Police Life August 2007

Transcription

The Victoria Police Magazine
August 2007
HODDLE
STREET
20 years since Melbourne’s
innocence was shattered
PLUS > FINGERPRINTS > CRIME SCENE OFFICERS > BAIRNSDALE POLICE
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INTELLIGENT POLICING
CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION
REGULARS…
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ODD SPOTS…05
PARTNERSHIP POLICING
LIVES ON THE LINE
TRUE CRIME…14
OUT & ABOUT…22
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PUBLICATION AND PREFERENCE
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ADDRESSES AND TELEPHONE
NUMBERS MUST BE INCLUDED.
LETTERS MAY BE EDITED BY
POLICE LIFE. ONLY THE NAME AND
SUBURB WILL BE PUBLISHED,
UNLESS THE WRITER REQUESTS
OTHERWISE. SUBMIT LETTERS TO:
chelsea.arnold@police.vic.gov.au
:
CHRISTINE NIXON, APM
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FROM THE ARCHIVES…34
CONFIDENT POLICING
CONSTABLES ON CALL
DISPLAY CASE…35
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LETTERS FROM MEMBERS OF THE
elcome to the August edition
of Police Life.
Thanks to your feedback, we have
given the magazine a contemporary
makeover, giving readers more of
what they want – stories of true
crime, community policing and
good arrests - and reflecting the
contemporary organisation Victoria
Police has become.
We would like to hear your
thoughts on the changes, so please
email us your feedback and story
suggestions.
This month we will remember
the 20th anniversary of the Hoddle
Street murders. For the many police
members who attended this will be a
time of quiet reflection and for some
it may be a difficult time. Some still
live with the memory of that day and
will for the rest of their lives.
We have learnt lessons from
incidents such as this and it is
comforting to know that the support
services offered to Victoria Police
members involved in critical incidents
have improved markedly since.
To the members who did attend
thank you for the commitment you
provided. We are grateful for the way
that you carried out your duties.
_
COMMUNITY POLICING
SERVING SOLO
OR INBOX, POLICE LIFE, PO BOX 415,
MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, 3005.
SENSITIVITY AFTER
SCHOOLIES ASSAULT
I am the mother of Jon Hucker
who on 29 November was
assaulted outside the Lorne Hotel
during Schoolies Week.
I would like to thank Senior
Constable Sean Wallace of Lorne
police station for his kindness and
sensitivity shown to myself and my
family during the initial stage of
Jon’s assault – when contacting us
to deliver the news.
Sen Const Wallace was
particularly caring even though he
may well think he was just carrying
out his duty.
Professionalism and attitude are
paramount when dealing with the
public. He certainly demonstrated
these qualities while talking with
us and keeping us informed while
Jon was at Lorne and the helicopter
was unable to land.
Sen Const Wallace and his
partners were also very kind and
considerate to Jon’s friends who
were very upset and confused.
Jon is now progressing very well
considering the extent of his injury
and its severity.
COMMENDATION FOR
COMMUNITY POLICING
I wish to offer my sincere thanks
to your members, especially
Constable David Gillespie of Epping
police station after a reported
incident in May.
All members at the station
showed me compassion, courtesy
and professionalism in my dealing
with them.
They should all be commended
for their work in community
policing.
SUZANNE HUCKER,
MOUNT CLEAR
VICKI ZIOGAS,
LOWER TEMPLESTOWE
Police Life is produced by the Strategic Communications Unit, Media & Corporate
Communications Department, Victoria Police, PO Box 415, Melbourne, 3005.
Fax: 9247 5982
Editor Chelsea Arnold chelsea.arnold@police.vic.gov.au Journalists Maria Carnovale
maria.carnovale@police.vic.gov.au, Sarah Campbell sarah.campbell@police.vic.gov.au
Graphic Design Vetro Design Pty Ltd Subscriptions Jillian Forrester 9247 5419
ISSN 0032-2598L Crown Copyright in the state of Victoria. For permission to reprint
any part of this magazine, contact the editor. Opinions expressed are not necessarily
those of Victoria Police.
A LIFE SAVED
We are very grateful to Sergeant
Brian McKiterick, Senior Constable
Brian Anderson and Constable
Katyana Rijks, who took our son to
hospital one Saturday night from
the Torquay Hotel when he cut his
hand.
He had micro surgery the next
day. Doctors told him if he had not
come in when he did he may have
bled to death.
MAREE AND TOM CLAYTON,
DEER PARK
COVER IMAGE:
Melbourne’s innocence
was shattered by the
Hoddle Street murders.
See story, page 6.
POSTER: WHITE OUT
Senior Constable Mark
Ross patrols the slopes
at Mt Buller.
Photograph: Shane Bell
August 2007
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IDENTIFYING MORE CRIMINALS THAN EVER,
TRADITIONAL METHODS OF FORENSIC
SCIENCE PROVE THEY STILL HAVE THEIR
PLACE IN MODERN POLICING.
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,
t is the oldest form of criminal
identification yet there is nothing
outdated about fingerprinting.
More offenders are being caught
through fingerprint identification
than ever since the technique was
introduced 104 years ago.
In 2006-07, more than 5000
fingerprint matches were
made, meaning 5000 people
were identified for crimes they
identification still offered crime
investigation.
“Fingerprints have always been
an important element of forensics,”
A/Insp Martin said.
“Normally, we average about 4500
fingerprint matches a year, so this is
a big increase for us this year.
“It’s a really important milestone
for fingerprints as it shows the
methodology is value adding to the
decrease in crime.”
Fingerprint expert Caitlin Sinclair
said advances in technology and
the appointment of crime scene
officers (CSOs) taking more latent
fingerprints had led to more
matches being made.
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EXPERT EVIDENCE
.01 The number of fingerprints being
taken from scenes by Crime
Scene Officers has contributed
to the rise in positive fingerprint
identifications.
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committed - volume crime such
as burglaries and theft and major
organised crime - because their
fingerprints were found at a crime
scene or on crucial evidence and
were matched to fingerprints
stored on file.
Acting Inspector Wayne Martin
of the Fingerprints Branch said
the result highlighted the value
more traditional forms of forensic
“There are a number of different
things we can attribute the result
to,” Ms Sinclair said.
“One of those is the system we
have. The quality is much better
than traditionally inked prints and
the system is more effective.
“Livescan uses optical light
to digitally scan and capture
finger and palm prints before
electronically sending them to the
National Automated Fingerprint
Identification System in Canberra
and the Fingerprint Branch for
comparison against prints stored
on the database.
“Each fingerprint has
characteristics which are unique.
The computer picks these up
and then it searches through
the database and picks 15 likely
candidates. This process can take
just a few minutes compared to
a few weeks using traditional
methods.”
Once the candidates have been
formulated, identification is done
manually by fingerprint experts.
Livescan operates at 35 police
stations across the state.
More than 240 CSOs were
appointed at 24 Crime Desks
across the state as part of Project
Clarendon, to improve police
response to volume crime.
A/Insp Martin said he was
confident the good results would
continue to increase.
“It’s really important we
fingerprint as many people as
possible - the more fingerprints we
take, the more matches we
are likely to make. We need to
ensure fingerprints are taken
at every opportunity where the
legislation applies.”
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I would say helping people, but I’m office based
these days so I help with the corporate approach
to policing.
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I enjoy the people I work with the most and striving
to continually improve and make life better for
operational members and the community.
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twisted serial killer is on the loose, obsessed with firelight and
shadow, mutilating his victims.
Criminal profiler Detective Mariita Van Hassel must muster all her
profiling nous and investigative ingenuity to catch the killer before he
strikes again.
Inspiration for The Shadow Maker’s central character was prompted
by a Police Life article in 2002 on the craft, investigative role and
attitude of colleagues of Victoria Police criminal profiler Detective
Senior Sergeant Deb Bennett.
The book takes readers on a gruesome journey into a killer’s mind.
I;D?EH9EDIJ78B;HED@ED;I
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I really enjoy being out on the road, meeting people
and talking to people. I’ve been doing this job since
1981, and still enjoy it, but I’m looking forward to
retirement in about 28 months.
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ince it came into use in the mid
1990s, Oleoresin Capsicum
spray (OC spray) has given police
an alternative method of restraint.
The spray contains an
isobutane and propane propellant
and is alcohol-based.
Senior Constable Kevin Bayliss,
an instructor at the Operational
Safety and Tactics Training Unit
said the ingredients caused facial
pain, making people close their
eyes and focus on the pain rather
than their attack.
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OC spray is used in violent
situations, when police are at
serious physical risk, where a
person is involved in violence or
another physical condition that is
likely to cause them serious injury,
and to deter attacking animals.
The spray can travel more than
three metres.
All police are trained in the
use of OC spray as part of their
Operational Safety and Tactics
Training.
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Why are labradors used as passive
alert detector (PAD) dogs?
Labradors are used as PAD dogs
because they are friendly and approachable to the public, the
Dog Squad’s Sergeant Trevor Studham said. Labradors display no
aggression and people are more inclined to pat them than a German
Shepherd, which are equal to the task, but look more threatening.
Labradors also have a large appetite, which is useful as food is the
reward used for good work. The main role of a PAD dog is to detect drugs
carried by people, primarily at airports or at major events.
7:=>C9I=:769<:
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G6C@ Senior Constable <G69J6I:92001
6<:36 HI6I>DCForce Response Unit (FRU)
:KJ?;I¾ The FRU’s core function is the Critical Incident Response Team
(CIRT), which has been operating for almost 3½ years. The CIRT provides
24-hour, seven-day a week response to critical incidents, created to
fill the gap between general duties police and the Special Operations
Group (SOG). We work in teams of eight, split between two vans. The jobs
I attend include sieges, hostage situations, armed offenders, violent
confrontations, suicide interventions, and cell clearances for violent
prisoners. During incidents where SOG criteria are met, the CIRT provides
cordon and containment of the scene until the SOG arrives. FRU also
performs other roles including witness protection, and first response for
suspicious powder or packages.
M>;D<79;:M?J>7FHE8B;C?¾think common sense goes a
long way, and if it is an unfamiliar situation, just do the best you can,
especially if you are ‘Johnny on the spot’ at the time. I find that with
policing it is like you are in a big team, and when you get stuck with
something there is a huge network of support and advice to access.
F;EFB;I7O?ÊC=EE:7J¾keeping it real.
I>;I7OI¾ I enjoy working at the FRU and the type of jobs we attend.
The variety of ongoing training challenges we have requires you to think
very tactically. The extra weapons training, such as the shotgun course,
and maintaining a high standard of physical fitness is something I really
enjoy. There is also the negotiator’s course, and close personal protection
courses, providing scope for FRU members interested in expanding into
other areas.
D;NJ"?Ê:B?A;JE¾ do something that motivates me and keeps me
interested. That is the most important part of my career, and in this job
there are a huge variety of roles and areas to change in to when you need
a fresh challenge.
2''
6327
SOUTHBANK WARS
FINGERPRINTING FAUX PAS
NO PLACE FOR ROOSTING
An unsuspecting man caused chaos in
Southbank in May when he was spotted
with a gun sticking out of his backpack.
Two Brimbank Crime Scene Officers
(CSO) almost put their boss in the
slammer when they were asked to
fingerprint a vehicle that was involved
in a robbery at Footscray police station.
Wangaratta police station has lost its
mascot, a rooster called ‘Trevor’. Named
after the station’s superintendent,
Trevor earned his name after local
newspapers described the rooster as
the ‘Top Cock’.
Police arrested the man, only to find a
Star Wars costume and the imitation
gun inside the bag; the man had
been on his way to a Star Wars 30th
anniversary celebration.
The CSOs went to the station and began
to fingerprint the vehicle, when they
realised the doors that were supposed
to be unlocked were actually locked.
Further investigations found the vehicle
registration did not match that of the
vehicle on their paperwork, and the car
they had fingerprinted was their boss’.
The next hour was spent cleaning
fingerprint residue off the car and
feeling slightly embarrassed.
SPEED BLOWS
A man from the United Kingdom
will spend four months in jail after
attempting to blow up a speed camera.
The camera caught the man speeding,
as well as his unsuccessful attempt to
destroy the camera.
Sadly, after three years of service at
Wangaratta police station, Trevor had
to be transferred to a members’ farm
where he can roost in comfort.
EXPIRED TICKET
Transit Safety Division staff were
confronted with a tricky situation when
they came across a man who had fallen
asleep between the barriers of a ticket
blockade at Flinders Street Station.
While trying to maintain straight faces,
police attempted to move the drunken
man from his wedged position but
were unable to wake or move him. After
many unsuccessful attempts police
finally pulled him out of his seemingly
comfortable position.
Royal Auto
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.01
TO COMMEMORATE THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY
OF ONE OF VICTORIA’S MOST SHOCKING MASS
MURDERS POLICE LIFE SPEAKS TO SERVING
POLICE WHO WERE ON THE SCENE ON THE
FATAL NIGHT ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE AND
THE AFTERMATH.
,
n the space of 45 minutes the
lives of community members,
ambulance officers and police
members were forever changed when
a gun-wielding 19-year-old went on a
shooting spree in Clifton Hill.
In all, he would kill seven people,
injure 19 others and emotionally
scar many more who were in the
vicinity of the carnage in Hoddle
Street on Sunday, 9 August, 1987.
Twenty years on the memories of
the night are still vivid.
Tragedy unfolds
Informant on the case,
Superintendent Graham Kent of
Frontline Services Courses, then
a detective senior constable at
the Homicide Squad, said what
unfolded was totally unjustifiable
and the actions of “an immature,
selfish young man”.
Former Australian Army officercadet Julian Knight had attended
a family gathering in Hawthorn
earlier in the day, before running a
:9>IDG>6A8=:AH:66GCDA9
HORROR UNFOLDS
.01 Julian Knight leaves court under
police guard. Photograph: Herald &
Weekly Times.
.02 Media coverage focused on police
handling of the scene and tighter gun
controls.
.03 An aerial view of the homicide scene.
%+
.03
&20081,7<32/,&,1*
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Knight leaves his
mother’s house
.#(%EB
Knight fires randomly
at passers-by using a
Ruger rifle
.#(*EB
at passers-by with a
Mossberg shotgun
.#(,EB
First police unit arrives at
scene in Hoddle Street
.#(.EB
at passers-by using an
M14 rifle
.#))EB
.02
First ambulances arrive at
the scene in Hoddle Street
.#)*EB
Knight withdraws from the
Hoddle Street scene
series of errands and going to the
Royal Hotel in Clifton Hill. When he
returned home about 9pm he went
to his mother’s room and retrieved
his firearms and loaded them.
Just before 9.30am Knight
left the house armed with
three firearms.
Travelling on foot he walked
along Ramsden Street and across
the railway line to the nature strip
between the eastern side of Hoddle
Street and the railway line.
He then started shooting at
people in cars along Hoddle Street,
targeting mainly south-bound
vehicles.
He first fired with a .22 Ruger,
firing about 40 rounds. He then
used a shotgun and fired about 25
rounds before using the M14 rifle
for which he had about 60 rounds.
He moved along the nature strip
between Ramsden Street
and Clifton Hill railway station,
firing at cars and at people who
had stopped their vehicles and had
gotten out onto the roadway.
Gunned down
Vesna Markovska, 24, was driving
her Gemini when it was fired at
causing the windows to shatter and
some injury to her. She stopped her
car and got out. She was then shot
a number of times to the right side
of her head and body.
Robert Mitchell, 27, saw Vesna
and stopped his car in Hoddle
Street and went to her assistance.
He was on the roadway near where
she lay when he was shot in the
right side of his head.
Gina Papaioannou, 21, was
driving along Hoddle Street when
she saw Vesna on the roadway. She
stopped on the western side of
Hoddle Street and crossed to where
Vesna lay. She was then shot in the
lower body and buttock. She was
alive and conscious when taken by
ambulance to hospital. However,
her injuries proved fatal and she
died in hospital on 20 August.
John Muscat, 26, was with
friends at a house in Turnbull
Street, Clifton Hill when he heard
shots fired. He left the house and
joined Peter Curmi, also from the
house and Steven Wight who was
working at the swimming pool
nearby. The three were about to
cross to where Vesna, Robert and
Gina lay when they too were shot.
Muscat received wounds to his
head, neck and chest and was
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Knight fires three shots at
police car Northcote 253
.#)-EB
Police helicopter Air 495
arrives over Clifton Hill
.#*.EB
Knight fires a shot at
Constable Colin Chambers
on the Northcote end of
the Queens Parade/High
Street bridge
&%#%*EB
Knight fires three shots at
Air 495 forcing it to land on
nearby Knott Reserve
&%#&(EB
Knight cornered in McKean
Street, Fitzroy North
&%#&)EB
Knight surrenders and is
arrested by police
Information sourced from:
Hoddle Street: The ambush and
the tragedy, by Peter Haddow.
%,
.04
dead on arrival at hospital. Curmi
and Wight survived despite serious
injuries.
Dusan Flajnik, 53, was driving to
work when he was shot in the left
shoulder and chest.
Tracey Skinner, 23, was travelling
south along Hoddle Street with her
husband and young son on her lap.
They were approaching Ramsden
Street when she was shot in the
head through the window of the car.
Shane Stanton, 21, was riding
his motorcycle along Hoddle Street
when he was shot in the chest.
He fell from his bike and was shot
again while lying on the roadway.
Knight fired other shots causing
damage to vehicles and injuring
drivers and passengers. He then
went to Clifton Hill railway station
and ran north along the railway line
Police response
Acting Senior Sergeant Michelle
Young of the State Intelligence
Group and Sergeant Andrew Hiam
of Epping police, both constables
with the Community Policing Squad
at the time, were among the first
police to arrive on scene.
“When I drive down Hoddle Street
I remember where everyone was on
the night. When we arrived we saw
one of the victims who had been
shot in the chest, but he was still
alive,” A/Sen Sgt Young said.
“It was a mad scene. There were
victims in the gutter, the man shot
in the chest, the van crew was
being shot at.
“I recognised a voice, it was a
squad mate of mine. I could hear
the terror in her voice.”
%-
.05
“I was so frustrated that we
weren’t trained for that type of
incident,” she said.
“Watching people die without
the power to do anything, that was
really hard to resolve within me. It
made me realise that life is a gift
and it can be taken at any time.”
A/Sen Sgt Young was later tasked
to collect and supervise Knight’s
mother and sister.
.06
low on ammunition, he continued
moving north taking cover behind
buildings and scrub.
Inspector Graham Larchin, then
a sergeant at Northcote police
station, and his partner had used
their patrol car to block traffic from
entering the firing line.
While blocking the traffic, Insp
Larchin observed Knight walking
along the overpass towards him.
.07
and that’s when it hit me – he was
so close to me and I was still going
to him – I should’ve been dead.
“It was such a fast moving
incident. The management of these
incidents is very difficult to achieve.
All members on the night did heroic
acts in horrific and trying
circumstances.
“The carnage on the night was a
lot lower than it could have been.”
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“I was not allowed to discuss
what had happened or how many
people had died. Spending those
hours and hearing of him as a
person from them, that was hard,”
she said.
“The ones I truly feel for were the
mum and sister. Those women were
absolutely shattered.”
Insp Larchin continued in his
direction until he stopped about
40 metres away as Knight raised
a long barrelled firearm.
Knight fired five rounds in Insp
Larchin’s direction.
“There was a barrel of shots
being fired as I ran back to my
partner. It was like a movie scene
Knight came out near the
southern end of High Street, at
the bridge across Merri Creek. He
then shot at a policeman carrying
out traffic duty.
Knight then crossed back over
Merri Creek towards the railway
line. The Air Wing, Air 495, was
hovering above.
Lives on the line
When Knight reached the northern
end of Hoddle Street he fired at an
approaching police vehicle. Running
.10
.12
.11
&20081,7<32/,&,1*
.08
Senior Constable Darryl Jones
of the Region 4 Regional Traffic
Tasking Unit was an observer in Air
495 on the night.
“We had been having a quiet
night at the office when the
observer took a call from D24,” Sen
Const Jones said.
“We got airborne and I was
working the nite sun light. We flew
down and hovered above the search
area. We could see cars stopped at
right angles on the road and people
who had obviously been injured.
“Over the police radio we heard
the offender was heading north
along Hoddle Street. We flew up
over Merri Creek. I was searching
the creek when I saw a person. So
rather than concentrate on them,
the pilot did a circle and we took
the spotlight off the area.
“Then we were hit. He fired three
shots at the aircraft and only one
of them hit, directly below my feet.
It felt like the floor had jumped 12
feet in the air.
“The pilot asked me to find
somewhere to land. We got out to
look at the damage. There was a
hole three inches by two inches in
an egg shape, and a lot of fuel was
pouring out the bottom.
“That really had an impact on
me in terms of how vulnerable you
can be.”
Officer in charge of Bairnsdale
Crime Investigation Unit (CIU)
Detective Sergeant Charlie Machen,
then an acting sergeant at Fitzroy
police station, headed to the scene
“but I only had five rounds with me”.
“I drove to Johnston Street, got
out of the car and hid behind a
rubbish skip,” Det Sgt Machen said.
.09
.10
HORROR UNFOLDS
.04 Dusan Flajnik.
.05 Vesna Markovska.
.06 John Muscat.
.07 Gina Papaioannou.
.08 Robert Mitchell.
.09 Shane Stanton.
.10 Tracey Skinner. Photograph:
Courtesy of Peter Haddow.
.11 Superintendent Graham Kent
revisits the killing zone.
.12 The victims’ vehicles sit idle.
.13 Aerial view of Hoddle Street.
.13
“It was then that a jogger came
towards me. He was in dark
clothing and was carrying a large
stick – but looked somewhat like a
rifle - and he had a dog by his side.
I shouted and ran towards him. The
barrel of my gun actually hit him
in the face but he wasn’t the
gunman and didn’t even know
what was going on.
“My training in the army was
the only thing that stopped me
shooting the jogger.”
Detective Sergeant Dennis
Harnetty of the Box Hill CIU, then
a senior constable at Richmond
police station, had gone to work
early before night shift to catch
up on paperwork. The call came in
and he and Sergeant Terry Howard
headed to the scene.
“We were flagged down by a
police car and warned of the danger
as we travelled up Hoddle Street,”
Det Sgt Harnetty said.
“We got out at the intersection
of Ramsden Street and knelt down
behind the car. Then we heard
shots fired.
“We had heard on the police radio
that a girl was seriously injured but
that the ambulances wouldn’t cross
the road because of the impending
danger. Terry and I made our way
over, running from tree to tree for
cover. Terry got in the driver’s seat
of the ambulance and I sat in the
observer’s position and piloted the
car along Turnbull Street and onto
Hoddle. The ambulance officers
were lying down in the back.
“At one point I flicked the lights
on and after some choice words
from everyone inside, quickly
turned them off.
“When we got to Gina she had a
fairly severe injury to her hip. She
was a brave young girl. She barely
gave a whimper. She was then
taken to hospital.
“We felt pretty good that we had
gotten her in the ambulance but
then she died a few days later.”
Meanwhile, Knight made his way
to McKean Street, North Fitzroy.
Sergeant John Delahunty who
had earlier been working one-up in
the Fitzroy sedan and had already
“watched one of the victims die”
was driving along Rushall Crescent
when he came to Russell Street
police’s Leading Senior Constable
Ralph Lockman, diverting traffic at
the intersection of Queens Parade.
He assisted directing traffic before
they saw a man running to McKean
Street and pursued him.
“When we spotted him we would
have been no more than 20 metres
away,” Ldg Sen Const Lockman said.
“We jumped in the car and
chased him down a couple of
streets,” Sgt Delahunty said.
“Most of the time we couldn’t see
him but I saw him go down a lane.”
%.
.14
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Still in the car, they positioned
themselves facing the laneway.
“He dropped down behind a wall,
ambushing us. He opened fire.
The muzzle flash was quite bright.
I felt an impact on the side of my
head. I thought I had been shot in
the head. I got out of the car and he
kept firing.
“I turned around. I can’t
remember taking my gun out of the
holster but I fired one shot back at
him. At that moment I thought I was
going to die. It was exhilarating and
terrifying at the same time.
“I was in shock. I never thought I
would be involved in something like
that. It went very quiet for a while.”
Ldg Sen Const Lockman had his
firearm pointed in the offender’s
direction.
“After that burst of gunfire I saw
a rifle of some sort thrown out into
HORROR UNFOLDS
.14 Detectives search for evidence
at the scene.
.15 Police handling of the incident
came under fire.
.16 The semi-automatic rifle used
by Knight at the massacre.
&%
the street at the entrance to the
laneway. Immediately after, I saw
two hands appear from behind
the brick wall and I heard a voice
say “don’t shoot, don’t shoot, I’m
unarmed,” he said.
Knight had run out of
ammunition and surrendered.
Insp Larchin and other police
arrived. Knight was arrested and
taken into custody.
A killer’s insight
He was questioned by detectives
Kim Cox and Richard McIntosh, now
an Inspector at Information and
Communication Technology, who
took him to St Kilda Road CIB.
He was then interviewed by
Detective Senior Sergeant Brian
McCarthy and Supt Kent at
the Homicide Squad, and took
part in re-enactments of the
night’s events.
“Knight put the picture together
better than we ever could have,”
Supt Kent said.
“It is unusual to get an
opportunity to talk to a mass
murderer. I didn’t go in with a
preconceived idea but what we saw
was an excitable, excited young
man who was still playing a part
and talking about his side of the
story. He was almost skiting.
“He gave a military debrief after
the incident. He was fairly clinical
and his recall was remarkable.
“He did it because he wanted to
have that experience of engaging
in combat and to know what it was
like to kill. He had thought about
doing it for some time. He didn’t
see that it was wrong.
“He didn’t sound like he was
talking about people, it was like
he was talking about kangaroos.
The people meant nothing to him.”
“To be able to walk through
the scene with him was enormous
value for us in terms of the
investigation.”
Knight was charged with seven
counts of murder, 40 counts of
attempted murder, seven counts
of causing serious injury and 12
counts of causing injury.
On 10 November, 1988, in the
Melbourne Supreme Court, Justice
George Hampel sentenced Knight to
life imprisonment with a minimum
non-parole period of 27 years.
Knight, is eligible for parole in 2014.
“I think the 20th anniversary is a
timely reminder that in 2014 he is
eligible to apply for parole. Maybe it
is time for the government and the
community to consider whether he
should ever be eligible for release,”
Sgt Delahunty said.
“He has never apologised to
indicate he is truly remorseful.”
Never forgotten
Insp Larchin said the event had a
profound affect on many members.
While most police involved
remained in the job, others did not.
For those still serving, they concede
criticism of the organisation’s
handling of the welfare of police
who attended the scene.
Some developed post-traumatic
stress disorder.
“There’s not too many police who
went back to active duty after that.
I think the after-care was mismanaged,” Insp Larchin said.
While he did not actually
encounter Knight, it took Det
Sgt Machen “10 to 15 years to
get over it”.
&20081,7<32/,&,1*
15
“There was no formal
counselling. I went on three weeks’
leave and then it didn’t affect me
until I had to speak about it at
the Detective Training School 12
months later,” he said.
“We were so helpless. For 10
years after, I carried two firearms
with me in the CIU. If I couldn’t get
a second firearm I would take extra
ammunition. It made me acutely
aware of how things can go pear
shaped in an instant.”
“If an incident happened today
I still think the human reaction
would be the same but we have
come a long way in our training and
the support services provided for
members who have been involved
in critical incidents.”
Det Sgt Harnetty said he was not
offered counselling nor a debriefing.
“I went and sought it myself
because it wasn’t offered. There is
nothing wrong with getting a bit of
help,” he said.
Supt Kent said police and the
community at large “suffered
through this experience”.
“It was a pretty defining thing for
the state and for Victoria Police. It
had a large impact on the psyche
of people. What I find compelling
is that it’s still with them, this
lingering sense that something
happened. A lot of people who drive
past Clifton Hill railway station
can’t go past without remembering
what happened.”
Lessons learned
While it is openly agreed that aftercare for police and rehabilitation
of the local community was not
what it could or should have been
and that frontline police were not
adequately trained to respond
to incidents of this scale, today
presents a very different picture.
Sgt Delahunty, said Victoria
Police had “learnt from the bitter
and sad experiences of the past 20
years”.
“As a result of Hoddle Street, and
events that followed, they brought
in very good and progressive
training to help us deal with those
situations. At OSTT the quality of
training is light years away from
where we were then. The level of
professionalism has increased.”
Brave actions
Sgt Delahunty, now based at
Oakleigh police station, and Ldg
Sen Const Lockman, of Eltham CIU,
were awarded the Victoria Police
Valour Award for their actions.
Many police put their lives on the
line that night, Supt Kent said.
“They did some pretty scary
stuff. The guy was still at large
and was shooting people and
police seriously took on the job
of trying to protect and save
people. There was this incredible
sense of vulnerability because
they didn’t know where he was.
The bullets went flying straight
through the car doors. It was
freaky to think that police weren’t
killed, ” he said.
Julian Knight was no
stranger to guns. Serving at
the Royal Military College
in Duntroon, Knight put his
weapons training to use
on the fateful evening of 9
August, 1987.
He claimed he had wanted
to know what it felt like to
kill, and in the 40-minute
rampage he left behind a
gruesome scene.
Knight went to Hoddle Street
armed with three guns.
Using the guns to fire about
125 shots at people in the
area, cars driving down
Hoddle Street and at the
Air Wing hovering overhead,
Knight aimed to kill anyone
in sight.
In the aftermath, bullets
were found under car seats,
lodged in car upholstery and
car exteriors, and even in
the wall of a hotel some 120
metres north of the scene.
The Hoddle Street massacre
prompted debate about
Australia’s gun laws. Only
days after the incident, a
firearms amnesty began in
Victoria and later, changes
were made to gun laws and
licensing methods, aiming to
prevent similar incidents and
copycat killings.
The semi-automatic rifle
used by Knight will be on
display at the Victoria Police
Museum when it re-opens
in October.
Maria Carnovale
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.16
&&
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POLICE LIFE SPENDS A DAY WITH CRIME
SCENE OFFICERS ATTENDING VOLUME
CRIME SCENES.
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E=DID<G6E=N6C9G:L=:CH=6L
:
ith fingerprint dust and brushes
in their hands and cameras
dangling from their necks, a Crime
Scene Officer (CSO) never knows
what they will find.
Their attention to detail and
inquisitiveness leads them to
evidence that would be overlooked
by the average person and, as
one of the busiest Crime Desks
in Victoria, the CSOs at Brimbank
cannot afford to miss a thing.
When the clock hits 8am the
crime desk, including a sergeant
and 16 CSOs, is abuzz with
movement in preparation for the
busy day ahead.
Last year, the CSOs at the
23 crime desks across Victoria
identified more than 2500
offenders, using the latest
technology and forensic equipment
to link people to crime scenes.
Officer in charge of the Brimbank
Crime Desk, Sergeant Danny
Travaglini said that since the
inception of crime desks as part of
Project Clarendon in 2003, CSOs
had not only nabbed offenders, but
also assisted in providing a better
service to victims and general
duties members.
“It’s a one-stop-shop, causing
limited inconvenience to victims,”
he said.
“We attend the scene, take
reports, collect evidence, interview
witnesses and victims, and identify
immediate suspects.”
About 22,000 forensic exhibits
were located by CSOs at crime
scenes last year, which is greatly
attributed to their special training
and the ability to allocate time to a
crime scene.
Attending mostly burglaries at
homes and businesses, Brimbank
CSO Senior Constable Fiona Reid
said she followed a procedure at
each crime scene that general
duties members normally would
not have time to do.
“Like all police would do at
any scene, we make sure we’re
not walking on or contaminating
anything,” she said.
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CSOs at Brimbank are
briefed about their
jobs for the day and
an overnight incident
where an offender has
struck again, cutting a
triangle into a window,
and then reaching
inside to open it.
Staff read the modus
operandi for their
allocated jobs and
telephone victims to
organise a visit to
the scene.
Senior constables
Fiona Reid and Mel
Brennan visit the first
scene for the day, a
burglary at a home in
St Albans.
Sen Const Brennan
examines some
envelopes in a
bedroom that have
been torn up by the
offender. She collects
them and compiles
paperwork to send to
the Fingerprint Branch
for examination.
The CSOs head to
their next job, a factory
in Keilor Park, where
burglars have stolen
computer equipment
valued at more than
$10,000.
Sen Const Brennan
walks through the
factory with the owner,
while Sen Const
Reid photographs a
footprint on a door the
offender kicked open.
At a house under
construction in Melton
where offenders
have stolen copper
wiring from the roof,
Sen Const Brennan
examines the area
where a sliding door
has been lifted off to
gain entry into the
house.
Sen Const Reid lifts
a print off a door
&'
“Then we talk to the victim, find
the point of entry and check if it
is appropriate for fingerprinting.
We try to work out how they got in,
how they left, and if anything was
left behind, and then we go through
the premises to see if there is
anything distinctive.”
After checking the point of entry
for fingerprints and DNA, the CSOs
photograph the scene, and send
any findings away for examination.
“The first week I was here we had
a positive print come back. Since
then it happens every week. It’s a
good feeling,” Sen Const Reid said.
Brimbank CSO Senior Constable
Mel Brennan said while they tread
carefully through a crime scene, they
also reassure the victims involved.
“When people are distressed
about a crime that has occurred
at their home, they touch things
without thinking and try to make
their home secure again,” she
said, which can sometimes destroy
evidence but is a common
natural reaction.
“We deal with people who are
rightfully upset about what’s
happened to them, so we try to
be quick and get out of their way
with minimal fuss so they can
get back to normality,” Sen Const
Brennan said.
Sen Const Reid said the CSOs
kept themselves informed by
using a trend board to monitor
patterns in the area and identify
potential suspects.
“People are creatures of habit.
We see a lot of the same things
happen over and over, and when
someone is caught they can be
linked to those offences with the
same MO (modus operandi),”
she said.
While a stolen kitchen sink may
not be worth a fuss, it may lead
to the conviction of a repeat
offender, and, with comments
from victims such as ‘you’re doing
all this just for a break-in?’ the
CSOs work is highly valued.
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Senior constables Reid
and Brennan speak
to the victim, Peter,
and examine the area
where a kitchen sink
was stolen.
Sen Const Reid locates
a fingerprint on the
window at the entry
point to the house.
She photographs and
lifts the fingerprint
to send to the
Fingerprint Branch for
examination.
After returning to
the office, the CSOs
perform their final
job for the day,
fingerprinting a stolen
vehicle which has been
towed to the Sunshine
police station.
Constable Paul Watson
records an incident on
the trends board.
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A NIGHT OUT IN SOUTH YARRA ENDS WITH
THE MURDER OF THREE MEN WHICH WOULD
BECOME VICTORIA'S LONGEST MURDER TRIAL.
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(
ight offenders, three dead, 210
exhibits and evidence from 135
people - it was the longest murder
trial in Victoria’s legal history.
But it was the smaller details
- white gloves and a penchant for
sports cars - that helped Homicide
Squad detectives identify the
killers in what they described as
Victoria’s “most ferocious and
horrific” slaying.
Detective Senior Sergeant Jeff
Maher and Detective Leading
Senior Constable Brett Smith
along with other members of the
Homicide Squad and members of
the Asian Squad worked the case
which began on 8 July, 2002, when
08 JUL 2002
18 JUL 2002
31 JUL 2002
01 AUG 2002
Three men
killed following
fight at Salt
nightclub.
Two offenders
arrested and
charged with
three counts of
murder.
One offender
arrested and
charged with
one count of
murder.
One offender
arrested and
charged with
one count of
murder.
WATERY GRAVE
.01 Det Sen Sgt Jeff Maher and
Det Ldg Sen Const Brett Smith.
.02 Nam Huynh.
.03 James Huynh.
.04 Salt nightclub.
.05 One of the offenders’ vehicles.
.02
.03
involved in a fight with another
group. It would later be revealed the
fight started by the four men was
in retribution for an assault only
four days earlier at Odeon nightclub
at Crown entertainment complex,
and a confrontation in an Adelaide
nightclub in March 2002.
Crowd control at Salt escorted
the two groups out of the venue via
different exits.
But the groups then met up at
the front door of the nightclub
in Daley Street where the four
friends produced beer bottles
and approached the other group
of men. The larger group, of which
many were wearing white gloves,
produced samurai swords and
other knives. Another fight ensued.
.04
“It was a ferocious and horrific
attack. In Victoria, there’s been
nothing like that, not to the veracity
of the attack on James,” Det Ldg
Sen Const Smith said.
The three remaining relatives
continued to run east along
Alexandra Avenue being chased by
at least three offenders carrying
samurai swords. About 100 metres
east of the intersection the three
jumped in the Yarra River.
John Huynh observed three
offenders standing on the riverbank
holding swords, preventing them
from returning to the bank. He then
observed Nam Huynh, 21, and Viet
Huynh, 25, disappear under the
water and never resurface. The two
men subsequently drowned.
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.05
Wimbledon,” he said.
Det Ldg Sen Const Smith said
that as a number of incidents had
occurred prior to the fatal night,
detectives were able to identify
those involved “through their cars
as they were nominated as being
the Subaru gang of Footscray”.
“The registration details of a
Subaru WRX - SIRSTI – were taken
by crowd control after the previous
incident at Crown and a little red
car was seen on two occasions,” he
said.
“Once we identified the driver,
from there a search warrant was
executed at his house. We found
exhibits including some white
gloves which placed him as one of
the swordsman.
“We carried out checks of
medical centres in Footscray
and were able to locate a second
offender. One gave himself in and
the rest were dobbed in by the
others.”
Van and Lam were found guilty
of triple murder and sentenced
to 30 years’ imprisonment with a
minimum non-parole period of 23
years. Six other associates received
lengthy jail sentences ranging from
12 to 18 years each.
The eight men have launched
appeals against the verdict and
sentences.
Det Sen Sgt Maher said that
achieving the conviction of eight
offenders was “a testament to the
hard work of the crew” who worked
the case.
On 5 June, 17 detectives were
presented with commendations
by Deputy Commissioner
(Crime) Simon Overland for their
commitment to the murder
investigation.
James Huynh, his brother John
Huynh, and cousins Viet Huynh and
Nam Huynh were patrons at the
now-closed Salt nightclub, in Daley
Street, South Yarra.
Det Sen Sgt Maher said the four
had been drinking during their
night out at the popular night spot
when at about 2.30am they became
During the fight James Huynh,
19, was stabbed in the arm and
chest. The four then ran north along
Chapel Street for about 700 metres
before reaching the intersection of
Alexandra Avenue.
The men – up to about 15 of
them - brandishing swords and
knives chased the group.
James Huynh was struggling to
keep up because of his injuries and
left a trail of blood behind him. At
the intersection he collapsed on
the nature strip. He was stabbed,
slashed, assaulted, and kicked by
Hung Van and Cuong Lam while
others joined in or watched. He
received about 44 stab and slash
wounds to his limbs, torso, face,
head and chest.
Det Ldg Sen Const Smith said it
was a combination of the fact that
the men had been drinking alcohol,
the cold water temperature, they
were not strong swimmers and that
they feared for their lives that they
drowned.
After the offenders had fled the
scene, John Huynh returned to
the riverbank and was assisted by
witnesses.
Det Ldg Sen Const Smith said
that it was a stroke of luck that
many people had witnessed or
heard the incident.
“Witnesses in the apartment
blocks directly adjacent the scene
heard and saw the attack. They
were still awake because it was
the night Lleyton Hewitt won
05 AUG 2002
28 MAY 2003
24 NOV 2003
24 JAN 2005
19 SEP 2005
24 JUL 2006
30 AUG 2006
One offender
arrested and
charged with
one count of
murder.
One offender
arrested and
charged with
one count of
murder.
Two offenders
arrested and
charged with
one count of
murder.
The trial for
seven offenders
begins in the
Supreme Court.
A jury finds all
seven guilty of
murder.
The trial for the
eighth offender
begins in the
Supreme Court.
A jury finds this
offender guilty
of one count of
murder.
.01
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IMAGINE DRIVING AROUND TOWN WITH THE LIFE OF SOMEONE YOU
HAVE NEVER MET SITTING ON YOUR BACK SEAT. POLICE PLAY A ROLE
IN TRANSPORTING ORGAN DONATIONS.
LIFE LINE
.01 The esky containing the organ is
then handed over, walked through
emergency before being securely
stored in the police car’s back seat.
:9>IDG>6AH6G6=86BE7:AAE=DID<G6E=NIDCN<DJ<=
1
ext time you see a police car
drive by, think about what could
be inside. A heart, a pair of lungs,
maybe some blood. Not those
belonging to the police driving the
car either, but the organs nestled
among dry ice in an esky in the
back seat.
Transporting organs is a job
like no other. It is a matter of life
were called to deliver organs for a
variety of reasons.
“Their 24-hour service means
there is always someone on hand
to drive anywhere in the state,
ensuring the process runs as
smoothly as possible,” she said.
Once LifeGift is aware of a
possible organ donor, a call is made
to officer in charge of the TOG
8QEHNQRZQWRPDQ\SROLFHSOD\DPDMRUUROHLQ
WKHRUJDQGRQDWLRQSURFHVV
and death, and if police from
the Traffic Operations Group
(TOG) get it wrong, the hopes of
someone waiting to receive an
organ are dashed.
Unbeknown to many, police play
a major role in the organ donation
process. They pick up and deliver
organs from hospitals, airports, and
clinics, right across the state.
With their help, five people have
received life-saving organs in
Melbourne this year. Since 2002,
police have contributed to saving
the lives of 97 people.
Senior Constable John Lumsden
has been delivering organs with the
TOG for seven years.
He said while the responsibility
he and the other drivers had
was enormous, the satisfaction
of helping people in need, and
potentially saving lives,
was tremendous.
“It’s one of those jobs police like
to do because we know by helping
out in a small way, we are making
a difference to someone’s life,” he
said.
Bernie Dwyer, organ donor
coordinator from LifeGift,
Australia’s primary organisation
managing the donation of organs
for transplantation, said police
&+
Senior Sergeant Terry Basford.
The drivers are always
enthusiastic about the challenge
of going straight to the hospital,
meeting with the LifeGift
coordinator, and transporting
the organ to its appropriate
destination, Sen Sgt Bashford said.
“Our team has two roles in the
process. We are responsible for
delivering organs from the hospital
to the airport, where they are then
transported interstate, and also for
delivering organs between country
and metropolitan hospitals,”
he said.
Once called to the hospital for
organ collection, police take the
organ, which has been carefully
placed in a special esky by medical
staff, and strap it safely into the
back seat of a marked police car.
In the case of a heart transplant,
police have just two to four hours to
transport the organ.
“Police are aware of the tight
timeline they are on with these
jobs, and thankfully they are all
trained and experienced drivers
who can deliver organs quickly and
safely,” Sen Sgt Basford said.
Earlier this year, TOG members
were commended by LifeGift
for their assistance in an organ
.01
donation process at Monash
Medical Centre.
Thanks to the members’
collective effort, five patients were
successfully transplanted, and
given the opportunity for improved
health and a better quality of life.
In terms of job satisfaction, for
Sen Const Lumsden, it does not get
better than that.
“We know our role in the whole
process is important, and we know
we offer a service organ donors and
recipients can rely on,” he said.
VICTORIA POLICE ORGAN
TRANSFERS SINCE 2002
Year
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Total
Country
2
1
4
6
1
0
14
City
14
20
19
13
12
5
83
There are more than 2000 people on the transplant waiting list, and about
100 people die each year waiting for an organ. Talk with your family about
organ and tissue donation and register with the Australian Organ Donor
Registry on 1800 777 203, or at www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/organ on
the Internet.
3,&785(7+,6
E=DID<G6E=N=:G6A9L::@ANI>B:H
Senior Sergeant
Peter Beckers,
Melbourne West police
2
n 7 June I was working as the divisional supervisor for Region One,
Division One. On changeover, I was informed about a missing 14-yearold autistic boy, Ashley Williams, who also suffers Terret’s syndrome and
cerebral palsy.
On arriving at the Queen Victoria Market where Ashley was last seen and
after speaking to his mother, Debbie, who was terribly distressed and lost,
I knew that immediate action had to be taken to locate her child.
From hearing this information and obtaining background from the police
at the scene I thought of the feelings and concern being felt by this family;
having lost a child with challenging needs in an unfamiliar location.
Dealing with anyone in a situation of special needs and apprehension,
impacts on all police and I think we as individuals often reflect on our own
home life, our own children and what it would be like to be in that position
as a parent.
In addition to what had been undertaken by others, I utilised the
facilities of the Media Unit and its networks to broaden the eyes of Victoria
Police. Through this collaborative approach and assistance from the media
we were able to implement a media broadcast that not only assisted us in
looking for Ashley, and highlighted his needs and our actions, but in some
way went to relieving Debbie’s concerns and increasing her expectations of
finding Ashley.
When I was photographed comforting Debbie in this situation I felt that
my actions were representative of the members of Victoria Police.
This role of Victoria Police members is often forgotten and not
acknowledged enough.
I would like to thank all the members who assisted me and Debbie,
particularly Senior Sergeant Glenn Jackson and Senior Constable Rose
Morgan. Everyone showed commitment and understanding of the impact
this event had on Ashley’s family.
Thankfully, Ashley was found safe and well in Balwyn about 9am the
following day.
On reading the articles in the newspaper and hearing the positive
feedback by not only members of the public but also members of the
police force, it is extremely heartening and readily welcomed.”
&,
3267(5
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FRANKSTON POLICE MADE A WORLD WAR II VETERAN
VERY HAPPY WHEN THEY REUNITED HIM WITH HIS
PRIZED WAR MEDALS TWO YEARS AFTER THEY HAD
BEEN STOLEN.
The medals were found when detectives searched
the vehicle of a 31-year-old Dandenong man they had
arrested and charged in relation to an armed robbery at
a jewellery store.
Police then checked the medals on the World War II
Nominal Record website and by looking up the details
on police file were able to find the owner, Dingley
resident Whelan (Jim) Dunn.
Investigating officer Detective Senior Constable Craig
Small said the medals belonged to Mr Dunn and his late
father, Cecil, who was among the first ANZACs to land at
Gallipoli in World War I.
“When we informed Mr Dunn of the situation he was
over the moon to be finally getting his medals back,” Det
Sen Const Small said.
After two years Mr Dunn had given up all hope of
seeing the medals again. Now they have been returned,
he is planning to march in next year’s ANZAC parade
with two of his five grandchildren.
3(5)(&7/<326,7,21('
SIFTING THROUGH CROWDS TO REACH A DESTINATION AT A MAJOR EVENT
MAY BE MADE A LOT SIMPLER FOR VICTORIA POLICE, WITH HAND-HELD GLOBAL
POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) DEVICES BEING TRIALLED
Region 1’s Inspector Michael Hermans said police would be able to pre-set locations
like first aid posts and landmarks into the devices that matched a map in the
operations centre, enabling them to easily identify where they needed to be.
“The need for such a process can only be appreciated when the dense crowds,
involved in mass gatherings are experienced,” Insp Hermans said.
“Identifying and broadcasting an exact location can be difficult, within an
environment where crowd crush impacts on movements and an ability to accurately
convey information,” he said.
75$80$7+($75(+212856)$//(1
A DEDICATED TRAUMA THEATRE HAS BEEN OPENED AT THE ALFRED HOSPITAL
BY THE BLUE RIBBON FOUNDATION, IN MEMORY OF MURDERED VICTORIA POLICE
MEMBER SENIOR CONSTABLE TONY CLARKE.
The Tony Clarke Dedicated Trauma Theatre was unveiled by Police Minister Bob
Cameron, Deputy Commissioner Kieran Walshe and Victoria Police Blue Ribbon
chairman John Forbes.
Sen Const Clarke, of the Regional 4 Traffic Tasking Unit was murdered at Yarra
Junction in April 2005.
Since its conception in 1988, the Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation has
sponsored 15 medical units, including hospital wards and equipment in memory of
fallen police.
The Alfred Hospital’s request for a dedicated trauma centre was an obvious one,
Blue Ribbon Foundation CEO Neil Soullier said.
“The Alfred Hospital pointed out that they were a world-class trauma centre,
without a theatre dedicated to trauma,” he said.
Patients had to wait until an operating theatre was free before being treated,
rather than being stabilised upon arrival.
The theatre was used to treat victims from the Kerang rail disaster.
&21)(5(1&(67((56&$5&5,0(5('8&7,21
VICTORIA POLICE PROVED TO BE LEADING THE PACK WHEN IT CAME TO TACKLING
MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT AT THE MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL VEHICLE CRIMES
CONFERENCE IN JUNE.
The three-day conference involved police from Australia and overseas as well as
government representatives and community groups.
Vehicle theft in Australia has decreased by 48 per cent over the past five years, from
37,673 vehicles stolen in 2001-02, to 19,578 stolen in 2006-07.
Assistant Commissioner (Region 3) Ken Lay aims to keep it that way.
“Victoria Police is effectively reducing crime of this nature and we want to continue
our success rate by moving with the time and keeping up-to-date on crime trends and
new anti-theft technology,” he said.
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A TRAFFIC POLICING VETERAN IS NAMED
BLUE RIBBON FOUNDATION POLICE OFFICER
OF THE YEAR.
:9>IDG>6AA>O=6A96C:E=DID<G6E=N6C9G:L=:CH=6L
,
t would seem that Senior
Sergeant Ken Dunlop has had a
career full of highlights, including
19 years in traffic policing and key
roles in trafficking major events.
But nothing quite compares to
being awarded an Australian
Police Medal.
“The highlight of my career
was (Queen’s Birthday),” said the
commander of the Region 5 Traffic
Tasking Unit, on receiving official
recognition of the award. “That
really tops everything.”
Even before joining the police
37 years ago, Sen Sgt Dunlop was
interested in the role of traffic
police, and after dabbling in other
areas, has been there since. It
has kept him for so long because
“basically it has a freedom, you’re
not tied down”.
Sen Sgt Dunlop has certainly
not been restricted, taking on
some significant roles in his time
including traffic and transport
venue coordinator for the
Commonwealth Games, being
involved with the Blue Ribbon
and Barry Sheen Memorial rides
and working long hours doing
traffic control for the bushfires
over summer.
Although he dismisses it as
“over 20 years ago” he is still well
respected for the work he did
to revamp the Police Accident
Reporting Procedure in 1984.
“I suppose you’d say I’ve got a
passion for road safety. Throughout
my career I’ve seen a lot of road
trauma, not only fatal … And it’s not
really a side of policing that is given
a lot of credence to,” he said.
When talking of the role the
average traffic policeman plays he
likens it to that of a teacher.
“You’ve got to teach people to do
the right thing. Every person that
sits behind that steering wheel in
that car, they are responsible not
only for their own life and wellbeing
but everyone else on that road.”
Sen Sgt Dunlop is particularly
pleased with his award, as to his
known memory there have only
been three other traffic police to
have the prestigious honour.
“It’s an exclusive club,” he said.
Particularly exclusive to think that
only about 1200 police Australiawide have received the award, since
its conception 21 years ago.
Perhaps not coincidently,
receiving his APM comes at a time
of his life that Sen Sgt Dunlop rates
as a career high.
“The people I’m working with
at the moment…we all work as
part of a team and that is a good
achievement. I enjoy what I’m
doing,” he said. “I’m chuffed. I’m still
chuffed.”
In July, Sen Sgt Dunlop was
named Victoria Police Blue Ribbon
Foundation Police Member of
the Year.
.01
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AWARD WINNER
.01 Sen Sgt Ken Dunlop has dedicated
his policing career to road safety.
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7
here is a distinct charm about
Bairnsdale. It encapsulates the
essence of provincial Victoria, felt
immediately upon driving into the
town where a leafy, tree-lined main
street greets you.
Shops line each side of the wide
thoroughfare, and locals greet each
other with a smile. It is a friendly
place, as are the 89 police there.
Officer in charge Senior
Sergeant Eric Duffy said policing
in Bairnsdale was enjoyable, and
rapport with the community
was good.
“The best thing about working
here is that we can walk down the
street and speak with people who
are keen and eager to assist police,
and report incidents we otherwise
wouldn’t be aware of,” he said.
Flanked by green rolling hills
and home to about 11,000 people,
Bairnsdale police are kept busy
with traffic management, and other
minor offences.
In addition to uniform police,
there is a Crime Investigation Unit
(CIU), Traffic Management Unit, and
Sexual Offence and Child Abuse
Unit based at the police station,
along with two staff working on
compiling one of the largest briefs
in Victoria Police history involving a
serial theft offender.
Bairnsdale is the gateway to
many popular tourist locations
in east Gippsland, including the
''
alpine region, and the townships
of Metung and Omeo. And, even
though Melbourne is more than
280 kilometres away, Bairnsdale
boasts many attractions of its
own including the 120-year-old
courthouse overlooking the
Mitchell River.
Other popular features in
the 2069–square kilometre
response zone are the townships
of Eagle Point and Paynesville.
Paynesville, once a sleepy-hollow,
is now a popular summer tourist
destination, providing police with
seasonal challenges.
However, with a solid rostering
system focussing each member
on Victoria Police’s organisational
objectives, Bairnsdale police
always get the job done.
Sergeant Peter Shallard said that
in Bairnsdale, there were no traffic
jams, road tolls, and even finding a
park in town was easy.
“It does get busy here in summer,
particularly near the lakes but it is
great to see tourists coming to the
area, and on the whole there really
isn’t much trouble,” he said.
Like Sgt Shallarad, Bairnsdale’s
Acting Superintendent Jill Wood
grew up in Gippsland, and after
spending 34 years’ in Melbourne,
moved back to country policing.
“Country policing is being part
of your community and making a
difference. I’m part of several local
groups and I know that my input
can have a significant impact in
many areas, because we’re seen as
leaders in the community,” she said.
fair and positive on-field behaviour
with a Victoria Police Blue Ribbon
Foundation medal each weekend.
Recently, Bairnsdale police
appointed an Aboriginal Liaison
Officer, Jeff Cooper, to help
communication between the
prominent Koori community
and police.
Bairnsdale also operates
a Koorie Court which sits
every fortnight.
Policing in Bairnsdale is not
always easy, but the pace of life
there is, offering a good work-life
balance for members.
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“Each shift is geared towards
providing good customer service,
reducing the road toll, increasing
perceptions of safety, and reducing
crime. It gives police a point of
focus for every task they complete,”
Sen Sgt Duffy said.
Most police there are involved
in community events, and have
started initiatives to promote good
community behaviour.
Detective Sergeant Charlie
Machen of the CIU regularly
umpires junior football matches,
and awards one player displaying
.01
BAIRNSDALE’S BEST
.01 Bairnsdale police station is a
modern building, set atop a hill
in the main street of town. The
station has a gym, courtyard and
outdoor barbecue area, as well
as state-of-the-art office and
interviewing facilities.
.02 Policing is busy in Bairnsdale but
the members enjoy the work.
.03 Picturesque Paynesville, a
popular tourist destination
keeps Bairnsdale police busy in
summer. The town is popular for
fishing and swimming, and being
on the Gippsland lakes attracts
many boats to the area.
.02
.03
.04
.04 Bairnsdale is a friendly place,
and police enjoy the friendly
relationships they share with
locals. A strong police presence
in the town has kept crime low,
and illustrates country policing
at its best.
.05 Police enjoy being on the beat
in Bairnsdale, ensuring the
community is kept safe and
peaceful in the picturesque town.
Hoons are a small problem in the
town, and so far about 25 vehicles
have been impounded under hoon
legislation.
.06 Sen Const Wayne Handley and
Sgt Peter Shallard pass the
120 year-old court house which
operates twice a week.
.05
.06
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THERE IS MORE TO A PERSON’S HANDWRITING
THAN MEETS THE EYE.
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onvicted Melbourne serial killer
Peter Dupas would never have
guessed a piece of paper would
be one of the pieces police needed
to put together the puzzle of
his crimes.
Examiners reconstructed
fragments of newspaper found
in Dupas’ rubbish and found the
name of one of his victims with
an appointment date scrawled on
it. The writing was identified as
Dupas’, and proved he knew and
had an appointment with
the victim, even though he
denied it strongly.
The Document Examination
Unit (DEU), part of the Forensics
Services Department, can take a
piece of paper and give its history,
identify a probable writer, and
locate anything that is not visible
to the naked eye.
Used in policing for more
than 100 years, the science of
document examination can
identify counterfeit documents,
compare handwriting and
signatures, reconstruct shredded
documents, stabilise burnt
documents and more.
DEU leader, John Ganas who
has worked in the unit for 17 years,
said the unit’s six staff had helped
convict many offenders by linking
them to evidence.
“Fingerprints and DNA evidence
can tell you that a person has
handled a document, but we go one
step further and say they not only
touched it, but actually created it,”
he said.
“Probably 80 per cent of
the cases we deal with involve
signature and handwriting
comparison,” Mr Ganas said.
“They’re often fraud cases where
someone’s allegedly forged
someone’s signature on a will
or altered a cheque or contract.
')
“We also look at suicide notes,
death threats, drug recipes and
drug transactions.”
The unit commonly encounters
cheques that have been altered
using a scalpel to scrape off details
and replaced with new information,
such as names or values.
“From only a few dollars in value,
a cheque can be altered to be worth
thousands,” he said.
Another examination technique,
indentations, has been the downfall
of many unsuspecting offenders,
often leading police straight
to them.
“When you write on a piece of
paper you leave an impression on
all the pages underneath. We can
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pick up those impressions up to 10
pages deep,” Mr Ganas said.
DEU member David Black
said the use of an ElectroStatic
Detection Apparatus (ESDA),
revealed any indentations on
a page.
“There was a case where an
armed robber passed a piece of
paper across the counter to a bank
teller asking her to give him money.
When we examined it we found it
had a phone number indented on
it, which turned out to be the phone
number of the offender’s girlfriend,”
Mr Black said.
“When police went to the address
they found the offender and his
girlfriend with all the stolen money
laid out on the kitchen table.”
To seal the case even further,
police also found the pad on which
the note was written, and matched
tear lines where the paper had
been torn off.
Robberies, stalking, extortion and
blackmail, document examination
is not limited to paper.
The unit also examines graffiti
and vandalism, tattoos on the body,
and recently, counterfeit labels on
wine bottles.
An extraordinary case involved a
woman who called police a number
of times, saying someone had tied
her to her clothesline and written
messages on her body.
On examining the writing, it
was determined she had written
on herself and fabricated the
whole story.
People might also be amazed to
find out that even if a document
has been burnt, writing can still
be extracted by stabilising the
document and using various
infra-red and lighting techniques.
This technique was recently
used in an attempted murder
investigation, where the offender
attempted to destroy evidence of
her encounter with the victim by
setting it alight. Police, however,
recovered the charred remains and
identified crucial evidence.
Mr Black said that since he
started with the unit 20 years ago,
technology had impacted on their
investigations as computers were
being used more, and typewriters
had become obsolete.
.01
.02
“When I started, a significant
part of our work was comparing
typewritten entries. But now,
most people have never even
used one,” he said.
With most people having access
to photo editing software, scanners
and quality printers, the creation of
counterfeit items has become more
common, but police also have the
means to link a document to the
machine it was printed on.
Erased information is also
easily restored using infra-red
and ultraviolet light to highlight
different inks, see through
correction fluid erasures, and even
see through layers of writing.
The DEU team often marvel at
the attempts to rort systems, but
some attempts are laughable.
Mr Ganas said one of the worst
attempts of a forged cheque he
had seen included a hand-drawn
bank logo in the top corner of
the cheque.
FRAUD FINDERS
.01 John Ganas uses the Video
Spectral Comparator to check
if a document is counterfeit.
.02 John Ganas in the examination
room with examiners Linda Jones,
David Black and Susan Joseph.
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THEY HAVE CLIMBED THE STATE’S HIGHEST PEAKS, AND SWUM IN ITS
DEEPEST SEAS. THEY EVEN KNOW WHAT IT MIGHT FEEL LIKE TO SWIM
IN PORRIDGE. MEET THE SEARCH AND RESCUE SQUAD, WHICH THIS
YEAR CELEBRATES ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY.
:9>IDG>6AH6G6=86BE7:AAE=DID<G6E=N6C9G:L=:CH=6L
6
caling, searching, and summiting
snow-capped mountains.
Gliding, touching and feeling
through black water. Persisting,
forcing, and crashing through
swirling seas and high-tides.
It sounds like a scene from
an action movie, but it is not
Hollywood. This is work for the
Search and Rescue (SAR) Squad,
and it has been for 50 years.
This squad has spent countless
hours searching for missing
persons in some of the most
treacherous conditions imaginable.
For days, and sometimes weeks,
at a time they have lived through
hellish situations to find what
someone has lost. Reluctantly, they
are real-life heroes.
They have had successes and
failures, but never have they
stopped exploring all avenues
of possibility.
'+
In 50 years, only 150 police have
worked the squad.
It was formed in August 1956,
when then Chief Commissioner
Selwyn Porter called for Victoria
Police members to submit
applications to join the Police
Search and Rescue Reserve
Squad. He wanted members with
experience and training in areas
ranging from bushcraft, map
reading, diving, and skiing.
“Such a squad, on 24-hour
permanent duty, will save time,
money and lives,” Mr Porter said.
Six members were selected,
comprising four constables, one
senior constable and a sergeant.
One of the founding squad
members, retired Inspector Bill
Brand, recalled the excitement of
the early days.
“Squad members were initially
based at Melbourne stations for
general duties. However, once the
SAR was needed we’d go straight to
the Docks police station and get our
equipment, which was minimal. On
diving expeditions we didn’t have
wetsuits, and sometimes in cold
water I would dive with jumpers
underneath overalls, just to keep
warm,” he said.
For Mr Brand, the biggest
challenge he faced with the squad
was after Victoria’s most tragic
industrial accident, the West Gate
Bridge collapse in 1970. For 10 days
and nights the squad searched
for survivors, and accounted for
the dead. After the incident, a
report from the Royal Commission
emphasised the squad’s work.
“Rescuers worked all afternoon
and far into the night, always in
horrifying conditions, often in peril
of death or injury themselves. A
fire broke out as a result of spilled
diesel oil igniting; while quickly
extinguished, the fire added to the
9>9NDJ@CDL
The Search and Rescue Squad has a number of vehicles fitted with
equipment such as first-aid kits, winches, and chains to cover most
situations involving diving, land searches and vertical rescue.
In
addition, the squad has a recompression chamber, two over-snow
vehicles, two boats, various communications equipment, remote operated
vehicle, radial and side scan sonar. There is also an extensive amount of
diving gear including diving helmets, air panels and lifelines for diving.
Each
member has a kit of personal issue equipment including wetsuit,
dry suit, mask, fins and snorkel for diving and a large back pack with
extensive campout and survival equipment for bush and alpine searches.
.03
.01
STILL SEARCHING
.01 The squad has a selection of
dry suits available for members,
meaning they can dive in freezing
water with layers of clothing
underneath. When the divers
return to the surface, their
clothing is completely dry thanks
to the suits’ special suction
material.
difficulties of rescue work … All
that was humanly possible to save
life and mitigate the suffering of
the injured, was undoubtedly done,”
the report stated.
Despite modern technology’s
assistance, today’s squad members
are experts in similar fields where
.02
.02 The squad is thankful their diving
equipment has modernised
over time. Compared with early
equipment, the squad now dives
with the latest technology in air
tanks and wetsuits.
.03 Search and Rescue Squad
members are qualified in first
aid, and some members can
administer intravenous drips if
needed.
“Basically it’s like swimming
with your eyes closed, and despite
growing pressure, our members are
trained not to panic, and remain
focussed, regardless of obstacles,”
Sen Sgt Gibson said.
Mr Brand likened the challenge
to “swimming in porridge”.
“Protestors usually give in quite
easily when we arrive,” Sen Sgt
Gibson said.
With their challenges often
highlighted in the media, the squad
regularly works under immense
pressure, and as days roll on during
rescue operations, the pressure
6XFKDVTXDGRQKRXUSHUPDQHQWGXW\ZLOOVDYHWLPHPRQH\DQGOLYHV
original squad members excelled.
Officer in charge Senior Sergeant
Barry Gibson has spent 25 years
with the squad, and said although
their equipment is outstanding, it
was important the squad did not
rely solely on technology.
“We cannot afford to disregard
our basic skills and knowledge of
the environment – you never know
when you’re going to need them,”
he said.
Such is the case when diving
through black water – liquid so
thick with pollution or silt, divers
rely on touch to navigate. Although
working in such conditions is
second-nature to members who
have completed the squad’s diving
course, under-water searching is
still a challenge.
Over time, the squad has found
many and varied items underwater, including ship-wreck relics,
home-made weapons off the
Sorrento coast in the early 1950s,
and a stolen vehicle and its driver in
Hobson’s Bay in 1981.
The squad’s members’ versatility
is exceptional, and exemplified
in the work they have completed
over 50 years. Last year, Police Life
reported on the squad’s search for
four men lost in dense bushland
near Mount Baw Baw. Below-zero
temperatures, snow, and ice posed
challenges for the search crew, but
overnight they found the group.
Rescuing environmental
protestors is also the squad’s
responsibility.
mounts. No-one carries hope more
than the squad members during
these missions, and they often
work while family members of the
lost look on, praying for a miracle.
“In those instances, we do our
best to keep families informed,
and most find it comforting to see
us trying everything we can, using
every piece of equipment available,
to find their loved one,” Sen Sgt
Gibson said.
Although the SAR’s work is often
heroic, it is not glamorous. In reality,
its members are tough characters
and over time they have succeeded
in building a squad the community
could not live without.
.04
.04 The squad has a hyperbaric
chamber on hand in case
decompression is needed for
people affected by cold water or
temperatures.
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The drowning of five Burrell
family members near
Warrnambool in 2005.
The search for missing toddler
Jaidyn Leskie at Blue Lake
Dam, June 1997.
Searching for the bodies of five
RAAF officers after a plane
crash near Woodside Beach,
near Gippsland, October 1991.
Prime Minister Harold Holt’s
disappearance off the Portsea
beach, December 1967.
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IT IS DEMANDING AND DESOLATE. BUT, IT IS LIFE FOR POLICE WORKING
ONE-MEMBER STATIONS. MEET THE POLICE WHO SAY THAT WITH AN
ENTIRE COMMUNITY’S SUPPORT, ONE IS NOT THE LONELIEST NUMBER
AFTER ALL.
:9>IDG>6AH6G6=86BE7:AAE=DID<G6E=NH=6C:7:AA
)
rom Cressy to Cavendish,
Briagolong to Bridgewater,
and Riddells Creek to Rupanyup,
one-member police stations are
scattered between every border of
the state. In offices smaller than a
city station’s tea room, police work
to maintain community safety,
spirit and social service.
There are 101 one-member
police stations in Victoria, and while
each station is run differently, they
have many things in common.
Community involvement, going
beyond the call of duty, and making
the most of their limited resources
are all vital elements of surviving
bush policing.
They are on-call 24 hours a
day, and are on a first name basis
with most of the locals. They are
football umpires, presidents of
local committees, treasurers, and
sports coaches. Their beat is more
often a dirt road than a city street,
but they would not swap their work
for anything.
Officer in charge of Boort police
station Senior Constable Ray
Stomann is a popular man in town,
and has been for 19 years. Boort
is almost 300 kilometres from
'-
Melbourne, and home to about
800 people.
And, although his freezer is
full of date loaves and cakes,
courtesy of local elderly women
who cook for him, Sen Const
Stomann said country policing
was not always a breeze.
freezer, which was a relief. However,
by visiting her house I also realised
she was in need of health care, so I
have since contacted the hospital
who can provide that. Along with
their safety, it’s important to ensure
the community’s welfare is well
maintained,” he said.
is supporting many local groups.
Kindergartens, swimming pools,
safety talks with senior citizens,
lawn bowls clubs, and the Country
Fire Authority – you name the
committee, and chances are,
Sen Const Walker has been the
vice president.
Not far away, and always willing
to help out his mate at Linton, is
officer in charge of Smythesdale
police, Senior Constable Craig
Grenfell. Both members work their
rosters around each other, ensuring
help for their townships is never far
away. And, on Friday afternoons in
winter, they umpire school football.
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“You never really leave work,
and are always in the public eye.
Everyone knows where I live,”
he said.
For a country cop, Sen Const
Stomann said the most important
thing was to listen to people and
respect them.
Recently an elderly woman,
who regularly calls on Sen Const
Stomann for assistance, rang
the station to report her false
teeth stolen.
“I went around and visited the
informant to make sure she was OK.
I later found her false teeth in her
Sen Const Stomann is proud of
Boort and its people. While on leave
in summer last year, he spent two
weeks installing a sprinkler system
for the football ground.
“By giving something back to
them, you hope the community will
repay you with respect for the town,
and respect for the law,” he said.
Due south of Boort, Senior
Constable Tony Walker works alone
policing the township of Linton,
population less than 500, about
150 kilometres from Melbourne.
Also an active community
member, Sen Const Walker has and
Although working in a onemember station has many
advantages, it also presents
many challenges.
Senior Constable Murray Porter
runs Bruthen police station, about
400 kilometres from Melbourne in
East Gippsland, and knows all about
the demands of country policing.
Living next door to the police
station with his wife and three
children, Sen Const Porter is regularly
faced with people on his doorstep at
odd hours, but he said over time he
and his family have come to accept
that as part of the job.
LOCAL HEROES
.01 While the road of one-member
policing may be long, it is
made easier by the support
of colleagues in other onemember stations. Sen Const
Craig Grenfell and Sen Const
Tony Walker support each
other by keeping an eye on
their mates’ district when he’s
not rostered on.
.02 Sen Const Grenfell umpires
local football in winter.
.03 Sen Const Murray Porter
enjoys working in a small
community, and appreciates
the relationships he shares
with locals.
.04 Boort is home to about
one million olive trees on
surrounding farms. Sen Const
Ray Stomann maintains
a strong relationship with
farmers, and assists them
when needed. The olive farms
bring more people to the town,
but it still remains relatively
crime-free.
.01
During the bushfire season, Sen
Const Porter’s wife lent a hand and
answered hundreds of calls from
concerned residents.
“Policing in the country is totally
different to the city. Last year’s
summer was very stressful out here
for everyone, and this highlights
how important support from your
partner and family is at a onemember station,” he said.
“Working out here presents many
unique challenges, but that’s the
great thing about working in a onemember station, you never know
what you’re going to get,” he said.
Throughout their careers, each
member has been exposed to an
incident that has rocked their small
community.
Bruthen, Boort, Linton and
Smythesdale are all on or near
major highways, meaning
attendance at fatal car accidents
is a task each member has
undertaken in the past.
“Informing families of a
relative’s death is the worst job
of all because you know them so
intimately, and you are also grieving
for that person,” Sen Const Walker
said.
However, despite these personal
challenges, and limited resources,
each member said they would
never give up country policing.
“I take my hat off to city workers,
but they don’t appreciate how good
working in the bush is,” Sen Const
Walker said.
.02
.03
)$67
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ON ONE-MEMBER
STATIONS
The first female police
member to work a onemember station was Leading
Senior Constable Natalie
Cale, who worked at Culgoa,
about 500 kilometres from
Melbourne.
Most one-member stations
have one computer, one desk,
one small kitchen and some
have one cell. They are the size
of a small shop, and are in, or
near the main street of town.
.04
Of the 101 one-member police
stations, there is only one in
metropolitan Melbourne,
in Lang Lang
Police working one-member
stations usually live next door
to, or nearby the police station,
providing 24-hour emergency
assistance.
D24, the Police
Communications Centre
always knows the whereabouts
of police from one-member
stations, and can direct them
to an emergency.
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CONFIDENT CONSTABLES
.01 Const Hollie Papal talks about
a break-in with Crime Scene
Officers.
.02 Const Matthew Bui at a domestic
with DHS staff.
.03 ConstYaja Nowakowski.
.04 Const Hollie Papal.
.05 Const Matthew Bui.
WHEN POLICE LIFE MET 27 RECRUITS AT THE VICTORIA POLICE
ACADEMY LAST YEAR THEY WERE FRESH-FACED AND ENTHUSIASTIC.
TODAY, THEY ARE COMPETENT POLICE MEMBERS WORKING ON THE
FRONTLINE. POLICE LIFE REVISITS THE SQUAD 12 MONTHS ON.
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.01
.02
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heir uniforms were pressed,
shoes shined, hair tidy and
‘freddies’ polished.
One year ago, 27 members of
Squad 3 of 2006, proudly marched
out on to the parade ground during
their graduation ceremony at the
Victoria Police Academy in Glen
Waverley to begin their careers
as police.
Admittedly in hindsight, some
probably were not entirely sure
what they had gotten themselves
into. But they were all proud and
enthusiastic nonetheless.
Since then they have worked
night shift, caught crooks, carried
out point duty, seen dead bodies,
undertaken defensive driving
training, answered phones at police
stations, and completed page after
page of paperwork.
While most have relished the
chance to put into place the
skills and training learned at the
Academy, the real thing did not
meet everyone’s expectations. Two
members based at metropolitan
stations resigned during the year.
The remaining members are
scattered across the state, most
at metropolitan stations but eight
constables are based at rural
police stations.
Squad valedictorian Constable
Yaja Nowakowski, 48, who is based
in Mildura said the learning process
was ongoing.
“There have been the inevitable
and numerous tests and
challenges. For quite some time I
felt I was out on a limb, a bird with
its flimsy and yet untested wings
thrown out into the wilds of the
community and training station.
All I had learned at the Academy
appeared to have sunk deep into
the recesses of my sub-conscious,”
Const Nowakowski said.
“My mentor and sergeants kept
reiterating that it was only through
actively participating, through
stepping off that branch that I
could actually learn and gain the
experience I needed to become an
effective police member.
“The paperwork is of course
another challenge, keeping on top
of it while being out on the road or
in the watchhouse.”
The paperwork aside, Const
Nowakowski said she relished her
career change.
“Not one hour of any work day
is the same, and that to me makes
this job exciting. I honestly cannot
see myself stepping back into any
of my previous roles,” she said.
“This career is not only turning
me into a fine police officer but I
can also see improvement in my
character as I work with people who
are interesting, fun, sociable and
down-to-earth. I am learning so
much from all of them.
“If this is the end result of just
one year, I look forward to my final
year as a probationary constable
with enthusiasm.”
While in Melbourne’s north,
Constable Matthew Bui, 22, who
was squad leader, has spent
the past 12 months testing his
knowledge of the law at work at
Epping police station.
Const Bui said the job was as he
had anticipated.
“It is definitely what I expected.
Although, the amount of paperwork
we have to do was one of the big
shocks. Doing shift work has been a
big change too, especially the quick
change-overs,” he said.
.03
During his eight months at
Epping police station where
another 40 uniform branch police
are based including fellow squad
member, Constable Graeme
Wassell, Const Bui has worked in
the watchhouse, on patrol in the
van, has worked in plain clothes,
has worked on the booze bus, and
assisted in executing warrants
related to drugs and property.
While the training provided him
with the skills to confidently carry
Const Bui, a former Coles
employee and football umpire,
played down an incident which
saw him rescue a woman who was
attempting suicide in her car.
“At the end of the day, you have a
job to do when you are on scene.”
It has been a similar experience
for Constable Hollie Papal who,
when Police Life visited, was
performing temporary duties with
the Moreland Crime Investigation
Unit at Fawkner police station. She
.05
“There’s been some hairy
situations dealing with public.
“It is quite demanding and you
realise you are a bit alienated and
stereotyped because you are in
the uniform. But the camaraderie
among all the members is great.
That’s the best part of the job.
Everyone is willing to help and the
leading members offer a lot
of guidance.”
While there are challenges like
“staying on top of the paperwork,”
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out police work, he admitted to
being shocked by the nature of
some of the incidents he
had attended.
“I have been to scenes with
deceased bodies and been the first
on scene at a traffic fatality. It’s a
massive shock to the system at just
how graphic the incident is. Nothing
in the Academy training can fully
prepare you when attending a
critical incident, however, it offers
an insight. Overall, it’s the support
of colleagues and superiors that
have got me through the fatality
I attended.”
Members of Squad 3 of 2006
are based across the state.
Mildura
.04

REGION 3
admitted that the past 12 months
had presented a steep learning
curve for her and fellow squad mate
Constable Jackson Fleming, also
based at Fawkner.
“It’s gone so quickly and I have
found a new challenge every day.
You can do all the training at the
Academy but it’s not until you put
it into practice that it all falls into
place,” Const Papal said.
Const Papal said “helping out in the
community is rewarding”.
The squad members will head
back to the Academy this month for
a week of retention when they will
revise some of the theories learned
and used out on the beat.

Epping
Fawkner
Epping
Preston
Flemington

West Melbourne

Williamstown

Greensborough
REGION 1

Ringwood
Glen Waverley
Wangaratta
Benalla

REGION 2
Ballarat
Cheltenham

Dandenong

Packenham
Cranbourne

REGION 4

Geelong

REGION 5
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PAN-FRYING POULTRY AT PROTESTS, GRILLING GRENADIER AT THE
GAMES AND SERVING UP SCHNITZELS AT SUMMITS – THE FIELD
CATERING UNIT CAN DO IT ALL.
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:
.01
earing oven mitts and an
apron is not common for most
operational police, but for members
of the Field Catering Unit (FCU), it is
all part of the job. These cops cum
cooks work hard, before, during and
after every operation they attend.
They are behind the scenes
at most of the state’s premier
events, working out of a kitchen on
wheels, preparing and serving food
for hundreds of police and other
emergency services staff.
On a small scale, the FCU
caters for corporate meetings and
lunches. On a larger scale, they
create thousands of meals for
hungry colleagues at world events
such as the Commonwealth Games,
the Grand Prix and the FINA World
Swimming Championships.
And, while it may be considered
an easier job than operational
policing, that could not be any
further from the truth.
The amount of food and drink
the team prepares and distributes
would make an average school
canteen coordinator shudder.
During last year’s Commonwealth
Games, the FCU gave out 33,000
bottles of water, 8000 chocolate
bars, and served 7722 hot meals to
police in 17 days.
In total, the FCU ordered food
valued at almost $180,000.
Officer in charge of the FCU,
Sergeant Graham Whelan, admits
the Commonwealth Games were
definitely one of the team’s
biggest challenges.
“We worked out of the truck for
long hours every day. On some days
we worked 17-hour shifts,” he said.
Although last year’s Games
were the largest event the FCU
has supplied meals for, it was easy
compared to physically tougher
tasks the team has faced.
Sgt Whelan and his team of
five have worked in all conditions
imaginable. Snow, hail, sunshine
and rain – nothing stops them.
Since 1985, the FCU has dished
out more than 700,000 servings.
“We understand the importance
of support policing, that’s why we’re
all here, working for a unit that
provides that as its core business,”
Sgt Whelan said.
Last August, during a search and
rescue operation at Mount Hotham,
the FCU worked through the night
in a blizzard, just so breakfast
could be served to volunteer
rescuers the next morning.
“It is times like those we
appreciate the warmth coming off
the ovens,” Sgt Whelan said.
In November, the team went into
overdrive feeding police during the
G20 summit in Melbourne.
For four days, the cooks worked
tirelessly around the clock in their
kitchen, parked in Little Collins
Street. In those four days, the team
worked the equivalent of nine
regular shifts.
“We were pretty tired after that.
During the entire event, we were
under immense pressure from
the outside protesters, and the
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amount of police on-site meant we
served meals at all times of the day
and night.”
Working on the frontline of such
events means each FCU member
continues with operational training
regularly, ensuring they can work in
all situations.
“We’ve been swamped by
protesters and worked in pretty
stressful situations before, but we
have to just get on with the job,” Sgt
Whelan said.
Police Life took a look at the
menu available to police at events
and was impressed to see that
meals vary from pre-packed,
nutritional lunches including
sandwiches, fruit, salads and small
snacks, to hot meals such as roast
meat with vegetables, pasta, and
the most popular menu item – the
chicken parmagiana.
“For some reason, regardless of
what time it is, the chicken parma
is always the first thing members
select. It doesn’t matter what event
we’re at, that’s always everyone’s
favourite,” Sgt Whelan said.
Working out of a kitchen about
seven metres by three metres in
size ensures the FCU is always
organised, and they make the
most of every inch inside the
catering truck.
While the thought of serving
up to 100 chicken parmagianas
in one sitting would be enough to
make the average chef break into
a sweat, Sgt Whelan said the job is
made a lot easier with up-to-date,
computer controlled ovens housing
10 trays.
“This oven can transform a
frozen, crumbed chicken breast into
a perfectly cooked chicken parma
in about 15 minutes,” he said.
Not only does the FCU cook and
prepare food, prior to events, they
are kept busy sourcing product
FRIENDLY FRYING
.01 A variety of foods and healthy
options are served up.
.02 Chicken parmas are a favourite
with police.
.03 Police working large events
are supplied with meals during
their breaks.
.04 The Field Catering Unit’s kitchen
on wheels.
.05 Sen Sgt Graham Whelan and the
Field Catering Unit keep things
simple in the kitchen and enjoy
providing a welfare service to
their colleagues.
suppliers and ordering food. The
unit has more than 50 suppliers, all
Australian, who deliver food in time
for the big events.
In the lead up to large-scale
operations, Sgt Whelan discusses
food preparation and meals with
operation command, orders the
food required, and then they are, so
the saying goes, cooking with gas.
“We make sure we cater to the
.02
needs of operational members,
and plan our meals around
their breaks.”
Members with special dietary
requirements are catered for,
with special meals cooked for
coeliac sufferers, and those with
peanut allergies.
Things do not always run
smoothly though, and the FCU is
on-call, 24 hours a day.
.03
“We’ve always got food in the
freezer in case of emergencies.”
Earlier this year, Sgt Whelan and
his team were on-hand to provide
police investigating the fatal
accident in the Burnley Tunnel,
along with fire-fighters containing
the blaze, with meals.
“We have to always be prepared,
because we can never predict when
our service might be needed,” Sgt
.04
Whelan said.
Regardless of the time of day,
weather conditions, or number of
people to feed, the FCU is there to
support their colleagues.
And, they even do their own
dishes.
.05
((
)5207+($5&+,9(6
10
years ago
25
years ago
50
years ago
=DHI6<:I6@>C<Ä
6<GDL>C<E=:CDB:C6
:
ith a rising incidence in hostage
situations, Victoria Police unveiled a
vehicle for use in hostage incidents and
explained the roles of negotiators who
controlled the scenes.
The vehicle, a $70,000 mini-bus was
equipped with the latest technological
equipment including a voice analyser, to
assist hostage negotiators. Negotiators
underwent extensive training and
psychological testing, as well as being
assessed by a team of doctors,
and psychiatrists.
With the ability to identify and categorise
a hostage taker, negotiators aimed to release
hostages and apprehend offenders using the
world class bus.
Police Life, August 1982
<AD76AL6GB>C<
:
hen the Youth Advisory Unit’s Chief
Inspector Rod Norman completed
an international officers’ course, he
gained priceless knowledge and a
strong friendship.
Inspector Vincent Ngubane from Durban
city police in South Africa shared his policing
experience in the war-torn, recovering city
and took the concept of community policing
home with him.
Chief Insp Norman compared stories
with course participants from around the
world, telling of an incident at Frankston
police station where police were barricaded
inside the police station, under threat by
500 drunken youths.
It became clear that this story was tame
compared to the struggles facing other
international police.
“What we think of as major issues here
pale in the international sense. We are
very much a lucky country,” Chief Insp
Norman said.
omance in the workplace is not
uncommon, but when it turned out that
an entire wedding party had ties to Victoria
Police, it was more than coincidence.
The groom, Constable Clohesy of North
Melbourne police station and his bride, Miss
Sleeth, the daughter of a retired sergeant at
Ballarat police station, were accompanied
down the aisle by friends and family.
Included in the bridal party were
Constable Nestor, also from North
Melbourne police station, bridesmaid Miss
Christie who was engaged to a constable in
the Wireless Patrol, groomsman Constable
Hodge from Brighton police station, and the
bride’s sister.
Guests at the wedding would have felt
very safe at festivities, but also mindful of
their behaviour.
Police Life, July/August 1997
Police Life, August 1957
()
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:
hile Australia was still
establishing itself as the ‘lucky
country’, the influx of convicts
transported to its shores in the
18th century was vast.
One of the oldest items in the
Victoria Police Museum collection,
a convict register listing those who
were banished to the country, will
be on display later this year at the
Victoria Police Museum.
The register dating back to 1837,
lists names and descriptions of
convicts who entered the colony of
New South Wales (of which Victoria
was part of) from Great Britain.
Convicts were banished to
Australia where they would serve
their sentences for offences varying
from petty crimes to serious
offences and ranged from people
as young as 13, to those aged
over 50.
The register, which is divided
into two sections, one for men and
the other for women, lists each
individual’s name, age, occupation,
a physical description including
tattoos and scars, and the offence
they committed.
The penalty of banishment was
harsh, particularly for those such
as a 13-year-old boy caught pick
pocketing, and a 14-year-old girl
who was caught stealing a cow
tongue from a butcher.
Other convicts were transported
for crimes including murder,
robbery, theft of clothing, desertion,
killing an animal, and stealing
items as small as a piece of lace.
This register is scheduled for
conservation next year as part of
the museum’s conservation plan.
The register will be on display at
the Victoria Police Museum when
it re-opens in October. For details,
telephone 9247 5213.
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