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Issue No. 57
Front cover
Contents
3 President’s Report
5 Note from the Editor
8 History in the Making 10 Tribute to Debbie
13 Australia Day Honours
22 Tongan Policewomen Lead the Way
25 The silence is broken: Lifting a lid on coercive control
28 New South Wales Police Force Advancement of Women in Policing awards
32 New book focuses on global achievements in recruiting and promoting women police and lessons for best practice
33 New South Wales Police Force Domestic Violence Practitioner of the Year
34 Dedication and Resilience: Corporal Rosalia Manutulila’s Journey in Samoa’s Policing
40 Long before women police officers came police ‘matrons’
42 Women in Policing and Leadership – DSS Teena Rolls
44 A Kiwi’s insight into Nordic policing
45 International Women’s Day
46 International Women’s Day Events in Papua New Guinea
48 International Women’s Day Victoria Police
49 Empowering Women in Law Enforcement
52 Leadership in International Deployment
54 NSWPF combatting DV with Rotary
55 Helping police beat crime with new algorithm
56 ACWAP Committee Members
57 Become a member today!
Sandra Venables with fellow ACWAP members promoting the 2023 IWPC conference
Photo Credit – Thanks to Nat Benn Photography for her ongoing contribution of images featured in the ACWAP Journal
President’s Report
Sandra Venables President
What a privilege to be writing my first report for the Australasian Council of Women and Policing (ACWAP) journal.
I want to acknowledge all the members of ACWAP and the hardworking committee who have supported my move into the role of President, it is a privilege to be given this opportunity.
I am very grateful to have Deb Platz in the Vice President’s role to ensure a smooth transition and to provide me with guidance and support whilst I learn the many facets of this new role. Deb has been a member of ACWAP since 2010 and the president since 2016 and has done an exceptional job at increasing membership and ensuring that the outstanding work done by women and men across Australasia is recognised within our awards criteria, which has been supported by all of our membership jurisdictions over many years.
The success of the ACWAP Awards has been due to the ongoing support of our commissioners and the encouragement for their staff to be nominated within the different categories and the incredible sponsors who continue to support the awards and make it such a prestigious event for all the nominees and winners of the different categories.
I am excited about the future of ACWAP, our focus as a committee will continue to be on recognising the extraordinary work women and
men do on behalf of Policing and our communities.
We have just completed a Face to Face (F2F) ACWAP committee meeting in Sydney, which was held over a wet and windy weekend, to consider what our focus will be over the next 12-24 months. We only have one F2F per year, but it’s an important annual event to welcome our new committee, and this year we were able to decide on our work plan, as well as finalise the planning for our Professional Development Seminar being held in Brisbane this September, which is being hosted by the Queensland Police Service and also includes the ACWAP Awards ceremony for 2024.
Usually, the ACWAP committee meetings are held online so it’s beneficial to have this time together to get to know each other properly.
We had thirteen committee members able to attend and the others were able to join certain sessions remotely via teams, which meant we had a good representation from across Australasia.
I would like to acknowledge the support we had from the Australian Institute of Police Management for allowing us the use of their facilities for the F2F weekend, as always, their hospitality was exceptional and certainly ensured the success of our planning sessions.
I hope you enjoy this edition of the ACWAP journal, you will find extraordinary stories of leadership, programs of change and innovation and personal stories of growth and development from across the many jurisdictions that make up our membership. Take care.
Members of the ACWAP committee attending the committee meeting held in Sydney in April
Note from the Editor
Dorothy McPhail Editor
Celebration of achievements throughout the region feature in this edition of the journal focusing on what women are doing both internally within their organisations, as well as externally within their communities. Recognising the role that our predecessors have carried out is also very important and this features in the article about Police Matrons.
A huge vote of thanks must go to Deb Platz, who has handed over the reins of ACWAP President to Sandra Venables after a nine-year tenure. During this time Deb has put an enormous amount of time and effort into developing ACWAP, while continuing to carry out demanding roles within the Queensland Police Service, Australian Federal Police and now the New South Wales State Emergency Service.
Taking on a voluntary role such as an ACWAP committee member is not about having time, it is about making time and Deb has certainly made the time to ensure that the work carried out by ACWAP is as beneficial as possible to all. She is continuing to support the ACWAP committee as Vice President and her experience will no doubt prove to be invaluable.
In March I had the privilege of attending an International Association of Women Police (IAWP) regional conference held in the Caribbean. The theme of the conference was Empowered Women Empower Women and like the IWPC conference held in Auckland in September 2023 there were some very inspiring women attending and presenting at the conference held on Grand Cayman. Mentoring was one of the topics discussed and attendees were encouraged to look for
multiple mentors who could perform in the following capacity:
• Counsellor
• Confronter
• Challenger
• Comforter
• Celebrator
The 2024 annual IAWP conference is being held in Chicago from 1-5 September. As those who attended the Auckland IWPC conference 2023 discovered these conferences are an amazing opportunity to learn and network with fellow officers from throughout the world. I encourage you to consider attending this conference. It is a long way to travel from Australasia, but can be incorporated into a holiday.
A big thanks to all those who have contributed to this edition
and I hope you enjoy the read. Be sure to contact me if you have any articles or ideas for future editions at journal@acwap.com.au. The next deadline for submissions is 30 June 2024. I look forward to all future contributions.
Finally, “Be strong enough to stand alone, smart enough to know when you need help, and brave enough to ask for it.” – Ziad K. Abdelnour Take care and stay healthy.
Warm regards Dorothy
The IAWP regional conference was opened by the Cayman Islands Governor Jane Owen pictured in the centre
IAWP Caribbean Conference Mentoring and Coaching Panel Members from right Sherma Maynard-Wilson (Trinidad Tobago), Jacquelyn Vanterpool (Royal Virgin Islands), and Na’mah Astwood (Bermuda) with facilitator Lisa Jackson
Do something your future self will thank you for Lessons learnt from my property journey
Cinty Buxton
Triple Zero Property
Do you have a goal to buy your own place? Or get ahead and continue to build your portfolio?
My first career was as a Registered Nurse, and getting into my first home was a real struggle. My husband and I didn't have enough for a deposit and we had to sell our car, so it was back to riding a bike, but we were thrilled to have our own place.
As a nurse, I witnessed my colleagues retiring without adequate savings and was adamant this would not happen to me. So, after buying our first house, we bought an old small unit on the north side of Brisbane. While the property increased in value, our finances weren't structured correctly, and when we tried to buy our third property, we had some challenges. It was another lesson learnt from trying to do it ourselves without expert advice and the right team. As I reflect on this, I recall our accountant at the time (and not for much longer) tried to talk us out of building our portfolio as the property market was on the brink of major collapse. How wrong he was.
From there, we discovered the advantages of building new and purchased our first house and land. From that point, our passion for property ignited, and we transitioned to working in the industry. Triple Zero Property has assisted in building close to 1,000 homes; you can lean on our experience and expertise to decrease the stress involved! Furthermore, we are still active property investors ourselves and have just purchased next door to one of our client's new homes.
Here are my top five tips to help you succeed and avoid the costly mistakes:
1. Don't leave it until you have enough money, enough time – set your goal and make a plan.
2. Location, location, location – buy in the right place for growth. You can still lose money in property by buying in the wrong area.
3. Find your team – property is one of the biggest purchases you will probably ever make, and there are a lot of moving parts. At Triple Zero Property, we are passionate about helping front-line workers (it is in our name!) to create a secure financial future for you and your family. We see our role as your 'property personal trainer'… you have to do the work, but we will ensure you reach your goals.
4. Understand what you are buying – we have seen contracts over 200 pages long! Don't aimlessly wander display villages or be drawn in by the lowest advertised price. Educate yourself and ask for help from the experts.
5. Look at the big picture – where do you want to be 5, 10, 20 years from now? The challenges are real but not insurmountable.
My property regrets:
It has not been buying real estate, as we have strict criteria for every purchase at Triple Zero Property… it has been selling. Just ask your grandparents about selling that beachfront shack 25 years ago!
Are you ready to take the first step?
At Triple Zero Property, we love what we do because we get to help positive and proactive Australians to buy smartly. This means reducing the risks and having a team in your corner to succeed in a highly competitive real estate market.
Get in touch with us – having a halfhour discovery call costs you nothing and can put you on the path to longterm success in the property market. Reach out to one of our property experts on 1300 897 000 or email us at invest@triplezeroproperty.com.au.
in the making History
The Australasian Council for Women and Policing (ACWAP) changed from an incorporated association to a company limited by guarantee and not-for-profit on 24 January 2024, as part of the Extraordinary Virtual Meeting.
ACWAP committee members attending the 2023 IWPC conference
The repositioning follows a consultative review of the best way to set up ACWAP for the future according to outgoing ACWAP President Debbie Platz, APM.
“The change to ACWAP in January signified a huge step forward, demonstrating our commitment to the future and respect for the past,” said Ms Platz.
“How we represent our members is absolutely critical to ACWAP, it speaks to who we are, who we represent and how we engage with policing and law enforcement.”
The benefits of ACWAP becoming a not-for-profit organisation means that it is eligible for tax concessions, solely operate for the benefit of its members, and will have more capacity and freedom to work across Australasia.
ACWAP identifies this change as the biggest change since its formation in 1997 as an outcome of the first Australasian Women in Policing Conference held in Sydney 1996.
As a result of the change ACWAP has adopted a new constitution that should elevate the input of members, expand membership and improve best practice.
“This change reflects an incredible amount of hard work, led by the 2023 ACWAP Committee with advice from FC Lawyers,” said Ms Platz.
A NEW ERA FOR THE AUSTRALASIAN COUNCIL OF WOMEN AND POLICING.
The Australasian Council of Women and Policing (ACWAP) has been participating in the global network of women in policing since it was established in August 1997.
ACWAP consists of women and men within law enforcement agencies and the community who work together to improve the opportunities and services provided to women within our communities.
At the ACWAP Annual General Meeting on 15 February 2024 the new ACWAP Board was voted in, with our first ever New Zealand police officer Assistant Commissioner Sandra Venables elected as President.
Sandra is an Assistant Commissioner within New Zealand Police and has been a police officer for 30 years.
As the ACWAP President for the past 8 years, New South Wales State Emergency Service (NSW SES) Deputy Commissioner Debbie Platz APM, said she’d seen many changes and had countless highlights of the last few years.
“Since my first awards event as President in 2016 we have received 1,138 nominations and presented awards to 97 winners and 46 highly commended recipients across Australasia,” Ms Platz said.
“A couple of the most memorable highlights for me were the International Women and Police conferences held in Cairns in 2017 and New Zealand in 2023.
“They were our most attended conferences with more than 1500 delegates travelling from all over the world.”
Reflecting on the new appointment Debbie Platz said the appointment of ACWAP’s first New Zealand President demonstrates the importance of crossborder relationships and the inclusion of all across law enforcement.
“We can’t be what we can’t see,” said Ms Platz.
“We need to model real ambition –not for the sake of those women who aspire to or occupy seniority, but for the organisations they will lead and the communities they will protect.
“Sandra is definitely the right President for ACWAP.”
As the incoming President, Sandra said she has loved every minute of her career and still consider it a privilege to wear the uniform and serve the community.
“It will be an honour to be able to serve the members of ACWAP as President and see how much we can do to improve law enforcement for all women – in police services and the community.”
Incoming ACWAP president Sandra Venables (centre) receiving the IAWP coaching and mentoring award in 2022
Outgoing ACWAP president Deb Platz (centre) being recognised at the 2023 IWPC conference for her ACWAP work
Tribute to Debbie
Debbie Platz was ACWAP president from 2015 until 2024, after having served as ACWAP secretary from 2012. She has made a huge contribution to ACWAP, which was recognised at the 2023 IWPC conference. Thanks, Debbie, for all you have done, and are continuing to do for the organisation.
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Australia Day Honours
Congratulations to all those recognised in the 2024 Australia Day Honours and special recognition of the following:
AFP
Detective Leading Senior Constable Katherine Laidler
Detective Leading Senior Constable Katherine Laidler joined the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in March 1999, and after completing recruit training, was initially posted to AFP Southern (Melbourne) region including Operations teams, Melbourne Airport and Avian teams. From May 2002 to April 2012, Detective Leading Senior Constable Laidler was transferred to ACT Policing (ACTP) and worked in Tuggeranong Station areas including the Child Abuse team and Sexual Assault Reform Program.
Detective Leading Senior Constable Laidler worked in AFP Learning and Development Command under the Investigations Canberra teams from April 2012 to June 2014. On 1 July 2014, she returned to ACTP and worked in the Child Sex Offender Registry team performing the team leader’s role. In July 2015, Detective Leading Senior Constable Laidler joined the Office of the Commissioner, Fraud and AntiCorruption Canberra team.
Since November 2016, Detective Leading Senior Constable Laidler has worked in one of the most challenging
roles within the AFP, the Child Protection Victim Identification team. This role requires resilience and perseverance to remove children from harm and identify offenders. Detective Leading Senior Constable Laidler has undertaken this role with tenacity, providing a human face to a role that many find challenging. This role directly achieved outcomes against the AFP Corporate Plan 2022-23 as child protection is an AFP priority area, but also towards meeting the objectives and mission of the AFP Child Protection Strategic Plan 2023-26 of “reducing the incidence and impact of crimes against children and holding those responsible for such crimes accountable”.
Commander Melinda Jane Phelan
Commander Melinda Phelan has been a member of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) since 1994 and worked in AFP’s Western, Southern and Northern Commands, the Australian Embassy in the Philippines, as well as the AFP’s Headquarters in Canberra. Since October 2020, Commander Phelan has performed the role of commander of Pacific, International Command. Prior to this role, Commander Phelan performed the superintendent role in International Command (formally International
Deployment Group), Counter Terrorism, Covert Services, Learning and Development and Crime Command. Commander Phelan has extensive experience working with national and international law enforcement agencies to successfully disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal syndicates in the areas of Counter Terrorism and Serious and Organised Crime. Commander Phelan has extensive experience in the international policing environment, performing the role of superintendent responsible for the Asia and America, Middle East and Europe desks and the Police Partnership Programs (formally missions) in the International Command. Commander Phelan deployed as part of the AFP’s humanitarian response to the Boxing Day Asian Tsunami where she worked as a family investigations liaison officer.
NEW SOUTH WALES
Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) Superintendent Elizabeth Docksey APM (Retired)
For service to police veterans
I am very humbled and proud that I have been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia. I had no idea that I would be
recognised in this way for my many years of looking after the welfare of serving and former police.
For many years it has been a passion of mine to support and assist the police family in dealing with welfare, mental health and providing social opportunities for police, former police, and their families who have been impacted by their time in the job.
Many of us have been to a significant number of incidents that have impacted on us over the years and whilst we never forget we all live in parallel with those memories which we can manage by staying in the present, however this is quite a challenge for some.
Particularly in the last 7 years since I have retired from the NSW Police, I have worked with the team of the local Murray River Branch of the Retired and Former Police Association (RFPA) to build a social and supportive group for the police family which has grown from about 30 members to 120 now, with another 60 former officers with whom we communicate and have socia get togethers, both in our area and Victoria.
I also became a mentor in the NSW Police Legacy Back up for life Program for 4 years for former and transitioning officers before it was ceased due to funding, however I have now taken up a role of the RFPA NSW Police Legacy Champion to raise funds for legatees and organise local legatee social get togethers in Albury.
I was a joint founder in Albury with Darryl Coventry, a former Queensland Police Officer, of Bowls Gr8 for Brains and the board chairperson. Bowls Gr8 for Brains is another activity focused on fun social bowls for serving & former Emergency Services Officers, Medical, & Armed Forces which has been partnered by Bowls Australia with a number of locations across the NSW and commenced in other states.
Also now being the Vice President of the State RFPA, I look forward to continuing to help transitioning and former officers all over the state.
I really appreciate the recognition of my commitment to the Police Family during my career when I received the Australian Police Medal and now in my retirement with my volunteer work with the Police Family in receiving the Medal of the Order of Australia both via the Australian Honours and Awards.
Superintendent Gina Bostick
Superintendent Gina Bostick joined the New South Wales Police Force (NSWPF) in 1992 and was stationed at City of Sydney, Mascot, Rose Bay and Randwick in general duties and maintains her operational capacity to this day. In 1997 she transferred to the Covert Evidence Officer program in the Special Services Group. This was the first cohort to become skilled operatives and in some cases, experts on the covert evidence capabilities of the NSWPF.
In 2002 she moved to the State Technical Investigation Branch (STIB), creating the Intelligence Cell. In 2004 she was promoted to sergeant of the STIB Intelligence Cell. In 2005 she transferred to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2007 Police Security Command in the planning of Operation CONTEGO, the NSWPF’s response to the security and logistics needs of the 2007 meeting. She displayed leadership, commitment, professionalism and devotion to duty and was highly commended for her service.
In 2008 she transferred to the Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics Command (CTST) as a sergeant where she established the Business Contact Unit. In 2009 she was promoted to inspector, Knowledge Management Controller of STIB and sought engagement with other government departments, corporations and private businesses that STIB relied on for operational support.
In 2019 Superintendent Bostick was transferred to the Digital Forensics Unit (DFU) and led the Digital Evidence First Responder (2.0) project. This expertise using a third-party tool was developed in-house, including a bespoke training package for frontline police to enable forensic examination of phones and computers. In 2021 she was promoted to Superintendent Commander High Tech Crime Branch.
In recognition of her achievements ensuring equality, fairness and changing the culture of a work environment to one that promoted trust, recognition and support for female police, was awarded the Dynamic Leader Award and the overall Gold Award at the Commissioner’s Perpetual Award for the Advancement of Women in Policing.
Detective Superintendent Despa Fitzgerald
Detective Superintendent Despa Fitzgerald commenced with the New South Wales Police Force (NSWPF) in 1988 at Maroubra performing general duties. In 1996 she transferred to the newly formed Child Protection Enforcement Agency where she developed a profound dedication to safeguarding children and victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse.
In 1998 she was promoted to detective sergeant at the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), and in 2002 to detective senior sergeant. In 2011 she was promoted to detective inspector at Professional Standards Command, then onto crime manager at Redfern, where she managed victim-centric investigations and forged meaningful connections with the Indigenous community. Her involvement in the Tribal Warrior Program and support for local schools and Indigenous activities contributed significantly to crime prevention and empowerment of young Indigenous women. In 2020 she was promoted to superintendent at Police Transport and Public Safety Command – North West Sector.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Detective Superintendent Fitzgerald played a vital role by collaborating with local community businesses and South Sydney Police Area Command youth officers to collect and distribute care and food packages to disadvantaged Indigenous families in Redfern and Waterloo. She also implemented youth violence
Australia Police Medal
strategies on rail networks and remains dedicated to supporting youth and youth strategies.
In 2022, Detective Superintendent Fitzgerald was appointed as the commander of Inner West Police Area Command, where she continues to focus on building relationships with the community, notably supporting the Addison Road Community Centre in Marrickville, which provides food relief to vulnerable communities. Additionally, she remains actively involved in youth programs, including the Rise Up Program at Marrickville Police Citizens Youth Club.
Detective Superintendent Fitzgerald firmly believes in community engagement, maintaining positive relationships, and ensuring that the NSWPF effectively support the public. Her longstanding involvement with the communities of Redfern, the Greek community, and various community programs exemplifies her dedication.
Superintendent Joanne Schultz
Superintendent Joanne Schultz commenced with New South Wales Police Force (NSWPF) in 1988 at Kempsey performing general duties. Later transferring to the NSWPF Education and Training Unit where she specialised in teaching legal and societal issues. She has received numerous awards and praise throughout her career, notably for her response to the Kempsey bus crash in 1989 and the Hunter/Central Coast storm emergency.
In 1999 she was promoted to sergeant, field education and School of Operational Policing. Later transferring to field operations Newcastle Local Area Command and Central Hunter Local Area Command undertaking the roles of crime coordinator and education and development officer (EDO). In 2013 she was promoted to inspector at Botany Bay Local Area Command as a duty officer. Later transferring to the Hunter
Valley Police District as a duty officer, specialising in human resources before becoming officer in charge of Singleton.
She was promoted to superintendent in 2023 at Coffs/Clarence Police District (PD), following extensive relieving as commander of Hunter Valley PD, Tuggerah Lakes PD, Barrier PD, Riverstone Police Area Command and Mid North Coast PD. This included her outstanding performance as local emergency operations controller (LEOCON) during bushfires, floods and through the COVID-19 pandemic.
As LEOCON for Singleton, she is an exceptional leader in times of emergency or disaster. Her reputation with other emergency services, local members of parliament and councillors is of the highest regard. Her leadership was evident during the 2022 Singleton floods and the decisions based around the community.
Superintendent Sonya Tabor
Superintendent Sonya Tabor graduated from the NSW Police Force (NSWPF) Academy on in 1997 and was stationed at Quakers Hill in general duties. In 1999 she commenced a career in the legal side of policing, becoming a Prosecutor for four years and seven years in legal consulting after being promoted to sergeant.
In 2011 she was promoted to inspector and returned to general duties at several stations for a period of 11 years, including time at the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command. Throughout this period, she created and implemented statewide Rapid Antigen Testing procedures that assisted the NSWPF in maintaining operational capacity during the COVID-19 Omicron variant. She was a COVID-19 Hotel Operations Committee member, an Optional Disengagement Scheme Steering Committee member, lead for the Workforce Safety transformation project and the subsequent restructure/reform project.
In 2022 she was promoted to superintendent in her current role as commander, Workforce Safety within the People and Capability Command. She has performed many significant roles including design of the NSWPF Winter Strategy which was implemented as the NSWPF planned to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic resurgence and the creation of the Northern Region Wellbeing Concept of Operations to ensure staff affected by the devastating floods would be provided additional welfare support.
In November 2022, the NSWPF Commissioner announced the single most significant investment in the health, safety and wellbeing of the NSWPF workforce with the commencement of the PULSE project.
Superintendent Tabor’s organisational advocacy for enabling and enhancing the physical and psychological wellbeing of employees across the organisation has ensured that under her leadership, the PULSE program delivered on its commitment to establish a dedicated Career Transition Unit and has commenced Early Access Treatment Initiatives, an eWellcheck pilot and the rollout of field based mental health clinicians.
NORTHERN TERRITORIES
Sergeant Isobel Anne Cummins
Sergeant Isobel Cummins is an experienced police officer, having served with the Northern Territory Police Force (NTPF) since 1997. Commencing her career in Alice Springs as a general duties officer, Sergeant Cummins continued to develop her policing skills, transferring to the Southern Investigations Division, where she stayed for several years before being promoted to detective sergeant and joining the Major Crime Squad in 2023. She is known for her exceptional investigative skills and unwavering commitment to solving cases, demonstrated in her capacity as deputy commander of the Northern Territory
Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team, which she has been undertaking since 2015. Over the years, Sergeant Cummins has delivered DVI training in the Northern Territory, co-conducted DVI training for multiple exercises and is considered nationally a DVI expert.
Her expertise was acknowledged in 2010 when she received a Commissioner's Unit Commendation for conspicuous performance during the Air North plane crash at Darwin Airport. In addition, Sergeant Cummins is an active member of the NTPF Negotiation Unit, where she is required to undertake negotiation tactics as a police negotiator. She is known for her tireless work ethic and dedication to her job.
In 2013, she received the prestigious Patricia Ann Brennan Award for her significant contribution to women in the Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services. She is always willing to go above and beyond, ensuring that cases are solved with accurate research and policing. Sergeant Cummins is a dedicated and highly skilled Detective Sergeant who has significantly contributed to the NTPF. She is a true asset, and her colleagues and community respect her immensely. Her peers regard her as an expert in the homicide investigation field, and her commitment to serving her community and her unwavering dedication to her job inspires all.
Commander Hege Ronning-Burns
Commander Hege Ronning-Burns is a highly respected member of the Northern Territory Police Force (NTPF). She joined the force in 1993 and served in a remote community before returning to Darwin, where she worked in specialist areas before her promotion to superintendent in 2017. She has been serving for almost 30 years.
In 2020, Commander Ronning-Burns commenced her role as a territory duty superintendent within the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre (JESCC), which serves as a crucial lifeline between
emergency responders and the public, ensuring critical information is relayed in times of crisis.
Commander Ronning-Burns was the incident controller in the COVID-19 Emergency Operations Centre. Her leadership and expertise were invaluable in coordinating response efforts, and her dedication to keeping the community safe was commendable. She has exceptional decision-making skills, working under immense pressure as the incident controller, and her leadership was instrumental in ensuring the safety of the community during this challenging time.
Commander Ronning-Burns has always shown commitment to the wellbeing of the people she works with. In her current role as commander of the Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services College, she oversees police recruit training, providing invaluable guidance and mentorship and assisting the recruits with their skill development and knowledge. Commander Ronning-Burns helps shape the recruits into confident and capable members of the NTPF. She is dedicated, professional and committed, ensuring new officers are well-prepared for the challenges ahead. She has worked tirelessly to build relationships with members of the community, earning their trust and respect through her dedication.
Commander Ronning-Burns' honesty, ethics and integrity is of the highest standard, she leads by example and is an inspiring member of the NTPF.
QUEENSLAND
Companion (AC) in the General Division
Professor Lorraine Ann Mazerolle
For eminent service to education, to the social sciences as a criminologist and researcher, and to the development of innovative, evidence-based policing reforms.
I am very humbled and grateful about this award. My accomplishments have not been possible without amazing mentors and colleague, fabulous students and the opportunities created by many brave practitioners who have put their careers on the line to test and advance the science of policing. People like Peter Martin, Deb Platz, Mike Newman, Ian Thompson, Paul Morton, Greg Stevenson (in Queensland), Dave Cowan in Victoria, Simon Williams (now with ANZPAA), Tony Alderman (AFP) and Mark Evans, Bruce O’Brien and Steve Darroch (NZ Police). And I am probably missing many other amazing police officers who I have had the honour and privilege to work with over the years. I am enormously appreciative.
Australia Police Medal
Inspector Lynne Asher
Inspector Lynne Asher has demonstrated outstanding dedication, professionalism, and leadership during her career of more than 27 years within the Queensland Police Service (QPS). She is recognised for her significant contribution to operational and corporate environments as well as her ability to command high- level frontline response at major events and disasters across Queensland communities. Inspector Asher is currently the State Custody Manager and works in collaboration with regions and districts to ensure the custody capability is oriented to support operational frontline policing.
Inspector Asher uses her extensive experience in managing the largest watchhouse in Queensland for the past 2.5 years to strategically overview legislation, policy and process relating to the management of persons in custody at watchhouses and holding cells throughout the State and uses evidencebased initiatives to improve operational effectiveness. Inspector Asher has built a capable, diverse, and inclusive workforce, managing to successfully embed a major transformational culture shift, to the benefit of frontline police officers.
Her former leadership appointments also include South Gateway patrol inspector and Brisbane City patrol inspector where her professionalism and achievements through partnerships and teamwork, accomplished outstanding results. During the 2011 Lockyer Valley flood event, Inspector Asher was in the initial group of volunteers deployed to Grantham. During her extended deployment, she faced physical, biological and environmental hazards, typified by noxious mud to sixty centimetres in depth, human remains, animals, asbestos, snakes and adverse weather conditions. Her primary task was to search for people, many of whom were located deceased.
She displayed operational excellence as COVID-19 airport commander of the Brisbane Domestic and International airports during the height of the pandemic. She led multi-agency teams, built integral relationships with partner agencies in a high risk, dynamic and rapidly changing environment, to ensure compliance and enforce the Queensland Chief Health Officers Border restrictions, stopping the spread of the virus in the community.
Inspector Asher is recognised for her commitment to policing, her pursuit of excellence and her passion to empower others. She coaches and mentors officers to enhance and develop their skills and capabilities, challenging them outside their comfort zones to strengthen their personal leadership to lead police officers through difficult situations and serve the community.
Sergeant Patricia Brennan
Sergeant Patricia Brennan is an expert in the field of crash investigation and analysis. She is the most experienced crash investigator in Queensland, and continually demonstrates her commitment to mentoring, training, and investigating whilst also coordinating multiple fatal and serious incidents.
She regularly travels to regional forensic crash units to provide relief duties, coordinate major crash investigations,
and provide mentor training to support regional and rural crash investigator service delivery. She is highly regarded within the Australian policing community and annually trains more than 40 Queensland and interstate police crash investigators in the Basic Crash Investigation Course.
As a sworn police officer, she undertakes annual compulsory training in the use of firearms, taser, accoutrements and operational skills. She has and continues to serve the community of Queensland as an operational/frontline police officer with the expectation to respond, on and off duty, to calls for assistance from members of the public and to respond to emergency incidents.
Sergeant Brennan’s operational management of recent major investigations to support regional Queensland’s forensic crash investigators has resulted in improved workplace and investigative practices. This has increased stakeholder and community confidence in state forensic crash investigation consistency and competence. Sergeant Brennan's investigations provide justice to grieving families and support for the families over many years. She also provides support and care to her forensic crash colleagues by taking on the additional responsibility of providing peer support. Forensic crash investigation is a mentally and physically challenging role, where members often attend horrific and confronting scenes. Sergeant Brennan’s work warrants recognition not only professionally but for her dedication to providing care and support for the entire state forensic crash network of investigators.
Sergeant Lesley Walker
Sergeant Lesley Walker has been a police officer for 24 years, dedicating the last two decades of her policing career to forensic science and the pursuit of forensic service excellence to victims of crime and their families. Sergeant Walker works diligently and with tenacity, providing a high level of forensic expertise and skill, with unmatched motivation and attention to detail, which has enabled many breakthroughs in homicide cases in North Queensland.
Sergeant Walker’s role as an operational scientific officer means she is deployed at short notice to confronting crime scenes, such as fatal fires, homicides, sexual assault scenes, vehicle incidents, shooting scenes and cannabis crops. The role is both physically and mentally demanding and requires a high level of attention to detail, knowledge and constant refreshing of skills.
Sergeant Walker has consistently provided outstanding service in both case file work, crime scene examinations and in the courts of law as an expert witness. She has been instrumental in detecting forensic evidence which has been used to apprehend offenders of serious crimes, often dedicating time outside work, and going above and beyond in her examinations to advance forensic results and outcomes in criminal cases.
She is an exemplary officer who possesses integrity of the highest level and is highly regarded for the forensic excellence she demonstrates daily. Her work is of the highest professional standard and the Queensland Police Service is very proud to have her as a scientific officer.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Chief Superintendent Yvette June Clark
Chief Superintendent Yvette Clark has served South Australia Police (SAPOL) with distinction since joining in 1980. Her early career featured roles in Port Lincoln, Regency Park Patrols and Port Adelaide Crime. She has since undertaken roles across all facets of the organisation while exemplifying SAPOL’s values and developing a strong reputation for her diligent and ethical service, while remaining a sworn officer.
Notably Chief Superintendent Clark has extensive expertise in the fields of counter terrorism and forensic science, having undertaken leadership roles as the officer in charge of State Protective Security Branch and Forensic Services Branch (FSB) for extended periods,
developing sound policy and procedures to assist and guide SAPOL and other jurisdictions in these disciplines. As officer in charge FSB she developed and implemented the evidence desk and centralised crime scene investigation structure, leading to improved efficiencies and procedures. Chief Superintendent Clark was responsible for the development of policy and operating procedures which were central to SAPOL’s successful transition to the District Policing Model, including the implementation of the district duty inspector role.
As the inaugural officer in charge of Southern District, her leadership was pivotal in the successful transition of two local service areas into the new district. She also initiated and developed the Missing Person Response Team pilot, with the model successfully adopted across all metropolitan Districts.
Chief Superintendent Clark harnesses her experience and knowledge to provide invaluable leadership within SAPOL, being an outstanding role model for women in policing and actively developing aspiring leaders. During the COVID-19 emergency she played an integral role in ensuring and managing business continuity, working with multiple government stakeholders during unprecedented times. Her knowledge and exceptional professionalism is evident in her provision of contemporary and ethical advice and guidance in her current role within Governance and Capability Service, emphasising her reputation as an outstanding leader within SAPOL and the community.
TASMANIA
and still maintaining her operational capacity. She has performed a variety of roles across Tasmania Police including acting commander for the Operations Support, Northern District, and Crime and Intelligence Commands. Commander Chambers is the first female commander for the Northern District.
With strong operational and strategic experience, Commander Chambers has led significant work in support of the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government response to child sexual abuse and been the project lead for the Sexual and Family Violence Structural Reform Project (Arch Centres). This work led to significant change in the identification and investigation of child sexual abuse, including the creation of policy to facilitate better collaboration between Government departments responsible for child protection.
Additionally, Commander Chambers has built and led a Child Sexual Abuse Joint Review team, delivering cross agency intelligence review and policy reform agendas. She is an outstanding investigator, able to lead teams in varied settings, and was seconded as an investigator to the Australian Federal Police Joint Counter Terrorism Team. Commander Chambers also led an international investigation, leveraging strong local, national and international partnerships to facilitate intelligence exchange, interoperability and collaboration focused on mitigating risk to public safety.
In 2020, during Tasmania Police’s emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic, then Inspector Chambers led an investigation into an alleged event that was believed to have contributed to a significant outbreak across hospitals and aged care settings. Commander Chambers led a thorough, independent inquiry and investigation into the matter, building appropriate relationships across Government portfolios to access witnesses whilst maintaining a high level of political astuteness and sensitivity.
Commander Chambers is committed to the development of others, mentoring aspiring leaders both internally and across government. She demonstrates exemplary leadership, resilience, professionalism and dedication to duty, significantly contributing to quality policing and emergency services to the Tasmanian community.
VICTORIA
Public Service Medal (PSM) in the General Division
Ms Catherine Anne Quinn, VIC For outstanding public service to forensic science and reform in the scientific field in support of community safety. Ms Catherine Quinn's career spanning several decades within the Victoria Police Forensic Services Department (VPFSD) has been marked by extraordinary dedication and contributions that have had a profound impact on both national and international forensic science communities.
Ms Quinn's tenure at the VPFSD since the mid-1980s has been instrumental in driving reform and promoting scientific excellence within the Victoria Police and beyond. Her influence extended nationally and internationally, contributing to the improvement of forensic practices and standards.
Throughout her career, Ms Quinn’s commitment to improving safety training for clandestine laboratory investigating chemists across the country, showcased her dedication to the wellbeing of forensic professionals. Under her guidance, advancements were made to ensure their safety and competence. In her current position, Ms Quinn plays a pivotal role in influencing ongoing improvements in the provision of forensic services across a diverse range of disciplines. Her leadership ensures that forensic services continually evolve to meet the changing needs of the community.
Ms Quinn's impact extended far beyond Victoria. She played a crucial role in establishing networks between the Drug Sciences Group and equivalent facilities across Australia, recognising the importance of collaboration in combating drug crime that transcends borders. Her international connections allowed for intelligence sharing and collaboration with organisations such as the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (US DEA) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Leading the Drug Sciences Group and a team of highly qualified scientists for 15 years, Ms Quinn navigated high-pressure environments with grace and resilience, consistently delivering an excellent product to law enforcement agencies. Her leadership and advocacy efforts have brought her international recognition and esteem within the forensic science community.
Ms Quinn's innovative thinking was evident in her establishment of a world-
Commander Kate Chambers Commander Kate Chambers joined Tasmania Police in 1997 and was promoted to commander in March 2023
first 'shop front' approach to drug analysis, addressing case work backlogs and providing rapid information to investigators. Her involvement in national forensic drug specialist advisory groups contributed to standardising forensic drug analysis practices nationwide.
Australia Police Medal
Detective Sergeant Roslyn Wilson
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Inspector Robyn Clare Greene
Ms Kelly StantonFamily Safety Victoria (Department of Families, Fairness and Housing)
For outstanding public service in the area of family violence and pioneering worldleading reforms to improve the lives of victim survivors.
Ms Kelly Stanton has displayed a tireless commitment to implementing the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Family Violence and pioneering world-leading reforms to improve the lives of victim survivors of family violence.
Most notably, she was directly responsible for overseeing the delivery of The Orange Door network, with 18 Orange Doors and multiple access points now operational across Victoria. Ms Stanton oversaw the delivery of every element of this reform in partnership across government, the community sector, Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations and with victim survivors.
Her experience as a social worker, senior public servant and senior executive in the community sector ensured that she was able to develop strong and productive partnerships with all stakeholders.
Ms Stanton has played a pivotal role in the co-design of a ground-breaking new approach that now serves as the entry point for families impacted by family violence or needing support for their children.
Detective Sergeant Roslyn Wilson graduated from the Victoria Police Academy in October 1987 and performed general and highway duties at Dandenong and Oakleigh Uniform. She returned to the Dandenong Highway Patrol, before her selection with the Accident Investigation Section, Glen Waverley in June 1999, which later became the Major Collision Investigation Unit. This is when her passion for collision investigation intensified, and she quickly developed a reputation as a diligent and dedicated investigator with a tenacity for uncovering the truth.
Upon promotion to Detective Sergeant in October 2016, she became the first female Sergeant in the unit’s history and continues to pave the way for the development and promotion of women in road policing. She has been involved in investigating some of the most significant road crime incidents across Victoria, including the police involved fatality in Northcote (2000), the fatal hitrun crash in Mildura (2006) and the loss of seven lives in Donald (2006).
Her investigation into a drug-affected, speeding driver in Oakleigh (2014) resulted in the highest sentence for culpable driving in Victoria at the time. Following the Eastern Freeway tragedy (2020), she was appointed the lead investigator for the Paragon Taskforce and oversaw the successful prosecution of one of the most important investigations in Victoria Police history.
Throughout her distinguished 36-year policing career, 24 years devoted to collision investigation and becoming a subject matter expert, Detective Sergeant Wilson has consistently delivered outstanding service to the Victorian community. Having attended more than 500 fatal or life-threatening injury collisions, she has displayed exceptional resilience, professionalism, and integrity. Her selfless dedication to making Victoria a better and safer place continues to inspire the next generation of Victoria Police collision investigators, who have the privilege of benefitting from her wisdom, experience, and can-do attitude.
Inspector Robyn Greene joined Western Australia Police Force (WAPF) as a police recruit in 2001. She worked in general duties in various regional and metropolitan areas before becoming a Detective in 2008, serving in various specialist units around the state.
Inspector Greene’s leadership potential was quickly identified and she was promoted to sergeant in 2015, and senior sergeant in 2019, then selected as the Broome regional WA operations coordinator, to manage areas such the Multi-Functional Policing Facilities and Sex Offender Management Squad. During her time there, she identified an increase in crime trends, coordinating an operation that successfully resulted in a huge reduction in burglary offences, theft and stealing of motor vehicles, with many offenders arrested and charged.
Inspector Greene was selected to lead a team within Operation Tide. In this role she assisted in Western Australia’s management of remote Indigenous communities and biosecurity zones, ensuring the protection of vulnerable people within these communities.
She helped resolve a number of ongoing conflicts regarding the Biosecurity Determinations, ensuring free movement of international shipping into Western Australian Ports, with her contribution enabling stability and the progression of the shipping industry.
Inspector Greene represented WAPF on the sports planning committee along with senior members of other sporting, government and non-government agencies. She led stakeholder engagement to ensure all necessary quarantine safety measures were put in place, her leadership and forward planning helped ensure the sporting industry could continue to travel and compete.
Within these various roles, and now as the assistant divisional officer at the Tactical Response Group, Inspector Greene has achieved remarkable success through knowledge sharing and expertise whilst negotiating complex outcomes to the benefit of Western Australia.
Public Service Medal (PSM) in the General Division
Tongan Policewomen
Lead the Way
Tonga Police is on an innovative and courageous journey with the increasing number of female police officers. Deputy Commissioner Pelenatita Feao and Deputy Commissioner Lauaitu Tupouniua-Sherman are two of the three Deputy Commissioners.
Women also hold influential positions in Serious Organised & Transnational Crime Unit, Community Intelligence Network, Human Resources, Policy and Strategic Planning & Development Unit. The most recent recruit intakes had unprecedented community interest from females resulting in selection of 17 women out of 34 making up Wing 50 and 21 women out of 34 on Wing 51. In 2023, 34 percent of the organisation (33% Constabulary, 31% Senior Management and Commissioned Officer Ranks) were women, an increase from previous years.
As the numbers increase so have the performances and ranking of
women within the Recruit Wing results. Women have also been recognised for operational bravery and outstanding service at the 2023 Awards Ceremony. For these opportunities to continue and for Tonga Police’s women to thrive there is acknowledgment by the organisation for their need to adapt and grow.
The representation and current experience of Tonga Policewomen is due to perseverance by a number of people over time. This has also supported by contribution and connection from the wider pacific, broadened understanding of strategic direction, increased number of operational tools, the Womens’ Advisory Network (WAN) reflecting on their contribution and policy change.
Commissioner Shane McLennan has introduced uniform changes where women are issued with trousers and everyone now wears the samecoloured shirt, not only does this encourage a, “one team, same team” approach but physically enables women to undertake some tasks and duties more easily than they could before.
Tonga Police have introduced the Officer Safety Programme with the support of Tonga New Zealand Policing Programme (TNZPP) which provides more operational tools (OC spray, baton, handcuffs) for resolution of incidents. The programme enables women through practice
using communication and varying techniques for responding on the frontline.
WAN have worked at their partnerships with the Strategic Leadership Team helping to influence changes to policy and training which they believe will enhance the experience of all members in Tonga Police. Examples include proposed changes to the selection guidelines for promotion during interview and learning to drive which are anticipated as being more inclusive and reaching a wider number of officers. Health and Wellbeing also feature in WANs agenda for improvement resulting in an interagency netball tournament.
WAN have also made changes to the way they run in-country conferences for women making variations to methods for engagement and participation, building capability through mentoring of less experienced women being involved in programme design and careful selection of speakers linking to relevant themes within the Pacific. Feedback from the most recent conference has resulted in workshops for training in Curriculum Vitae and application preparation for courses made available locally and within the Pacific.
The mindset of the women within Tonga Police and understanding the skills and knowledge they contribute while working to achieve, “A Safe, Secure and crime-free Tonga” is also important in their organisation’s development. In some squads such as Serious Organised & Transnational Crime Unit there are more women than men on the team. Within this type of working environment Tonga Policewomen believe they contribute to network building internal and externally, exceptional communication in Tongan and English, encouraging detail in inquires and flexibility in their contribution to operational tasks such as surveillance and field investigation.
In Tonga Police, women are demonstrating their ongoing adaptability. This will help other women and WAN will look for continued opportunities to grow, empower, strengthen partnerships and advance reform to, “Strengthen policing across our blue pacific through equal and full participation.” Through continued leadership, ongoing perseverance, education for leaders and encouraging male champions the organisation as a whole will have the ability to respond to the changes within.
Sergeant Langi briefing WAN about the Leadership Course at Pacific Faculty of Policing
Tonga Police WAN Committee
Tonga Police Interagency Netball Team
Tonga Police Training in Public Order
Wing 50 Probationary Constable Melissa Taulafo practicing traffic direction
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The silence is broken Lifting a lid on coercive control
By Detective Jaimie-Leigh Bergman – New Zealand Police
In the last few years I have worked with the New Zealand Police media team raising awareness on Family Harm and being open about my personal experience as a child. It has been through a determined desire to completely shift who I became as young adult as a result of that trauma to create new pathways in the brain that is not continually on guard in the amygdala centre of the brain. To achieve this meant I had to become consciously aware of my own behaviours and practice by bringing in tools to support that change. It has taken me years to achieve and it is still a work in progress.
My three previous articles in the ACWAP magazine (Issue 48, 49 and 50) are the end result of my journey from trauma to healing and having trained as a Reiki, Pranic healer and EFT practitioner. In those articles I talk in depth about how childhood trauma can be a direct cause of chronic illness and I offer tools that minimise stress, health issues and bring balance to one self.
In this article I want to focus on Coercive Control and what I have learnt through experience which includes how to identify the almost hidden behaviours that create toxic environments and are highly detrimental to children living in them. I was that child and the behaviours I developed as a result, I had to work really hard at unlearning them.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND AND RECOGNISE
PSYCHOLOGICAL HARM?
As NZ Inspector Ann Wilkie said to me once “It’s a phenomenon that Police are starting to understand”. Psychological Harm is also known as Coercive Control which refers to a pattern of controlling behaviours that create an unequal power dynamic in a relationship. These behaviours give the perpetrator power over their partner making it difficult for them to leave. How many of
you know of a friend, family member or colleague experiencing this…
The red flags identified, are the precursor to serious physical, psychological and sexual harm if not prevented. It is a precursor to serious health issues including chronic illness/ mental health. It is also a precursor for troubled youth and young adults. We are seeing an alarming rate of crime, alcohol and drugs within our youth, social media harm and bullying.
In my experience childhood trauma is the catalyst for the beginnings of toxic behaviours because as children if we don’t get our fundamental needs met, we develop unhealthy attachments, for example, neediness, overly sensitive or emotional, jealousy, apprehension, anxiety and anger. As adults these behaviours will look like victimhood, passive aggressive/aggressive behaviour, blaming, resentment, spitefulness, attention seeking, catastrophising, domineering, controlling, demanding, manipulating and gaslighting.
All of these negative behaviours generate Coercive Control in relationships. Having been in the Family Protection Team and Adult Sexual Assault, this is a huge problem amongst families and here in New Zealand you cannot prosecute. What is pleasing to see is Coercive Control is now considered an offence in the state of New South Wales and Victoria Police have a dedicated unit for Family Violence within Police itself. In NZ I am aware of a number of in-house Police Family Harm relationships that have required significant intervention.
I am not a psychologist but what I have is experience and in order to break the cycle I had to learn everything about my toxic behaviours and why they were there. So what you read is the result of that experience, take what you will and leave what does not resonate.
Forgiveness is a crucial element of healing anger and resentment. How do
you forgive - forgiveness is not for others and it is not forgetting. It is remembering without anger which frees the individual up and heals the body, heart, mind and soul. It opens up a pathway to a new place of peace where you can persevere despite what happened to you. You have a choice to stay in the past or create a new future, that’s what forgiveness is and that is a choice. One is empowerment and the other is not.
Healing from childhood trauma or any trauma means becoming aware of what your own behaviours are now and what they were before the trauma. I want to also mention this includes that old school parenting/teaching dynamic where children were seen and not heard. Where children were told to be quiet and were not allowed to have a different opinion or express different views or behave in a way that was deemed inappropriate to their parents. This generates the people pleasing behaviour. Why? Because as a child if we did that, the consequences could be immense including physical punishment so we learnt that in order to keep ourselves safe from those consequences we did what we were told. As an adult we bring the people pleasing behaviours with us. We tell people what we think they want to hear so they don’t become upset with us. But behind closed doors we can carry resentment/ passive aggression/spiteful behaviours because it does not align with what we want to do, how we want to be or what we truly want to say. It can feel too uncomfortable to speak our truth. What we are learning now is that old dynamic of “Im the adult, you’re the child, you will do what I say” does not work for this new generation of children coming through. They do not carry the fear we once did and will keep pushing back until that energy shifts.
It’s about learning how to step into becoming an autonomous adult. What I mean by an autonomous adult is they:
• Can set boundaries
• Can make mistakes
• Won’t be controlled or manipulated
• Trust themselves and what’s best for them
• Protect their peace
• Can politely assert themselves
• Can create a life on their own terms
I have these affirmations when dealing with toxic relationships and implementing boundaries
“I lovingly release them to their own lessons”.
“It is not my burden to carry”.
“It is none of my business what others think of me, it is my business what I think of me”.
The Celestine Prophecy book speaks about ‘The 4 control dramas’. Control dramas are fear based. When I learnt this method many things shifted for me and I can now observe how these 4 dramas play out in others. Now remember there is no judgement. The behaviours manifested were a coping mechanism learnt to protect ourselves when we were children.
Control dramas are about human beings competing for energy to get a psychological lift. We believe we must get attention, love, recognition, support and approval from others. We do this by adopting a way to pull the energy in our direction by the interactions we had as children with our parents - James Redfield and Carol Adrienne. Everyone manipulates for energy either aggressively, directly forcing people to pay attention to them or passively, playing on peoples sympathy or curiosity to gain attention.
The Celestine Prophecy describes the four types:
Intimidator - Gets everyone to pay attention to them by force of loudness, physical strength, threats, unexpected outbursts. They keep everyone on edge for fear of triggering off embarrassing comments, anger and in extreme cases rage. Energy comes towards them because of the fear and suspicion of the next event. They make you feel afraid and anxious (Do you recognise this in our Family Harm space?)
Interrogator - Are less physically threatening, but break down spirit and will by mentally questioning all activities and motivations. Hostile critics, they look for ways to make others wrong. The more they dwell on your faults and mistakes the more you will watch them and react to their every move. As you strive to prove yourself or answer to them, the more energy you
send their way. Everything you say will probably be used against you at the same time. You feel as if you are being constantly monitored. Hypervigilant, their behaviour may range from being cynical, skeptical, sarcastic, needling, perfectionist, self-righteous to viciously manipulative and gaslighting.
Aloof - They are caught up in their own internal world of unresolved struggles, fears and self doubt. They believe unconsciously that if they appear mysterious or detached others will come to draw them out. Often lonely they keep their distance for fear of others imposing their will or questioning their decisions. They don’t ask for help and they need a lot of space. Their behaviour ranges from disinterested, unavailable, unco-operative, condescending, rejecting, contrary and sneaky.
Poor me - They don’t ever feel they have enough power to confront the world in an active way so they elicit sympathy pulling energy towards them. They also pull attention to them by worried facial expressions, sighing, trembling, crying, staring into the distance, answering questions slowly
and retelling poignant dramas and crises. They are generally not interested in solutions because then they lose their source of energy. They can exhibit over accomodating behaviour eg, they have little ability to set boundaries and limits. Their behaviours range from convincing defending, making excuses, repeatedly explaining, telling too much.
This is how generational trauma can occur. For example the ‘intimidator’ parent will create a ‘Poor me’ child and the ‘interrogator’ will create the ‘aloof’ child and then on and on it repeats.
So to evolve I had to go back and look into my past and identify how the habit was formed. I then had to become conscious of my behaviour particularly if I was stressed or anxious. It is very interesting once you understand your parents and their behaviours. Most of us will have a control drama and it could be very subtle but have a look and see if you can identify it. Reflecting on your own negative behaviours and asking yourself “why do I react like that or why do I feel like that” is key to developing a healthy mind and body. AND, we all have them. It is part of being human. This diagram is
INTIMIDATOR
POOR ME
INTERROGATOR
ALOOF
ALOOF
INTERROGATOR
POOR ME
INTIMIDATOR
an example of what happens when you can evolve out of those lower vibrations. When you can raise your vibration, you will attract more happiness and less chaos in your life. Life will flow instead of being a constant struggle. If you stay in the lower vibrating emotions, you will attract similarly in your outer world. Whatever is happening internally will always be reflected externally.
You might ask how this has to do with Coercive Control, for me, both perpetrators and victims can have a certain set of behaviours. For example stalking and harassment are elements of the ‘Intimidator’. Silent treatment and
AGGRESSIVE
Intimidator
Outer behaviour
Arrogance
Control
Violence
Interrogator
Outer behaviour
Inner struggle
No one notices me
I have to do it alone
I’m dead
Inner struggle
Who do you think you are No acknowledgement as a child
Why didn’t you I want proof of your love I told you so
PASSIVE
Aloof
Outer behaviour
I’m not ready to
You need me, I need you
Inner struggle
I’m not sure I can survive I need more (money, time I don’t trust myself, I’m afraid I’ll let you know I don’t know what I feel
Poor me
Outer behaviour
Inner struggle
That’s just the way I am I don’t know how to get energy any other way I’m fine
You don’t really care about me
Don’t worry about me I need recognition
withholding affection are examples of ‘aloof’. Policing your appearance and insults disguised as jokes are examples of the ‘Interrogator’. Threatening suicide if a partner wants to leave a relationship is an example of ‘poor me’ and the ‘intimidator’. They are all behaviours based on fear which sits underneath a negative behaviour.
If children are involved in these kinds of relationships, this is where the cycle of generational trauma remains and is only broken when someone in the family decides to become conscious of their behaviours and transform them to break the cycle so the future generation of that family line does not repeat the trauma. I like to think I have successfully achieved that and this is where my passion to break the silence has come from.
This journey has absolutely shaped the way I work, there is nothing like a mirror being shown to you and I would see in others what I saw in myself and my childhood. I know first hand what it feels like to not be able to speak up in fear of upsetting others.
Working in the Family Harm space I discovered the ability to learn non
attachment to any job will prevent burnout from stress, taking work home and the feeling of frustration when dealing with peoples issues. This is not about not showing empathy but more accepting of where a person is at in their journey.
To end this article, a simple tool of breath control daily does not cost. It activates your parasympathetic nervous system and helps lower cortisol levels created by stress. This reduces inflammation in the body which of course creates illness. It is not easy dealing with peoples problems day in, day out so the more inner work you can achieve for yourself the easier work is to manage. Well that is in my experience anyway.
An interview with Jaimie Leigh conducted by Magnetic Pictures
- Breaking the silence: can be viewed at this link https://www. police.govt.nz/news/ten-onemagazine/breaking-silence
New South Wales Police Force Advancement of Women in Policing awards
More than 130 guests celebrated the 2023 Commissioner’s Perpetual Award for the Advancement of Women in Policing in November at Police Headquarters. In total, more than 70 nominations were received from which 17 finalists were chosen.
In her opening address, Commissioner Karen Webb highlighted some of their key achievements before announcing the Gold Award Winner which went to Natalie Arnold who was also the Emerging Leader Award winner.
GOLD AWARD AND EMERGING LEADER AWARD
Natalie Arnold
Intelligence Manager at Intelligence Operations
Natalie as the winner of the Gold Award and Emerging Leader Award epitomises outstanding female leadership
demonstrating professionalism, integrity, perseverance, compassion and positivity on a daily basis.
She has been instrumental in the development and maintenance of key relationships including the National Encrypted Communications Network in which she has established and driven in conjunction with the Western Australia Police. She is one of the first people called upon by State Intelligence and State Crime Commanders to lead Major Incident Intelligence Groups which bring together intelligence analysts from multiple teams in order to provide
Award winners with Commissioner Karen Webb
information and advice on a major incident, operation or complex criminal intelligence gap.
She is highly respected as a role model and subject matter expert within the intelligence community spearheading significant intelligence led investigations such as the escape and eventual capture of Mostafa Bulach who cut off his electronic monitoring device, she displays grace and composure when under pressure and in difficult situations.
The award winner is a fair and compassionate leader with humility; who
leads by example in providing a level of ethics and dignity that others aspire to; and holds others to account for their behaviour. Her approachability ensures she is entrusted by her staff to deal with inappropriate behaviour in a fair and ethical manner.
She has established a culture of continuous learning to empower her staff and foster an environment of growth and development. She is passionate about developing the next generation of intelligence leaders and is the backbone of recruitment for Intelligence Operations.
OTHER AWARD RECIPIENTS WERE:
FORTITUDE AWARD:
Sgt Amanda Watt, General Duties Supervisor, The Hume PD in Southern Region
OUTSTANDING FEMALE LEADER
Snr Cst Danica Hartley Barrier PD in Western Region
OUTSTANDING FEMALE INVESTIGATOR
Det Snr Cst Amanda Cary Sex Crimes Squad
OUTSTANDING FEMALE ADMINISTRATOR
Kylie Cannock Manager of Workforce Relations & Reform Programs
OUTSTANDING FEMALE PRACTITIONER
Det Snr Cst Michelle Shakespeare Liverpool City PAC
OUTSTANDING FEMALE INTELLIGENCE PRACTITIONER
Kathleen Guerin Intelligence Team Leader at North West Metropolitan Region
MALE CHAMPION OF CHANGE
Ch Insp Ian Rowney Manager at Fingerprint Operations
ABORIGINAL LEADERSHIP AWARD
Sgt Hannah Bloomfield Wagga Wagga HWP
EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH AWARD
Dr Kira Harris
Business Improvement Manager at State Crime Command
Award categories were changed to align with the Australasian Council of Women & Policing Awards, which means the finalists will automatically be considered alongside other nominations.
Natalie Arnold receives her Gold Award from Commissioner Karen Webb
Left: Luke (Ashleigh’s Unit Controller)
Right: Ashleigh
Ashleigh wants everyone to understand the power of having an R U OK? conversation.
“Without that conversation I wouldn’t be in my uniform anymore, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I now know I don’t have to go it alone and I can bounce back stronger.”
“If you notice someone isn’t themselves, trust your gut and check in. Most importantly, make sure you have enough time to really hear their concerns if they say they aren’t OK. It changed my life, and it could change theirs.”
along with the free resources for police and emergency services workers and volunteers, as well as their family and friends. These include a conversation guide, a podcast and other personal stories.
If you’re worried about someone, encourage them to contact their Employee Assistance Program (EAP), agency support service or connect with their GP. For 24/7 for crisis support call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Text support is also available: 0477 13 11 14.
Ashleigh and her crew
New book focuses on global achievements in recruiting and promoting women police and lessons for best practice
By Tim Prenzler
Gender Inclusive Policing: Challenges and Achievements focusses on the large and growing scientific literature on gender-based problems within policing – sex discrimination, sexual harassment, lack of female representation, a negative machooriented organisational culture – and the scarcity of studies on success – improved recruitment, deployment into diverse roles, more female officers in leadership roles, and better overall utilisation and inclusion of women. This was achieved searching the criminology databases and the internet to find authors who could contribute evidence-based reports on specific topics within this broad field, with general lessons for improved practice from real life case studies, including contextual material on obstacles to positive change.
The result is fourteen chapters by thirty-one authors covering an extensive range of topics and locations. The first six chapters focus on achievements in diverse countries and cover various dimensions of gender, including recruitment, retention, deployment and promotion; addressing historical resistance to equality, drivers for change, strategies for inclusion, and evidence of improvements. The case studies cover Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Kenya, England and Wales, South Africa, Afghanistan (during the reform period) and Australia. One chapter examines the phenomenon of women’s specialist police stations in Argentina, while another looks at the successes
of integration in relation to female Indigenous officers in Australia and New Zealand.
Others focus on women in leadership roles in policing, including issues of promotional methods and criteria drawing on experiences in England and Wales, the United States and Australia. Other topics include male/female differences in police integrity, ethical issues and behavioural indicators – particularly public complaints of misconduct and excessive force, the role and contributions of women in international policing deployments concerned with peacebuilding. The final chapter provides a set of summaries of the preceding chapters, drawing out the practical lessons for improved practice in gender equity.
The book covers the main current issues of recruitment, deployment and promotion, obstacles to equity, effective integration strategies, management styles, conduct and policing styles, race and ethnicity, inclusion and specialisation and is designed to be easy to read with short fast-moving chapters and a focus on practical strategies wherever possible. It is designed for general readers as well as police managers, government equity and policy officers, and NGOs with an interest in better policing.
Tim Prenzler is a Professor of Criminology in the School of Law and Society at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. Tim can be contacted by email at tprenzler@usc.edu.au
New South Wales Police Force Domestic Violence Practitioner of the Year
Det Sgt Kelsey Priestly from North West Metropolitan Region DV High Risk Offender Team has taken out the 2023 Sabine Altmann DV Practitioner of the Year Award.
Finalists at the award ceremony in December included Snr Cst Lesley King from Police Prosecution, Det Snr Cst Natasha Humphries from Fairfield City, Sgt Stephen Dewberry from Inner West, Snr Cst Ingrid Reilly from Learning, Development & Delivery, Snr Cst Lisa Pritchard from Manning Great Lakes, Snr Cst Maria Papanicolaou from Monaro, Sgt Jody Westman from Police Prosecution, and Sgt Natasha Doggett from Kuring Gai.
Assistant Commissioner Gavin Wood outlined the significant efforts of not only the finalists and nominees but police officers across the state who’re combatting domestic and family violence every day
Corporate owner of Domestic & Family Violence, Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith stepped guests through what we’ve all done to streamline how police respond to DV and targeting dangerous offenders.
“It was extremely difficult for the panel to decide who the most deserving officer was of this award because they’ve all gone above and beyond in their duties, and made a significant contribution to the reduction of DV recidivism and ensuring that victims received the best possible support from police.
Dedication and Resilience:
Corporal Rosalia Manutulila's Journey in Samoa's Policing
Profile provided by Corporal Rosalia Manutulila of the Samoa Police Women Advisory Network
Input by former Samoa Police, Prisons & Corrections Services (SPPCS) Media Officer Ayesha Huch
Corporal Rosalia Manutulila, a 34-year-old mother of four, serves as a dedicated officer in the Samoa Police, Prisons & Corrections Services (SPPCS).
With over a decade of service to SPPCS, she is currently a member of the Police Maritime Unit and recently earned the rank of Corporal.
The journey to become a police officer wasn't easy for Rosalia. Her motivation lies in the profound meaning of the phrase "To serve and protect." She reflects, "It has not been easy to get where I am today, but staying true to the oath taken is what I live by every day."
Rosalia's career began in general policing before she spent five years in the Prosecution Section.
She notes, "I enjoyed that part of my service and I learned to understand court processing."
Her role involved diverse tasks, including courtroom duty during trials, swearing in witnesses, and preparing court documents.
Handling summonses proved to be particularly challenging, as it often required facing the public, including elderly individuals. However, her commitment to creating a safer Samoa kept her focused on the greater good of keeping Samoa safe.
There was a time when she was assigned to the Warrant Section, tasked with arresting suspects, some of whom were women with young children. Despite the difficulties, she continued to fulfill her duties.
In 2018, Rosalia broke new ground by joining the Maritime Unit as one
of the first three female officers in a male-dominated field.
Despite lacking prior experience and qualifications, she embraced the opportunity, eventually taking part in overseas training in Australia.
As a member of the crew that transported Nafanua II from Australia to Samoa in 2020 marked significant highlights in her career, revealing her adaptability and love for the job.
Her dedication has also influenced her young children, who are already considering following in their mothers footsteps and looking at careers in law
enforcement after witnessing their mother's passion for her work.
“I travel a lot on sea patrols, and it's quite challenging, but my children understand that I have to be away because of work. My children know that I'm protecting Samoa's seas, and I think they see it as an exciting career and have told me that they want to follow in my footsteps", the young mother said.
Samoa Police Women's Advisory Network President, Superintendent Aldora Mamaia says she is pleased of the mother of four and her dedication to the SPPCS.
"Corporal Rosalia has achieved immensely throughout the years and I have never been more proud of her contribution and dedication,"
Superintendent Aldora stated.
Superintendent Aldora went on to say that she has no doubt Corporal Rosalia would be a wonderful leader in her area.
Despite moments of doubt and discouragement, Rosalia's colleagues provide unwavering support. She draws strength from the Samoan saying "E au le ina’ilau a tama’ita’i," reinforcing her commitment.
Another highlight for Rosalia was having the honour of representing the Samoa Police 7s Rugby team at a tournament in Australia.
Rosalia's ultimate aspiration is to become the first Female Captain of the Samoa Patrol Boat under the realm of the Samoa Police Service.
In May 2022, she completed the South Pacific Navigation Officers Course, a four month training programme in Cairns, Australia. The course aimed to preparing individuals in maritime law enforcement to become qualified captains.
She was recently a part of the 22 crew members who travelled to Australia to bring home the Guardian Class Patrol Boat Nafanua III, a new patrol boat gifted to Samoa by the Australian Government. With her newfound skills as a certified Navigator, she is now ready to steer and navigate vessels, when the opportunity presents itself to showcase her capabilities.
Her strong belief in empowering women, not just in the workplace but also in homes, villages, and churches, showcases an individual who is hardworking and a trustworthy police officer.
Corporal Rosalia Manutulila's journey embodies dedication and resilience, inspiring both her colleagues and the community she serves.
Detective Sergeant
Chloe Carr
Detective Sergeant Carr’s pathway into policing was a bit different from her peers.
With a criminology degree under her belt and a desire for a career that was stimulating and involved problem-solving, she went from private enterprise to working as an analyst at the former Police Integrity Commission in NSW. Instead of this putting her off policing, “It showed me that there are a lot of hardworking, smart and decent people in policing and I wanted to be one of them. I could have looked for another analyst role but I didn’t want to be on the sidelines watching all the action”. She made the tree change to the ‘apple isle’ and joined Tasmania Police at the age of 33. After building a foundational base in general duties she obtained her detective designation while working in the ‘victim crime’ team in Hobart Criminal Investigation Team. At the time ‘victim crime’ described sexual assaults and serious physical violence such as wounding. Aware of multidisciplinary centres in other jurisdictions, she and her colleagues discussed the potential
benefits for victim-survivors in receiving different services in one location, but did not imagine it would be within reach in Tasmania. Promoted to sergeant in 2021, she returned to general duties at Hobart station and enjoyed the energy and enthusiasm that comes with supervising recent Academy graduates.
Then in March 2022 the Premier of Tasmania announced a pilot for two multidisciplinary centres for sexual violence. Chloe recognised this presented an opportunity to use her experience in sex crimes investigations to be part of an exciting and huge step forwards in how victim-survivors of sexual violence are supported in Tasmania. She joined a small project team led by Commander Kate Chambers, which was tasked with creating the program model and designing the physical spaces of the centres. After a public vote the name “Arch” was chosen for the centres, which represents support. The project included wideranging consultation with community
representative groups and stakeholders and, most importantly, lived-experience victim-survivors.
Around this time the term ‘traumainformed practice’ was being widely used across government and nongovernment services. Chloe found that to truly support victim-survivors it was critical to be authentic and to understand what the phrase ‘traumainformed’ actually means. She found that it had meaning in the small details as well as broader structures. The principles of safety / trustworthiness, recovery, collaboration, empowerment / choice
and understanding trauma can (and should) be applied to everything from site location, to placement of furnishings, to how one phrases a question.
“Involving young and adult clients in decision-making, taking time to prioritise their emotional safety, understanding the importance of their recovery – these are the types of conscious considerations we are making. We are committed to continuing to improve the way we support victim-survivors and to minimise barriers for people seeking support”.
The two pilot Arch centres successfully opened in July 2023 and a third is now under development in the Western District of Tasmania. The key partners located in Arch are specialist sex crime investigators from Tasmania Police, sexual assault counselling services, the Family Violence Counselling & Support Service and sections within Child Safety Services. Arch is available to people affected by sexual violence, or a combination of sexual and family violence.
The services in Arch are not simply co-located; they are collaborative. Clients are given the choice to provide informed
consent for Arch partners to share their information which enables case conferences and informal exchanges so that service providers are best equipped to support clients. Warm referrals and ‘Options Talks’ make it easier for clients to engage with different services. Clients are given an information sheet about privacy and what happens with their information. Coinciding with the opening of the two pilot Arch centres, Tasmania Police introduced a new Family & Sexual Violence
Command which includes Sex Crimes Squads that bring together experienced, specialist sex crimes investigators previously embedded in the CIBs. Under the new Command framework Chloe designed a response model that connects victim-survivors of sexual violence with specialist sex crimes investigators at the earliest opportunity. This reduces the need for victim-survivors to retell their experience to different members within Tasmania Police and provides continuity of care through connection to other supports such as counselling.
Since the opening of Arch centres Chloe has held the role of Divisional Sergeant in the Family and Sex Crimes Division South, enjoying the experience of project planning coming to fruition across the Sex Crimes Squads. Committed to ongoing personal development, Chloe has a Master of Criminology from the University of Sydney, a Master of Police Studies from the University of Tasmania and other policing and intelligence accreditations. She continues to look for learning opportunities to support Tasmania Police in providing contemporary best practice policing for all members of its community.
Meet the AFP’s Longest Serving Female Officer
The AFP celebrated the achievements of its female workforce for International Women’s Day 2024, including highlighting its longest serving female officer whose four-decade career has taken her around the world.
Detective Superintendent Andrea Humphrys, who was awarded the Australian Police Medal (APM) in 2017, has experienced a colourful and rewarding 42-year career with the AFP, including as the first female officer at international postings such as The Hague, Netherlands and in her current role as AFP Senior Officer Pretoria, South Africa.
“I joined the AFP so I could help the wider community and have a career where I was doing something different, every day,” Det-Supt Humphrys said.
“I think that is still the case today and why I love the job so much. I have been
blessed to work across diverse areas with amazingly talented people along the journey; and that motivates me every day.”
Joining the AFP in Victoria in June 1981, Det-Supt Humphrys was one of the first female officers to work in surveillance in Melbourne. Notable highlights from her extensive career include managing an investigation into the theft of dinosaur eggs in country Victoria, leading the team that laid Australia’s first sexual servitude and slavery charges in 2003 under Operation Tennessee in Melbourne, and undertaking an official interview with a witness in four different
languages on the ground in Ukraine following the downing of MH17.
Det-Supt Humphrys said other memorable situations included serving as the AFP Liaison Officer in Washington, providing security at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and spending three days lost in a Brazilian jungle while climbing the Pico da Pedra D’Agua mountain in November 2009, which resulted in her being rescued via helicopter.
“I’ve never been so happy to be dangling 50 feet under a helicopter in all my life. I am forever grateful that I came out of that situation alive,” she said.
Atlanta Olympics 1996
East Timor Police Commissioner 2002
Surveillance team 1988
Recruit 1981
Canberra 1983
Det-Supt Humphrys said events such as International Women’s Day were crucial to ensuring women were acknowledged and supported in their organisations.
She reflected on the changes in policing since she started her career.
“It took seven years before I worked with another female member on a shift,” Det-Supt Humphrys said. “There were a handful of other women in the job in the early years, but it was very few, certainly never enough to actually be on shift together.”
Today, more than 40 per cent of the AFP’s workforce is female. The AFP has a total of 8022 members in both sworn and unsworn roles across Australia and overseas (as at 23 February, 2024) and 3312 of them are women.
There are currently 1019 women in the AFP’s sworn (police, PSO, and recruit roles) workforce (consisting of 23.8 per cent of the sworn workforce), and 2293 women in the unsworn workforce (consisting of 61.4 per cent of the unsworn workforce).
Det-Supt Humphrys said one of the most rewarding aspects of her work with the AFP was being able to share her experience with other members to help them grow, develop and showcase their own skills and ideas in policing.
“There are countless opportunities and a colourful future ahead for any woman considering a career with the AFP, or with other law enforcement agencies,” she said.
“My advice for applicants is to seek opportunities, look for things that are a challenge, put yourself out there, be resilient and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Learn every day you come to work, and thrive in your own achievements, no matter how small.”
Det-Supt Humphrys said it was important that officers never underestimated their contributions to the job.
“Teamwork is critical to our success; we are all part of not only a small team but the bigger team, the bigger AFP family,” she said.
“You may have a bad day every now and again but over the journey, I have seen the AFP grow and evolve into an amazing organisation, with really talented high-quality members – and I say that from a position where I have worked across multiple jurisdictions all over the world.”
White House 2008
Cyprus 1998
Op Valier media conference, Dusseldorf 2018
Cyprus 1998
Long before women police officers came police ‘matrons’
Who were they and what did they do?
2023 marks a significant milestone for women in policing: the 125th anniversary of the first official recognition of a police matron in
However, women worked in this role for at least 50 years before receiving official recognition.
Known as “police matrons”, these women opened the door for other women to move into the police force as officers, yet their role is still unrecognised or dismissed as an extension of her husband’s policing duties.
While many Australians will have never heard of them, they were trailblazers for women in law enforcement.
THE FEMALE TOUCH IN POLICING
During the Victorian era, it was considered inappropriate for men to touch a woman who was not their wife or an immediate family member. This made men policing women (at least of certain social classes) difficult, particularly if they needed to search a female suspect. To get around this, police began to call on women to search arrestees for them.
Initially, these might have been whoever was nearby – a woman living near the police station, for example. But quickly it was recognised that a “female touch” was also helpful for comforting
lost children, talking to female victims of crime, and occasionally soothing an unruly male arrestee. Neighbourhood women were not viewed as entirely suited for these more complex roles, but the wives of police officers were.
In Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, early police stations had both temporary holding cells (a lock-up) and a residence for a police officer. The officer living on site was frequently married – these women became police matrons.
Police matrons in the Victorian era searched female offenders, were responsible for lost or arrested children, kept watch over mentally unwell inmates, and occasionally allowed families facing violence at home to stay in the station. They also performed tasks we would not generally associate with the work of a police officer. They cleaned and maintained the cells, mended clothes, and hosted clothing drives for the poor. The police stations sometimes doubled as neighbourhood medical centres. These were all tasks that fell to the police matron. They fit within assumptions of the period regarding the natural, nurturing role of women.
Australia.
DISCRIMINATION LEADING TO INNOVATION
Because these tasks were viewed as “naturally” women’s work, questions regarding compensation were skirted. For decades, these were not formal appointments. The matrons were not sworn in, they did not have access to a police pension, and they did not have any authority over male inmates (or male officers).
A few received a modest stipend based on the number of searches they conducted or if they performed an extended psychiatric watch. These matrons would be on-call 24 hours a day, and diaries kept by early matrons show the long hours they kept. Yet their activities were viewed as an extension of their husband’s role, not requiring separate pay.
These women did not go on patrol or have powers to arrest. But there is evidence that police matrons performed tasks that align with current approaches to policing.
For example, a key role of male police in the early Victorian era was to prevent
crime by being out in the community: an officer’s presence alone would often deter offending.
Police matrons rarely worked outside of the station, but they did get to know the needs of their community and tried to identify causes of crime. They became advocates, trying to address what they saw as the root causes of crime: excessive consumption of alcohol leading to the violent breakdown of families. Matrons advocated for increased regulation of alcohol and for stations to provide sanctuary for domestic violence victims.
Today, these efforts would be understood as forms of problemorientated policing: identifying a problem in a community and working with the community to devise solutions for the underlying causes of crime. We cannot go as far as claiming that police matrons started the movement towards problemorientated policing. But we can recognise that they predated today’s “best practice in policing” model by roughly 150 years.
Though we know police matrons were working in this field in the mid1800s, and gained a degree of official recognition in the 1890s, it was not until 1915 that the New South Wales Police Department advertised two positions for women police officers.
These two positions attracted nearly 500 applications. The first two female police officers in NSW were not allowed to wear a uniform and had to sign a waiver releasing the police department of any responsibility for their safety. Their tasks were similar to police matrons – they were responsible for women and children that came in contact with the criminal justice system. It wasn’t until 1979 that female officers in Australia could carry a firearm, though they were required to keep it in their handbag.
Today, women make up over 30% of police in Australia and have reached the highest ranks as police commissioners. Although Australians may not know much about the early police matrons, it was they who, more than 100 years ago, paved the way for all this to happen.
A couple outside a police station on the river flats at Morgan, South Australia, c 1890. State Library of South Australia
Author Alice Neikirk Lecturer, Criminology, University of Newcastle
Police matrons paved the way for women to become police officers, and eventually achieve the highest ranks. Lukas Coch/AAP
Women in Policing and Leadership
DSS Teena Rolls
By Julie Hope
7 September 2023 marked the inaugural commemoration of the United Nations International Day of Police Cooperation. Designated by the UN’s General Assembly together with INTERPOL, the day aimed to highlight the vital role of women in policing.
As a 33-year police veteran, the Queensland Police Service’s (QPS) Detective Senior Sergeant Teena Rolls can speak with ample experience about being a woman in policing and the benefits of cooperation towards a common goal.
Teena is currently seconded from the QPS to the federal Office of the Special Investigator (OSI) in Sydney. The OSI’s establishment three years ago brought together disparate groups of experienced police officers from jurisdictions across Australia to work towards a common goal of investigating allegations of war crimes during Australia’s deployment in Afghanistan.
When Teena was sworn into the QPS in October 1990 – she was one of only four women in her recruit class with eight in total across the two graduating squads. In 1990, this was considered a significant number of women for its time. Teena remembers being a recently graduated General Duties (GDs) officer in 1990’s Queensland as a ‘turbulent’ time. The Fitzgerald Inquiry had just finished, and the general public had a less than positive attitude towards police. It was not uncommon to be spat upon and aggressively ridiculed for wearing the blue uniform.
Starting her career in the suburbs north of Brisbane, Teena’s approach to policing soon caught the eye of others and she found herself in a plain clothes role in her first year on the job. It was that taste of the Criminal Investigations Branch (CIB) and investigations that set the course for her career path – this was despite, she says, the firmly entrenched sexist attitudes she experienced towards women at that time.
She spent her formative policing years in the northern Brisbane suburb of Petrie – being 26kms from the CBD in the City of Moreton Bay 30 years ago, it was classified a ‘country role’ and with it came different uniform rules. Suddenly as a woman she had the freedom to wear culottes (long shorts) and wide brimmed hats, a privilege not afforded to her skirt-wearing city-sisters.
Teena and her sisters in blue were on the cusp of significant change, when the corridors of power were beginning to realise recruiting more women was the key to better reflecting the community they served, and in return, having greater policing success.
But it would not happen overnight. It would take resilience, mental toughness and a struggle against a system that was not female-friendly.
Teena soon realised her career aspirations along with her desire to have a family (with her then police officer husband) were incompatible with shift work. The system was making it clear: put aside your career and be happy to keep your job. This led to a significant exodus of good female cops, she said.
“Juggling young children is very hard and the work offered to women back then was really restrictive, rigid and limited – places like the watch-house or a backroom filing role. We weren’t given meaningful work which saw many good women leave,” Teena said.
What she remembers most about this time is the exhaustion. Her three children are now aged between 18 and 25, but the physical and mental load of shift work plus managing a family in the late 1990s and early 2000s was a big challenge.
“I realised if I wanted a fulfilling career, it was up to me to work around my husband’s hours so that’s what I did. I started at 5am and was home by 1pm so he could go to work and I could still do a job I loved,” she said.
There were times where working nonnegotiable overtime meant she was getting home at 2am and her kids were rising at 5am.
Teena at her office
With the support of a great mentor at the time, Teena learnt that as a boss and as a leader, you must keep female police officers engaged in their work.
“As an Officer-In-Charge (OIC) I have worked very hard to give female staff flexibility around family responsibilities, which generally tends to fall to female officers,” she said.
For 27 of her 33 years policing, Teena has been passionate about working in Child Protection and Youth Crime. It’s about ‘giving kids a voice’ or giving youth a ‘second chance’.
Child protection tends to attract female officers, so Teena used a risk management approach in retaining female officers in a challenging but rewarding area of policing by moving those with children to work in youth justice ‘for a break’.
“When they have their own families, you realise they start to internalise what they are seeing on the job,” she said.
While Teena has experienced many challenges that come with being in a breakthrough generation of women in policing, she cites her biggest challenges as her confidence in herself and her capabilities.
“Many of us have heard the same comments about getting a promotion
‘because we are a woman’. These biases still exist, but the world is changing thankfully,” she said.
Her approach to leadership is about ‘treating people how you like to be treated’.
“I always remember how good and bad leaders made me feel. Take a pause before you say something in anger and always send that email to drafts first. Set an example to others – tell them they can do it – they can have a family and meaningful work,” she said.
“My OIC at Logan looked after his people. If ever in any doubt, I would always ask myself, ‘what would he do?’ When you are in a leadership role people depend on you and you need to show them what to do and that they can trust you.”
Logan, like Petrie, is a low to medium socio-economic area and one of the busiest policing districts in Queensland. Despite that, Teena loved every minute of policing by the seat of her pants.
She believes her passion for working in victim-focused crime so she could ‘advocate for those who can’t’, has correlating synergies with her work in the OSI.
“I’m very much advocating for the victims of war crimes and their
families in Afghanistan in the work I am doing,” she said.
When she’s not managing her team and running protracted war crimes investigations, she is a keen hiker which has taken her around the world to places like Patagonia, Iceland, Norway, China, Hong Kong and Italy, with an eye on Tasmania and the Camino in Spain in her hiking future.
And what was the driving force in signing up to be a police officer all those years ago?
“To me it’s a noble profession and a calling – policing is something our society needs and relies upon, and we must always remember we work for the community," she said.
Policing has provided DSS Rolls with many challenges both professionally and personally, and she acknowledges there have been many positive gains for women in policing, but there is still more work to do.
"I'm happy to be handing the baton onto the younger female leaders coming after me. They have enormous opportunities to influence and make further positive changes which will benefit next generation of women," she said.
Teena enjoys hiking
Visiting Scotland Yard
A Kiwi’s insight into
Nordic policing
New Zealand Police (NZP) Auckland Area Commander, Armed Offenders Squad (AOS) Commander, and a volunteer football coach. You would say Inspector Alisse Robertson has a lot on her plate.
It therefore came as a very happy shock when she was informed last year that she had received a Woolf Fisher Police Fellowship.
Each year, the programme awards up to 15 NZP constabulary and nonconstabulary employees for their excellence and dedication to New Zealand Police with a certificate and funding for international travel and study.
“I was very surprised and very humbled,” says Alisse. "It’s a privilege to be considered worthy of this award."
The decision on where to go was easy. “I have family in Norway who I haven’t seen since I was 18, so 27 years ago."
At the beginning of the trip, before heading north to her family, Alisse spent time with police in the capital Oslo, specifically a team called Echo which is a mix between AOS and the Special Tactics Group in New Zealand.
Norway also has a routinely unarmed police service and has a similar population to New Zealand, so it was a perfect opportunity to share information.
“Being an AOS Commander I was interested in how they train, how they run their teams, the contact with the frontline staff, and to look at their leadership structure," says Alisse.
“I wanted to take learnings from the Norway Police and share what we do in terms of training and engagement with the frontline.
"One aspect I could share was around the welfare management of our officers in critical incidents. They were very interested in the Critical Incident Liaison Officer process, so I gave them the right contacts here in New Zealand to learn more.
"The training facilities that they have created for both their frontline and Echo team was quite impressive with plenty of scope to improve CRT
skills [clearance and rescue tactics] and other tactical approaches."
Leaving Oslo, Alisse headed to spend time with her aunt and her family who live between Sikliyvn and Stranda.
“Taking a complete rest for me was just amazing. I got to recharge my batteries fully at my aunt and uncle’s, surrounded by family, incredible mountains and beautiful fjords. It was a break I very much needed."
From Norway, Alisse headed to Italy and was met by her two best friends before spending a fortnight touring around Italy, visiting Rome, Venice, Florence and Naples. She then headed to California to meet another friend and spend time at Disneyland.
Now back at work in Auckland West with time to reflect on her experience, Alisse is keen to encourage others
to nominate their colleagues for a Woolf Fisher Fellowship.
“This opportunity has enabled me to have the largest break in my policing career and it has paid dividends for my motivation, dedication, and commitment to the New Zealand Police.
"For an employer to partner with the incredible Woolf Fisher Foundation and give their people this opportunity, it really is life-changing and very much worth the investment in our people.
"I am so much better as a person and a leader for this experience. I’m more motivated than ever to contribute more to those around me. I am so privileged to have this opportunity and I can’t thank the Police and the Woolf Fisher Team enough for this incredible opportunity, it really was life-changing."
Alisse took a professional interest in Norway Police's Echo tactical group
3 Inspector Alisse Robertson
Alisse took time to recharge and see local family
Victoria
International Women’s Day Events in Papua New Guinea
On Friday 8 March 2024, across two provinces of Papua New Guinea, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) Papua New Guinea - Australia Policing Partnership (PNG-APP) and the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Defence Cooperation Partnership (DCP), co-hosted morning tea events in honour of International Women’s Day.
These events championed the women leaders of our counterpart organisations, the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) and Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF), with invited guests from a few key mutual and supporting stakeholders.
In Port Moresby, over 100 attendees, took part in an event held at the Hilton Hotel. In attendance was the Australian High Commissioner Mr John Feakes, Australian Deputy High Commissioner Dr Joanne Loundes, and executive members from both the hosting Australian organisations and their Papua New Guinea counterparts. Attendees had the honour of hearing from DHoM Dr Joanne Loundes, before being inspired by presentations from the incredible guest
speakers, Major Grace Kitoneka (PNGDF) and Senior Inspector Freda Woktamol.
Senior Inspector Freda Woktamol joined the RPNGC in 1996. Over her 28year service, Senior Inspector Woktamol has worked in a number of disciplines, currently the ‘Discipline’ and the ‘Administration’ Officer at the RPNGC National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) in Bomana. In conjunction with her official role, Senior Inspector Woktamol is also the current acting Chair of the RPNGC Women’s Advisory Network (WAN). During her address, Senior Inspector Woktamol expressed her advocacy for bringing justice to vulnerable members of the community, namely women, girls and the elderly, and those in the often unreached, remote parts of the country.
Senior Inspector Woktamol wants to see women progress through management and have their voices heard. Throughout all of her achievements in the RPNGC, she still, however, considers her most outstanding accomplishment to be a mother of 4 beautiful children, highlighting a women’s role outside of the workforce.
Meanwhile, in Lae, 50 attendees took part in the event held at the Lae International Hotel. Acting Assistant Commissioner Chris Kunyunban opened the event before handing over to our guest speakers. The group was moved by both Captain Vasti Kep (PNGDF) and Senior Sergeant Ruth Murup (RPNGC), their courage and their resilience.
Senior Sergeant Ruth Murup’s 32-year career in the RPNGC, and counting, has seen her expand her expertise in areas such as the NCoE, traffic, prosecutions and for the last 10 years as the OIC of the Family Sexual Violence Unit (FSVU) in Lae, Morobe province. Senior Sergeant Murup recalls being the guidance officer for an all-male squad during her time at the NCoE. This role, whilst challenging, saw her exponentially develop her confidence and leadership in an unprecedented environment. During her speech, Senior Sergeant Murup encouraged the attendees to break through stereotypes and expressed the power of networking. As the OIC of the FSVU in Lae, Senior Sergeant Murup has an incredible reputation within the RPNGC and the community she serves, networking with stakeholders crucial to the service delivery model she has mastered.
This year’s theme being ‘#CountHerIn - Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress.’ was exemplified by hosting these events across two provinces and in partnership between police and defence, highlighting the investment in and acceleration of progress across the whole of PNG. At both events, attendees heard from leaders and change-makers of the PNG police and defence forces, acting as an inspiration for the next generation of strong women to follow.
Assistant Commissioner Jamie Strauss expressed “hosting this event in partnership, and on behalf of the RPNGC and PNGDF, reinforced the deep connection and collaboration that our Australian organisations have with our PNG counterparts. Overall, these events reinforced the collective importance we place on promoting gender in all aspects of our operational delivery and outcomes.”
On Sunday 10 March 2024, in the early hours of the morning, PNG-APP members walked alongside over 1000 men and women of the PNG community in honour of International Women’s Day. This walk was an incredibly humbling way to cap off another year of events dedicated to the dialogue of accelerating the progress of women in PNG. Attendees of the morning’s event included members from a variety of local community groups, representatives of the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU), as well as distinguished guests of a number of High Commissions; Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the United States of America.
International Women’s Day Victoria Police
In acknowledgement of International Women’s Day (IWD) 2024, members from Victoria Police’s Women of Colour Network (WoCN), Women in Policing Advisory Group (WIPAG) and Women in Policing Local Committees (WIPLC) in allyship held networking events at the Victoria Police Centre.
The first event welcomed representatives from the Victoria Police Command, WoCN, WIPLC and workplace managers to a networking breakfast. Opening the event was Acting Deputy Commissioner Lauren Callaway and Assistant Commissioner Brett Curran who both reflected on Victoria Police’s progress in regard to gender equality but acknowledging that we can do better, and we should strive to be the best.
This was followed by guest speaker psychologist and cultural intelligence adviser, Monique Toohey.
Monique spoke of the importance of cultural intelligence and how it can help to become more open to how we view those that see and experience the world differently to us.
“Having the desire and intention to treat people respectfully, does not guarantee the impact of our behaviour,” Ms Toohey said.
“Various adaptations to our behaviour may be required to secure a trusting and beneficial relationship.”
Later in the day at the second event the ‘Allyship’ Panel, keynote speaker Deputy Secretary Susan Middleditch introduced the 2024 theme for International Women’s Day and shared her reflections and career journey with members.
“There is a long and very worthy history to this day and it’s also a day to reflect on what else we can collectively do to close some of the gender biases that still exist in our workplaces and communities,” Dep Sec Middleditch said.
“Investing in women will lead to accelerating our progress.”
Following the keynote speaker was a panel conversation moderated by Assistant Commissioner Dean McWhirter which featured women leaders at Victoria Police discussing gender equality, overcoming adversity in the workplace, and championing the human rights of women through advocacy and mentorship, in line with the theme ‘Inspire Inclusion’.
Attendees engaged with the emerging and established female leaders to hear about the work being undertaken to advance gender equality at a local and organisational level.
Protective Services Officer, Sergeant Pushp Sidhu, shared how “we, as women, need to be courageous and confident. Don’t be a bystander or wait for someone else to take action when you can help. You can be a driving force for change”.
In addition to these events the Victoria Police Academy and other local workplaces held their own events or partnered with local community to celebrate and recognise the day.
(left to right) Sue Hine PSM, Senior Constable Kim McKeown, Protective Services Officer Sergeant Pushp Sidhu, Superintendent Belinda Jones, Superintendent Zorka Dunstan and Commander Sharon McKinnon
Empowering Women in Law Enforcement
Samoa Police Women Advisory Network’s Tribute to International Women’s Day 2024
Article written by Woman Constable Josephine Chadwick
Contribution from Samoa Police Women Advisory Network
In a poignant tribute to International Women’s Day 2024, the Samoa Police Women’s Advisory Network (SPWAN) orchestrated a powerful display of solidarity and empowerment on the tranquil shores of Samoa. Against a backdrop of swaying palm fronds and the rhythmic melody of the Samoan sea, women from various branches of law enforcement converged to commemorate the occasion with unwavering resolve and determination.
The day commenced with a solemn march led by Acting Commissioner Lafaitele Herbert Aati, the Samoa Police, Prisons & Corrections Services (SPPCS) Executive & Senior Management, and
females from the SPPCS, Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC), Fire & Emergency Services Authority (FESA), Electric Power Corporation (EPC), Samoa Water Authority (SWA), Land Transport Authority (LTA). This is the first in history of the SPPCS IWD celebration. Their footsteps echoing a collective commitment to gender equality and inclusivity. Together, they raised the Samoan flag high, symbolizing their dedication to upholding the values of justice, integrity, and equality.
Under the leadership of Superintendent Aldora Mamaia, President of SPWAN, the event began with a ceremonial opening marked
by reverence and solemnity. SPWAN members paid homage to the trailblazing women who paved the way for their success, honoring their legacy with heartfelt gratitude and respect.
Esteemed guests from various organizations, including the Australian Defense Force, Pacific Transnational Crime Coordination Centre, New Zealand Police, Members of the Australian Federal Police, and the First Secretary of the Australian High Commission, Michelle Bond, along with other dignitaries, graced the occasion. Together, they joined SPWAN in a demonstration of solidarity and camaraderie. Across cultural and geographical boundaries,
they stood together as sisters-in-arms, united by a shared vision of a more just and equitable society.
Deputy Commissioner Papali’i Monalisa Tia’i-Keti delivered a stirring address, urging women to embrace their potential and seize leadership opportunities. Her words resonated deeply, inspiring all who were present to strive for greatness and empowerment.
SPWAN members embarked on a meaningful visit to the Campus of Hope, a refuge for survivors of domestic violence operated by the Samoa Victim Support Group. In this sacred space, they offered compassion and support, reaffirming their commitment to uplifting
the marginalized and vulnerable in their community. Their gesture was further amplified by the generous contributions and gifts from the Savaii Outpost SPWAN members, bestowed upon the SVSG in Savaii on 6 March.
Meanwhile, a separate event organized in collaboration with the Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC), Fire & Emergency Services Authority (FESA), Electric Power Corporation (EPC), Samoa Water Authority (SWA), Land Transport Authority (LTA) showcased awareness booths aimed at attracting and empowering young women. This initiative offered them opportunities to explore careers
within SPPCS and affiliated agencies, nurturing a new generation of
FEMALE LEADERS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
As they celebrated International Women’s Day, SPWAN renewed its pledge to champion the rights and aspirations of women in law enforcement, inspiring a future where every woman can realize her full potential.
As the echoes of their celebration faded into the horizon, SPWAN stood as a beacon of hope and resilience, illuminating the path towards a more just and equitable world for all.
Leadership in
International Deployment
AFP Detective Superintendent Melissa Northam has recently completed 4-year PacificAsia Command deployment to Vanuatu, performing the role of Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) leading the Vanuatu-Australia Police and Justice Program (VAPJP).
Accompanied by her husband Michael but leaving her two sons back home in QLD attending university, Det. Supt. Northam commenced duties as the first female SRO of VAPJP leading work on a range or projects across the islands of Vanuatu. Having previously worked for the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police Secretariat in New Zealand, and previously visited Vanuatu, she was welcomed by some familiar faces.
However, only two weeks after arriving in Vanuatu, COVID lockdowns commenced. These lock downs lasted two and a half years, more than half of her deployment. Without any outbreaks of COVID in Vanuatu, the early lockdown decision was greatly beneficial to the health and wellbeing of the citizens of Vanuatu. However, it created many personal challenges for Det. Supt. Northam and her team, who were unable to return to Australia to visit family or take leave. Throughout this time, Det. Supt. Northam continued to support her team and progress the capacity building projects and activities
underway by working closing with the Vanuatu Commissioner of Police and members of the Vanuatu Police Force.
COVID was not the only emergency response challenge Det. Supt. Northam and her team faced during her deployment, as Vanuatu was in the pathway of a number of severe cyclones ranging from category 2 to 5, multiple earthquakes, a Tsunami and flooding. Under normal circumstances, a multitude of support agencies and responders from across the region would have deployed to assist, but responding under COVID restrictions and lockdowns without support tested the AFP and VPF teams’ capabilities, resilience, and stamina. Working closely with the VPF and other partners in country, Det. Supt. Northam and her team managed to respond to the remote areas affected and support them through recovery. On 30 July 2023 as part of Vanuatu’s 43rd anniversary of independence, the President hosted a cocktail reception in Port Vila where His Excellency Moli Nikenike Vurobaravu Moliunavanua presented Det. Supt. Northam the Vanuatu National Medal of Merit.
The National Medal of Merit was awarded following a recommendation from the Prime Minister of Vanuatu, who recognised Det. Supt. Northam’s service and assistance to the Vanuatu Police Force and Vanuatu Government.
The awarding of the National Medal of Merit is rarely bestowed on a representative of a foreign law enforcement agency. The award citation reads:
“Detective Superintendent Northam has been the AFP’s Senior Responsible Officer in Vanuatu since March 2020, where she leads a team of AFP advisors. The team deliver through the Vanuatu Australia Policing and Justice Program (VAPJP), focusing on improving policing within Vanuatu by working closely with VPF colleagues.
Having navigated through multiple natural disasters, a pandemic and extended international border closures, the awarding of the Medal highlights the positive outcomes achieved by Detective Superintendent Northam and the entire AFP Vanuatu team.”
Melissa (centre) at her farewell in February 2024
‘This is well deserved recognition for Det. Supt. Melissa Northam. She works tirelessly in her role as Senior Responsible Officer in Vanuatu, delivering as part of the Vanuatu Australia Policing and Justice Program. She has made a significant contribution to the Vanuatu Police Force and the awarding of the National Medal of Merit is a prestigious honour for a foreign law enforcement member.” said AFP Transnational Crime Unit Advisor, Detective Sergeant Simon Teece.
In the another first, the positive impact Det. Supt Northam had on the VPF was reflected in the naming of one of their new vehicles in her honour.
At the end of her deployment in February 2024, the VPF Commissioner and around 100 guests gathered at a farewell function. The VPF Commissioner thanked Det.Supt. Northam for her leadership as AFP lead for the VAPJP.
The VPF Commissioners remarked:“Melissa is a true Ambassador to Vanuatu who represents AFP, Australian Citizens and The Government of Australia, because she carries with herself wholeheartedly passion to work to serve the people of Vanuatu. Vanuatu Police Force will miss Melissa but wish her good luck/ all the best on her next posting in Australia with the AFP. VPF admired all that Melissa does as a team leader who committed herself to Vanuatu Police Force. Melissa is someone who carries out her duties with pride.”
The VPF Commissioner also thanked Det. Supt. Northam’s husband Michael for the support he has given her during her time in Vanuatu and for the support given during his free time by assisting with minor tasks including refurbishing VPF Headquarters.
Whilst this deployment presented many challenges, Det. Supt Northam found working alongside the VPF an extremely rewarding experience, recognising that the challenges she faced over the 4 years whilst deployed are encountered by our policing partners in Vanuatu and across the pacific on a regular basis.
Det. Supt. Northam said that “Working with the VPF was a true partnership, I was honoured to be accepted into the VPF family and together we achieved so many outcomes in line with the governments decentralization plan, expansion of police posts, increased support in mobility assets ensuring greater reach to islands previously unable to be accessed by police to their communities.”
AFP/VFP team Supporting the recovery from Cyclone Lola in Saratamata province
His Excellency Moli Nikenike Vurobaravu Moliunavanua presented Detective Superintendent Northam the Vanuatu National Medal of Merit
One of the AFP gifted vehicles, which VPF chose to name after Det. Supt. Melissa Northam
Farewell for Melissa February 2024
Melissa with her two sons
NSWPF combatting DV with Rotary
Rotary clubs across NSW join police and say “Don’t just be a spectator”
Story by Martine Allars, Police Monthly
NSW Police partnered with Rotary NSW as part of an ongoing effort to combat domestic and family violence (DVF).
The theme for 2023 was UNITE! Invest to prevent violence against women and girls.
This special partnership was endorsed by both Metropolitan and Regional Field Operations Commanders, Deputy Commissioners Mal Lanyon and Paul Pisanos, with the roll out of events coordinated by Richmond District Commander, Supt Scott Tanner.
Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported 12.412 victims of sexual assault in NSW last year.
“Of these, 79% were female and 83% knew their offender. Nearly two in five were family and domestic violence related,” he said.
“We’ve already put the most dangerous DFV offenders on notice with operation Amarok, and the 16 Days if activism gave us the chance to provide support to the victims in our communities.”
Supt Tanner says the 16 Days were and will continue to be an important opportunity for all of us to show that we're there for the victims and their families.
“Establishing trust and open lines of communication is essential in helping domestic and family violence victims break the cycle that they are in,” he said.
EVENTS
Over the 16 Days there were several events, including vigils, walks against violence, workshops and activities. Activities included;
• Friday November 24 in Randwick –Step Out Speak Out walk High Cross Park from 7.30am
• Friday November 24 in Cronulla – Walk for Respectful Relationships Don Lucas Reserve from 9.45aam
• Friday November 24 in Newcastle –candlelight vigil Civic Park from 5.30pm
• Friday November 24 in Broken Hill –Violence Abuse and Neglect Service community event at Broken Hill Town Square from 6pm
• Saturday November 25 in Ramsgate – Say No to Domestic Violence community walk from Ramsgate Surf Life Saving Club at 10am
• On November 28 in Sydney –Empty Shoes Vigil at Martin Place
• On November 29 in Western Sydney –March to End Violence Against Women.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
1. The 16 Days of Activism ran from Saturday 25 November to 10 December 2023.
2. It aligned with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is 25 November.
3. The international theme for the 16 Days of Activism was UNITE. Invest to prevent violence against women and girls.
4. During this time, NSWPF PACs and PDs worked with their local Rotary Clubs on community events, including local marches.
5. It was also an ideal time to promote our Empower You app which allows victims of DV to keep a diary of events to help bring offenders before court.
Helping police beat crime with new algorithm
Geographic investigative analysis for crime cases can be manual and timeconsuming, but new research can make the process faster and more accurate.
The University of Waikato New Zealand
New research, by University of Waikato Honorary Research
Associate Dr Sophie Curtis-Ham, could help police resources go further by automating laborious analysis while eliminating subjectivity and human error.
Dr Curtis-Ham has developed a new algorithm that automates part of the geographic profiling process to make the process more efficient for analysts in investigative police work.
Geographic profiling involves analysing geographic aspects of crimes to prioritise places or people for the investigation to focus on.
The algorithm prioritises suspect lists for further investigation by analysing crime locations and areas familiar to suspects. It has already been tested on thousands of solved cases and offers promisingly high accuracy.
“In the solved cases we tested it on, the algorithm consistently placed the actual offender at or near the top of the suspect list,” says Dr Curtis-Ham.
Dr Curtis-Ham says it was in her day-to-day work for police that she recognised the need for an algorithm to make geographic profiling faster and more accurate for analysts like herself:
“Geographic profiling is a valuable tool for investigative work, but I see a real
need to reduce the time required for manual analysis of geographic data. And in some cases, the sheer volume of data makes it untenable for manual analysis.
“I also wanted to remove the subjectivity that can make the process less effective.”
Dr Curtis-Ham’s algorithm, the Geographic Profiling: Suspect Mapping and Ranking Technique (GP-SMART), was created as a practical application of her thesis with the University of Waikato.
To build the algorithm, Dr Curtis-Ham worked with local burglary, robbery, and non-family-based sexual assault crime data to ensure it told a similar story to off-shore research.
She then built on the prior research by exploring which places people are more likely to commit crimes near.
The technique uses suspects’ home addresses and locations of prior offences. But what makes Dr Curtis-Ham’s approach different from the traditional geographic profiling process is her inclusion of wider activity nodes for individuals, including work or school, and prior arrest locations.
“I could see from my experience working in the field of investigative analysis for police that data on suspects’ activity nodes could produce faster, more reliable results.”
She is now testing the tool with real crimes and cold cases in her work at the New Zealand Police’s Evidence-Based Policing Centre.
“The result of Sophie’s research is a body of work that is already influencing international researchers and will certainly help police resources go further,” says Professor Devon Polaschek from the University of Waikato.
Dr Curtis-Ham was awarded the University of Waikato 2022 Koko Kairangi Award for Best Doctoral Thesis in recognition of this real-life, practical research.
Dr Sophie Curtis-Ham
2023/2024 ACWAP Committee
Executive
Sandra Venables - NZ PRESIDENT president@acwap.com.au
Debbie Platz - QLD VICE PRESIDENT president@acwap.com.au
Virginia Nelson - (QPS) Nelson.VirginiaA@police.qld.gov.au
Wendy Spiller - NZ
Wendy.Spiller@police.govt.nz
Zoe Naylor - QLD zoe@fclawyers.com.au
Australasian
Council of Women & Policing Inc.
MEMBERSHIP
Membership of the Australasian Council of Women & Policing (ACWAP) is open to anyone who is committed to improving policing for women.
By becoming a member you support the Council in its work and can stay up -to-date with its activities and events. Members have access to:
Reduced conference registration costs; and
The Journal of Women and Policing.
Most importantly, membership provides you with an opportunity to share information, ideas and develop networks to encourage positive professional and personal development.
ACWAP membership can be purchased via https://acwap.com.au/membership/ for a once-off payment of $25AUD
Please note that all membership applications are reviewed before being accepted: membership applications may take a couple of days to process.
All members have the option to list their name and profile, and if they want to, a photo and email address, to the Member’s Directory.
Want to know more?
If you have any questions or require further information, please email membership@acwap.com.au
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