have been scanned.

Police will continue to use the ANPR-fitted highway patrol vehicles in future road policing operations, with a focus on high-risk areas.

For more information and tips for staying safe on the roads, visit police.vic.gov.au/ road-safety-0

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WHEN YOU NEED US , BUT NOT THE SIRENS There’s a new way to contact the police when you don’t need the sirens - the 24/7 Police Assistance Line.

Save 131 444 to your phone for non-emergency situations.

Or for online reporting go to police.vic.gov.au

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