Auspol Summer 2015 Edition Published By Countrywide Austral

ISSUE 4

SUMMER 2014

2014 Churchill Fellow Senior Constable Dean Saddler

Meet the Employment Services Team Members’ Photos

2014 Wall to Wall Ride for Remembrance

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CONTENTS

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THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE ASSOCIATION AND THE AFPA LTD. Print Post Approved 100008040 NATIONAL OFFICE: 23 Murray Crescent, Griffith, ACT 2603 P: (02) 6285 1677 F: (02) 6285 2090 E: office@afpa.org.au

AFPA President, PFA National Vice President: Jon HuntSharman The AFPA Journal is distributed to all AFPA members free of charge. People who are not members of the AFPA may purchase the journal from selected outlets.

Subscriptions are available at $25 per year (postage included). For more information please contact the AFPA. Photos: AFPA (unless otherwise credited). (Some photos provided courtesy of contributors, Australian Federal Police.)

Advertising: Advertisements in this journal are solicited from organisations and businesses on the understanding that no special considerations, other than those normally accepted in respect of commercial dealings, will be given to any advertiser.

Editorial Note: The views expressed, except where expressly stated otherwise, do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Executive of the AFPA. Articles are accepted for publication on the basis that they are accurate and do not defame any person or offend the dignity of any member of the Association. Due to the difficulties involved in checking sources NO responsibility is accepted for errors or omissions although every effort to vet material is made. The Australian Federal Police Association may not necessarily hold the original copyright to all articles in this journal. Persons wishing to reprint any articles from this journal should contact the editor to ascertain copyright status. The Editorials printed in this issue are the sole responsibility of the editor and are not necessarily the views of the publisher or printer. Comments, opinions or suggestions of authors reflect their own views and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editor, the AFPA or the publisher.

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Proudly published by COUNTRYWIDE AUSTRAL Level 2, 310 King St, Melbourne, Victoria 3001 P: (03) 9937 0200 F: (03) 9937 0201 E: admin@cwaustral.com.au Disclaimer Countrywide Austral (“Publisher”) advises that the contents of this publication are at the sole discretion of the AFPA and the publication is offered for background information purposes only. The publication has been formulated in good faith and the Publisher believes its contents to be accurate, however, the contents do not amount to a recommendation (either expressly or by implication) and should not be relied upon in lieu of specific professional advice. The Publisher disclaims all responsibility for any loss or damage which may be incurred by any reader relying upon the information contained in the publication whether that loss or damage is caused by any fault or negligence on the part of the publisher, its directors and employees. Copyright All advertisements appearing in this publication are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced except with the consent of the owner of the copyright. Advertising Advertisements in this journal are solicited from organisations and businesses on the understanding that no special considerations other than those normally accepted in respect of commercial dealings, will be given to any advertiser.

AUSPOL | SUMMER 2014

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WALL TO WALL RIDE FOR REMEMBRANCE

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ALCOHOL: IS MY DRINKING PUTTING ME AT RISK?

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2014 CHURCHILL FELLOWSHIP – DEAN SADDLER

CONTENTS

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INSIDE JOB TWO DESPERATE, DRUG-ADDICTED ROBBERS CAME CLOSE TO GETTING AWAY WITH A VIOLENT HOTEL STICK-UP. THAT WAS UNTIL A TEAM OF SWITCHED-ON INVESTIGATORS AND ITS CLEVER DECISION-MAKING BROUGHT THE PAIR DOWN.

REGULARS 04 President’s Report 06 CEO Report 13 Employment Services Update

48 50 52 54

Finance Health Movies Books AFPA.ORG.AU

PRESIDENT REPORT

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PRESIDENT’S REPORT AFPA NATIONAL EXECUTIVE SETS STRATEGIC PLAN AFPA National President JON HUNT-SHARMAN

AUSPOL | SUMMER 2014

At the time of writing my President’s report I am pleased to advise members that the AFPA National Executive has just completed a strategic planning workshop facilitated by independent consultants. The National Executive has developed a new strategic plan that will ensure the AFPA has clear strategic direction, measurable goals and an achievable action plan to guide us over the coming years.

The consultants were impressed with the AFPA structure and operations, identifying them as a leading edge in the field of political lobbying on behalf of the profession; our employment services assistance; member welfare benefits including those of the independent trust AUSPOL Police Welfare Foundation; and in the areas of providing exclusive and discounted lifestyle benefits and services. Importantly, an independent survey of AFPA members conducted in 2013 found that around 90% of members thought AFPA services were important to them.

The AFPA National Executive reaffirmed the AFPA’s service priorities being; Profession, Employment, Welfare; and Lifestyle services.

Analysis shows that each AFPA member has at least one of these pillars as their primary reason for being a member. However we are excited about enhancements being planned to AFPA services and there will be announcements made in the near future. I would like to particularly thank our CEO Dennis Gellatly, for his new vision and direction for the AFPA, which will fill a current ‘gap’ and enhance the services already provided to members. I will allow Dennis to make those announcements in the near future!

The AFPA National Executive also reaffirmed its support of the AFPA member loyalty programme with its four tiers of membership, being Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. It is important to note that this is the first loyalty reward program offered by an industrially registered organisation providing members

with additional benefits and services based on continuity of membership.

The AFPA National Executive also reaffirmed the AFPA’s longstanding proposal for federal and national law enforcement reform. The Nationally Integrated Criminal Law Enforcement (NICLE) model is well known to parliamentarians and was first developed by the AFPA in early 2001.

It was developed in consultation with members and to this day remains relevant. NICLE was presented to the Senate Legislation and Constitution Committee during its inquiry into the management arrangements and adequacy of funding for the AFP and NCA. Three out of the four recommendations in the final report supported the global issues raised by the AFPA in 2001.

Over the years a number of elements of the “Nationally Integrated Criminal Law Enforcement” model have been adopted by successive Governments including: ¡¡ Immediate additional funding to increase Federal Agent numbers and purchase highly technical equipment (direction tracking system/aerial surveillance platform, remote area surveillance equipment and two mobile forensic laboratories etc) as articulated in the AFPA submission; ¡¡ Establishment of leading edge AFP E-Crime/Computer capability to tackle illegitimate electronic activity on behalf of the Commonwealth and Australian Industry.

(AFP High Tech Crime Operations [HTCO]); ¡¡ The need for a strategic white paper to establish long term resourcing needs for the functions within the NICLE proposal (Federal Audit of Police Capabilities by Roger Beale AO); ¡¡ Establishment of an International & National Community policing/peacekeeping pool to be based in Canberra and able to provide surge capacity for AFP Offices (AFP International Deployment Group [IDG]);

PRESIDENT REPORT

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¡¡

The Australian Protective Service higher order security functions being absorbed into a Protective Security Stream of the AFP and the disbanding of the Australian Protective Service; ¡¡ The creation of a peak joint Federal & State Crime Commission to direct strategic strikes on criminal activity and criminal targets identified through intelligence sharing. This Commission to absorb the coercive hearing powers and criminal intelligence functions of the National Crime Authority, the functions of the Office of Strategic Criminal Assessment; and the functions of the Australian Bureau of Criminal Intelligence with those three agencies being disbanded.

(The Australian Crime Commission [ACC]); ¡¡ The creation of a permanent Parliamentary Joint Committee to monitor and review the performance of the administration and managerial functions of the AFP and to report to both Houses of Parliament on matters relevant to the AFP or performance of its functions (The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement [PJC-LE]); ¡¡ Establishment of a federal Anti-Corruption Commission (The Australian Commission on Law Enforcement Integrity [ACLEI]). ¡¡ A duty to notify of possible criminal or corrupt conduct (reasonable suspicion) to the AFP or anti-corruption entity and that this applies to the principle officer of a public authority; an officer who constitutes a Public Authority and the Ombudsman (The Current Public Service Act amendments before Parliament). ¡¡ A Review of Professional Standards in the Australian Federal Police which was conducted

by Judge Fisher (Fisher review) which led to the development of a professional managerial model and the removal of the previous AFP Disciplinary model regarding PRS matters as articulated in part V of the AFP Act 1979 as amended (2002-3); As I write this report the Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, and his Government is considering policing and national security reforms that are consistent with a number of NICLE model recommendations that have not yet been adopted by governments relating to strategic restructure to improve Federal and National Law Enforcement.

Recommendation 48 The establishment of the AFP as the central Criminal Law Enforcement Agency responsible

for federal and national criminal law enforcement functions as per our proposed Nationally Integrated Law Enforcement (NICLE) model.

Recommendation 49 That all personnel within the NICLE model be appointees, members or special members of the AFP to ensure that they are subject to the rigorous integrity regime that covers appointees of the AFP and are ultimately accountable to the AFP for their actions.

Recommendation 50 The Government should expand the role of the AFP to include being administrator and coordinator of all federal criminal law enforcement functions, absorbing the criminal law enforcement functions of Immigration, Customs, Quarantine, Coast Watch, and other relevant agencies as per our proposed NICLE model.

Recommendation 52 As per our NICLE model the AFP should oversight national security and protective security for the Commonwealth including the planning, implementation and monitoring of the Commonwealth national protective security and anti-terrorist role.

Recommendation 53 That there be established a Cabinet position for a Special Minister for State to oversight the proposed Nationally Integrated Law Enforcement Model.

Recommendation 54 That the AFP Commissioner role should be upgraded to be responsible and accountable for all national and federal law enforcement within the proposed NICLE model.

The AFPA looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that members current terms and conditions are protected. During any reform of federal law enforcement we intend to actively pursue changes that are improvements to the law enforcement operational environment.

We will keep you informed of developments.

AFPA.ORG.AU

CEO REPORT

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CEO REPORT Chief Executive Officer DENNIS GELLATLY

In our last journal we suggested that the Federal Government move to fund the AFP in a more strategic way with a focus on longer term capability and capacity rather than appropriation year by year. Of course the argument will be that budgeting occurs over a four-year forward plan – forward estimates.

The reality is the forward estimates are just that, estimates. I would question whether government actually places appropriate weight on the AFP’s longer term capability needs.

It takes time and resources to grow a highly capable police officer or protective services officer. Capability doesn’t just switch off or on based upon the year-to-year fluctuations of the budget. The AFPA will continue to call for a strategic approach to funding and resources from Government.

DELUSIONAL The AFPA supports and has provided direct input to Government initiatives aimed at enhancing our nation’s ability to combat the threat of fanatical extremists here within our borders.

We were all no doubt jolted by the stabbing of two police in Melbourne by a lone individual and, whilst we are grateful the members have survived, that incident was a graphic demonstration of the emerging and actual threats to our community.

This incident happened almost immediately after certain commentators on the ABC’s Q&A program voiced their opinions that government or its agencies somehow contrived or engineered circumstances that led to multiple, simultaneous search warrants around Sydney just so increased security measures could be justified.

People who fancy these sort of ‘conspiracy theory” mindsets are utterly deluded and, as it turns out, abjectly incorrect. Their attitudes also demean our police and the work being done by real people to protect our community.

AUSPOL | SUMMER 2014

AFPA ON THE MOVE During October 2014 the AFPA moved its office from Civic to Griffith. After many years rebuilding the AFPA from near insolvency in the mid-1990s, we are proudly in the position of being able to invest in a property that brings a number of advantages.

We will no longer pay rent, a significant cost.

This will represent an annual saving of over $120 000, a nice boost to revenue that can be redirected toward member services.

The purchase of a new, permanent home for the AFPA represents an investment of member’s money with a longer term view based on improved financial security and appreciation.

This is a better option than holding those funds as cash in savings and will help secure the future viability of the AFPA. The new property, at 23 Murray Crescent, Griffith, is adjacent to the Police Federation of Australia, the umbrella organisation for all Australian police associations and unions, of which the AFPA is an autonomous operating branch. Our regular interaction and relationships with the PFA and other associations will be strengthened through the closer physical proximity.

The new AFPA office is closer to the Edmund Barton Building, the home of the major AFP population in Canberra. We are more centrally located for the spread of ACT Policing stations and for those needing to drive to see us, with free car parking for visiting members.

The AFPA deals with both the Federal and ACT Governments and the move brings us closer to Parliament House where we have significant engagement with the Federal Government.

Lastly the Canberra Services Club and Canberra Club has merged and its rebuilding is planned for Manuka. The planned development will be the biggest development in the Manuka precinct since the Coles complex was

CEO REPORT

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constructed. Hopefully in time this development will result in improving the appreciation rates of property in the area, positively impacting the value of our new office, as well as providing a new social hub for APFA members.

So we trust that members will also appreciate the benefits this move will bring.

SERVICES What has become apparent to me are the varying needs and expectations of members. Whilst

alternatives can sometimes be found, it is usually at the cost of considerable time and effort. Providing members with a range of products at genuinely discounted rates that are only available through the power of association, allows members to save both time and money invested in searching for the best price.

We have compared the regular market cost of certain products to those exclusive to the AFPA and we can demonstrate that AFPA membership actually saves you far more than what it costs annually.

It is a no brainer, AFPA membership really does work if you are looking for savings.

Examples can be found on the AFPA website along with the range of services and products.

EVEN IF YOU NEVER HAVE TO USE OUR EMPLOYMENT SERVICES, OR NEVER PLAN TO, MEMBERS WHO MAKE REGULAR USE OF OUR MANY EXCLUSIVE AND DISCOUNTED SERVICES WILL MAKE SAVINGS THAT NOT ONLY RECOVER THE COST OF THEIR ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP BUT OFFERS SAVINGS THAT FAR EXCEED THE COST OF MEMBERSHIP. some members think it should be nothing more, the AFPA is far more than a purely industrial and legal support for members. Those services will always exist and indeed our employment services capability and expertise has undergone significant development in many ways over the last 18 months.

In addition to employment services, many members also value a sense of community, or association, and the vastly increased advantages that an association’s group purchasing strength can obtain. Whether we are in difficult financial times, or not, the return on the cost of membership is far exceeded by the savings available if used.

Even if you never have to use our employment services, or never plan to, members who make regular use of our many exclusive and discounted services will make savings that not only recover the cost of their annual membership but offers savings that far exceed the cost of membership.

And that is our aim, to draw upon our group buying power to significantly add to the value proposition of AFPA membership. While cheaper

EMPLOYMENT SERVICES

We do place some limitations on our services, in particular our employment services. We operate in an environment constrained by legislation, guidelines and policies. Collectively in the AFPA office we put an extraordinary amount of effort into consultation and negotiation with AFP management on behalf of members.

If engaged early, AFPA involvement usually results in members achieving a better outcome than had they not engaged the AFPA. Sometimes though and despite our best efforts, we are unable to achieve every expectation some members have.

Submitting your request for assistance through our website hopefully provides the opportunity for members to think through their situation as it relates to the EA, AFP policies and employment law and convey your issues to our team as fully as you are able to.

Naturally most members don’t have a lot of time to learn employment law or all the permutations and applications of AFP policies.

This is where our team can assist. We now have three qualified lawyers, with two being experienced in industrial law, and two more currently training in law.

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CEO REPORT

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< CONTINUED FROM PAGE 07

deciding how to expend member’s collective funds are complex and, for some members, may occasionally not seem fair. Let me assure all members that when it comes to expenditure we put a lot of thought into the relative strengths and weaknesses of each and every member’s circumstances, particularly as they relate to the mix of legislation and policy.

Membership does not mean that the AFPA will automatically fund external legal assistance requests irrespective of the absence of legal merit simply because a person is a member.

To do so would amount to frivolous expenditure of the collective Association’s resources.

Whilst the AFPA exists to support and champion all members, the circumstances pertaining to a request for assistance must first amount to an actual case at law and/or in policy before external or significant funds can be spent.

Legal costs in particular can mount very quickly, which is why we have invested in our own qualified industrial legal staff. Before we consider or approve external legal funding assistance we must carefully assess a member’s circumstances in full. Part of our considerations are whether the legal knowledge and expertise within the AFPA is sufficient to undertake legal action on behalf of a member or members.

The AFPA endeavours to negotiate an acceptable and reasonable outcome for members before initiating legal action. Indeed the Fair Work Act obliges us to work through the EA’s grievance and dispute handling processes before we lodge in Fair Work.

In the event a member’s matter is of such complexity or requires some specialist knowledge outside that provided within our office, we may approve the funding of external legal assistance. AFPA policies are that where external legal funding is granted, the AFPA retains control and discretion. This is important because sometimes clarity in a matter can (though not always) be clouded by emotional influence. It is important to maintain a dispassionate and objective perspective when member’s collective funds are being utilised, sometimes extensively.

Doing otherwise would amount to frivolous and irresponsible management of AFPA resources and collective members funds. We are working to better explain AFPA legal assistance policies so members can fully and clearly understand how AFPA assistance operates.

SOLDIER ON AND THE POLICE WELFARE FOUNDATION (PWF) Member welfare is something I am keen to build upon. Encouraging mutual support and community spirit through the Police Welfare Foundation will be a subject of considerable focus.

In the previous calendar year the PWF granted over $50,000 to police and/or their families at times of need. We are moving toward a planned, structured approach to the provision of welfare assistance. One such initiative is our recent partnership with the charity Soldier On. Soldier On have been keen to make available to police the range of services and programs they have built to assist wounded Australians.

Whilst the focus for Soldier On has naturally been toward the military and those wounded Australians returning from active service, the PWF partnership will allow those police suffering injury arising from the course of their duties, supported access to the Soldier On programs.

We are very excited about this wonderful partnership and the potential opportunities ahead for police dealing with debilitating PTSD, or other psychological trauma or adjustment disorders that arose through doing their job.

We look forward to a future program of events to help raise funds to support the PWF and increase our ability to support injured AFP members through subsidised programs. We also see this as a terrific way to foster a positive, and supportive AFP and AFPA community that possesses a range of options to care for our own.

Look out for information about upcoming PWF and joint Soldier On events.

AFPA.ORG.AU

WALL TO WALL RIDE PHOTO GALLERY

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WALL TO WALL: RIDE FOR REMEMBRANCE 2014

> The Hon Chris Hayes MP, Member for Fowler.

AUSPOL | SUMMER 2014

> A ssistant Commissioner Shane Connelly, National Manager Human Resources.

WALL TO WALL RIDE PHOTO GALLERY

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>N ational Police Memorial, ACT. <R iders prepare to leave Exhibition Park.

> MORE PHOTOS ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE

<Q ueensland Police Commissioner Stewart.

AFPA.ORG.AU

AUSPOL | SUMMER 2014

EMPLOYMENT SERVICES UPDATE

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EMPLOYMENT SERVICES UPDATE:

FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE >

BASIL KARAPANOS

By

Manager Employment Services The Employment Services Team (EST) is the vehicle through which the AFPA provides employee representation to membership. The EST function can be described as a high priority service to membership through providing help and representation in difficult employment circumstances. This high priority places demands on the EST to ensure that it meets membership expectations in relation to the quality of service provided.

In accordance with the AFPA Strategic Plan 2014 -2016, the EST delivers a number of functions to membership. This service comprises of legal and workplace representation across a wide range of employment related matters. Since the last edition of AUSPOL, the EST is continuing to implement business processes that are assisting in providing a more efficient and effective delivery of service to membership.

Efficiency relates to the EST’s ability to achieve results without wasting the effort of staff or membership. This is being achieved through better case prioritisation and improved communication channels with key stakeholders. For example, all matters referred to the EST are now cycled through a Matter Evaluation Group (MEG) which is overseen by the EST Legal officer. The MEG provides prima facie consideration of any legal issues prior to allocation to a case officer. This improves the ability of the EST to take appropriate action in the beginning stages of a matter and reduces the chances of cases remaining on our systems for long periods of time without appropriate resolution or action. Furthermore, EST industrial officers now have weekly meetings with AFP Industrial Relations (IR) to clear cases in accordance with our dispute resolution process.

This ensures that member matters are afforded appropriate jurisdiction through being fully consulted at the workplace level prior to possible progression to the Fair Work Commission.

Effectiveness relates to the EST’s ability to meet membership expectations and provide a high quality service to our membership. A key driver of this effectiveness is our Resolve case management system. Linked to our AFPA website, Resolve enables effective case management and provides for a sophisticated approach to employee representation. Further to Resolve, AFPA has been proactive in ensuring that AFPA is staffed with the right people; EST is committed to providing our membership with the highest standard of employee representation through ensuring that EST is staffed with people who have the right attitude and qualifications to meet the needs of members.

The EST sincerely hopes that you never find yourself in a circumstance where you need individual representation in the workplace.

However, if this does occur EST remains committed to your best interests and will represent you in the most professional manner possible.

We trust that any involvement you have with EST will meet your expectations and we look forward to continue serving the membership in 2015.

QUARTER 3 RESULTS During Q3 the EST received 203 new cases and closed just over 150 matters. The EST is currently progressing 185 matters that cover a range of employment issues such as pay, rosters, leave and professional standards.

Furthermore, the EST is currently running a number of complex legal matters through our inhouse legal officers and our retained lawyers.

At present, the EST is actively seeking to resolve many historic matters; EST appreciates your patience while this back log is being addressed. Despite this, the EST remains committed to working with members to ensure effective and efficient representation of any new employment and legal matters that may arise.

AFPA.ORG.AU

EMPLOYMENT SERVICES TE AM

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YOUR EMPLOYMENT

BASIL KARAPANOS

ERIN BYRNE

CLARE HEDLEY

MANAGER EMPLOYMENT SERVICES TEAM

INDUSTRIAL AND EMPLOYMENT OFFICER

INDUSTRIAL AND EMPLOYMENT OFFICER

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

I have worked across a range of roles across the Australian Federal Police, Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, the Australian Public Service and ACT Government. I have completed undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in business and I am undergoing a law degree.

Former Detective Senior Constable, ACT Policing and Bachelor of Laws (3rd year).

Bachelor of Arts/Law (ANU), Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (ANU) and experience as a paralegal in criminal and commercial law.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT THE AFPA? The challenge of member representation.

A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF I have many interests but my favourite activity is four wheel driving with family and friends. I enjoy getting out as often as possible and exploring this beautiful part of Australia.

FAVOURITE SOMETHING I don’t really have a favourite thing, but camping next to a river on a hot summer day would be close to the top of my list!

WHAT GETS YOU THROUGH A LONG HARD DAY? Staying focussed on what I need to achieve.

AUSPOL | SUMMER 2014

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT THE AFPA? We have a small close-knit team who are always willing to help each other out because there is never a dull day in the Employment Services Team.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT THE AFPA? I enjoy working in a small, close-knit team and seeing the difference the team makes for our members.

A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF

A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF

I really enjoy overseas travel when I get a chance. I enjoy hanging around at home. Oh, and a good shopping session is always at the top of my list.

FAVOURITE SOMETHING

I’ve just finished my studies and am enjoying being able to return home at the end of the day and not have an assignment to work on. I’m a dedicated coffee drinker who likes old movies and trashy reality TV.

Summer time. Hanging out in the sun with a few cold beers.

FAVOURITE SOMETHING

WHAT GETS YOU THROUGH A LONG HARD DAY? When you are able to obtain a good outcome for a member and they acknowledge the time and effort you have spent. Since coming over to the AFPA it has really opened my eyes to the difficulties faced on this side of the fence.

‘Nothing is impossible – the word itself says “I’m possible.”’ (Audrey Hepburn)

WHAT GETS YOU THROUGH A LONG HARD DAY? The Bachelor.

EMPLOYMENT SERVICES TE AM

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SERVICES TEAM

JESSICA HUGHES

AN LI

LEGAL OFFICER

SENIOR LEGAL OFFICER

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

I have been working in industrial and workplace law for about 4 years. During that time, I have worked with trade unions, the public sector and private law firms.

Bachelor of Law (LLB) from Australian National University; Bachelor of Legal Studies (BLS) from Murdoch University; Graduate diploma in Legal Practice from Australian National University.

A registered legal practitioner in the law society of New South Wales.

I first graduated from East China Political and Law University then became a Police Officer for 5 years before migrating to Australia. I am now in my seventh year practicing Law in the area of industrial relations.

I was employed as Industrial Relations in-house lawyer in the United Voice, WA branch (Former Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union (LHMU), Transport Workers Union of Australia National Office and Maritime Union of Australia.

WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THE ROLE THE AFPA? I was attracted to a job at the AFPA because I prefer representing employees. I also like working in a fast-paced environment so an industrial organisation seems to fit.

A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF I moved to Canberra about 2 years ago, and I really enjoy it – it’s a small town but there’s always plenty to do.

I was born in Bathurst and still visit the central west regularly to catch up with my family, including my identical twin sister, nieces and nephews.

I like to travel with my partner Ryan and our next trip is to Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

FAVOURITE SOMETHING Red wine and coffee.

WHAT GETS YOU THROUGH A LONG HARD DAY? Coffee, nice colleagues and enjoying what I do.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT THE AFPA? This is the first time practicing industrial relations law for employees working in the government sector, which enables me to expand and enrich my experience/ skills as a specialised legal practitioner.

In particular, what I enjoy about working for the AFPA is that my clients

are all Police appointees. This is not an easy task compared to blue collar employees who have little to no knowledge of the legal system and their rights who tend to accept your advice without questioning, but I enjoy the challenge.

A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF I am a police kid - both parents were Police Officers for over 40 years and I was born and grew up in a huge provincial police complex which includes office buildings, residential areas, shops, child care and preschool.

I came to this country 18 years ago with very little English, so please bear with me if you’ve heard my accent.

FAVOURITE SOMETHING Reading something in Chinese with a cup of top quality green tea and soft music in the background.

WHAT GETS YOU THROUGH A LONG HARD DAY? Time flies when work becomes a joy, when a long hard day equals to great job satisfaction and sincere appreciation from Members.

AFPA.ORG.AU

INSIDE JOB >

BRETT WILLIAMS

By

Editor Police Journal SA

TWO DESPERATE, DRUG-ADDICTED ROBBERS CAME CLOSE TO GETTING AWAY WITH A VIOLENT HOTEL STICK-UP. THAT WAS UNTIL A TEAM OF SWITCHED-ON INVESTIGATORS AND ITS CLEVER DECISION-MAKING BROUGHT THE PAIR DOWN.

INSIDE JOB

17

her accomplice and even supplied him with tools to do the job. That included a meat cleaver, latex IT HAD BECOME A “BIG SHOW” BY gloves, cable ties and a sports bag THE TIME OPERATION COUNTERACT to fill with the stolen cash.

Riede had also thought DETECTIVES MIKE NEWBURY AND to sketch maps of the hotel’s PETER GRAVES TURNED UP AT THE interior and use them to brief her collaborator. So, despite her own CRIME SCENE. drug addiction, and the worry of unmet mortgage payments and Already there and active, at the Gepps Cross money she owed drug-dealers, she had applied Hotel, were Holden Hill patrols and CIB some serious thought to the daring robbery. investigators, ambulance crews, the media, And Riede and her fellow desperado, two and hotel management. drug addicts who became hotel robbers, might One of two people at the centre of their have got away with it. It was, after all, an inside job about which they knew all the critical details: attention was 52-year-old hotel manager and the CCTV camera positions, the presence of mother Suzette Riede. Seemingly traumatized, Bargewell, the location of the safe... she looked to be trying to detail for police But, in reality, they were tired, strung what had happened – and her account seemed out and, as the cameras showed, not great convincing enough at the outset. performers. They also came up against a team Riede claimed that a disguised armed of seasoned investigators who were just never robber had stolen cash from a safe and left her willing to let an armed stick-up go unsolved. and cleaner Charles Bargewell tied up before This case, however, presented some serious fleeing. The crime appeared to have shocked her challenges and would take three years to so much as to warrant an ambulance ride to the finalize. Mike Newbury, now attached to Major Royal Adelaide Hospital for an examination.

Crime, remembers one particularly tough point But everything she presented of herself to in the investigation. police early on that July morning in 2011 was an “The snap decision to treat a victim act. She was not in any sense a victim. The truth, (in this case Riede) like an offender is hard,” which lay behind her facade, was that she had he stresses. “There’s so much risk attached herself masterminded the crime. to that. You don’t do it lightly.”

To pull it off, she had engaged the reluctant, But, at the crime scene, Newbury and drug-addicted robber, Billson (not his real name), as Graves had studied the CCTV footage of Riede and Billson in action. And that left them almost 100 per cent certain that they were dealing with an inside job.

“The problem is that knowing something and proving something are always very different things,” Newbury says.

“We could see quite clearly that her story was a fraud because she’d essentially not followed the script she was meant to follow.

It had fallen apart. But we also had to disprove > T he compound at the side of the hotel. the traumatized-victim story. That was always going to be the key.”

Newbury and Graves first got word of the robbery from police communications around 7:50am on July 21, 2011. They and colleague Damon Roberts headed out to the hotel from their Operation Counteract offices in Wakefield St. Amid the throng of responders > CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 and media, they AFPA.ORG.AU

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< CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

established from police already on the scene an initial version of how the robbery had taken place.

It was that Riede had stepped outside through a back door around sunrise to collect morning papers from inside a walled compound at the side of the pub. A disguised armed offender had then supposedly emerged from hiding in that compound and confronted her.

Wielding the meat cleaver, he forced Riede back inside, cable-tied her to an internal fencecum-wall, and then found, threatened and cabletied Bargewell in the gaming area.

With the cleaner immobilized, Billson went back to where he had left Riede, whom he untied and forced to open a safe in the hotel strongroom. There, he stole cash from the safe and tied up Riede again before fleeing.

Some minutes later, Bargewell managed to snap the cable ties off of his wrists, run outside, flag down a passing truck and raise the alarm.

The first police to respond found Riede still tied up in the locked strongroom. She helped the officers gain entry by taking keys from her pocket and pushing them out under the door.

> Inside the compound. < T he internal fence to which Riede claimed she was cable tied.

ALL THESE DETAILS CAME FROM RIEDE AND NEVER QUITE SEEMED, TO NEWBURY AND HIS COLLEAGUES, TO ADD UP TO A TRUTHFUL ACCOUNT OF THE CRIME. The first point they doubted was that, in the predawn darkness, the robber had positioned himself inside the locked compound.

“There was no reason an offender would go to the trouble and/or risk of climbing in there,” Newbury insists.

“He could have just accosted Riede as she opened the hotel door – unless he already knew a staff member would come out to collect newspapers from (inside the compound).

“It was evident that the offender knew the staff routine was to enter that compound.

However, it wasn’t clear whether he was a staff member, knew a staff member or knew Riede, or had simply kept the premises under surveillance.”

Even greater doubt filled the rightly suspicious minds of the detectives as they AUSPOL | SUMMER 2014

viewed the CCTV footage of the robbery. Around 20 cameras covered all but the compound and back area of the pub, so no visual evidence of the alleged outdoor ambush existed.

But two other cameras, facing each other from opposite ends of the rectangular hotel strongroom, proved critical. They showed an almost carefree Riede entering the strongroom, disarming one of two safes, drinking coffee and casually thumbing through paperwork.

Seemingly at the same time, cameras in the gaming area recorded Billson threatening Bargewell with the meat cleaver and ultimately tying him up.

“We had to work out where he was moving when he was tying up the cleaner, compared to where she was moving when she was allegedly tied to that fence,” Newbury says.

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THE SNAP DECISION TO TREAT A VICTIM (IN THIS CASE RIEDE) LIKE AN OFFENDER IS HARD … THERE’S SO MUCH RISK ATTACHED TO THAT. YOU DON’T DO IT LIGHTLY. <D etective Brevet Sergeant Mike Newbury.

“It was when we kind of compared what was happening out in the gaming room to what was happening in the strongroom that stuff just didn’t add up.”

It seemed that Billson might never have tied Riede to the internal fence before he went to assault Bargewell and then returned.

“So,” Newbury says, “either she didn’t know the crook was even in the hotel, or she knew he was in there and didn’t care.”

More incriminating coverage showed Billson seemingly pushing Riede into the strongroom at the point of the meat cleaver.

Then, as the pair waited for the safe to disarm, Billson climbed on top of it, reached up to one of the cameras and pointed it away from the action.

“We lost our footage at that point,” Newbury explains, “but there was still the camera on the opposite wall. And while he was up turning the first camera around, you see from the other camera her (Riede) dart out of the room, apparently making a run for it.”

But her apparent escape failed to spark a response from Billson.

“Your natural instinct as a crook is to chase because you wouldn’t want her getting out and calling the police,” Newbury explains.

“But, instead of that, he actually ran across the room, climbed up onto a table and turned the other CCTV camera around.

“We didn’t know what happened, CCTVwise, after that point because we didn’t have any more footage. But it was just his lack of instinct to chase her which suggested to us that he wasn’t concerned about where she went or what she did.

“No robber would allow a victim to escape simply because he’s trying to turn CCTV cameras around. This event signalled to me that Riede and the robber were possibly engaged in an elaborate ‘staging’ of the robbery.”

Newbury went about circulating a description of Billson, whose only exposed body parts were his eyes. Covering his head was a red Eminem hoodie and across his face he had tied a blue t-shirt.

On his hands were woollen gloves over the top of his latex ones, while black tracksuit pants and black Globe sneakers covered the rest of his body.

One thing Newbury could tell was that Billson was Caucasian, but other things, such as height and build, he had to calculate. He figured Billson to be around 165cm tall.

“We worked that out,” he says, “and then kind of worked out that he was of a thin build.

So we had something to go on as far as a description, but that was it.”

Other damning evidence came to light when Newbury inspected the crime scene.

The “natural thing”, as he describes it, was to find the cable tie Billson would have had to cut to release Riede from the internal fence.

“There was no cable tie on the ground,” he remembers, “and she didn’t say she’d picked it up. In fact, the fence clearly had a thick layer of dust on it, but there was just no evidence that anything had ever been tied to it.

“So, clearly, she wasn’t tied to that fence. That did not happen. We still tried to work out if it was possible that she was just confused about it, but her story at that point was in a world of trouble.”

The detectives kept on with their > CONTINUED ON PAGE 20 inspection for several AFPA.ORG.AU

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< CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

hours and had Crime Scene Investigation photograph the scene. Newbury studied all the different camera footage so that he could link the timing of Riede and Billson’s separate actions.

And, as these investigators all worked at gathering evidence, Riede came back from the hospital, where she had gone feigning shock and stress.

Graves saw that her demeanour had not changed, that she was still “playing the poor, harddone-by victim”. And he knew how tough it was going to be to prove her involvement in the robbery.

“These elaborate set-up robberies don’t happen very often,” he explains. “You generally deal with people who just run into the gaming rooms, steal money and run out again.

That’s 90 per cent of your Counteract work.

“To actually get a fully-fledged robbery that’s planned is very rare in my experience.”

Newbury, too, understood the rareness of the crime and the challenge of proving Riede’s guilt. “Because,” he says, “you’ve got this sobbing victim about whom you’re thinking: ‘You’re a liar, and you’ve actually endangered your colleagues.’

“But you’ve got to somehow manage that and work out how to crack the case without her co-operation.”

AND WORK IT OUT THEY DID. The quick-thinking detectives gathered out the front of the hotel, considered their options, and came up with a plan to get Riede under surveillance.

“We thought: ‘If we don’t get phone calls or meetings between her and the other offender, they’re going to get away with it,’ ” Newbury recalls. “We didn’t know who the other offender was and we had no starting point at all.

“It (the surveillance) was such a hard decision because she was still a victim. And, as suspicious as you are, you’re thinking: ‘If we stuff this up, and we’ve got a genuine victim under surveillance, it’s a nightmare for police.’

“But we made a decision that, if we didn’t do this, we had no second chance of catching these people.”

So Newbury had police drive Riede home from the hotel. But he wanted someone to be in position and ready to watch and follow her from AUSPOL | SUMMER 2014

> T he Newspapers Riede collected from inside the compound.

the moment she stepped out of the police car.

So he arranged for colleague John “Barney” Braithwaite to do exactly that.

“We didn’t have a chance to get any kind of proper surveillance,” Graves says. “That was out the question. But I was absolutely confident that she would at some point leave the house and, literally within minutes, she did.”

From her Enfield home, Riede drove erratically through backstreets and out onto Regency Road where she stopped at a Clearview phone box. There, she made a number of calls before driving off in the same erratic manner.

Braithwaite followed and kept her in sight but eventually lost her. What worried the detectives then was that they might miss out on the chance to catch her meeting up with Billson – if that was what she had just arranged.

Meanwhile, Graves and colleague Damon Roberts got the phone box number, which Newbury relayed back to the Counteract office. He explained to colleague Talei Bentley that he needed an urgent check on the calls Riede had made.

Clearly, finding out who she contacted – or tried to contact – would dramatically advantage police in the then only hours-old investigation. And to be certain Riede could not later claim she had used a phone box because her mobile was not working, Newbury called her.

She answered, and he made out he had called to check on her welfare and arrange a time to take a statement from her.

“It’s really hard,” he says, “because you’re listening to a liar. She was telling me how

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> The strongroom with CCTV camera fixed to the ceiling.

> T he entrance to the hotel strongroom.

traumatized she was, and you could hear this kind of sobbing.

“She was saying: ‘I’m really upset,’ and I just didn’t believe a word of it. But I played along and tried not to let her know that we were on to her.

We had such a small window of opportunity to solve the crime.”

Newbury had hoped that his call might help pinpoint the location Riede was speaking from and therefore reveal where she had gone from the phone box. “Luckily,” he says, “she’d just gone straight back home.”

Just as their investigation was heating up, another robbery went down – on an Ingle Farm jewellery store. The detectives had to respond and ended up committed to the job for the entire afternoon. It involved two masked robbers who thieved jewellery out of a display case.

By the time Newbury and Graves got back to the Counteract office it was late in the day. But on Newbury’s desk was the call-charge record check on the calls Riede had made from the phone box.

She had dialled two numbers, twice each, and both belonged to Billson. But he answered none of her four calls.

The detectives looked Billson up on the police database and found his description similar to that of the robber on the CCTV footage.

Bentley, too, had undertaken some checks and found that, just a week earlier, a probationary constable had pinched Billson for shoplifting. She called the probationer and explained that Billson – whom he described for her – was now a suspect in the hotel robbery.

Then, around 10 o’clock that evening, after the observant probationer had started his shift, he spotted Billson! In an extraordinary circumstance, which would become clear later, the detectives’ suspect was standing right outside Hindley St police station.

Officers detained him and searched the bag he was carrying. In it they found $9,000 and a cable tie and so contacted Operation Counteract.

Newbury, who had worked into the early evening, was at home reading in bed when he got a call from his office around 10:30pm. The news of Billson’s detention delighted him.

“We’d put so much time and effort into it during the day,” he says. “To have it pay off was just incredibly rewarding. Suddenly, a range of avenues of enquiry opens up to you. It’s very exciting to have that.”

Leaving his wife and four sleeping children behind, Newbury got dressed and headed back to the Operation Counteract offices. Bentley and Roberts returned to duty, too, and all equipped themselves with firearms and radios and drove over to Hindley St police station.

From his first sight of Billson, Newbury could see that he was gaunt, strung out on meth and agitated, but “extremely friendly and happy to talk”. Although, when it came to the subject of the robbery, he was not willing to answer any questions.

Newbury arrested him for the stick-up and, after Billson made several unsuccessful > CONTINUED ON PAGE 22 attempts to contact AFPA.ORG.AU

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22

< CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

lawyers, he consented to a search of his home. By the time the detectives arrived there with him, it was around 1 o’clock the next morning.

“We did manage to get a lawyer while we were on the way, and he met us there,” Newbury says. “(Billson) lived in a shed at the back of some rental place. It was freezing cold inside and full of junk, and the search was quite difficult.

We had a search team but he could have stashed his clothes or shoes anywhere.

“In the end, we didn’t come up with anything from the house that was of any use in the (subsequent) trial. The search itself was quite irrelevant down the track.”

So, with no evidence uncovered from the search, Newbury and Bentley took Billson to the City Watch House to charge him. They arrived there around 4am and got him into custody but still had to type up an arrest file.

Newbury had by now gone without sleep for almost 24 hours but was functioning on adrenaline and “doing all right”. “But,” he says, “you crash really badly at the end of it.”

He got home around 6am, had four hours’ sleep and headed back to work to see Billson go to court and end up remanded in custody.

BUT, BEFORE THAT, AROUND 7:30AM, GRAVES RETURNED TO DUTY AND TEAMED UP WITH COLLEAGUE MARK SHAW. The pair intended to arrest Riede at her home and, before heading out there, met up with Holden Hill detectives for a briefing.

The plan was that, as Graves and Shaw undertook the arrest, the other detectives would search Riede’s house, which she shared with her 20-something daughter, Leah. They arrived around 9:20am.

“We arrested her within minutes, on her doorstep,” Graves says. “She continued to play the victim, and asked: ‘Why are you arresting me? I’m the victim here!’

“I think that played into our hands because she had to just go along with this ruse that she’d AUSPOL | SUMMER 2014

> Cable ties - Which the cleaner snapped off of his wrists. < T he gaming room in which Billson cable-tied the cleaner.

started. She said: ‘I don’t need a lawyer, because I’ve not done anything wrong. I’m the victim.’ ” Graves and Shaw took Riede back to Holden Hill police station and kicked off what would be an hour-long interview with her. Armed with information she never knew they had, the two adept detectives got what a judge would later call her “tissue of lies” on the record.

Her response to a question about going out after police had taken her home from the hotel was: “No, I didn’t go anywhere.” Graves then indicated that police had seen her leave.

“Oh, yes, that’s right,” she responded. “I did go out. I remember now.”

She said she had gone to see a friend, so Graves asked her if she had stopped anywhere along the way. “No, I didn’t stop anywhere,” she insisted. “I went straight there and straight home again.”

Again, Graves indicated what police knew, that she had stopped at a phone box. “Oh yes,” she said. “I stopped at the phone box.”

When asked who she called, Riede said she was not sure. Graves told her it was Billson and asked her if she knew him. “Oh, yeah,” she said.

“I was ringing him because he was a friend of mine and I wanted someone to talk to.”

Part way through this textbook interview, the Holden Hill detectives got back to the police

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23

WE KIND OF ANTICIPATED THAT SHE WAS JUST GOING TO TELL US EVERYTHING AND, THEN, GIVE THE DEFENCE OF HER DRUG HABIT, BUT SHE DIDN’T. SHE JUST CONTINUED TO LIE. <D etective Brevet Sergeant Peter Graves.

station and sought a moment with Graves.

They had to tell him that, during their search, they had found, in a bin, the maps Riede had sketched of the hotel.

They showed the layout of CCTV cameras, the location of the strongroom and estimates of the amount of cash in the safe.

Says Newbury: “It was really good work to even spot them (the maps) and work out their relevance. On their own, they did look like just four bits of paper.”

Back in the interview room, Riede claimed she had sketched the maps the night after the robbery as a way to show some visiting friends what had happened.

It seemed she had an answer for everything but, along with the maps, she had also discarded a note to her daughter. That note read: “Morning Leah. This is (Billson) on our lounge, he is cool so don’t be to (sic) worried.”

This message would work against Riede if she were to change her story and claim that Billson had forced her to commit the robbery with him. And that strategy was one she would indeed dare to employ.

In the meantime, however, she went before a magistrate and scored bail, of which one condition was to stay out of licensed premises.

But only a week later, Newbury arrested Riede for a breach of bail.

“That somehow morphed into her wanting to tell us all about the robbery again,” he says.

“So we ended up with a second interview, where she’s given us another version (of what happened).

“She told us that (Billson) was the robber.

She insisted that she was the victim and that he’d

placed her under duress, threatening her family if she didn’t go along with it (the robbery).”

But the warmth in the note she had written her daughter scarcely made the unimposing Billson sound as if he was using standover tactics on Riede.

Graves had expected that, in her second interview, she might come clean. “She’d had a week to consider what she’d done and the lies that she’d perpetuated,” he says.

“We kind of anticipated that she was just going to tell us everything and, then, give the defence of her drug habit, but she didn’t. She just continued to lie.”

FINALLY, AFTER 12 MONTHS, THE DISTRICT COURT SET A TRIAL DATE FOR RIEDE AND BILLSON, WHO BOTH WENT WITH NOT-GUILTY PLEAS. The Billson defence was that he had not himself committed the crime but rather received the robbery proceeds from the “real offender”.

Riede persisted with her duress defence, the claim that Billson had threatened her family to force her to participate in the stick-up.

“Both defences had a chance of muddying the waters with the jury,” Newbury says, “even though they were mutually exclusive.

“Bizarrely, they both could have > CONTINUED ON PAGE 24 been acquitted – AFPA.ORG.AU

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> Hand sketched maps which detectives found in a bin in Riede’s house.

< CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

even though they were implicating each other – and that was the frustrating part. It was that lack of remorse, and the fact that they were pushing, legally, but pushing as far as they could.”

The trial got underway but only lasted a day before it stalled. Other attempts to get it going failed as well – for the next three years.

“It just kept falling over,” Newbury says.

“On one occasion it was because we couldn’t get a judge, and it was just very frustrating.”

But the detectives, who continued to hunt for evidence, sought the help of a Telstra technician.

He identified that a call came from one of Billson’s phones at 7:03 on the morning of the robbery in the vicinity of the hotel.

That discovery was one turning point which came two years after the robbery. Another was new DNA technology which forensic science experts used to retest all the relevant exhibits.

One of the cable ties, from which sufficient evidence had never emerged under original testing, now showed a clear DNA match to Billson.

And, under the weight of such compelling evidence, he changed his plea to guilty.

“He then wanted to give police a statement,” Newbury explains, “testifying against Riede, and that was just such a massive relief to us to get to that point.

“To have him now in our corner saying: ‘This is exactly how the robbery occurred,’ was a great way of showing her duress (story) as a complete fabrication.”

Some months after Billson agreed to co-operate with police, Newbury drove out to Murray Bridge to take a statement from him. Before he began the laborious, day-long exercise, he gave the now-confessed robber a blunt warning not to lie.

AUSPOL | SUMMER 2014

> T he note Riede wrote her daughter about Billson.

“I said: ‘You get one chance to tell the truth, so this has got to be it,’ ” Newbury recalls.

“And he told us stuff that we didn’t know about, that he didn’t have to tell us.

“Everything he told us we were able to corroborate and match out, so we were happy that, at the end of the day, he was spoton honest.”

According to Billson, he had met Riede through his drug-dealer just a few months before the robbery. He had visited her home, as she had his, and he had regularly sold her meth.

She had told him that she was in debt and, two weeks before the robbery, asked him to commit the crime with her. He refused and she let the matter rest.

But, the night before the robbery, she asked him again – indeed she pleaded with him.

Billson, who was at the time binging on meth and not thinking straight, now agreed to take part.

Riede told him he could have most of the money they stole, and that she just wanted around $3,000 to clear her debts. She also told him that she wanted him to assault her so that she could claim some form of compensation.

Billson was never in the compound when Riede came outside to “collect the papers” and simply walked into the hotel with her. And, once inside, he never tied her to the internal fence as she had claimed.

Rather, Riede pointed him in the direction of the front bar and gaming room, where Billson went to cable-tie cleaner Charles Bargewell.

He then joined Riede in the strongroom, turned the cameras around, filled the sports bag with cash from one of the safes and cabletied his accomplice. Before he fled, she turned her head, shut her eyes and told him to hit her in the face with the meat cleaver. He refused.

Out on Main North Road, Billson made that 7:03am phone call – for a taxi, which drove him

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25

her normal morning business, drinking a cup of coffee, fiddling with paperwork…

“That’s not what you do if you’re under duress, worried that the cleaner is about to be killed. So that’s where her story really started unravelling in court.”

> Riede on her way to court.

ULTIMATELY, THE JURY FOUND RIEDE GUILTY OF THE ROBBERY BY MAJORITY AND JUDGE PAUL MUSCAT SENTENCED HER TO EIGHT YEARS’ JAIL WITH A THREE-YEAR NON-PAROLE PERIOD.

into the city. There, he dumped into a bin his shoes, the meat cleaver and anything else he had used in the robbery.

Of course, he still had the cash-filled bag, with which he got into another taxi and headed home. After changing into new shoes and placing the robbery bag and money into a bag of his own, he walked to a local shopping centre.

There, he dumped the robbery bag into an industrial bin; and, after stops at various places throughout the rest of the day, Billson ended up at a dealer’s place. And, later that evening, after he had bought and used some meth, Riede turned up unexpectedly.

Billson gave her some meth and around $3,000 and urged her to leave the dealer’s place, which she did.

Later, he caught a bus back into the city, met a girl he knew on North Tce and, with her, walked through to Hindley St. It was as he passed the police station that the alert probationer spotted him before he wound up detained.

Owing to his guilty plea, Billson never had to face a trial but gave testimony against Riede at her trial last August. By then, she had admitted that she was never tied to that internal fence but continued with her duress defence.

“Her version,” Newbury says, “was that she walked into the strongroom knowing that, if she didn’t comply, he (Billson) would hurt the cleaner.

“I don’t think the jury believed that for a minute because, at that stage, she could have locked herself in the strongroom, called police, or pressed duress alarms.

“The other thing prosecution raised was that she didn’t look scared. She was just going about

Billson wound up with a head sentence of three years, 11 months and a non-parole period of two years.

Muscat described Riede as a “shameless and accomplished liar”. “You went about lying to the police from the very first moment you were spoken to,” he said. “Obviously that was part of your plan.

“Your initial story had a hole or two in it which later opened up into a pit of lies. The police could smell a rat and so they decided to watch your movements…

“Your evidence to the jury about being an innocent victim of this frightening hold-up was nothing more than a tissue of lies.”

Both Newbury and Graves, who had committed hundreds of hours to their investigation and prepared for three trials, took particular pleasure in the outcome.

“The beauty of this job was that we made a couple of snap decisions that all came to fruition,” Newbury says. “They worked out perfectly.

“You had guys like Barney (John Braithwaite), Damo (Damon Roberts) and Gravesy who looked at it and went: ‘Hold on.

There’s something a bit odd here.’

“They were prepared to just work with that gut feeling and unravel it (the robbery).

Things like that I wouldn’t take for granted.”

Another great pleasure for Newbury was calling hotel cleaner Charles Bargewell to tell him of the courtroom victory.

“He was delighted,” Newbury says. “I think, in the end, he didn’t take any pleasure in Riede’s suffering. But still, to this day, she says she didn’t do it.”

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ALCOHOL

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ALCOHOL: Is my drinking putting me at

>

PROFESSOR DANIEL FATOVICH

By

Courtesy of WA Police Union

ALCOHOL IS THE MOST COMMONLY USED DRUG IN AUSTRALIA. ON THE FIRST FLEET’S JOURNEY, 65,000 LITRES OF RUM WERE PURCHASED IN RIO DE JANEIRO FOR THE FIRST THREE YEARS OF THE COLONY. IT WAS POOR QUALITY AND ALCOHOL HAS BEEN PART OF OUR SOCIETY SINCE.

People choose to drink alcohol for many reasons, including celebrations, to be sociable, for enjoyment and to relax. Some people drink alcohol when they are feeling sad, anxious or are having problems with their lives.

Australia has a serious problem with alcohol, something that is obvious to police and emergency workers. This leads to violence, assaults, injury and distress – all in a day’s work.

Our society suffers as a result along with the growing burden of chronic health issues.

Research shows that the more alcohol you drink, the greater the risk of harm to your health.

Regular consumption can result in tolerance and dependence, which leads to more problems.

But you don’t have to be dependent on alcohol to experience problems.

AUSPOL | SUMMER 2014

Nevertheless, emergency workers can often feel that they are somehow immune to the problems of alcohol. If the television is anything to go by, police consumption of alcohol is a given.

How much is too much? The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) makes the following recommendations on alcohol consumption: 1. For healthy men and women, drinking no more than two standard drinks (a standard drink contains 10 grams of alcohol e.g. 100 mL of wine that is 10 per cent alcohol is one standard drink) on any day reduces the lifetime risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury.

2. For healthy men and women, drinking no more than four standard drinks on a single occasion reduces the risk of alcohol-related injury arising from that occasion.

3. For women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, not drinking is the safest option.

4. For children and young people under 18 years of age, not drinking alcohol is the safest option.

ALCOHOL

45

RISK? There used to be a notion that drinking some alcohol had health benefits. The NHMRC says that any potential benefits have been overestimated. Their guidelines do not encourage people to take up drinking just to get benefits.

QUESTIONS

So I thought it would be useful to provide a simple screening test for harmful alcohol consumption: is my drinking putting me at risk?

Complete the questions by circling the most correct answer for you. (A drink means a standard drink).

0

1

2

3

4

Never

Monthly or less

2-4 times a month

2-3 times a week

4 or more times a week

2. How many drinks containing alcohol do you have on a typical day when you are drinking?

1 or 2

3 or 4

5 or 6

7 to 9

10 or more

3. How often do you have six or more standard drinks on one occasion?

Never

Less than monthly

Monthly

Weekly

Daily or almost daily

1. How often do you have a drink containing alcohol?

SCORE

TOTAL

Add all your scores together to calculate the total score.

Score 0-3: you are a low risk drinker.

Score 4 or more: your drinking may be causing you problems and may lead to harms in the future.

Score 8 or more: your drinking is very likely to cause you risks, harms and problems.

If you have concerns, these can be addressed by discussion with your GP. There are also free government and private services available for support.

AFPA.ORG.AU

2014 CHURCHILL FELLOW

46

SENIOR CONSTABLE

DEAN 2014 CHURCHILL FELLOW

Senior Constable Saddler (Dean) has recently been awarded a Churchill Fellowship to research recruitment and retention strategies targeted for Indigenous and First Nations persons to become frontline Police officers.

The Churchill Trust provides selected Australians with an opportunity to travel overseas to conduct research by exchanging knowledge and experience with leaders in their chosen field.

As a front line member of ACT Policing for five years and two years working with the City beats team Dean gained knowledge beyond any textbook.

Being a Wiradjuri man in a first response organisation, Dean’s identified the opportunity to make a difference by looking to better the cultural understanding of underlying issues and encourage more indigenous members into front line policing.

AUSPOL | SUMMER 2014

Dean will visit the Los Angeles Police Department (PD), Calgary PD, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Nashville PD, Federal Bureau of Investigation and New York PD. The purpose in visiting the jurisdictions and their respective police stations, training academies and other law enforcement organisations is to establish diverse solutions to recruiting and retention issues and gain a firsthand knowledge of the strategies used to address them.

As part of the research tour, Dean will focus on three main areas:

2014 CHURCHILL FELLOW

47

SADDLER Recruitment and retention of front line Law Enforcement (Focus on indigenous/first nations persons)

CHICAGO POLICE ACADEMY ¡¡

¡¡

Meet recruitment and training personnel to discuss the support systems in place for Indigenous / First Nation recruits.

He will also conduct group discussions with recruits to establish their motivation and why they were compelled to become frontline Police Officers in their communities.

RIDE ALONG ¡¡

As part of the study, Dean will engage in discussion with frontline members to explore their views on how they are supported and retained as well the difference that a cultural understanding has. ¡¡ This on the job engagement will also generate an informal exchange of ideas through discussions on recruitment and retention practices specifically within Illinois, the United States, Australia and the Australian Federal Police.

As a Churchill Fellow, Dean will produce a research paper with recommendations and outcomes designed to benefit Australian society through improved recruitment and retention strategies

for frontline Police. The areas that have been identified were chosen based on the likelihood that relevant parts of their Indigenous Law enforcement recruitment would also have utility in the Australian Policing context.

The AFPA wish Dean all the best in his research and thank him for his dedication to the policing community and the Australian law enforcement profession.

AFPA.ORG.AU

FINANCE

48

RECEIVING A REDUNDANCY PAYMENT

YOU CAN EITHER VIEW REDUNDANCY AS A DOOR CLOSING OR A DOOR OPENING – HOW YOU HANDLE THE SITUATION IS WHAT MATTERS. What we need to remember is that when redundancy rears its head, it presents us with a unique opportunity to re-assess our finances and potentially make a strategic investment for our future.

If you are about to receive a redundancy payment, there are several issues you need to take into consideration: ¡¡ You will need to be able to understand the various components of your employer redundancy payment and how it can be used to achieve your overall financial objectives. ¡¡ You may have to address some financial planning AUSPOL | SUMMER 2014

issues such as superannuation and the continuance of any life insurance benefits as well as your ongoing investment strategy. ¡¡ You will need to understand your cash flow requirements.

How are you going to fund your living expenses while you transition into new employment or retirement? ¡¡ You may need to get in touch with Centrelink. An unused leave entitlement in your redundancy payout could delay the payment of your benefit.

Depending on your situation, you may be entitled to all or some of the following lump sum payments.

FINANCE

49

1. UNUSED ANNUAL LEAVE An employer must pay out the annual leave that you have accrued, but have not taken. The total amount of the unused annual leave, paid out as a lump sum, is added to your taxable income in the financial year that you receive the payment.

However, the tax you will generally pay on this amount is limited to a maximum of 30 per cent plus the Medicare levy.

The after-tax unused annual leave will be paid into your bank account – it cannot be directly rolled over into a superannuation fund.

2. UNUSED LONG SERVICE LEAVE If you are entitled to long service leave, but have not yet taken it, your employer must pay your entitlement as a lump sum. The after-tax amount for unused long service leave will be paid into your bank account – it cannot be rolled over into a superannuation fund. It is important to confirm your entitlement to long service leave, as it varies from state to state.

The amount of tax you will pay on genuine redundancy depends on when you started your employment: PERIOD OF ACCRUAL

TAX RATE APPLIED

To 15 August 1978

5% at marginal tax rate plus Medicare levy

From 16 August 1978

30% plus Medicare levy

Note: From 1 July 2014, the Medicare levy rate is 2 per cent.

3. TAX-FREE AMOUNT You will only be entitled to a tax-free amount if a genuine or bona fide redundancy is paid and you are under the age of 65. For the 2014/15 financial year, the tax-free amount is equal to $9,514 plus an additional $4,758 for every full year of service completed. Therefore, the tax-free portion for 10 years of completed service is $57,094 [$9,514 + ($4,758 x 10)]. This portion is paid directly to you. If the total of your redundancy payment is less than this amount, your entire payment is tax-free. While it does not need to be included in your tax return, it cannot be rolled into superannuation.

4. EMPLOYMENT TERMINATION PAYMENTS

IF YOU ARE UNDER PRESERVATION AGE (UNDER THE AGE OF 55)

TAX

Tax-free component

Tax-free

Taxable component up to $185,000

30% + Medicare levy

Taxable component over $185,000

47% + Medicare levy

IF YOU HAVE REACHED PRESERVATION AGE (THE AGE OF 55 OR OVER)

TAX

Tax-free component

Tax-free

Taxable component up to $185,000

15% + Medicare levy

Taxable component over $185,000

47% + Medicare levy

OTHER ISSUES TO CONSIDER There are some other issues that you will also need to consider: ¡¡ What will you do with your super? Can you remain in the employer fund or should you roll it over to a personal fund? ¡¡ Does the life insurance within your superannuation have a continuation option? Many employer superannuation funds offer such an option which avoids you having to go through the cumbersome process of applying for life insurance all over again. Make sure you exercise the option before it’s too late and review your overall needs again. ¡¡ If you are looking for new employment; are you eligible for a Newstart Allowance from Centrelink?

Make your redundancy count. For many years Police Bank have chosen Bridges* as our preferred Financial Planners. We can arrange a complimentary, obligation free initial consultation with a Bridges financial planner near you. For more information about redundancy, your superannuation or any aspect of your financial situation, please call 131 728 or visit www.policebank.com.au/

The remaining amount of your redundancy payment, if any, is called an employment termination payment (ETP). The ETP must generally be taken in cash – it cannot be rolled over to your superannuation fund. This portion of your payout will be taxed according to whether it is a genuine redundancy and the tax components, which will be listed on your redundancy payment statement. The following table outlines the taxation treatment of an ETP paid due to a genuine redundancy.

This is general advice only and does not take into account your financial circumstances, needs and objectives. Before making any decision based on this article, you should assess your own circumstances or seek advice from a financial planner and seek tax advice from a registered tax agent. Information is current at the date of issue and may change. * Bridges Financial Services Pty Ltd. ABN 60 003 474 977 ASX Participant. AFSL No 240837. Part of the IOOF group

AFPA.ORG.AU

HE ALTH

50

THE SITTING EPIDEMIC 50 TO 70% OF ADULTS ARE CURRENTLY SITTING FOR 6 OR MORE HOURS A DAY. AN ALARMING STATISTIC AND THE MAIN REASON WHY SOME HEALTH EXPERTS ARE CLAIMING THAT SITTING IS THE NEW SMOKING. MICHAEL CUNICO, FITNESS FIRST NATIONAL PERSONAL TRAINING MANAGER EXPLORES THIS EPIDEMIC. THE SOFT TISSUE OF THE BODY WILL MOULD TO THE DEMAND WE PLACE ON IT, THIS MEANS THAT THE TISSUE DEMANDS PLACED ON PEOPLE WHO ARE SEATED FOR LONG PERIODS ARE VASTLY DIFFERENT FROM THE DEMANDS OUR BODIES ARE NATURALLY DESIGNED TO DEAL WITH. Evolution has forced us into this position but this doesn’t mean our bodies have to like it. Our bodies will however, accept it.

This acceptance is displayed when someone who sits for lengthy periods decides they want to start an exercise program. They will throw their exercise gear on and go out for a run, shortly thereafter they will present with potentially calf, hip flexor and hamstring soreness/tightness. Their body has accepted the seated position almost as the new norm and tells you it doesn’t like that by providing you with potentially 3 days straight of walking like John Wayne in an old western.

The seated position creates what is commonly referred to as triple flexion or a flexed position at the ankle, hips and knees. Combine this position with a universal decrease in the amount of movement that most people have in their average day and we have a perfect recipe for creating joints in those 3 areas that become immobile. Also worth considering is the impact sitting has on the upper body by placing the upper back in a rounded position and potentially shortening the muscles of the chest as the shoulders migrate forward.

To overcome the impact of sitting for long periods requires effort; and standing up a few times a day won’t cut

AUSPOL | SUMMER 2014

it unfortunately. Research suggests (Alter 1996) that holding a movement for a minimum of 30 seconds, ideally longer, as much as twice per day can provide SOME benefit. Combine this with a structured exercise strategy that promotes movement through a full range of motion and some day to day tricks to increase movement such as: ¡¡ Use a wireless headset for your landline so you can stand/ walk while talking on the phone ¡¡ Have an email free day every week where you physically walk over to anyone in your office who you need to communicate with (you may even meet some new people!) ¡¡ Pick another day every week where you really focus on water consumption and hydration, then on that day only use the bathrooms on a different level of your building (no lifts!) ¡¡ Walk to the coffee shop that is furthest (within reason) from your building as opposed to the closest. You may even find a new favourite caffeine spot! ¡¡ Try our 5 exercises videos for Safe Work Australia Month that you can do right at your desk.

Most people will underestimate the volume of stretching/ mobility work required to produce long term benefits, and to fight off the epidemic of sitting. Find a strategy that works for you and commit to it. Your body will thank you for it … particularly the next time you go for run.

DESKERCISE

STEP AND REACH

WATCH VIDEO >

NECK STRETCH 1

WATCH VIDEO >

NECK STRETCH 2

WATCH VIDEO >

DESK PUSH UP

WATCH VIDEO >

TRANSVERSE LUNGE

WATCH VIDEO >

QUICK FEET

WATCH VIDEO >

To view videos a minimum of Internet Explorer Windows 9 is required.

MOVIES

52

MOVIES

INTERSTELLLAR INTERSTELLLAR has got to be the most talked about film this year, with millions of fans checking out the three trailers online and wondering what comes next. What exactly is the movie all about? Is it a sci-fi extravaganza, or is it part of the new genre of cli-fi movies that focus on climate change and global warming issues?

“As much as the film is about outer space and, like, the most incredible action, adventure, epic, epic film, it’s so much about love.”

Jessica Chastain In the future, governments and economies across the globe have collapsed, food is scarce, NASA is no more, and the 20th Century is to blame. A mysterious rip in space time opens and it’s up to whatever is left of NASA to explore and offer up hope for mankind.

Interstellar chronicles the adventures of a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.

AUSPOL | SUMMER 2014

Mainly based on the scientific theories and script treatment of renowned theoretical physicist, Kip Thorne.

The film is led by an all star cast with writer/director Christopher Nolan and award winning Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain and Michael Caine.

See Interstellar at Dendy Cinemas from 6th November.

MOVIES

53

NIGHTCRAWLER NIGHTCRAWLER, releasing 27th November, is a pulsepounding thriller set in the nocturnal underbelly of contemporary Los Angeles.

Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Lou Bloom, a driven young man desperate for work who discovers the high-speed world of L.A. crime journalism. Finding a group of freelance camera crews who film crashes, fires, murder and other mayhem, Lou muscles into the cut-throat, dangerous realm of nightcrawling — where each police siren wail equals a possible windfall and victims are converted into dollars and cents. Aided by Rene Russo as Nina, a veteran of the blood-sport that is local TV news, Lou thrives. In the breakneck, ceaseless search for footage, he becomes the star of his own story A thought-provoking and strangely hilarious feature that blends elements of drama and horror with the blackest of comedy, Nightcrawler is a film that truly gets under the skin.

Chris Tilly, IGN Movies

PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR In cinemas 1st January is the fourth instalment of the loved Madagascar films and the Penguins are back in their very own feature film with PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR. Super spy teams aren’t born...they’re hatched. Discover the secrets of the greatest and most hilarious covert birds in the global espionage biz: Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private. These elitists of the elite are joining forces with a chic undercover organization, The North Wind. Led by handsome and husky Agent Classified (we could tell you his name, but then...you know). Together, they must stop the villainous Dr. Octavius Brine, from destroying the world as we know it.

Voices by Benedict Cumberbatch, John Malkovich, Peter Stormare, Ken Jeon

DENDY CINEMAS For over 30 years Dendy Cinemas has screened the best in quality cinema across the east coast of Australia.

Dendy Cinemas operates 27 screens across its Brisbane, Canberra and Sydney (Newtown and Circular Quay) locations, and remains the home of quality 2D and 3D cinema.

As well as its core film programming, the company is also home to a vibrant arts program of opera, theatre and ballet productions from some of the world’s finest companies. www.dendy.com.au

AFPA.ORG.AU

BOOKS

54

BOOKS The Frugal Paleo Cookbook Ciarra Hannah

Great White James Woodford RRP $24.99

Save money and stick to your diet with delicious Paleo recipes that are inexpensive and easy. Just because you’re on the Paleo diet doesn’t mean you need to spend a fortune. Ciarra Hannah, creator of PopularPaleo. com, which gets over 362,000 page views a month, has one hundred Paleo recipes that feature grass-fed meat and naturally-raised whole food ingredients but are also light on your wallet.

The cost of eating a Paleo diet is significant and an issue in the Paleo community-until now. Ciarra uses flavorful but less expensive cuts of meat slow-cooked in stews or braised, as well as her roll-forward technique to make bigger batches from less expensive per-pound cuts to make multiple delicious dishes. She has a strong selection of Paleo dishes for everyday eating the whole family will love. Ciarra’s recipes include Cauliflower Lasagna, Beef Tips in Rosemary Balsamic Glaze, and Vegetable Beef Curry.

So, if you’re loving the Paleo diet but hating the amount of money you spend each month, then this book is a musthave. Save your money, stick to your diet and enjoy your tasty Paleo meals.

AUTHOR INFORMATION Ciarra Hannah is the creator of PopularPaleo.com, which gets over 362,000 views a month and has over 16,000 Facebook likes. Ciarra’s recipes have been featured on StupidEasyPaleo.com, PaleoHacks.com and PrimalPal. com. She lives in Tacoma, Washington

AUSPOL | SUMMER 2014

RRP $34.99

I remember thinking two things at the time.

Firstly, if it had wanted to eat us we wouldn’t have stood a chance and second, it didn’t want to eat us.

When James Woodford was confronted by half a dozen sharks swimming at full speed, he froze in shock. But he was even more surprised when they swam right past, completely ignoring him. He couldn’t reconcile this experience with the mindless eating-machines that dominate the discussion of sharks in Australia.

Interviewing world-renowned experts and joining research teams at Neptune Islands, one of the most famous shark aggregation locations in the world - and consequently one of the most dangerous dive sites - James investigates these intriguing creatures at close range and discovers their fascinating world.

AUTHOR INFORMATION James Woodford is the author of six books including The Wollemi Pine, The Secret Life of Wombats, The Dog Fence and The Great Barrier Reef. He was born in 1968, has four children and lives on the reef in Townsville. James can be found on the web at www.realdirt.com.au

BOOKS

55

Rogue Raider

How to Drive Ben Collins

RRP $44.99

Driving is the most dangerous thing each of us does on a daily basis – and yet the average learner receives just eighteen hours’ training – less than a Starbucks barista.

In this inspirational, instructive, highly entertaining book, Ben Collins uses his super-charged experience of racing, stuntwork and cutting-edge scientific knowledge to tell you all of the things you didn’t learn on your test - and in the process will make your driving safer, more economical and a lot more enjoyable.

The skills described here, from skid control to gear changes that are as smooth as a cashmere codpiece, have been honed on racing tracks by the greatest drivers in the world. This is the stuff your instructor missed, your dad forgot and your mates pretend to know . . . but don’t. Packed with illustrations, gobsmacking driving anecdotes, humour and wisdom, this is the ultimate book for anyone who wants to be better at something they do every day of their life.

The world population of motor vehicles exceeded a billion a couple of years ago. Let’s make sure their owners understand how to use them.

AUTHOR INFORMATION Better known as The Stig from BBC’s internationally acclaimed Top Gear, Ben Collins was the benchmark of speed against which hundreds of celebrities set themselves, and the man that everyone - including Formula One stars Nigel Mansell and Jenson Button tried and failed to beat. But he is also the go-to driving man for Hollywood (driving as Bond in Skyfall, and in the batman film The Dark Knight Rises), and has raced successfully in almost every class imaginable, from Formula 3 and Le Mans 24 Hour to American Stock Car racing. He’s very, very good at driving.

The Tale of Captain Lauterbach, the Singapore Mutiny and the Audacious Battle of Penang Nigel Barley RRP $23.99 It is the First World War and the Flashmanesque German naval reserve captain, Julius Lauterbach, is a prisoner of war in Singapore. He is also a braggart, a womaniser and a heavy drinker and through his bored fantasies he unwittingly triggers a mutiny by Muslim troops of the British garrison and so throws the whole course of the war in doubt.

The British lose control of the city, its European inhabitants flee to the ships in the harbour and it is only with the help of Japanese marines that the Empire is saved.

Rogue Raider is the adventure story of how one ship, the Emden, ties up the navies of four nations only to be sunk at The Battle of Cocos by the Royal Australian Navy light cruiser HMAS Sydney, and how one man eludes Allied Forces in a desperate chase across Asia to America as he attempts to regain his native land.

It is fictionalised history but a true history that was deliberately suppressed by the British authorities of the time as too embarrassing and dangerous to be known. Revealed here, it brings vividly to life the Southeast Asia of the period, its sights, its sounds and its rich mix of peoples. And through it an unwilling participant in the war becomes an accidental hero.

AUTHOR INFORMATION Nigel Barley is a former curator at The British Museum and is the author of twenty books with Penguin, Time Warner, Monsoon and Little, Brown

AFPA.ORG.AU

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