BADGE AND BEYOND
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Images Badge and beyond 01 A s a detective in 1979. 02 Mr Smith continues work as a private investigator.
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VALENTINE SMITH Retired Victoria Police Senior Sergeant Valentine Smith spent almost 40 years with the organisation. He reflected on his police career and how his passion for detective work has continued in the private sector. “There were no surprises when I first joined Victoria Police, as I had already spent three years with the Air Force Police and briefly worked at the Commonwealth Police. A few years after graduating I became a detective and five or six years later the boss of the Dealers Squad saw me giving evidence in court and asked me to consider a position. The squad worked with second-hand dealers, antique dealers and pawn shops, matching stolen property to crimes. It was highly effective and had an excellent arrest rate. Personally, I preferred working on the more complex and quirky investigations. A memorable case I worked on as a detective involved stolen samurai swords. There were many cultural considerations and it involved the Japanese mafia, also known as the Yakuza. 30
POLICE LIFE | SPRING 2015
While I enjoyed detective work, my time at the Industrial Relations Division gave me a whole new perspective on policing and this was enhanced when I got the job as Seymour Police Station’s officer in charge. It was a fantastic experience to manage a station but I wanted to continue doing detective work so in 1995 I accepted a position with the Crime Stoppers Unit as a detective senior sergeant. At Crime Stoppers I helped facilitate a number of successful crime reduction initiatives in Victoria, across the country and internationally. A highlight was a successful two-month international manhunt in France called Operation Infrared. It led to the arrest of many fugitives, including a South African man wanted for serious rapes and kidnappings and an American man for international drug running. The operation’s success inspired similar Crime Stoppers campaigns at home and provided a blueprint for other international law enforcement agencies.
HIGHLIGHT ON SMITH 1974
Appointed Constable and worked at Russell Street, Traffic and Patrol Division, Colac, Mount Waverley
1979
Appointed Detective Senior Constable Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB)
19801986
Worked at Colac, Russell St and Dealers Squad CIBs
19861989
Appointed Sergeant at Essendon Police Station and worked at Shepparton Police Station
19891992
Industrial Relations Senior Sergeant
19921995
Officer in charge at Seymour Police Station
19952013
Appointed Senior Sergeant at Victoria Police Crime Stoppers Unit
2011
Awarded the Australian Police Medal for leadership at Crime Stoppers Victoria, which was also recognised globally
2013
Retired
Since retiring in 2013, I built a mentoring program for a local government group and now work for a company that supplies a private sector whistle blowing service. I’m also doing some pro bono work on a missing person case involving a 10-year-old boy who disappeared 40 years ago.”
Editorial and photography: Jane McCubbin