BEHIND THE BADGE - Arthur Makridis

Editorial: Emily Wan Photography: Jesse Wray-McCann

Rank: Leading Senior Constable

Age: 51

Graduated: 1989

Station: Melbourne East Police Station

Why did you join Victoria Police?

Becoming a police officer was something I had wanted to do for most of my life. I’ve always had an interest in crime, road safety and general law enforcement. On the odd occasion I would bump into local police that I had told of my aspirations. One day, one of my local officers said, ‘What are you waiting for?’. I joined when I was 20 years old. The rest is history.

Tell us about your role at Melbourne East Police Station.

I would consider myself in the trenches as a frontline first responder. I’m also an in-the-field trainer of recruits in the Designated Training Workplace phase of their Academy studies, and of junior police officers. I have had secondments to other areas such as the Retail Theft Group, the Melbourne Recidivist Tasking Unit and as a Law Instructor at the Academy. I’ve been fortunate enough to have had a number of upgrading opportunities over the years as an Acting Sergeant. When the opportunity arises, I enjoy being involved in, and in some cases managing, law enforcement operations.

You’ve worked at Melbourne East Police Station for 29 years, what has made you stay?

It’s the nature and the variety of work that’s kept me enthusiastic. I enjoy dealing with crime matters, but I also enjoy the road safety aspect of policing. Melbourne East Police Station and the city environment provide many opportunities to deal with both. Since I started at this station in 1990, when it was known as the Melbourne District Traffic and Patrol Division, it has become a lot busier. The focus has shifted from traffic, foot patrols and demonstrations, to general patrols and divisional van shifts. We still direct traffic and when necessary police are still deployed to protests and public events.

During the early 2000s the liquor licensing industry took off. People were coming from across the state, and sometimes interstate and overseas, to party in Melbourne. The drug trafficking of the 1990s was replaced with public disorder and anti-social behaviour.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of your job?

Detecting safety-related offences and processing offenders for those crimes. It can be anything from a road safety offence to a major high-profile arrest, such as that of Jonathan Dick.

Can you name a highlight of your time at Victoria Police?

Having a meeting room in the Melbourne East station named the Makridis Room is certainly one of my highlights. It’s cool to have a room named after you, particularly while you’re still alive. When it was raised by the Officer in Charge and management here at Melbourne East Police Station, I actually thought they were kidding and we all had a laugh. It was not long after this new station was built that I discovered they were serious. Police Minister Lisa Neville attended the opening of the Makridis Room, highlighting the significance of the occasion.