BENALLA POLICE DO A VARIETY OF JOBS TO HELP KEEP LOCALS AND THOSE WHO VISIT THE PRETTY COUNTRY TOWN SAFE AND SOUND. EDITORIAL ANTHONY LONCARIC PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREW HENSHAW
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fter driving through the picturesque country township of Benalla, it’s hard to imagine local police having a lot of work to do around the place. But there is always something going on to keep them busy. Benalla Police Station members are tasked with policing the nearby Hume Freeway, the main road between Melbourne and Sydney, and this offers many challenges to police working in the Highway Patrol and Crime Investigation Unit (CIU). Benalla CIU’s Acting Detective Sergeant Shannon Murphy said there have been a number of fatal collisions on the freeway within the station’s response zone, with fatigue a major causal factor in most incidents. “We are two hours out of Melbourne and that’s where people can become fatigued, start falling asleep and serious or fatal collisions can occur,” A/Det Sgt Murphy said. “The CIU works closely with the Highway Patrol because those members regularly pull over cars and trucks on the freeway carrying commercial quantities of drugs.
“Our members recently pulled over a car with 19 kilograms of cannabis inside and we were involved in the follow-up investigation and warrant processes.” A/Det Sgt Murphy said he enjoyed the variety of work on offer for CIU members in Benalla and surrounding areas, including Jamieson, Wood's Point and Mansfield. “Here you work in so many different environments from the snow areas around Mount Bulla to the desert-like broad-acre farmland,” he said. “There was an incident I investigated last year that involved a man falling out of the harness of a rescue helicopter in the high country. “Attendance and examination of the scene was highly challenging because we had to hike a fair distance to get to the location. Once there it was so steep you couldn’t sit down because you would slide down the hill.” The general duties members at the station are also kept busy. Senior Constable Tara Seers recently transferred to the station to gain more experience in different policing areas.
“I’ve always thought of Benalla as a hub because it’s central to Melbourne, Shepparton and Albury. It’s the type of place that is a stop off to a major destination. “My workload has picked up since I moved here and you get to manage your investigations from start to finish, which doesn’t always happen at a metropolitan station.” Family violence and drug and alcohol related crimes are considered high policing priorities for local members. “Our rates of family violence are up there with the highest in the state and this problem makes up a majority of our work here,” Sen Const Seers said. “But it shows people are comfortable with reporting and our members take it very seriously. We build up a rapport with victims over time and it makes our jobs easier.” Sen Const Seers said it was concerning to see more young people using drugs like ICE. “It is a country town so there is not always a lot for young people to do around here,” she said. “We’ve got nightclubs 20 minutes away at Wangaratta and we are finding more young people using party drugs like ICE. These types of drugs ruin lives and make it harder for police because it takes more than two coppers on the van to deal with someone affected by it.” Police Life recently visited the station and it was immediately apparent the members valued teamwork.
“It’s an old station here and we use our meal room as our conference room where we discuss the work we are all doing,” A/Det Sgt Murphy said. “The atmosphere at the station is great and everyone gets on really well. As well as the Highway Patrol and Crime Investigation Unit we’ve got Family Violence Liaison Officers, Youth Resource Officers and a Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team.” There is a rich history of policing in Benalla as police started working in the area before Victoria Police was formed in 1853. Benalla’s first police were five mounted troopers who, in 1839, established a police camp at Broken River, near the present sit of Benalla. Benalla police were also heavily involved in the hunt for Australia’s most notorious criminal, Ned Kelly, in 1878. “It’s great to work at a place with this much history and there are so many community minded people living here,” A/Det Sgt Murphy said. “I wanted to move here for a better life for my family and the chance to work in such a big area. It’s great to have many challenging but rewarding jobs to work on.”
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Benalla police work hard to build relationships with local community members, including farmers.
There is a great atmosphere at Benalla Police Station and members value teamwork when out on the job.
First Constable Karen Sheehan heads out of the police station to meet with local business owners.
www.police.vic.gov.au/policelife
POLICELIFE WINTER 2014
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