A policing legend farewelled In the years during and after his Victoria Police career, stories have been shared of Mick Miller the leader, the innovator, the pioneer, the honest cop and the hard worker. At his funeral in August, stories were shared of Mick Miller, the man. The life of the 16th Victoria Police Chief Commissioner, Sinclair Imrie “Mick” Miller – nicknamed after 1940s boxing champion Mickey Miller – was celebrated at the Victoria Police Academy by overflowing crowds of family, friends, police, politicians and more. Current Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton led the tributes to Mr Miller, who served as a police officer for 40 years and retired in 1987 after 10 years in the top job. Mr Miller died on August 6, aged 92. CCP Ashton detailed Mr Miller’s immensely decorated career, saying he had “never seen a personnel file that contains so many commendations” and that he “set the gold standard”.
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POLICE LIFE | SPRING 2019
“He will live on in our memory as the police officer all in the force should aspire to emulate,” CCP Ashton said. The Special Operations Group, the Air Wing, Victoria Police Legacy, Neighbourhood Watch and Crime Stoppers were all formed under Mr Miller’s stewardship, and Victoria Police had the greatest percentage of women of any police force nationally while he was Chief Commissioner. For all his almost countless honours, achievements and initiatives, those at the funeral celebrated Mr Miller’s character most of all.
Former Assistant Commissioner and one of Mr Miller’s staff officers, Bill Robertson, explained Mr Miller was “blessed with compassion” and dedicated every Friday morning to visiting police at the Victoria Police Hospital. Renowned crime reporter for The Age and family friend John Silvester shared stories of Mr Miller writing personal letters to junior police who had lost parents and of a time he visited the home of the family of a police officer who was experiencing mental health troubles.
