SMALL TALK VOXPOP
POLICE ASSISTANCE LINE PICKING UP CALLS
When did you first know you wanted to be a police officer? LEADING SENIOR CONSTABLE PHILLIP LLOYD Koondrook Police Station
“When I was 24. I had been working odd jobs and I realised I wanted to do something that would make a difference in the community and help people.”
DETECTIVE SERGEANT MAL SIMPSON Swan Hill Family Violence Investigation Unit
“I didn’t get the grades for the university course I was interested in and was looking for other options. I decided to apply for Victoria Police and 30 years later, I’m still here and enjoying it.”
SENIOR SERGEANT ANGE HANSTIS St Kilda Police Station
“A family friend was a police officer and I remember having a conversation with her when I was about 23 and I thought, ‘This is what I want to do’. I started the process of joining not long after that conversation.”
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POLICE LIFE | SUMMER 2019-20
With more than 400,00 calls having been made to the Police Assistance Line this year, Victorians are seeing the benefits of the dedicated contact centre. The 131 444 number, officially launched in July, has helped thousands of community members report non-urgent crimes and events. Inspector Steve Towers said the ability to lodge these reports at any time has created an added convenience for the community. “The service is 24/7, meaning people can make a report at any time of the day,” Insp Towers said.
You can call us to report things that have already happened that don’t need urgent police assistance. “It gives you the ability to call when you need to and when the details of the event are fresh, without having to contact local police.” As well as by phone, people can go online to report theft, property damage, lost property, lodge Partysafe registrations and advise of absence from residence. For more information, visit www.police.vic.gov.au/palolr
SECRET LIFE OF POLICE Police badges are swapped for pastry brushes when Inspector Guinevere Cleminson and Senior Constable Courtney Long are off duty. “I find baking relaxing, because following a recipe is predictable and methodical, as opposed to the unpredictable nature of policing at times,” Keilor Downs Police Station’s Sen Const Long said. Road Policing Command’s Insp Cleminson said she finds cake decorating a nice complement to walking her dogs and cycling. Both started in the kitchen at young ages, with Sen Const Long baking yo-yo biscuits with her grandma and Insp Cleminson making birthday cakes with her mother, and later baking for her cat. At around nine years of age, Insp Cleminson asked her brothers to sing for a slice, making them belt out Happy Birthday to the family pet. The joy their baking brings to others is why they love doing it so much, with family members, friends and colleagues the lucky recipients of their delicious cake creations. But it’s not all ganache hearts and flowers, as the amateur bakers face some tricky downsides. Sen Const Long cites weight gain from eating so many cakes as a challenge, while Insp Cleminson has had some nerve-racking cake delivery car journeys over the years. Some people may compare picking a favourite cake flavour to picking a favourite child – you can’t – but Sen Const Long and Insp Cleminson state their choices with conviction; white chocolate mudcake and baked cheesecake respectively. While dreams of The Great Victoria Police Bake Off, or Cop Cakes, may be an arresting idea for future television series, both say they won’t be signing up for reality TV fame. “The contestants cry too much and there’s too much drama on those kind of shows, so it’s not my cup of tea,” Sen Const Long said. But if celebrity cook Donna Hay happened to drop by the Victoria Police Centre headquarters and request a slice of cake, Insp Cleminson said she wouldn’t mind at all.
Image Baking it happen Inspector Guinevere Cleminson (top) and Senior Constable Courtney Long both find cake decorating a relaxing hobby away from the busy policing lifestyle. Editorial: Emily Wan
