The Victoria Police Magazine June 2009

www.vicpolicenews.com.au
How Victoria Police is taking
its news online
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morenews Plus > TRUE CRIME > BUSHFIRE AFTERMATH > DOG SQUAD POSTER
INSIDE
june 09
08 | SLEEPING ROUGH
IN BALLARAT
Regulars Odd Spot05
from the chief
commissioner
I hope you have had a chance
to have a look at our new
website Victoria Police News
(www.vicpolicenews.com.au),
launched in April.
The website is just one of many
ways Victoria Police is embracing
the digital age. We are committed to
new media communications, such
as SMS, online forums, video, audio,
podcasts, vodcasts and regular
use of social media. Our cover story
on page six details more about our
move into the online realm.
Our technological advancement
is important for many reasons.
It allows us to provide up-to-
the-minute information to the
media and community, it helps
us connect with the younger
demographic and most importantly,
is another way we can promote
mutual responsibility between the
community and police in making
our society a safe place to live.
I am committed to working with
you to continue to reduce crime,
cut the road toll and be there with
you in the good times and bad.
The partnerships developed under
Christine will continue to grow
as we find ways of tackling new
problems, new crime into
the future.
But importantly, this is not
something we can do on our own.
It is my belief that every person in
the community has a role to play
in keeping themselves and each
other safe.
I look forward to working with
you in the coming months to
achieve this.
Simon Overland, APM
02 JUNE 2009 POLICELIFE
12 | ON THE SET OF
HIGHWAY PATROL
18 | PUTTING THE BRAKES
ON BIKE CRIME
True Crime10 Picture This23 From the archives30
inbox
Letters from members of the GRAND RESULT
public can be submitted for I would like to thank the St Kilda
publication and preference and Prahran police members who
will be given to letters of supported our efforts in hosting
less than 150 words. Names, a safe and successful Grand Prix
addresses and telephone weekend from 26 to 29 March.
numbers must be included. This year, we made a concerted
Letters may be edited by
effort to ensure we had the
appropriate safety measures in
Police Life. Only the name and
place so that our patrons and the
suburb will be published,
local community could enjoy a
unless the writer requests
safe environment both inside
otherwise. Submit letters to:
and surrounding the hotel.
policelife-mgr@police.vic.gov.au
or Inbox, Police Life, PO Box 415,
During this Grand Prix period, the
hotels patronage was up by about
Melbourne, victoria, 3005. 11 per cent on last year, which was
a tremendous result considering
attendance at the track was down
10 per cent this year.
The police monitoring of the hotel
helped to make certain we had no
trouble during the entire weekend.
KEVIN MCNAMEE, GUNN ISLAND
HOTEL, MIDDLE PARK
FAMILY THANKS
My family and I just wanted to wish
you all a heartfelt well done and
thank you for a fantastic job over
the recent Easter holiday break. You
deserve a huge pat on the back.
Police Life is produced by the Strategic Communications Unit, Media & Corporate
Communications Department, Victoria Police, PO Box 415, Melbourne, 3005.
Fax: 9247 5982, Email: policelife-mgr@police.vic.gov.au
Editor Amanda Connor Journalists Maria Carnovale, Mark Tesoriero, Anna Erbrederis
Graphic Design Vetro Design Pty Ltd Subscriptions 9247 6894
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.
24 | DVI PROCESS
CONCLUDES
We have personally seen a huge
amount of members and police
vehicles out there, everywhere,
working hard to keep our roads safe,
and keeping the road toll so low.
My family and I truly respect
and support what you do, and
really appreciate all your efforts
on our behalf.
NEVILLE, DONNA AND SALLY
MITCHELL, TYNONG NORTH
PATIENT POLICE
I would like to pass on my
appreciation and the appreciation
of the members of my deployment
team for the hospitality and
patience of Kinglake police
members during our deployment as
a result of the bushfire emergency.
The Victorian members were very
hospitable towards us and tolerant
of our limited knowledge of the area.
I personally performed a shift with
Senior Constable Lucillia McCallum
and found her to be an experienced
officer who interacted well with the
community and myself.
They are all a credit to
Victoria Police.
SERGEANT RUSSELL BROOK,
NEW SOUTH WALES POLICE
Editors note: See story page 26.
cover: DIGITALISING
POLICE
Victoria Police is embracing
the digital age.
See story page 6.
Poster: LEAP DOG
P. D. Delta has an
eye for crime.
Photograph: Shane Bell.

Working like a dog has paid off for
some of Victoria Polices most
committed canines. Thirteen have
been recognised with service medals
for their role in crime fighting.
Editorial AMANDA CONNOR
PHOTOGRAPHY SHANE BELL
MEDIA HOUND
.01 Victoria Police Dog (P.D) Saleem
and twelve of his four-legged
friends soaked up the media
attention during a service medal
presentation last month.
www.police.vic.gov.au/policelife
a dogs
LIFE
P .D Trakka is a force to be
reckoned with. With a nose for
narcotics, he has been involved in
the arrest of over 600 offenders
for various drug-related offences.
At almost 10 years of age, P.D
Trakka is one of Victoria Polices
youngest members. However, P.D
Trakka is no rookie.
P.D Trakka is a dog, assigned to
the Victoria Police Dog Squad. And
while height may not be on his side,
he does not pull up short when it
comes to experience.
This expertise was recognised
last month, when Trakka and 12 of
his canine pals received a service
medal for their fight against crime
and law breakers.
It was the first time in
Victoria Police history that the
organisations dogs have been
formally recognised, made
possible by the Australian
Defence Force Trackers and War
Dog Association who created the
medals to acknowledge the work
of canines who have served five
years in government service.
Of the 13 dogs, three deal with
narcotics, three with firearms and
explosives while another seven
perform general duties.
Acting Senior Sergeant Shaun
McGovern of the Dog Squad
said the canines deserved to
be formally recognised for their
commitment and contribution
to combating crime.
making news
FOR the latest police news VISIT
www.vicpolicenews.com.au
.01
We have a lot of awards that
honour police members but its nice
to have a medal that recognises
the specialist skills our canines
develop to keep our community
safe, he said.
A/Sen Sgt McGovern said skilled
canines played a very important
role in supporting members
involved in operational policing.
Our dogs could help save a life
or could contribute to improving
overall community safety, he said.
In an age of technology, no man-
made device has yet to duplicate
the natural instincts and abilities
of a dog to track human scent or
detect hidden persons or property.
The Victoria Police Dog Squad
assisted in 970 arrests last
year and 314 arrests so far this
year, varying from apprehending
offenders in relation to assault
and robbery matters to detecting
people in possession of drugs.
POLICELIFE JUNE 2009 03
small talk
voxpoP bookreview

What can elderly people do to stay Blood

safe while out and about? Sunset
Constable Scott McDonell
Caulfield police station
When a young runaway
They should notify relatives or friends of their
intended actions so that if they fail to return, alarm
is found dead in St Kilda
bells can be raised. Id also tell them to try not to with a syringe hanging
carry a lot of cash as they may be seen as an easy from his arm, no one is
target to criminals. sure whether it is an
overdose or something
more sinister.
Constable Elise Toomey

A
Caulfield police station ssigned to the case, Detective Rubens McCauley soon finds himself
Always tell a friend or family member where up against a secret network of paedophiles, child abusers, and
you are going and avoid carrying large amounts underage prostitutes.
of cash or valuables. Blood Sunset is made even stronger by Jarad Henrys inside knowledge
of the world he depicts. Henry, a strategic advisor for Victoria Police,
has a degree in criminology and regularly speaks about crime trends at
conferences and seminars. Blood Sunset is his second novel.
Senior Sergeant Dave Morgan
Ethical Standards Department
Take somebody with you, or have a mobile phone readerinquiry
on you at all times if possible.
Q. Where did the phrase police are
on the beat come from?

A. In the 1850s, Victoria Police developed a system from England and

divided Melbournes streets into defined areas, known as beats.
Beats were patrolled day and night, in all weather conditions by police.
Members were instructed to be in specific locations at exact times and
could be charged if they did not comply. However, over time the method
Last year
equipmentshowcase did not prove to be overly successful as offenders cottoned onto the
28 people idea, and committed crimes in areas where they knew there would be
were killed

DIGITAL RED
no police presence.
as a result of Beat patrols were eventually phased out due to the progress of technology.
side impact Bicycles were brought in during the early 1900s and they could cover a

LIGHT CAMERAS collisions at

intersections,
with 25 per cent
of all serious
larger area more quickly than foot patrol members walking the beat.

Victoria Police injuries also policefact

?
is taking its caused this

DID YOU
way, Mr Lay A recent survey conducted by the Royal
technological Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) found
said.
advancement to that one in five cars on VictoriaN roads

KNOW
There were had at least one unroadworthy tyre
the road. also over 4000 and another 20 per cent had at least
recorded collisions one borderline or badly worn tyre.

T hirty wet film red light camera

sites will be upgraded to digital
technology in a bid to help reduce
road trauma in Victoria.
The sites, around metropolitan
Melbourne are part of a wider
network, made up of 83 sites.
The existing 26 wet film red light
cameras will continue to be rotated
through the remaining 53 sites.
Victoria Police Assistant
Commissioner (Traffic and Transit)
Ken Lay said the digital red light
cameras will also take on a
speed enforcement capacity
meaning an increase in the
speed camera network.
The 30 sites for upgrading were
chosen based on high levels of red-
light running or collision rates.
at intersections and a large
percentage of these involved
speed and motorists taking a
When police detect badly worn tyres on a vehicle, a defect notice is issued
and the driver or owner has seven days to rectify the problem.
gamble by running a red light. If the tyres are unroadworthy and pose an immediate danger to road users,
Mr Lay said the transition from police can issue a defective vehicle label and remove the vehicle from the
wet film to digital red light cameras road until the defect is fixed and cleared by VicRoads.
was essential as the older system
was slowly phased out.
Traffic cameras are no
different from the cameras quickstats 03. COMPUTER LAPTOP/
people buy for personal use. No NOTEBOOK
one buys a traditional film camera
anymore and part of that is because
they are increasingly hard to find,
TOP 10
ITEMS REPORTED STOLEN
04. WALLET/PURSE
05. TOOLS/POWERTOOLS
06. HANDBAG/BAG
get parts or film for and then get FROM VEHICLES (APRIL 08 07. MOBILE PHONE
that film developed. TO MARCH 09)
The full list of the 30 digital sites 08. SUNGLASSES
and all other traffic camera sites is 01. CASH/MONEY 09. IPOD/MP3 PLAYER
available at www.justice.vic.gov.au/ 02. GPS RECEIVER/NAVIGATION 10. Photographic
camerascutcrashes on the Internet. UNIT equipment

04 JUNE 2009 POLICELIFE

 behindthebadge

MARILYNN ROSS
RANK Sergeant
Age 45
GRADUATED 1988
UNIT Digital Media Unit (DMU)

DUTIES I am the creator and manager of Victoria Police BlueTube. As

part of this role, I film and edit videos for use internally and externally.
These can vary from a station profile, an operational training piece to a
video story. Before joining the DMU I worked on the Mobile Data Network
Project (involving the placement of computers in police cars). Prior to that
I was a detective with the Crime Investigation Unit (CIU).
WHEN FACED WITH A PROBLEM I Phone a friend, usually a smart
friend. In all seriousness, I do talk to friends and I try to keep healthy.
I also think its important to be able to still have a laugh and not take
yourself too seriously.
PEOPLE SAY IM GOOD AT Compiling music for parties. I dont drink
alcohol so I know exactly what music to play at the start of a night, what
to play to get people dancing and what music to finish the night on.
SHE SAYS When I first started creating videos, I had little skills. With
help from the crew at Victoria Polices Multimedia Unit, I have improved
a lot and received some good advice along the way. It is fun working with
such talented people and I think my operational experience is beneficial
as I know what police members are interested in.
NEXT, ID LIKE TO Continue my work with the DMU. The expansion
of the online world means we are getting more innovative in what we
can do. The skys the limit.

Not so sweet dreams It was heavy traffic, and he was

Police were called to a house in
Vermont where the roof had fallen
in on a defenceless 21-year-old.
The man was sleeping on a fold-out
couch when at 7.40am he woke to
pieces of plaster falling from above.
doing a really good job on his own,
Sen Const Crane said.
This follows an incident in early
March when Mr Overland pulled
over a suspected drink driver in
Melbournes Burnley Tunnel after
he noticed a car driving erratically.

ODD
Fortunately he suffered no
injuries, and quickly police and the
Metropolitan Fire Brigade were on Eye for crime
the scene to pull the roof off his Talk about above and beyond the

SPOT
Horsing around
Violet Town police have found a
solution for those struggling with
rising petrol prices.
Leading Senior Constable Pat Storer
is taking police patrols to another
level with a pony-led vehicle.
Ldg Sen Const Storer claims the
horse buggy would save the
organisation fuel and vehicle
servicing costs, while also providing
fertiliser for the roses at the front of
the police station.
Police Life, however, thinks the
Victoria Police Transport Branch is
not ready to make its police cars
redundant just yet.
pyjama-clad legs.
What caused the roof to fall
in remains a mystery, but it
is certainly something most
people would never dream of.
Chief on the beat
Since assuming his post as Victoria
Polices Chief Commissioner, Simon
Overland has shown he is not afraid
to get his hands dirty.
After returning from Bendigo on
Easter Monday, Mr Overland came
across a three-car pile up on the
Calder Highway at Elphinstone.
First on the scene, Mr Overland left
the vehicle in which he was travelling
with his wife, and began directing
traffic around the crash scene.
Senior Constable Malcolm Crane
of Castlemaine police, told the
Bendigo Advertiser that Mr Overland
handed over to local members when
they arrived.
call of duty.
A rookie cop in the United Kingdom
was so determined to notch his first
arrest that he pursued a suspect
despite having a six-inch tree
branch lodged in his eye.
The Sun newspaper in London
reported that Police Constable
(PC) John Nash, 25, of Greater
Manchester Police, was unaware
of his injury until after he had
chased down and arrested a
suspect who was driving erratically.
It was only his sixth day on the job.
PC Nash, who slipped face-first into
a bush during the chase, told The
Sun he thought he had hit himself
in the face with his baton.
PC Nash underwent three hours
of surgery and has retained some
sight in the eye.

www.police.vic.gov.au/policelife POLICELIFE JUNE 2009 05

COver story
www.vicpolicenews.com.au
DIGI
GETTING
Victoria Police tweets, has its own Facebook group and
YouTube Channel. Now, an online news website will help
the organisation communicate directly with the world
and that elusive youth demographic.
editorial ANNA ERBREDERIS
Are you a fan of
Police Life?
Show your support by becoming
a fan online. Visit Police Lifes
Facebook page for a preview of
the stories in the next edition.
"The Victoria Police internal BlueTube online video channel recently celebrated
its one year birthday and over 200,000 hits."
06 JUNE 2009 POLICELIFE
J
ohn Brumby follows Victoria
Police. So does Connex
Melbourne, Channel Sevens
Sunrise, a bloke called Pommy
Steve and Blondie Girl. In fact, at
the end of May, the Victoria Police
Twitter feed had 535 followers
this number growing everyday. By
users who have subscribed to
following Victoria Police tweets,
these Twitterers received alerts to
witness appeals of city assaults,
Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)
images released from armed
robberies and information about
major traffic operations being
undertaken by Victoria Police.
www.vicpolicenews.com.au/myplace
WITH IT
For those new to the world of
Web 2.0, Twitter can be described
as a micro-blog. It is a free online
social networking tool that enables
users to send and read other users
updates. These updates, also
known as tweets, are text-based
posts of up to 140 characters
which are displayed on the users
profile page and delivered to other
them. Subscribers are known
as followers.
Victoria Police publishes a
tweet for every news alert it puts
out, with a link to the full article.
The organisation has other
friends in cyberspace too. Victoria
Police Forcebook, the organisations
official Facebook group, has 641
friends. Forcebook is designed as
a friends of Victoria Police style
group, giving the community a
chance to declare their support
of the organisations work and
its members.
In April Victoria Police took
another sizeable step into the
digital world, launching an online
news website. Victoria Police
News takes the form of an online
newspaper and aims to take police
updates direct to the public. Media
and Corporate Communications
Department director, Nicole
McKechnie, said the news site
featured up-to-the minute
information for the media
and community.
Victoria Police News is the
first place people can go to find
out about police-related news
and events whether its day
to day issues or an emergency
like the recent bushfires,
Ms McKechnie said.
The site is updated constantly,
24-hours a day, by the Victoria
Police Media Unit.
 communications, such as SMS,
online forums and chat, video,
audio, podcasts, vodcasts and have
embraced the use of social media.
It features information on The Nielson 2009 Australian
arrests, police operations, serious Internet and Technology Report
road accidents, robberies, as well showed that 49 per cent of
as appeals for witnesses to a range Australians chose the Internet as
of crimes. their preferred information source.
Ms McKechnie says Victoria It is an important time
Police views the media as a for Victoria Police to have a
powerful tool in fighting crime. strong online presence,
Each of Victoria Polices 56
In April, the Victoria Police Ms McKechnie said.
Police Service Areas (PSA) has a
Media Unit released images of a Australians are going online
My Place page. By typing in your
group of men who assaulted a taxi and using new technology to find
postcode, you are taken to your
driver in Endeavor Hills, she said. their news and information more
PSA, he said.
The CCTV images were and more each day, she said.
Here you will find your local
published on our news website and Ms McKechnie said that an
crime statistics, a message from
featured on the nightly television advantage of having a strong
your police inspector and targeted In the past, the Internet was
news programs. online presence is the ability to
crime prevention information. more like a library where people
By the end of the day, someone reach the younger demographic.
Mr Overland said that My Place would go to websites, read
had recognised these people and A third of people killed on our
aimed to give the community information and view photos
by mid-evening they were taken roads are youth and almost half of
information about what crime is this was Web 1.0.
into custody and charged. all offenders processed by Victoria
taking place in their area, providing With Web 2.0, people are
Outcomes like this are Police are aged 10 to 24, she said.
them with the knowledge to prevent part of the website, interacting,
not an uncommon event, and These young people very
this crime. chatting and sharing their
Victoria Police News will only rarely read newspapers. We
Its about a mutual experiences and opinions.
boost these results. therefore need to be online, in
responsibility between the Things are moving quickly in the
A key part of the Victoria their environment providing
community and police in making small Victoria Police Digital Media
Police News website is My them with information to help
our society a safe place to live, Unit team according to Ms Telford.
Place. This online application guide their choices.
he said. Our own YouTube Channel,
allows people to simply type The Victoria Police News
Effective policing does not BlueTube, is going strong. We have
in their postcode to view their website features traffic alerts,
stop at just the police. It is nine videos online and a total of
local crime statistics. Chief audio and video downloads as
everyones business. We all have 864 channel views, she said.
Commissioner Simon Overland well as online forums. DMU
responsibilities. The Victoria Police internal
said the application encourages a manager, Fiona Telford, said that
As Media Director, Ms McKechnie BlueTube online video channel,
community-police partnership once a month, a senior member of
is committed to digital technologies. which has a focus on training,
in creating safer communities. Victoria Police will be online to chat
Last year we set up a Digital recently celebrated its first
with the community.
Media Unit (DMU) to implement birthday and has recorded
Mr Overland took part in
digital and online communications over 200,000 hits.
our first online chat in May
into Victoria Police, she said. Once a self-proclaimed cynic
and we look forward to hosting
We really have our eyes on to the rapid rise of technology,
discussions on a range of
the future and our eyes online. Ms Telford encourages everyone
important issues, she said.
We are committed to new media to get online and into the
Internally, the Victoria Police
Intranet has been hosting digital realm.
Places to visit online forums for the past six Give it a go, I soon found that
Victoria Police News www.vicpolicenews.com.au months. Members are engaged it doesnt bite, she said.
in discussions on a number of Theres a whole new world
My Place www.vicpolicenews.com.au/myplace
operational issues. out there, and Victoria Police is
Victoria Police Twitter www.twitter.com/VictoriaPolice certainly staking a claim online
Applications such as the online
Victoria Police Forcebook www.facebook.com/group. and will continue to do so well
forums are part of this Web 2.0
php?gid=58489859411&ref=ts into the future.
movement, Ms Telford said.
Victoria Police You Tube Channel www.youtube.com/VPBlueTube

www.police.vic.gov.au/policelife POLICELIFE JUNE 2009 07

A SAFER VICTORIA

LEFT
OUT
cold
.01

08 JUNE 2009 POLICELIFE

SLEEPING ROUGH
.01 The Ballarat students went
to school the day after their
homeless sleep out.
.02 Leading Senior Constable
Des Hudson shares soup with
students prior to lights out.
.03 Sprawled out across the cold
concrete of the Ballarat Mining
Exchange, 72 students slept
rough for a first hand insight into
the plight of homelessness.
More than 6000 people slept out on Ballarats streets last
year, mostly hidden from public view. Mark Tesoriero joined
a Ballarat police member and a group of determined young
students for a first-hand insight into this growing problem.
editorial MARK TESORIERO
Photography SHANE BELL
A piece of cardboard. That is what I
was given upon arrival at Ballarat
in early March.
The 1m x 0.5m x 0.01m rectangle
that housed 24 cans of Pepsi in a
former life was to be my mattress
for the evening.
This was going to be an
interesting night.
It was just before midnight
on a Thursday and the Ballarat
Mining Exchange was abuzz
with teenagers.
Seventy-two students from
surrounding secondary schools
gathered in the former bus depot for
the first annual Sleep Rough event.
An initiative of the Ballarat
Police Youth Leadership Group, the
event aimed to raise awareness of
homelessness in Ballarat.
For many locals, homelessness
is perceived as a Melbourne-based
problem.
It is not always visible in Ballarat,
with people huddling in tight
corners and dark doorways to avoid
the unforgiving climate.
Ballarat Uniting Cares Sue Groom
said that 5872 people had visited
the charity between 2007 and 2008
seeking assistance with housing.
"Now imagine doing that every night, in the middle
of winter in Ballarat, and then trying to function
and go to school the next day."
www.police.vic.gov.au/policelife
.02
This was an increase of 1066
on the previous years figures.
While current statistics are
unconfirmed, homeless advocate
Craig Schepis estimated that close
to 10,000 people were sleeping out
on Ballarats streets each year.
Youth Resource Officer Leading
Senior Constable Des Hudson
said the Sleep Rough evening was
designed to simulate, in a controlled
environment, what some locals
experienced every night.
Obviously were safe in here
but you still always find yourself
on your guard because its a
different environment and you
feel on your own, said Ldg Sen
Const Hudson, also a member of
the City of Ballarat council for the
past six-and-a-half years.
Were hoping that in the future if
these guys have a conflict at home
and are about to walk out the door
and sleep on the street, theyll think
more about it and try to resolve
their differences.
Earlier in the evening, the
students watched feature film
Slumdog Millionaire, followed
by a short documentary about
homelessness by Mr Schepis.
Mr Schepis slept on Ballarats
streets during one of its coldest
nights to film the documentary.
The viewing clearly had
an impact.
Ben Hart, a year 12 student
from Ballarat High School, said
he was surprised by the extent of
homelessness in his community.
Craig has really inspired me.
I never had any idea how bad it
was, he said.
Id really like to get involved
and help out those people on
the streets.
I guess this is the first step.
The Rotary Club of Ballarat
distributed foam cups of pumpkin
soup and a piece of bread before
students settled down for sleep.
Lights were off at 1.17am but
the glow of mobile phones could
be seen as students tried to
manoeuvre their cardboard into a
less-uncomfortable position.
The high ceilings and concrete
floor of the Mining Exchange
ensured the air remained crisp.
Sleep seemed a long way off.
The weather played its part, too,
with fierce rain and howling wind
lashing the Lydiard Street building.
It was not a night you would like
to be outdoors, let alone setting up
to sleep out there.
For the first of many times that
night, I was thankful for the roof
over my head.
It was a lot quieter by 2.23am,
with the silence broken only by
one student who plays hauntingly
on a harmonica.
The prank got a few giggles,
but the mood quickly returned
to eerie silence.
It is about this time that I drifted
off to sleep.
.03
The next time I peered at my
watch it was 5.37am.
The sun was just breaking
outside but there was plenty of
movement about the hall.
Within 15 minutes the entire
group was awake, shuffling
around in sleeping bags and
trying desperately not to think
about the coming school day.
Scott Porajski, a year 12 student
from Ballarat High School, walked
around the hall wrapped in a
large doona.
He did not appear to have
slept well.
It would be pretty stressful
having to sleep outside every night
for one, and then backing up to go
to school the next day, he said.
You just couldnt really
imagine it.
Classmate Linda Moran
looked a little more rested.
When I got to sleep I slept
pretty deeply, she said.
I went to sleep at about 3am
so it wasnt too bad.
But I wouldnt like to do that
every night.
The group met for a quick
debrief with Ldg Sen Const
Hudson and the Ballarat Police
Youth Leadership Group.
They were asked to list words
describing the nights sleep.
Cold, hard, uncomfortable,
difficult and confronting were
a few of the responses.
Its a big thing to sleep outside,
isnt it? Ldg Sen Const Hudson said.
Now imagine doing that every
night, in the middle of winter in
Ballarat, and then trying to function
and go to school the next day.
It is time to head off to class as
the debrief closes about 7.30am.
Sleeping bags are packed
away and cardboard tossed
back onto a pile.
The doors reopen and the
group returns to the world a
little hazy, but with eyes starting
to open up to the reality faced by
Ballarats homeless.
POLICELIFE JUNE 2009 09
 WEDDING
CRASHER
A 16-week pregnant woman was
heartlessly targeted by this weapon
enthusiast at the culmination of a
weekend-long rampage.
editorial MARK TESORIERO
S imon Hancock liked to play
with guns.
Standing at about 57 and
moderately built, he was never
going to intimidate on size alone.
So it was not uncommon for him
to carry a loaded sawn-off rifle
down his trousers.
According to Detective Senior
Constable Brett Tamblyn of Victoria
Polices Armed Crime Taskforce,
Hancock had trimmed down the
barrel of a .22 rifle to make it
easier to carry.
At 41cm long, the shooter
fitted neatly down his strides,
with the handle visible just
above the waist band.
Although on bail for a firearms
offence committed in early 2007,
Hancock continued to carry the
weapon even bringing it to his
sisters wedding.
It was while celebrating the
nuptials on 30 September, 2007,
anyone that wasnt white, Det Sen
Const Tamblyn said.
Emma was European-looking
so he wouldnt have liked that.
He had Nazi tattoos, Nazi
posters in his caravan and
thought he needed to be
armed for protection.
Some at the wedding knew
to be wary of Hancock.
The previous night in
Mooroolbark, while playing cards
at the bucks party, he produced
the firearm after an argument
with an opponent.
He had also let a few shots fly
as the group drank earlier on the

"That same rifle was part of his wedding outfit the that it was used to blast Emma
Matchett, 16 weeks pregnant,
in the stomach at a wedding
banks of the Yarra River.
He pointed the gun at this
one fellow and threatened him,
next day, carried in a backpack and later fitted afterparty.
The thing about this bloke that
Det Sen Const Tamblyn said.
Then he left the gun on the table
down the trousers of his tuxedo." made him different to everyone
else, was that he absolutely loathed
so to intimidate the other guys.
That same rifle was part of his
wedding outfit the next day, carried

10 JUNE 2009 POLICELIFE


.01
in a backpack and later fitted down
the trousers of his tuxedo.
It was not until after the wedding,
and a fair amount of alcohol, that
the shooter reappeared.
At the first house party in Eva
Court, Croydon, Hancock spied an
associate who owed him money.
Hes lifted up his shirt and
shown the associate the rifle butt
sticking out of his pants and told
him to pay up, Det Sen Const
Tamblyn said.
This guy has managed to walk
away and wisely left the party.
When Hancock and Matchett
clashed verbally at the next party
in Mooroolbark, it was Matchett
who was not so lucky.
She walks to the toilet and,
as she closes the door, she can
see Hancock in the kitchen pointing
the gun at her, Det Sen Const
Tamblyn said.
www.police.vic.gov.au/policelife
Theyve exchanged words and
Matchett has said something to
the effect of, well, if youre going
to shoot me, then do it.
Matchett hears a commotion
in the kitchen, as her boyfriend,
Richard Day, attempts to disarm
Hancock.
The next noise Matchett does
not so much hear, she feels.
The rifle is discharged.
The blast pierces the toilet wall
and Matchetts womb, narrowly
missing her baby and lodging
inches from her spine.
Before making his
escape, Hancock rammed
Days head through a plaster
wall in the kitchen.
She staggers out the toilet
and is bleeding and vomiting
and Hancock scoops up the gun
and is off on foot, Det Sen Const
Tamblyn said.
Det Sen Const Tamblyn and
Armed Crime Taskforce colleague
Detective Acting Sergeant Adrian
Brilliant, are roused from slumber
at about 1.30am.
The pair would not rest
again until Hancock was caught
three days later in a mobile
interception by the Special
Operations Group (SOG).
We basically didnt stop from
the time of the shooting to the
time that we got him, Det Sen
Const Tamblyn said.
Wed have two to three hours
sleep while surveillance was
running but we were still getting
updates from the surveillance
crews every 10 to15 minutes
about his location.
Using physical and electronic
surveillance, police located
Hancock en route to Ballarat.
Fearing he would flee to the
South Australian border, the
SOG was dispatched.
But Hancock headed back to
Melbourne and was arrested on
the Western Highway, Deer Park.
Here, the SOG found the
loaded rifle at his feet, along with
ammunition, the sawn off barrel
and a small quantity of cannabis.
At his plea hearing at the County
Court of Victoria on 1 December,
2008, Hancock pleaded guilty to
charges that included negligently
.02
AFTER-PARTY
.01 Simon Hancock bought a sawn-
off rifle to his sisters wedding.
.02 The Mooroolbark property
where Ms Matchett was shot
in the stomach.
.03 The hole left after Hancock
rammed Richard Days head
through a plaster wall.
.04 Inside the Mooroolbark house
where the shooting occurred.
.03
causing serious injury, two counts
of reckless conduct endangering a
person and threatening to kill.
He was sentenced to five-and-
a-half years imprisonment, with
a non-parole period of three years
and 10 months.
In delivering his judgement,
Judge Geoffrey Chettel said
Hancock had an affinity for
carrying weapons.
You are fortunate I think that
no-one was killed, possibly even
yourself, he told Hancock. .04
You clearly regard yourself
as somewhat of a cowboy in the
way in which you acted with this
weapon, and your history confirms
that opinion.
"The thing about this bloke that made him
different to everyone else, was that he
absolutely loathed anyone that wasnt white,"
Det Sen Const Tamblyn said.
Despite spending two weeks
in hospital, and several return
visits for complications, Matchett
gave birth to a healthy baby five
months later.
Hancock is currently serving
his sentence in Ararat Prison.
Everyone was determined to
track him down, Det Sen Const
Tamblyn recounted.
Hed just shot a pregnant
woman so there was no reprieve
until we got him into custody.
POLICELIFE JUNE 2009 11
CONNECTING THE COMMUNITY

LIGHTS, CAMERA,

ACTION
editorial MARIA CARNOVALE
photography ANDREW HENSHAW
B lue Heelers may be stored away
on VHS, but a fresh breed of
police television is keeping the
Victoria Police Film and Television
Police Life spent an evening with members of the Office (FTO) in demand.
It all started with the likes of
Victoria Police Film and Television Office as they Miami Vice, NYPD Blue and the
observed filming of an upcoming television series. reality series Cops. More recently
however, Victoria has taken centre
stage with a number of movies and
television series featuring police.

Timeline

4pm 5pm 5.30pm 6pm

At Bendigo police station, The Film and Television
Office (FTO) oversees the film crew while they fit
police vehicles with cameras. We check that the
cameras wont get in the way of the members
view while they are driving, Senior Sergeant
Peter Sambell said.
After a briefing from FTO, filming is ready to One crew sets up on the edge of Calder Highway,
begin. Were here to make your life easier, filming police while they check for speeding drivers.
he tells the members. The first vehicle is pulled over and Senior Constable
Bruce Slimmon approaches the driver to ask their
permission to be filmed.
Another vehicle is pulled over for going 18
kilometres per hour over the speed limit. As the
film crew and police do their jobs, Sen Sgt Sambell
checks they are all a safe distance from the road.
Someone was recently killed just across the road,
Leading Senior Constable Kevyn Hume-Cook tells
the film crew.

12 JUNE 2009 POLICELIFE


Since the FTO began operation in
the mid-1990s, they have assisted
with research for countless fiction
and true crime books, provided
advice to a number of television
productions, and organised traffic
management for a myriad of
filming events.
Among them are feature
films including Ghost Rider, police
drama series City Homicide and
Rush, and documentary Crime
Investigation Australia. It is hoped
that documentaries like the latter
will increase public confidence in
how police solve crime, ultimately
encouraging more reports to police.
The latest addition, Highway
Patrol, will follow traffic police
doing their bit to keep Victorias
roads safe while, behind the
scenes, FTO members keep film
crews in line.
8.30pm
Back at Bendigo police station, the tapes roll as
police arrest an intoxicated female who has almost
hit pedestrians. The FTOs Acting Sergeant John
Fowler explains what happened on camera.
www.police.vic.gov.au/policelife
The series, based on New
Zealands Motorway Patrol,
will air later this year after
filming across the state.
FTO manager, Vicki Vassilopoulos,
said the series showed Victoria
Polices commitment to reducing
the road toll and injuries on roads.
People will be able to watch
this series and relate to the police
intercepts we are showing. They
will see why it is dangerous to
speed or be careless on the roads
while gaining an understanding of
police procedure and operations,
she said.
The FTO is filled with
framed photographs of popular
television shows and personalised
autographs. However, it is not
all glitz and glamour for the
four staff in the office.
While the film crews do their
job, FTO members have the
important job of ensuring their
safety and that of police and the
community around them.
We coordinate traffic
management when filming which
involves specialist film vehicles
10pm
Police begin to hear the rumblings of burnouts and
patrol the citys streets for hoons. The crew films as
police talk to a local male and check his vehicle and
tyres for roadworthiness.
like tracking vehicles or low-
loaders where a vehicle is towed
behind a ute on a long trailer, Ms
Vassilopoulos said.
There are film crew and
cameras harnessed on the back of
these vehicles and they are totally
concentrating on what is being
filmed, so we need to make sure
the filming is carried out safely
for other road users and complies
with legislation.
During filming of Highway Patrol
on Bendigos Calder Highway,
the FTOs Senior Sergeant Peter
Sambell kept a watchful eye on
the film crew.
They are here to make television
and we are here to make sure
they dont get in the way of our
members, he said.
11.30pm
Police impound a young womans car after she was
caught travelling 51 kilometres over the speed limit.
Dangerous driving like this is something the public
needs to see, Sen Sgt Sambell said.
ON SCREEN
.01 Senior production manager for
Highway Patrol, Tanya Pouwhare
said working with Victoria Polices
Film and Television Office was
easy. They understand the film
production lingo and understand
our filming needs really well,
she said.
There are cameras following
their every movement so if the
police are uncomfortable with
something or they feel their safety
is compromised, they just have to
let us know.
Ms Vassilopoulos said the
FTO works with producers and
writers to ensure that scripts
featuring police are in line with
proper police procedure.
We had a big role with Blue
Heelers where we had a full-time
police advisor working with the
show to assist with the script and
make sure all police processes and
protocols were adhered to and as
realistic as possible, she said.
However, the realistic nature of
filming has its downfalls.
There have been instances
where people have seen a gun
or other weapon and called 000,
but it has turned out to be just an
imitation weapon that is part of a
film scene, Ms Vassilopoulos said.
It can be really frightening
for someone to see something
like that. Thats why all filming in
Victoria needs to go through our
office so we can advise police of
anything happening in their area.
Its also important that police
are aware of any road closures in
the area so if they are called out
to an incident they know which
routes to avoid.
With a growing demand for
police assistance in the film
and television industry, the
FTO is prepared.
Its a forever evolving
and growing industry,
Ms Vassilopoulos said.
Filming in Victoria not only
makes great television, but it
also benefits the state.
POLICELIFE JUNE 2009 13
CONNECTING THE COMMUNITY
AGE OF
REASON
They have been called the Silent
Generation, but when it comes to living
confidently, Victorias elderly are
anything but quiet.
editorial MARIA CARNOVALE
Photography Tim arch +
brad marsellos
Who to contact if
you need support
Visit the Office of Senior
Victorians at www.seniors.vic.
gov.au to find out about how
communities are planning
for an ageing population.
To find out what services are
available to older Victorians,
visit the Department of
Human Services at www.dhs.
vic.gov.au/ahs on the Internet.
The Department of Health
and Ageing has information
about how to stay healthy.
Visit www.health.gov.au to
find out more.
For assistance or information
about elder abuse, telephone
Seniors Rights Victoria on
1300 368 821.
"The main concern we have for older people is
family violence that is not being reported to us."
14 JUNE 2009 POLICELIFE
11 years jail, but the crime was so
M
any have experienced world
wars, hunger and poverty,
yet burglary and thefts remain
a concern for older Victorians.
The Victoria Police Safer
Communities Units Inspector
Jill Wood said there was no reason
for people to feel unsafe in their
community or at home, no matter
what their age.
Crime statistics during 2007-08
showed that people over the age
of 65 were less likely to become
victims of burglary than any other
age group. However, Insp Wood
said people should not become
complacent about their safety.
There is a high rate of fear of
crime among the elderly, she said.
Crime tends to be
sensationalised in the media
and that leads people to thinking
they are not safe in their homes,
which is not the case.
OLDER VICTORIANS
.01 Some elderly people can
be vulnerable and a lot of
the time they dont have any
relatives and they live alone,
says Ldg Sen Const Gary Oram
of Caulfield police.
.02 Sergeant Trevor Taylor of
Prahran Neighbourhood Watch
and 83-year-old Margaret Wood
enjoy a coffee at Prahran Market.
Last year, the image of
91-year-old Rachel Williams,
who died after being attacked in
her Broadmeadows home, sent
shockwaves through Victorians.
Her assailant was sentenced to
shocking that many of the states
elderly population will not forget it.
Yes, elderly peoples homes do
get broken into occasionally, but
no more than any other persons
home, she said.
Our Crime Prevention Officers
often meet with community and
elderly groups to talk about ways
that they can keep safe and prevent
becoming a victim, she said.
Doing little things like not
carrying a lot of cash, sitting in a
carriage with a number of people
when travelling by train, and always
keeping doors and windows locked,
will help you feel safer.
The main concern we have for
older people is family violence that
is not being reported to us.
On 15 June, Australians will
participate in Elder Abuse Day
to raise awareness and promote
better understanding of elder
abuse and neglect.
Abuse can happen in a number
of places at home or in a nursing
home and a lot of the time it is
not physical abuse. It can be
psychological and can often
involve money, Insp Wood said.
Often, victims think the abuse
will escalate or that they may
be kicked out of their homes if
they report it, but I would always
encourage people to report family
violence to police and we will
give them as much assistance
as possible.
.01
Insp Wood said that by 2013,
it is expected that one quarter of
Victorians will be over the age of 60.
With such a large proportion of
the community over that age, police
and the community have to look at
ways of engaging with and assisting
older people.
One project, a Senior Citizens
Register, allows people to register
their details at a local police station
so they can be contacted regularly
by a volunteer.
Caulfield police stations
Leading Senior Constable Gary
Oram said the register had
proven to be of benefit for older
members of the community.
Some elderly people can be
vulnerable and a lot of the time they
dont have any relatives and they
live alone, he said.
There are about 20 volunteers
who work from the Murrumbeena
police station daily. They call the
registered people and see if they
need or want anything or just for a
general chat.
We also get to know the elderly
people on the register and find out
who may need our assistance.
While ensuring the safety of all
Victorians is top-priority for police,
Insp Wood said older Victorians
should not be treated differently
from the rest of the community.
Many elderly people are
leading full lives without fear.
We need to ensure they keep
their independence and can
participate in any activity they
want and feel safe doing it,
she said.
 Safety tips
Keep all house windows and doors locked, but ensure you can
still get out quickly in an emergency.
Be careful about who you let inside your home.
If you suspect there is an intruder in the house, leave
immediately and call 000.
Shop around for the best goods and services and choose wisely.
Plan your route when using transport and time your outing
to coincide with busy pedestrian times.
Pedestrians over the age of 65 accounted for 24 of the
55 pedestrian fatalities last year, so always try to cross
the road at pedestrian crossings.
When travelling on a train or tram, pick a carriage with
lots of people on it.
When withdrawing cash, use the teller or an ATM inside the
bank if possible. Always put money away safely before leaving.
Do not keep a large amount of cash in your handbag or wallet.
Separate your possessions so you do not have everything
in your handbag. .02

www.police.vic.gov.au/policelife POLICELIFE JUNE 2009 15

POSTER
A SAFER VICTORIA BIKE BEWARE
.01 Detective Senior Constable
Andrew Jackson and Senior
Constable Rod Burridge
inspect a bike, checking
whether it is stolen.
.02 Detective Senior Constable
Adam Tanner with one of the
bikes under inspection. Before
Operation Roams, there was a
68 per cent unrecovered rate of
motorbikes in Victoria.
.03 Detective Acting Senior Sergeant
John Pinney says most riders
welcome the police presence
at Ride Days.

ANOTHER BIKE BITES

THE DUST
18 JUNE 2009 POLICELIFE
 .01 .02 .03

The action took place as part of

Police travelled the state to wave the
chequered flag on motorbike theft.
Were just doing a check on
our system, to see if the bike is
registered against this number,
Sen Const Tanner said.
editorial SARAH CAMPBELL
Seconds later, their suspicions
photography BRAD MARSELLOS
were confirmed. The green
Kawasaki was not registered
on the database, and quickly
the owner was called over.
Operation Roams at a Champions
Ride Day late last year at Broadford,
80 kilometres north of Melbourne.
Ride Days are also held on Phillip
Island, and so far they have proved
worthwhile events for police Leading Senior Constable
to track down stolen bikes and Andrew Jackson, also of the
recover them. OMVTS said so far, the interstate
Most riders welcome us to the discussions were working.
Ride Day because they want to be a A lot of bikes recovered in
part of a legal, safe industry. Not a Victoria have been reported as
dodgy one, Sgt Pinney said. stolen in other states, he said.
Even if riders try to avoid We acknowledge that we
cant do this on our own, and its
police and their comprehensive
important we work with other
checklist, they will be tracked
police, and the motorcycle
down eventually. At Broadford,
industry, to make some inroads.
two members of the Operation
At the end of the Ride Day in
Roams team waited outside the
Broadford, police had confiscated
tracks gate for anyone trying to
four suspected stolen bikes,
sneak off without being checked.

F rom a distance, the green

Kawasaki looked peachy. It
was shining in the sun, had slick
tyres, smart race fairings and a
purpose built exhaust system and
everything else racing motorbikes
require. But on closer inspection,
and by the light of a torch held
by Sergeant John Pinney of the
Organised Motor Vehicle Theft
Squad (OMVTS), something was
just not right.
The suspicious sergeant leant
in to inspect the bikes Vehicle
Identification Number (VIN) and
there it was. While not glowingly
obvious, it appeared the original
VIN had been ground off, and a
new series of numbers re-worked
into the frame.
This is the first sign that the bike
is probably stolen, Sgt Pinney said.
Supporting his theory were his
OMVTS colleagues, including Senior
Constable Adam Tanner, who, as
Sgt Pinney further inspected the
bike, tapped the VIN into his laptop.
Unbeknownst to him, the
pride and joy that he picked up
for a good price in Western
"Many riders dont realise their bike is dodgy,
Australia, was in fact stolen
and worked over for re-sale.
particularly if they have bought it over the
This is fairly common,
Sgt Pinney said.
Internet, or from another rider at the track."
Many riders dont realise their
bike is dodgy, particularly if they including one that had been
There are 13 police in the OMVTS,
have bought it over the Internet, or sneakily locked away in a trailer.
including one former member of
from another rider at the track. Sgt Pinney explained that shortly
the Vehicle Examination Unit.
The Kawaskis riding days were after arrival at the track, one of the
We all have a range of
over. Police wheeled it into a nearby OMVTS members saw the owner
experience and knowledge on
shed, locked the door, and waited duck off to lock up his bike to avoid
cars and motorbikes, which helps
until the end of the day so they having it checked.
immensely on these operations,
could transfer it back to the But we were on to him, and
Sgt Pinney said.
Vehicle Examination Unit for true to form, the bikes VIN and
Before Operation Roams,
forensic investigation. engine number had both been
there was a 68 per cent
There, mechanical experts ground off, so we seized it and
unrecovered rate of motorbikes
would examine every inch of the took it back to Melbourne.
in Victoria. To state the obvious,
bike, and hopefully, in the end, It just proves that by us getting
Victoria Police was concerned.
trace the bikes steps from out there and interacting with the
Theft of top line sports
original sale to re-sale. industry face-to-face, were making
motorbikes, including Suzukis,
Valued at about $15,000, a big difference in cleaning up the
Hondas, Kawasakis, and
it is understandable the owner sport and making riders aware that
Yamahas, is common.
was upset. if they buy a stolen bike they will
However, Victoria Police, via the
Having forgone not only lose it, he said.
Operation Roams team, is working
the opportunity to race in a
closely with police in other states to
controlled environment, but
confront the situation head-on.
also his $200 entry fee, the
leather clad bikie slumped in
his chair, trying to contemplate
what had just happened.

www.police.vic.gov.au/policelife POLICELIFE JUNE 2009 19

connecting the community
Carlton police station
editorial Mark Tesoriero
photography Shane Bell
"A lot of children in the community come to Australia and are petrified of the
cops so we try to get out there interacting and have them over for an open
station barbecue and that sort of thing."
20 JUNE 2009 POLICELIFE
T he aroma of freshly ground coffee
beans hangs in the air as you
stroll down Drummond Street en
route to Carlton police station.
It lingers a constant reminder
that you have reached Melbournes
multicultural hub.
The heritage-listed police
building at 330 Drummond
Street is further reminder
of the areas rich tradition.
The 131-year-old, double-
storey structure melds with
neighbouring terrace properties,
looking more a residential oasis
than police station.
It is a mistake that Leading
Senior Constable Nick Parissis
has made before.
Stationed at Carlton for 16 of
his 19-year career, it was his first
posting after graduating from the
Victoria Police Academy.
My first shift I didnt realise
where it was, he said.
I was working there straight
after graduation and I couldnt
find the place.
You could shoot right past it if
you didnt know where it was.
Contrary to media portrayal,
policing in Carlton involves
more than chasing underworld
gangsters.
Carlton members contend
with a steady flow of property
crime, including thefts of and from
motor vehicles, in the bustling
Lygon Street and University of
Melbourne precincts.
Ldg Sen Const Parissis, who grew
up in Carlton, said the suburbs
diverse ethnic groups had altered
how the area was managed.
No longer exclusively the
realm of Melbournes Italian
community, Carlton is home to
African migrants from Somalia,
Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti.
M1
Carlton is still a multicultural
centre but its not as concentrated
as it was back then, Ldg Sen Const
Parissis said.
What makes it great is that
weve got everyone and everything
here together.
As the stations Youth/
Multicultural Liaison Officer,
Ldg Sen Const Parissis is
responsible for forging ties
with Carltons newest residents.
The stations concrete cells are
occupied more with childrens toys
than A-Class drunks these days
evidence of Carltons commitment
to community relations.
Members distribute the toys at
the Royal Childrens Hospital as
part of their regular toy run.
Ldg Sen Const Parissis also
organises soccer matches
between African youths and the
police, camps and visits local
schools to help with homework.
Were trying to build
relationships with new migrants
and particularly the children, said
Ldg Sen Const Parissis, who is also
secretary of the Police Community
Consultative Committee.
A lot of children in the
community come to Australia and
are petrified of the cops so we try
to get out there interacting and
have them over for an open station
barbecue and that sort of thing.
 31

79

43
Carlton
79

31

Division 1 Melbourne
East
31
79
Riv er
Yar ra
Victoria Police Centre
M1
43 Melbourne West

.02 .03

.01 .04 .05

The last open station day Weve got people from all over
was a hit. the world and rural Victoria bringing
More than 650 people passed in different cultures and not all of
through, consuming 45 kilograms them are used to closing doors and
of meat in three hours. locking windows all of the time.
Operationally, Carlton demands The zoo can also be interesting.
diversity from its police members. Fifteen years ago an Orangutan
As well as also covering two- jumped out of its cage and we got
thirds of North Melbourne, the called down there to help, Ldg Sen
station services hospitals that Const Parissis recalled.
include the Royal Childrens Then, of course, there is
Hospital, Royal Melbourne Lygon Street.
Hospital, Royal Womens Hospital, If Carlton is a melting pot of
Melbourne Dental Hospital and the multiculturalism, then Lygon
psychiatric hospital. Street is its brewing epicentre.
The childrens hospital is Lygon Street used to be the
definitely the hardest, Ldg Sen Italian capital and now weve
.06
Const Parissis said. got Malaysian, Chinese and
Its part of procedure that Thai restaurants, Ldg Sen
we get called out there whenever Const Parissis said.
a child passes away for any Twenty years ago that While Carltons vibrancy melting pot
presents daily challenges, there .01 Constable Jess Mastroianni and
reason and that is really difficult wouldnt have been the case. Leading Senior Constable Nick
on the members. It is home to some of is a certain charm about working Parissis patrol Lygon Street,
this neighbourhood. Carlton.
When you throw in Melbourne Melbournes finest dining and
Even after a difficult shift, .02 Senior Constable Barbara
University, Melbourne Zoo, attracts scores of local and Colebrook and Detective Senior
Commonwealth Serum international visitors daily. the aroma of coffee still lingers Constable Brendan Smith at
in the air and it is reassuring to the Carlton Crime Investigation
Laboratories, Commonwealth It also attracts opportunists. Unit (CIU).
Games Village and Optus Oval, Most of the issues we encounter know that a comforting cup is .03 Ldg Sen Const Parissis and
the enormity of the patrol area around here are property crimes never far away. Const Mastroianni talk with
Royal Childrens Hospital staff.
is evident. a lot of theft from motor cars, .04 Const Mastroianni chats with a
Melbourne Uni is like a Ldg Sen Const Parissis said. local resident outside Carlton
police station.
suburb in itself, Ldg Sen We get people coming in to
.05 The 131-year-old Carlton
Const Parissis said. Lygon Street at nights that leave police station is located on
They have about 50,000 their car for an extended period of Drummond Street.
full-time students that can time, or leave purses, cameras and .06 Lygon Street trader Gino Cavallino
talks to police.
be on campus at any time. jackets on the back of their chairs
as they dine.

www.police.vic.gov.au/policelife POLICELIFE JUNE 2009 21

busH
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aftermath
NEXT
GENERATION
In her eight years with Victoria Police,
Christine Nixon was no stranger to
criticism. But, for the many who graduate
from the Victoria Police Academy, she
leaves a lasting impression.
editorial MARIA CARNOVALE
photography BRAD MARSELLOS
FUTURE POLICE
.01 Christine Nixon joined recruits
Jo-anne Yearwood, Steven
Wisniewski, Dominic Loughman
and Natalie Gidas, for dinner
to celebrate the start of their
policing careers.
22 JUNE 2009 POLICELIFE
T
he small elegant dining room
in the Victoria Police Academy
was filled with chatter when
Police Life arrived.
Thirty-two recruits were sipping
their soup in the company of former
Chief Commissioner Christine
Nixon. Some were lucky enough
to be sitting on the same table.
Ms Nixon had already taken
up her role as the head of the
Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction
and Recovery Authority, but she
would enjoy her final dinner at
the Academy with the recruits.
Later that week, she joined
them in celebrating their
graduation after 22 weeks
of training at the Academy.
I have always tried hard to go
to graduations. This was the last
and a very special one, she said.
During Ms Nixons reign, about
16,000 members graduated from
the Academy. Many of whom have
been influenced by Australias
first female chief commissioner
and continue to strive to achieve
as much as she has.
She has paved the way
for women in policing, recruit
Natalie Gidas said.
I really admire what she has
done for the organisation. She
is not concerned with having a
popularity status, but does
what is right and ethical for
police and the community.
Ms Nixon said the recruits
young, old, male and female with
varied backgrounds and cultures,
would have a life-changing journey
ahead and would become leaders
in the community.
Leadership is not about
popularity, it is not about rank, it is
not about money, she told them.
"She has paved the way for women in policing."
VALUING OUR PEOPLE
.01
Respect each other, yourself
and the community.
Now a constable at Caulfield
police station, Const Gidas is
putting to practice the advice
Ms Nixon gave that night.
She said that joining Victoria
Police was a life-changing
experience, Const Gidas said.
At this stage things are so new
to me and I am learning a great
deal so I want to experience as
much as I can and see where
the road takes me.
As the dessert was served and
the recruits began to make their
way back to their sleeping quarters,
Ms Nixon said she was leaving the
organisation in good hands.
I have experienced 37 years
in policing, so when I see this
group of recruits with the quality
of skills they have, I am confident
the future is bright.
picture this
photography SHANE BELL

By Constable Paul Caridi,

Preston police station
Const Caridi graduated less than three weeks before the What struck me most was the
Black Saturday bushfires. He shares his experience of a severity of the situation.
less-than-normal introduction to policing, but how it We had always trained for things
has only made him more confident in the role. that might happen but all of a
sudden this wasnt training anymore.
This was real and the gravity hit
Being a new member, it was
really interesting seeing how the
organisation worked and the way
people planned and networked to
get the job done. Everyone instantly
meshed and just got on with the

I graduated on 16 January
and completed four weeks
preliminary duty at Melbourne
West police station.
I was due to start with Brunswick
Traffic, Drug and Alcohol Section
when the bushfires hit so I, and
some of the other new constables,
got a call asking if wed like to help
out and of course we all said yes.
We left the Academy at 5am in
the morning and it was very eerie
entering into the fire-affected areas.
You would start to see burnt trees
and all of a sudden youd come
across the first demolished house
and it all became very sombre and
then youd see another, and another.
Whenever Id seen a house burnt
on the street previously there had
always be the remnants of the
house and structure that would
remain. But here we would go to
places where everything had melted
to the ground.
me. We had a job to do and people
were relying on us. You were actually
hands on and sifting through rubble
and receiving instructions about
how to look for dead bodies.
The experience honed into me
that what we do is real, and that
people rely on that. It is easy to get
lost in your own little world, but
what we were doing impacted the
community and they looked to
us for guidance.
task at hand. When people had a job
to do, they just went about it and got
it done.
It has been a few months since
the bushfires but that experience
has helped to shape me in my
career with Victoria Police. Just
seeing the way everyone responded
was an inspiration and showed the
impact we have.

www.police.vic.gov.au/policelife POLICELIFE JUNE 2009 23

busH
fire2009
aftermath

RECONCILING

THE PAIN

.01

24 JUNE 2009 POLICELIFE

 VALUING OUR PEOPLE
Victoria Polices Disaster Victim
Identification (DVI) Team has had an
arduous task in the wake of Victorias
recent bushfires.
editorial MARK TESORIERO
photography ANDREW HENSHAW
T he narrow hall of the Disaster
Victim Identification (DVI)
Reconciliation Centre bustles
with activity as the working day
gets underway.
It has just passed 9am but
police members and coronial
staff dart between rooms
connecting the hallway of the
portable office building at the
Coroners Court of Victoria.
Ten weeks have passed since
Australias worst-ever bushfires,
and about 25 staff still remain
to conclude the final stages of
identification.
But this level of activity
is nothing.
In the first four weeks following
the bushfires, Acting Inspector
Monique Swain said more than
70 staff were based at the
Kavanagh Street building.
Decking had to be installed
connecting buildings at the site
and offices built in the court foyer
to provide more space.
What we generally rely on when identifying victims
of disaster is fingerprints or dental records, but in
many cases we didnt have those available to us
because of the circumstances of the fire.
www.police.vic.gov.au/policelife
FINAL FIGURE
.01 More than 70 staff worked at the
Disaster Victim Identification
(DVI) Reconciliation Centre at its
busiest. The process was officially
concluded on 9 May.
.02 Senior Sergeant John Gibson
works through the files of
victims, who at that point
were yet to be identified.
.02
Investigators have also
faced the challenge of
distinguishing between some
human and animal remains.
The DVI team has had
As a result, the death toll was
revised several times before the considerable support
final figure of 173 was confirmed. throughout the investigation
Normally we could be
Acting Senior Sergeant Therese from colleagues at local,
conducting up to eight autopsies
Fitzgerald said investigators used national and international level.
per day but during this period there
a combination of scientific and Since Black Saturday, DVI
were about 20 going at once.
circumstantial evidence to assist specialists from the Australian
There is normally a small
with identification. Federal Police, and police in New
team of consulting forensic
To compliment DNA you can use Zealand, Queensland and Tasmania
odontologists but during the
forensic anthropology, which can have served rotating shifts at the
DVI process there were up to
age remains and indicate whether DVI Reconciliation Centre.
40 forensic odontologists
a set of remains belonged to more Most had experience working
working from the centre.
in the aftermath of the 2002 Bali
Part of Victoria Polices than one person, she said.
Where we dont have a positive Bombings and 2004 South East
Prosecution Division, the DVI
identifier like DNA we can build a Asian Tsunami.
Reconciliation Centre sits within
circumstantial case about where We had ideas about how to set
the State Coroners Assistants Unit.
missing people were last seen. things up but they came up with
All members are trained
A/Insp Swain said rigorous some different concepts that theyd
prosecutors but their primary focus
documentation was recorded used in Bali, A/Insp Swain said.
is to service coronial matters.
for each individual case with There were some things they did
Their role following the bushfires
investigators uploading information overseas that just didnt work here
relates to phase four of the
into Plass Data an international because it was a different disaster
DVI process identifying victims
DVI software system. but they certainly gave us some
using post-mortem and ante-
Accurate documentation is good ideas of how to work it.
mortem information.
also vital in light of the Royal While phase four was
The process involves matching
Commission into the bushfires, winding down when Police Life
identifying samples such as DNA,
which started on 20 April. visited in late April, investigators
fingerprints and teeth of victims
It was one very big incident were still occupied with
with medical information of missing
but had many smaller scenes circumstantial cases.
persons that have been collected
and lots of many different Insp Martin said investigators
by other investigators.
remains, A/Insp Swain said. had done everything to identify
Inspector Wayne Martin, who
It is the coroner who makes victims in a timely and accurate
oversaw the DVI Reconciliation
the final decision on identification manner.
Centre directly after the fires,
but we make sure that we have There is nothing more important
said samples had not always
sufficient evidence to enable the than having the bodies of 173
been available.
coroner to make that decision. people in your hands, identifying
What we generally rely on when
Phase four has also them and returning them to the
identifying victims of disaster is
presented investigators right family, he said.
fingerprints or dental records, but
with emotional challenges. Its a privilege in many ways
in many cases we dont have those
It can be quite difficult and a challenge that people have
available to us because of the
when dealing with the more to embrace and perform to the
circumstances of the fire, he said.
circumstantial cases because best of their abilities.
youre starting to find out about In years to come when people
that person and how they died, look back, the members should
A/Insp Swain said.
This can be quite confronting
be able to walk away and be
proud of their involvement in
in itself and really humanises
the process.
one of the most significant
events in Australias history.
POLICELIFE JUNE 2009 25
 busH
fire2009
aftermath

HELPING

HAND
Many Australians dug deep to help An ADF international deployment
group of about 200, originally
those affected by the devastating destined for Samoa, had
Victorian bushfires over summer. assembled at Puckapunyal
(ADF base in rural Victoria) and
Victoria Police was just one of the was sent to the Kinglake area.
states emergency services that Another two instalments of
Inspector Paul Condon, of NSW
troops of about the same capacity
received help from interstate and were sent in coming weeks. Police, returned from leave to
overseas teams. NSW police committed two assist as forward commander in
charge of squads of 50 and 75
groups of 150 members, while
South Australia sent about 50. members deployed to Victoria.
editorial MARK TESORIERO In addition to personnel, He said it was a once in a
Specialist police teams
Queensland police also sent a lifetime opportunity to help.
from New Zealand and Indonesia
group of cadaver search dogs, Expressions of interest were
were also deployed, in addition
dispatched within the first 48 put out for the second round and
to offers of equipment from
hours of Black Saturday. they had to close them after six
throughout the world.

It is often noted that adversity Help also arrived for our Disaster hours because they had a couple
Acting Superintendent Doug
brings out the best in people. Victim Identification (DVI) teams of thousand applicants, he said.
Hocking, of the State Emergency
Truer words could not be said from New Zealand and Indonesia. It was shocking and distressful
Response Centre (SERC), said the
about the emergency response The Singapore Government at times with some of the things
assistance had been invaluable.
to Victorias recent bushfires. even offered the use of two Puma youd see, but we all wanted to
We really couldnt have done it
Within hours of Black Saturdays helicopters, which were based in help out in some way.
without them, he said.
devastation becoming apparent, Queensland at the time. Its something that will
We were putting out an
Victoria Police had received offers The support was fantastic, probably live with me forever
additional 600 personnel
of support from law enforcement A/Supt Hocking said. given the things I saw and the
every day in the field.
agencies interstate and overseas. I didnt get out in the field stories I heard from survivors.
It took the pressure off.
Throughout the coming too often as I was mostly in the Dispatched as part of their
A/Supt Hocking said a rapid
weeks New South Wales (NSW), SERC, but when I did I saw a own operation Taskforce Tambus,
response team of 50 from the
Queensland, South Australia and really good rapport between NSW police worked mainly
AFP was sent immediately to
Tasmania police departments, the all the agencies involved. around Alexandra and Marysville
the Delburn fires.
Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Members were accommodated performing general duties with
The self-sufficient team,
the Australian Defence Force (ADF) at the Victoria Police Academy Victorian counterparts.
which also assisted searches
would provide invaluable support to and the ADFs Puckapunyal and It was a big learning experience
around Marysville, camped on
the recovery effort. Simpson Barracks. for us as well, Insp Condon said.
site and was later joined by a
They all had to be sworn-in as It was beneficial to see how
further 150 AFP members.
special constables, which was emergencies are dealt with in other
conducted upon arrival at the states with different emergency
Simpson barracks. legislation and command
We also couldnt put them structures, Insp Condon said.
"A lot had previous DVI experience from the Bali straight into fire-affected areas
so the Country Fire Authority (CFA)
Victoria Polices Acting Senior
Sergeant Stuart Morris and Chief

Bombings and tsunami in Thailand and great ran a three-hour information

session about fire safety,
Inspector Bob Graham worked

expertise in this particular field." A/Supt Hocking said.

26 JUNE 2009 POLICELIFE

VALUING OUR PEOPLE

"It was beneficial to see

how emergencies are
dealt with in other states
with different emergency
legislation and command
structures."

as interstate liaisons to the NSW

contingent based at Puckapunyal
and the Simpson Barracks.
A/Sen Sgt Morris praised the
professionalism and dedication
of the NSW members.
Working with another agency
and seeing the dynamics of the
way they operate was an incredibly
enlightening experience, he said.
They came as part of their
own operation, which wasnt
too dissimilar to our emergency
management, but it did open our
eyes to a few different areas and
things they do differently.
Acting Inspector Monique
Swain, of the DVI Reconciliation
Centre, was equally appreciative of
help received from New Zealand,
Queensland, Tasmania and the AFP.
She said the members
experience in previous disasters
had proved valuable.
A lot had previous DVI
experience from the Bali Bombings
and tsunami in Thailand and great
expertise in this particular field,
A/Insp Swain said.
They were also able to PULLING TOGETHER
learn some really good skills .01 Police jurisdictions from across
Australia and the world pulled
that they can take back to their together to assist Victoria Police
jurisdictions for the future. during Februarys bushfires.

www.police.vic.gov.au/policelife POLICELIFE JUNE 2009 27

VALUING OUR PEOPLE

COMING

CLEAN

28 JUNE 2009 POLICELIFE

 lessons learnt
.01 Drug Taskforce (DTF) members
uncovered half a kilogram of ice
hidden in this spare car tyre.

.01

Victoria Polices Drug Taskforce Were a proactive unit, not a

has cast aside its troubled past and
emerged as a leading player in the
fight against illegal substances.
Once our office identifies a
worthy target, we then put that
to the Controlled and Major Drug
editorial MARK TESORIERO
Operation Committee (CAMDOC)
and they assess it.
If its appropriate, they
reactive one so we dont have a
crime scene that we can inspect to
hunt an offender, Det Sen Const
Holmes said.
Sometimes you have to shift the
focus of your investigation and see
where that leads.
We need to be flexible and think
outside the square.
As statistics show, the changes
have had a significant impact.
In the past 10 months, 174 people
have been charged with more
It deals internally with Victoria
Polices Ethical Standards
Department, Purana Taskforce,
Crime Theme Desk, Criminal
Proceeds Squad, Clandestine
Laboratories Unit and the Forensic
Services Department.
The nature of our work
now is that we deal with other
police services in Australia and

I t would be remiss to write about

Victoria Polices Drug Taskforce
(DTF) and not acknowledge past
categorise it and authorise us
to do that investigation.
than 550 drug offences, and more
than 70 per cent of these relate to
internationally through the
majority of our investigations,
Positions are centrally owned commercial trafficking. Insp Fryer said.
issues of corruption. The partnership with Customs
by the Crime Department not by In a three-month period last year,
The formation of the Ceja and Border Protection, and the AFP
the individual squads ensuring DTF detectives seized $5 million of
Taskforce in 2002 and subsequent in particular has been absolutely
that members can easily be moved methamphetamines, $7 million of
convictions of several detectives invaluable to our investigations
between taskforces as required. ice, $7 million of heroin, $160,000
brought the former Drug Squad and has proven successful to
The Crime Department of cocaine and more than 500
into the public light for the many of our importation arrests.
successfully utilised this kilograms of cannabis.
wrong reasons. Its affiliation with the Criminal
method to launch Taskforce They also seized millions of
While acknowledging the past, Proceeds Squad has also been vital.
Phoenix in the wake of the dollars in assets including houses,
DTF officer in charge Detective Members of the Criminal
Black Saturday bushfires. vehicles, cash and hand guns.
Inspector Doug Fryer said Proceeds Squad are also embedded
One of the key components In a two-week period in April this
significant lessons had been learnt. with the DTF a successful
within this restructure has been the year, Insp Fryer said the DTF seized
Insp Fryer said a series of risk measure initially utilised by the
introduction of a three-year tenure in excess of $450,000 in cash.
mitigation processes had been Purana Taskforce in its gangland
to any position within the DTF. The success has flowed on to
introduced since Ceja, to ensure a investigations.
Insp Fryer said regularly rotating the courts, with a conviction rate
high level of accountability. The sole focus of the criminal
detectives had not only helped for DTF cases of 100 per cent in the
Were much more accountable, proceeds crew is to look at assets of
combat corruption, but also aided past 12 months.
which is really important, he said. targets, and at the same time that
professional development. We havent had any acquittals
A crucial aspect of the DTFs were ready to arrest, theyll restrain
We have junior detectives against us in that period, Insp
transformation has been a their assets, Insp Fryer said.
come here that are exposed to Fryer said.
restructure under the Major Crime Not only will we arrest and
all investigative techniques at a The vast majority of defendants
Management Model (MCMM). charge drug traffickers, well
high level, Insp Fryer said. have pleaded guilty because of the
In accordance with the MCMM, also take all their assets and
By the time they finish their extensive amount of evidence that
all drug investigations are subject ill-gotten gains.
tenure they are fully au fait with was collected against them.
to a tasking coordination process Insp Fryer said the taskforce
conducting major investigations Some of its success can be
overseen by senior executives had recently renewed its focus
and can apply those skills to any attributed to a strong working
within Victoria Polices Crime on targeting heroin and had
major crime. relationship with national and
Department. made significant inroads into
Detective Senior Constable Luke global law enforcement agencies.
What that means is that we its importation.
Holmes said his past two years with Since October last year, the
cant run off and start doing our But he said worrying trends
the DTF had been invaluable. Australian Customs and Border
own investigations on our own still emerged about drugs being
Protection Service has been
everything has to be ticked off introduced to Australia.
embedded within the DTF.
at senior level beforehand, Were seeing significant amounts
In February, members of the
Insp Fryer explained. of people trying to recruit couriers
Australian Federal Police (AFP) also
joined embedded staff at the DTF. to bring various drugs back into
These partnerships have Australia, he said.
Most of the foreign countries
"In the past 10 months, 174 people have been significantly progressed
investigations into international
trafficking syndicates.
we deal with have a death-penalty
provision and, even if apprehended
charged with more than 550 drug offences, The Australian Crime Commission
and Office of the Chief Examiner
in Australia, you still face several
years in prison.

and more than 70 per cent of these relate to also work closely with the DTF, as
do police departments throughout
The message there is that the
risk just isnt worth it.

commercial trafficking." Australia, New Zealand and South

East Asia.

www.police.vic.gov.au/policelife POLICELIFE JUNE 2009 29

from the archives

A piece of our past

The Road Courtesy Car, used
at Victoria Police around 1955,
referred to vehicles with loud
speakers fitted to their roofs.

the litter squad is just

one unusually-named
squad that makes up
victoria police history.
editorial MARia carnovale
LITTER PATROL
.01 The Litter Squad and its role
is a mystery to Police Life.
T he photo has been seen by many,
but so far, no-one has been able
to shed light on what was known as
the Litter Squad.
The squad is believed to have
been in operation around 1975
when it was run by the Public
Relations Unit and, Police Life
believes the photo is the only
remaining piece of its history.
Along with the Litter Squad,
Victoria Police has had its fair
share of interesting squad
names and tasks.
The cars were used to educate
road users and to escort large
vehicles through traffic.
Another squad that raised
eyebrows was the Accident
Appreciation Squad.
The squad was in operation
around the 1960s where their roles
involved attending vehicle collisions
and conducting an investigation
into how they occurred. The
Accident Appreciation Squad
is more commonly
known today as the
Major Collision
Investigation Unit.
The Special Branch
had the role of escorting
and providing security
for special visitors
such as royalty and
other VIPs. The branch
was disbanded in
the 1980s.
The duties of
the Racing and
Livestock Squad,
which operated
during the 1980s,
focused on the
horse racing
industry, bookies
and the theft of
livestock.
Today, the Crime Departments
Gaming and Racing Desk has
taken on the duties relating
to the racing industry, while
local police investigate
livestock-related incidents.
Minimal information is known
about other squads such as the
Second-Hand Dealers Squad
from the 1980s and the role of
Jetty Wardens, who policed jetties
around coastal and lake areas.
Over time, policing needs
have changed and will always
continue to.
Do you remember the Litter
Squad? Or do you have a piece of
our past that you would like to
share with Police Life readers?
If so, contact us by emailing
policelife-mgr@police.vic.gov.au
or calling 9247 5974.

.01

30 JUNE 2009 POLICELIFE

 Cartoon
connections

In the past, humorous cartoons regularly

appeared on the front page of Police Life.
This cartoon appeared in the September
What was happening in 1979 edition.
Police Life 50 years ago? Editors note: To read about the
Dog Squad of today, see Making News
on page 3.

G raduations have always been significant for Victoria Police

members. In June 1959, Police Life reported on the organisations
newest constables, their relationships with other police, and their
former occupations.
Among graduating members was a 19-year-old whose father,
a first constable in traffic management, watched proudly as his
son was presented with his badge.
Some of the former occupations of members included a former
Royal Australian Navy officer, two former farmers and a tradesman.
The graduation also commemorated two members of the
Mobile Traffic Section who were presented with Chief Commissioners
Commendations.

www.police.vic.gov.au/policelife POLICELIFE JUNE 2009 31