COVER:
Sgt Trevor Blake has been a member of Victoria Police’s Chemical, Biological and Radiological and Disaster Victim Identification Unit since it was established in 2003 playing an integral part in ensuring the correct identification of numerous people killed in multi-casualty disasters.
Photography:
Scott McNaughton
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For many, career progression means chasing promotion to higher ranks, but for Ldg Sen Const Michelle Dench being on the frontline with her fourlegged friend is where she belongs.
New two-wheeled additions to the Geelong Highway Patrol fleet are giving police an added tool in their road safety arsenal, helping them minimise road trauma in the area.
How Victoria Police’s Disability Portfolio is helping build further connections between police and members of the community with intellectual and physical disability.
Housing more than 170 years of policing history, the Victoria Police Museum is getting ready to move into its new, state-of-the-art home.
As we all adjust to ‘the new normal’, Victoria Police continues to develop new responses to community safety issues. For example, in July 2022 we launched the VIPER Taskforce. As a new tool in our fight against serious and organised crime groups, the VIPER Taskforce brings together detectives, general duties police, intelligence officers, road policing members and Public Order Response Teams to proactively target, disrupt and dismantle outlaw motorcycle gangs, organised crime networks and street gangs – anytime, anywhere across the state. We are already seeing significant arrests.
However, our Victoria Police traditions and established practices remain important.
In this edition of Police Life, we feature National Police Remembrance Day on 29 September.
On this day of special significance for police throughout Australia, we pause to honour those whose lives have been cut short while performing their duty as a police officer. Sadly, our commemorations at the Victoria Police Memorial on St Kilda Road this year will involve adding a plaque to the Victoria Police Honour Wall honouring Senior Constable Bria Joyce, who was tragically killed in April 2022 in Mildura.
You can also learn about the incredible work of our Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Disaster Victim Identification Unit. As exemplified by one of its founding members, Sgt Trevor Blake, the team has responded to scenes like the helicopter crash at Mount Disappointment that claimed the lives of five people earlier this year, the 2004 Thailand tsunami, the 2007 Kerang rail collision, and the 2009 Victorian bushfires that claimed 173 lives. Like his colleagues, Sgt Blake is motivated to bring families some closure by having their loved one’s remains identified and returned to them.
How a Melbourne drug syndicate was brought down in international waters through a joint investigation involving police, military and Australian Border Force.
We also highlight Operation Trapani/Barada, a Victorian Joint Organised Crime Taskforce investigation into a Melbourne drug syndicate looking to import $60m of cocaine. With the help of the Royal Australian Navy's largest warship, police captured the crew and drugs, and put the offenders behind bars for a long time.
These are ordinary people, doing extraordinary things. They complement the thousands of police and protective services officers who work every day to keep the community safe.
We are currently recruiting, so if you think you too are capable of doing extraordinary things and are passionate about serving the community — or you know someone who fits this picture — then I invite you to apply.
We work in a dynamic world where our efforts can make a real difference in people’s lives, so I can promise you a rewarding and varied career.
Stay safe.
Victoria Police has a new approach in its fight against serious and organised crime groups.
The VIPER Taskforce is a tactical and investigative unit based within Crime Command focused on preventing, detecting, deterring, disrupting and dismantling the criminal activities of groups such as outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMCGs), organised crime networks and street gangs.
Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said the taskforce supports the work of specialist investigation units and regional police by providing further resources to assist with investigation tactics and enforcement actions.
“We want to create the most hostile environment for organised crime in Victoria and we make no apologies for that,” CCP Patton said. “The VIPER Taskforce will increase the pressure on these criminal groups through a range of enforcement activities designed to hold them to account. We will be targeting their every activity.”
It is the first time Victoria Police has created a taskforce of this nature, which was developed following an examination of similar models across Australia and internationally.
“As the nature of organised crime continues to evolve, we know we have to be agile and change the way we confront these groups,” CCP Patton said.
"I have no doubt the VIPER Taskforce will significantly enhance our ability to proactively target, disrupt and dismantle organised crime.”
VIPER brings together detectives, general duties police, intelligence officers and members of the Public Order Response Team, with support from specialised road policing members, to create a multi-discipline team.
This diverse mix of specialist skills and experience within a single taskforce provides a unique opportunity for police to target all aspects of criminality linked to these groups, their associates and facilitators.
There are police officers who have initially been deployed to the VIPER Taskforce, which is led by Detective Inspector Anthony Brown. Day to day, their work involves a range of enforcement and prevention actions with the flexibility to be deployed anywhere in the state at short notice.
They also proactively target criminals, including those involved in incidents such as homicides and shootings.
This means members of the public can expect to see an increased and highly-visible response to incidents across the state involving serious and organised crime groups.
The VIPER Taskforce also proactively targets known members, associates and facilitators of these groups to ensure police are doing everything possible to create a hostile
environment for those involved in this criminality.
Examples of this include firearm prohibition order searches, bail compliance checks, policing of OMCG runs, vehicle checks enforcement, and deployment to events known to host members of serious and organised crime groups.
Critically, the work of the VIPER Taskforce builds on the contemporary intelligence Victoria Police has on these groups and those involved or associated with them.
They also work closely with a range of other state and federal law enforcement agencies to take advantage of contemporary organised crime intelligence from across the country.
“This is one of the most significant, coordinated and proactive moves against organised crime syndicates in Victoria Police’s history and I expect there will be immediate results when it comes to community safety,” CCP Patton said.
When I first came to Australia, I applied to be a paramedic – but they wouldn’t take anyone over 6ft 2in. Apparently a shorter paramedic would have held all the weight if we were carrying a stretcher.
Victoria Police is on track to impound a record number of vehicles from unauthorised, impaired and speeding drivers in 2022.
The Vehicle Impound Support Unit (VISU) had a busy 2021 where police seized, on average, 31 cars per day, with unauthorised driving offences accounting for 68 per cent of the more than 11,000 cars impounded.
"A key contributor to the rise in impounds is the increase of sophisticated technology available to members on the road, according to VISO Inspector Jason McGregor."
Working in Victoria Police’s Critical Incident Response Team, Senior Constable Lauren Oates faces stressful and intense situations every day at work.
Because of this, having something that helps take her mind off work and relaxes her was important and it is something she found in a lost childhood passion – art.
If I wasn’t a police officer I would almost certainly be doing something in an outdoors industry. I can’t get enough of the ocean, mountains or the bush so I’d almost certainly pursue a role that would enable more access to that environment.
I would definitely be a personal trainer. I’m really into fitness, I train five days a week and I’m currently studying personal training. It helps with my job as a police officer because you come into work in a better mood, and it can help you deal with the stress of the job. This job can go from zero to 100 really quickly, so good fitness also helps with that.
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“When I have a stressful day at work, or have been to an intense job, I come home and paint or draw,” Sen Const Oates said.
“I put my phone away for hours and I don’t have to look at the news or social media. It gives me a sense of calm and makes me turn my mind away from work.”
Growing up, Sen Const Oates was a devoted artist and said it was rare to see her without her ‘tools’ in hand.
“I first started acrylic painting and drawing when I was about six years old,” Sen Const Oates said.
“All through primary school and high school, I underwent private art lessons, and you would rarely see me without a pencil or paint brush in hand. Art was my stress relief through school, and I genuinely loved it.” However, after leaving school and joining Victoria Police when she was 19, the talented artist said she didn’t pick up a brush or a pencil for almost three years.
“Between the craziness of moving to Melbourne, trying to succeed in the Academy and cementing a solid policing foundation postgraduation, I lost my passion and gave away art,” Sen Const Oates said.
“I went almost three years without painting, and it wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic hit and I had a change of work location that I took it up again
“We’ve certainly seen an increase in impounds alongside the expansion of automated number plate recognition technology across our Highway Patrol vehicles, this has helped detect more unauthorised drivers and allow police to remove them from our roads,” Insp McGregor said.
“On current trends, it’s looking like this year will see us with our highest ever number of impounds.”
VISU recently marked the milestone of 100,000 vehicles seized in its 16 years of operation.
“I really felt like I had lost myself outside of work. I’d been so focused on being a good police officer that I had forgotten what made me who I was as a person.”
Sen Const Oates started painting landscapes of the places she missed and couldn’t visit due to the lockdowns such as the Great Ocean Road.
“I realised that this was my escape from the news and work and within a few weeks I had my passion back,” she said.
“Painting makes me feel really present and relaxed, which translates when I go to work, as I am not stressed.
“I have realised it is so important to have hobbies outside of work, especially for police.”
Editorial: Danielle Ford
Photography: Supplied
Rank: Leading Senior Constable
Graduated: December 2004
Station: Farm Crime Liaison Officer, Proactive Policing Unit, Warragul Police Station
Why did you join Victoria Police?
I was working as a nurse in Warragul and knew I loved helping people. I was looking for a change as I needed some excitement in my life, so I decided to join Victoria Police. I love that I can come to work not knowing what they day is going hold – it’s definitely never boring. I also love that I get the opportunity to work with great people and have made some great friends over the years.
Tell us about your career history.
I joined Victoria Police in 2004 and have worked at Warragul Police station for most of my policing career, with a stint as a Youth Resource Officer at Morwell Police Station prior to my current position.
Tell us about the Farm Crime Liaison Officer role?
Victoria Police has dedicated Farm Crime Liaison Officers (FCLOs) based across the state that specialise in assisting with farm related crimes. The role of FCLOs is to oversee farm crime and livestock theft investigations where required; provide advice, guidance and assistance to police officers; establish and maintain relationships with farming partners; liaise with the farming community; encourage reporting of livestock theft and rural crime; and maintain a contemporary knowledge of local trends and
issues and engage with partners to identify and mitigate risks in farming practice. Part of the role is to encourage farmers to report any incidents of farm crime. In the past, farmers and people who live in rural areas have been reluctant to report the crime as they think there is nothing police can do. But if we don’t know about it, we can’t act. We have a lot more farmers reporting now compared to years ago and a lot of that’s a result of improvements in police engagement with the community through these FCLO roles.
Why is it so important to have a focus on farm crime?
Farmers are hardworking, trusting people who work long hours. Crooks often see them as an easy target as they live in secluded areas and are not always good at locking sheds, houses and vehicles. Farmrelated crimes – particularly livestock theft – are often of significant value and victims not only lose the value of their stock, but also access to future offspring and valuable bloodlines they then need to replace. These crimes affect people’s livelihoods and have a negative impact on not only the victims but also on the rural communities they live in. These farmers already face serious challenges such as fires, droughts and floods.
What is something people would be surprised to know about your role?
My role doesn’t just involve providing farmrelated advice to other members; it also includes things like going to local rodeos and chatting to farmers about how they can protect themselves and their properties. One day I’ll be talking to a farmer about putting ‘private property’ signs on their fences and the next I might be cuddling a kelpie pup at a show.
What is a career highlight/job that stands out for you?
I remember attending an incident where a teenage boy had accidently shot himself in the chest whilst getting onto a four-wheel motorbike. Police were first on the scene and we located him collapsed on the floor inside the house. We were able to provide him with reassurance and first aid until an ambulance attended. He was flown to a Melbourne hospital and fully recovered after months of hospital treatment. I feel grateful to work in a position to help people at times of crisis in their lives and to have the skills to provide reassurance and empathy to victims of crime or people involved in accidents.
Editorial: Danielle Ford
Photography: Supplied
DRUG
ATTEMPTS TO LINK WITH A TRAFFICKING “MOTHERSHIP” IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS, POLICE INVESTIGATORS THOUGHT THEY’D LOST THEIR BEST CHANCE TO PUT THE CRIMINALS BEHIND BARS.
But when the largest warship in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) fleet entered the scene, the hunt for the drug smugglers was back on via a high seas pursuit through the Southern Ocean.
For several months at the end of 2016, Victoria Police had been keeping a Melbourne drug syndicate under surveillance as part of the Victorian Joint Organised Crime Taskforce (JOCTF), which also included the Australian Federal Police (AFP), Australian Border Force (ABF) and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.
Investigators suspected the group of men were teaming with a China-based syndicate to import a significant cocaine shipment into Victoria.
An old, 50-metre Japanese whaling ship known as the Kaiyo Maru 8 had been modified to ferry the cocaine to Australia.
The Kaiyo Maru 8, dubbed the “mothership” by investigators, was due to station itself just beyond Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone, 556 kilometres south of Port Fairy, where Australia’s legal jurisdiction was more limited.
The Melbourne syndicate had organised with its Chinese counterparts to launch a boat from Port Fairy to rendezvous with the mothership in early December 2016 and then transport the cocaine back to shore.
Their first boat, although modified, was not up to the task.
Their second boat fell off its trailer and on to the road at 100km/h.
Their third boat, the Perceive, cost $100,000 in a hasty purchase off an unsuspecting Port Fairy local.
On December 4 the men set sail in the Perceive for the mothership, but rough seas and sea sickness saw them scamper back to Port Fairy after travelling only 132km.
Despite the delays, the Kaiyo Maru 8 continued to wait in international waters.
Rousing their courage for another trip, a crew of three set out on the Perceive at 1.30am on 7 December.
But their hopes of finally linking up with the Kaiyo Maru 8 were dashed when they failed to even safely navigate their way out of the harbour at Port Fairy, crashing on rocks and running aground.
The group not only abandoned the Perceive, but also their plans to secure the cocaine shipment.
Victoria Police Detective Inspector Andrew Gustke said the group’s failure to collect the drugs was a hinderance to the investigation.
“The criminal investigation on shore had hit a ceiling because these knuckleheads couldn’t get their act together to get out to the mothership,” Det Insp Gustke said.
“We probably could have got them on conspiracy charges, but we really needed the drugs to properly nail them.”
Thankfully Maritime Border Command – a multi-agency taskforce enabled by the ABF and the Australian Defence Force (ADF) - had also taken an interest in the Kaiyo Maru 8, monitoring the suspicious ship as it lurked in the waters south of Port Fairy.
The massive warship HMAS Adelaide, which was assigned to Maritime Border Command at the time, was brought in and Victorian JOCTF members boarded to set sail on a course to seize the Kaiyo Maru 8 and any drugs onboard.
Det Insp Gustke was chosen to represent Victoria Police on the Adelaide in a liaison role with the other agencies during the mission.
In the meantime, the Kaiyo Maru 8 had given up on the Melbourne syndicate and began travelling south east, past Tasmania and deep into the Southern Ocean.
What was expected to be a three-day return mission for the Adelaide, turned into a twoweek chase through the high seas.
But it was a chase the Kaiyo Maru 8 was completely unaware of.
While the AFP legal team worked to confirm their jurisdictional authority to seize a ship in international waters, the ADF trained Det Insp Gustke and the AFP and ABF JOCTF representatives to board the ship, either by helicopter or inflatable boat.
“This had to be done covertly,” Det Insp Gustke said.
“It couldn’t be a case of just coming up alongside them, sounding the horn and saying, ‘Pull over please, driver’.
“From the positioning of HMAS Adelaide, to the helicopters, to the inflatable boats, it was all meticulously planned down to the second.”
In the early hours of 12 December, after being given the jurisdictional green light, the Australian authorities made their move.
Special forces commandos swooped in by helicopter to board and take control of the Kaiyo Maru 8.
They were followed in inflatable boats by Det Insp Gustke and the other Victorian JOCTF representatives, who were tasked with detaining the crew and seizing the drugs and other evidence.
The officers risked their lives moving from the inflatable boats onto the Kaiyo Maru 8 in very dangerous seas, but once onboard, they discovered a stash of more than 186 kilograms of cocaine, with a street value of at least $60 million.
The decision was then made to escort the seized ship and its 10-man crew to Hobart.
Det Insp Gustke, his Victorian JOCTF colleagues, ADF personnel and the detainees spent the next five nights on the Kaiyo Maru 8 in torrid and treacherous conditions.
“We didn’t have beds. We had to sleep on the floor of this putrid old ship,” he said.
“But the really scary parts were when the engine broke down, twice.
“We were told we were in danger and to get our life jackets on because a ship stopped like that in such high seas is very vulnerable to tipping over.
“The waves were so strong they had smashed through the windows of the ship’s bridge.” They were also told conditions were such that it may have been too dangerous for the helicopters from the Adelaide to rescue them. Having to abandon ship into the rough and freezing waters of the Southern Ocean was a potentially fatal prospect.
“At this stage we were closer to Antarctica than New Zealand, let alone Australia,” Det Insp Gustke said.
“We had come to a realisation that this was how it might end for us.”
But he said the valiant efforts of RAN engineers saw the ship’s engine repaired on both occasions. “It was the skill and efforts of the ADF working together that brought us all home. I am so proud of our Defence Force and how they worked during this dangerous operation.”
Back on shore, the Victoria JOCTF raided properties across Melbourne and Queensland on 18 January, 2017 and arrested six men involved in the Victorian syndicate on charges of attempting to import a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug.
The ringleaders of the Melbourne syndicate were given prison sentences ranging between 14 years and 20 years, and the master of the mothership will highly likely be returned to China after he serves 16 years and six months (with a minimum of 10 years) behind bars.
Image Cocaine capture
01 HMAS Adelaide hunts down the drug mothership the Kaiyo Maru 8 in the Southern Ocean.
02 More than 186 kilograms of cocaine, with a street value of at least $60 million, was seized as part of the investigation.
03 Victorian Joint Organised Crime Taskforce officers arrest one of the drug syndicate offenders.
04 Det Insp Andrew Gustke (far left) with Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force members on board HMAS Adelaide.
Editorial: Jesse Wray-McCann
Photography: Supplied
Constable Liz Keck is only halfway through the week-long driving course all new police must pass, and she is already amazed by what she has learned.
At the centre of everything taught to her during the intensive course are the observation skills crucial to driving safely at high speeds.
“We’ve learned so much about how to scan the roads that I feel like I was pretty much driving blind before coming on this course,” Const Keck said.
The head of Victoria Police’s Driver Training Unit Acting Senior Sergeant Peter Hawksworth said Const Keck’s response was common for course students.
“All good driving comes down to good observations,” A/Sen Sgt Hawksworth said.
“I say to students that it’s like having their eyes on high beam.
“So we often have students saying to us things like, ‘I feel like I've just been tossing a coin whether I'm going to make it to my destination or not before I came to you guys because I didn't know what to look at on the roads’.”
The Driver Training Unit – made up of one senior sergeant, six sergeants and 36 other officers as instructors – is responsible for making sure all Victoria Police officers have the skills needed to drive safely and effectively to an emergency.
The standard operational car course Const Keck took part in is the main course the unit offers and must be successfully passed if an officer is to get behind the wheel of a police car. It involves five days of theory and practical training, which includes a mix of city, country and freeway driving.
At the end of the week, instructors will assess whether the officer will be given a silver licence,
which allows them to reach speeds up to 150km/h, or a restricted silver licence, which allows them to drive up to 25km/h above the posted speed limit.
Prospective highway patrol officers must pass the advanced training course to get their gold licence, which has no limit on how fast they can drive.
The unit also runs other courses, including a four-wheel-driving course and a defensive driving course.
A/Sen Sgt Hawksworth said they train all their students to drive with a planned response, rather than a purely reactionary response.
“We teach them what to look for on the roads, how to look well ahead and how to recognise the behaviours of other road users, all so they can see what will happen before it actually happens,” he said.
“With good observations comes good assessment, and with good assessment comes a good driving plan, and by 'good', I mean ‘early’.”
A/Sen Sgt Hawksworth said once students had developed their observation skills, instructors could help train them in the best ways to handle the car.
“We want all their driving to be smooth, even if it’s at 150km/h because smoother is safer,” he said.
“They should be able to rock us instructors to sleep, even though they're doing urgent duty driving.
“I always say, even during a pursuit, 'Just imagine I've got a cup of coffee on my dashboard, I don't want you to spill any of it'.”
Const Keck said she was thankful for the way the course made all the observation and car handling skills second nature for her.
“Taking this week now to make all of this muscle memory for us is so important,” she said.
“Because, when we’re out responding to an actual emergency, there are so many other things we need to concentrate on, like formulating a plan with our partner and listening to updates on the radio.”
A/Sen Sgt Hawksworth sees the work of he and his Driver Training Unit colleagues as vital for the safety of all police officers, other road users and the Victorian community.
“More coppers have died in cars than in any other way,” A/Sen Sgt Hawksworth said. “These courses are not just about failing or passing an exam. We're talking about life and death.
“To respond to a critical incident where someone’s life is at risk, we need to make sure our officers aren’t putting their own lives and other drivers’ lives at risk, so that’s always our motivation when we get in that passenger seat as instructors.”
Every day across the state, thousands of people don the blue uniform and head out to serve and protect the community.
While most return home at the end of each shift after a job well done, over the years there have been hundreds of officers who sadly don’t make it home – those who have been killed in the line of duty.
Every year on National Police Remembrance Day, 29 September, police and the public across Victoria and the country pause to remember those brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
With COVID-19 having forced services to be held online for the last two years, police from across Victoria will once again gather in person on 29 September to mark the day.
A metropolitan march and service will be held in Melbourne at the Victoria Police Memorial Wall and regional services will also be held across the state.
The Victoria Police Memorial Wall, located within the Kings Domain gardens on St Kilda Road, includes an honour roll featuring the names of 174 Victoria Police officers who have died in the line of duty.
Sadly, at this year’s service, a new name will be added to the wall.
Taking the giant leap to leave the small town she grew up in and move interstate on her own at 19, Senior Constable Bria Joyce joined Victoria Police in August 2016.
From the moment she stepped onto the hallowed grounds of the Victoria Police Academy, Senior Constable Joyce captivated her squad mates with her intelligence, bubbly smile and “tough-as-nails” attitude.
“During our Academy training, Bria quickly proved that she was intelligent and extremely talented in pretty much everything she did,” Senior Constable Joyce’s squad mate Senior Constable Alana Downie said.
“She was happy, smiley and friendly, but she was also tough-as-nails, and the squad quickly learned not to mess with her.
“From the first day I met her, I had absolutely no doubt that Bria would make it, not only as a police officer, but in all aspects of her life, and that she would succeed beyond her own beliefs.”
This view of Bria was held by all who worked with her and she quickly impressed colleagues at Moonee Ponds Police Station, where she was stationed after graduating from the Academy in April 2017.
“Bria and I were lucky enough to have a small time working together at Moonee Ponds, where she made such a strong impact on the crew and made some lifelong friends,” Senior Constable Downie said.
“As a police officer, she stuck to her convictions and would dig in, work her butt off and do what was needed to make things work.
“She would throw that smile into the world and run head-on towards the things that scared and challenged her.
“All these things meant Bria was exceptional at her job but she was more than a police officer. She was passionate, strong-willed, fiery and talented.”
After a short time at Moonee Ponds, Senior Constable Joyce decided to trade in the big smoke for country life and moved to Mildura, joining the uniform police in the rural town. She quickly settled in, both at work and in her personal life, making many lifelong friends who became like family.
In November 2018, Senior Constable Joyce took on a new challenge, joining the Mildura Highway Patrol team, where she continued to excel.
Senior Constable Joyce was driving while undertaking regular duties on 8 April 2022 when she was killed in a collision on a rural road between Red Cliffs and Iraak near Mildura.
Her colleague who was in the passenger seat of the police car was seriously injured in the accident and continues to recover today.
The loss of Senior Constable Joyce had a huge impact on her family, friends, colleagues and the whole Victoria Police family.
“Every single person who knew Bria was luckywas privileged,” Senior Constable Downie said. “She was such a good friend to so many. She was loving, generous and thought of everyone else first.
“She would give the shirt off her back just to ensure those around her were safe, happy and healthy. She would expect nothing in return but friendship, and that was an easy thing to give her.”
Senior Constable Joyce is survived by her mother Diane and her partner Kyle.
She will be posthumously awarded the National Police Service Medal, the National Medal, the VP Star and the Victoria Police Service Medal on National Police Remembrance Day.
Image Pausing to remember
01 National Police Remembrance Day will be held at the Victoria Police Memorial Wall in Melbourne on 29 September.
02 Senior Constable Bria Joyce's name will be added to the wall on National Police Remembrance Day this year.
Editorial: Danielle Ford
Photography: Jesse Wray-McCann and supplied
Senior Sergeant David Sheppard and his team of plainclothes police know more about Victoria’s nightlife than most.
Having visited some of the state’s most wellknown bars, pubs and clubs, members of the State Liquor Unit are what some might call seasoned partygoers.
But they’re out and about for good reason.
The State Liquor Unit, which first started out as a taskforce in 2008, aims to reduce risks associated with licensed premises through early intervention.
“Our number one goal is to help keep patrons safe,” Sen Sgt Sheppard said.
“To achieve this, we visit a wide range of licensed venues across the state all year round, with the aim of identifying and preventing offences related to liquor licence non-compliance.
“But we don’t target a venue without reason.”
The State Liquor Unit provides specialist skills to support Local Area Commanders, managers, and operational members in policing of the liquor industry.
The unit uses a variety of intelligence tools to identify locations that cause, or have been associated with, risks such as violence, sexual assault and drink-spiking.
Once a venue has been identified as a location of interest, Sen Sgt Sheppard sends a team of plainclothes police officers out to investigate.
“This is one of the most important parts of our work,” Sen Sgt Sheppard said.
“It’s our opportunity to confirm if offending is taking place and gather evidence where possible.
“If our officers observe any harmful behaviour or activity, we can intervene immediately and take action to prevent further incidents.”
The next crucial step for the unit is discussing the issues with venue management.
“If people are getting assaulted at a licensed venue every weekend, there’s a good chance the venue managers or licensees are aware of it,” Sen Sgt Sheppard said.
“If they’re not aware, we can speak to them about why the harmful behaviour might be occurring and what they can do to prevent it.”
“But if they are aware, we obviously need to step in – because they’re not managing well enough.”
Sen Sgt Sheppard stressed that venue managers ‘set the standard’, just like they do in any other workplace.
“If a manager allows harmful behaviour in the workplace, then the work environment can become toxic,” Sen Sgt Sheppard said.
“But if a manager follows the rules and does the right thing by employees, customers and the like, the work environment is positive and the chance of harmful behaviour occurring is slim.”
It’s an analogy that Sen Sgt Sheppard and his team use frequently when dealing with managers and licensees, but it’s not always well received.
“Managers often tell us that you can’t apply the theory to licensed venues,” Sen Sgt Sheppard said. “But that’s just not the case.
“If a manager hasn’t told their staff and crowd controllers to keep an eye out for patrons who are intoxicated, that’s clearly problematic.”
Sen Sgt Sheppard’s officers couldn’t agree more, having seen the consequences of intoxication first-hand.
“A patron who’s intoxicated is significantly more likely to cause trouble or commit an offence than a patron who’s sober,” one plainclothes officer said.
“This is why it’s so important managers tell their staff and crowd controllers to ‘cut those patrons off’ or escort them out of the venue.
“While working with venue management to resolve these issues can be time-consuming, it’s absolutely necessary. It’s the only way to ensure they understand the potential impact of their inaction.”
Conversations with venue management can also help police determine whether there’s anything else going on behind the scenes.
However, on the occasions when licensed venues are suspected to be engaging in serious
criminal activity, the State Liquor Unit is forced to rely on intelligence, research and evidence.
“Operations where we’re tasked with identifying and cracking-down on venues engaged in crime such as sex trafficking, drug trade or the purchase of counterfeit alcohol are definitely more complex,” Sen Sgt Sheppard said.
“It’s on these occasions that we partner with other Victoria Police work units, such as the Sex Industry Coordination Unit or the Public Order Response Team.
“We also communicate with external agencies like Work Safe, to make sure they’re aware of any potential risk to employees.”
While Sen Sgt Sheppard knows the unit’s presence at licensed venues might come as a surprise to many, he wanted to make one thing clear.
“We’re not the fun police,” he said.
“We just want people to be able to go out and have a good time without fear of being affected by severely intoxicated individuals or other criminal activity.”
Like so many other Victoria Police work units, the sole purpose of the State Liquor Unit is to keep members of the public safe – particularly as Victoria heads into a summer without COVID-related restrictions.
“You’ll be out on a Friday night and won’t even know we’re there,” Sen Sgt Sheppard said.
“But that’s okay with me, because that’s how we do our best work."
Editorial: Lane Mihaljevic
General duties officers form the foundation of Victoria Police and play an essential part in serving and protecting the Victorian community. They are the first responders at any reported crime and provide service to the community 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
To ensure these officers are capable of responding to whatever comes their way, they wear a specially-designed uniform and carry a wide range of equipment.
A
Used by officers to record incidents while on patrol.
Used by officers to communicate.
A means of distinguishing officers’ ranks – also known as ‘epaulettes’.
21 Conducted Energy Device (CED)
An electroshock weapon, also known as a ‘taser’, used as a non-lethal option to temporarily incapacitate a person. All frontline police and protective services officers will receive CEDs as part of a five-year rollout set to start in 2023.
22 CED belt holster
Used to secure the CED to an officer’s equipment belt. Alternatively, officers may choose to wear a leg holster.
23 Long sleeve undergarment
A long sleeve shirt worn beneath the ballistic vest for comfort. The long sleeves are designed to protect officers from both cold weather and the sun.
Sifting through the personal effects of the victims killed in an aircraft crash in Papua New Guinea in 2009, Sergeant Trevor Blake recalls opening the final wallet he had to examine that day.
“I remember pulling out a child’s hand drawn picture that read ‘Come home soon Dad’,” Sgt Blake said.
“When the other police members who were around me saw it, I immediately noticed a lot of tears welling in their eyes.”
Having been a founding member of Victoria Police’s Chemical, Biological and Radiological and Disaster Victim Identification (CBR/DVI) Unit, which was established in 2003, attending multi-casualty disasters like this one, both in Australia and overseas, is part of the job.
In addition to the Papua New Guinea plane crash, Sgt Blake’s position has seen him attend the scenes of a helicopter crash at Mount Disappointment in Victoria that
claimed the lives of five people earlier this year, the 2004 Thailand tsunami, the 2007 Kerang rail collision, and the Victorian bushfires that ravaged the state in 2009, claiming the lives of 173 people.
Recalling the 2009 Victorian bushfires, Sgt Blake said at the peak of the disaster there were 18 DVI teams working to identify victims across the affected areas.
“The magnitude of those fires was so big we were working from 7am to 11pm almost every day, with DVI-qualified police coming from across Australia and countries as far away as Indonesia to assist,” Sgt Blake said.
“Each of these teams comprised of a detective to make sure there was no criminal element involved in the death of located victims, which sadly needed to occur to make sure people weren’t taking advantage of the situation.”
The need for a specialised unit with CBR/DVI capabilities was identified following terrorist attacks in the United States in 2001 and Bali in 2002 to ensure Victoria Police was equipped should a similar mass fatality event ever happen on home soil. So, swift action was taken to establish the CBR/DVI Unit, ensuring it was fully operational in time for the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.
Interestingly, the organisation’s CBR/DVI Unit is the only one of its kind in Australia that has designated disaster victim identification, and chemical, biological, and radiological response trained members within the one Unit.
Because of this, the team is often called upon to respond to any type of disaster happening in Victoria, Australia or around the world.
The highly-trained team is required to work with potentially deadly substances, aimed at causing maximum harm to the community, a skill that was a focus following a string of CBR-related attacks across the globe.
“In the early 2000s when anthrax attacks and threats were happening across the United States, there were copycat cases happening here too,” Sgt Blake said.
“That’s why we also provide a suspicious powder response using our detection equipment warfare detectors to deal with any chemical, biological or radiological release that may occur.”
Even with the unit’s wide-ranging capabilities, it’s the DVI capacity Sgt Blake says can make his job particularly challenging.
DVI is a four-phase method used to identify victims of human-created or natural mass casualty incidents.
There are globally-accepted standards for DVI protocols, produced by INTERPOL, which Sgt Blake said make it possible for the team to work interstate and globally.
“These shared protocols and the uniform approach to DVI are what allow us to travel interstate and internationally to help with DVI efforts after multi-casualty incidents where visual identification isn’t possible,” he said.
“By completing DVI, we can ensure all victims are treated with respect and dignity, because relying on visual identification alone can lead to a potential mine field.”
Sgt Blake points to a case in the United States in the early 2000s that highlights the importance of the DVI process.
“Two girls were involved in a car accident and both had severe facial injuries,” he said.
“Somehow, a responder at the scene picked up a driver license belonging to one of the people involved and put it into the wrong pocket of a deceased girl.
“The family of that girl was told she had died, and the family of the other girl was told that she was alive at hospital.
“So, this family go to the hospital, and for about four weeks they think the poor girl who is covered in head bandages is theirs, while the other girl is buried.
“It’s a tragic story, and one of many incidences across the world where people have been released on visual identification alone, and it has been incorrect.”
When an incident occurs, the DVI team is one of the first called to the scene and the process starts with scene examination that involves recovery of the deceased and their property.
With incidents like the plane crash in Papua New Guinea that required Sgt Blake to spend a week at the site, the type of incident, where it occurred, and the conditions at the site mean this can be a long process.
“At this time, human remains recovered were also given unique DVI numbers that we referred to during the identification process,” he said.
During the post-mortem in Port Moresby, specialists examined the human remains and recorded all the identifying features of the remains.
“They were looking at features unique to each person, such as their fingerprints, dental, DNA, and physical indications such as tattoos, scars or pacemaker with a serial number,” Sgt Blake said.
DNA and fingerprint reference samples were also obtained from the victims’ homes in Australia and Papua New Guinea for the ante-mortem process.
During the final phase of the process, known as reconciliation, the post-mortem and antemortem samples collected from victims involved in the crash were compared.
“Matching data was then scrutinised by the experts to ensure a positive match,” Sgt Blake said. The specialist DVI teams on location in Papua New Guinea were able to positively identify all the deceased from the plane crash and the victims were returned to their families.
The team has added a debrief to the process, which involves the CBR/DVI members talking about the job and asking, ‘This is what happened, and this is what our method was – can we do it better?’.
Sgt Blake’s unwavering dedication to the unit and its work, enhancement of Victoria's DVI capability, and commitment to the development of this specialist discipline saw him awarded an Australian Police Medal (APM) last year. Although the nature of DVI work is rewarding, he said this is not the type of job that anyone can do.
“You never know how you're going to react when you actually see the aftermath of a multi-fatality incident,” Sgt Blake said.
According to Sgt Blake, what makes the job particularly challenging is when there is a link between yourself and the victim.
“I find the hardest part of the work is when I attend a scene, especially if there's children involved,” he said.
“We recover the body and then it goes to the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine for further examination.
“But two days later when you're in the privacy of your own home, having breakfast and you open up the newspaper and find a picture of the little girl who you pulled out of this disaster, you automatically start getting a connection with her, and then you start asking why this poor kid had to die in this way, and that's when it really starts to hit you hard.”
But Sgt Blake will keep doing this important job to ensure each person is treated with the respect and dignity that he would want for his own family, and to bring closure to victims’ families.
“If I can do this, then it’s a job well done, and that's what it's all about.”
Image Skilled searchers
01. Because of the work of Victoria Police’s CBR/DVI Unit, victims of local and international mass-casualty events can be identified and returned home to their families.
02. CBR/DVI members searching for bone fragments at a crash site.
Editorial: Emily Wan
Photography: Scott McNaughton
“By completing DVI we can ensure all victims are treated with respect and dignity, because relying on visual identification alone can lead to a potential mine field.”
Called to an aggravated burglary earlier this year, Leading Senior Constable Michelle Dench and her four-legged offsider Devil knew exactly what was required of them.
The female victim, an off-duty police member, awoke to a male offender standing over her bed. The victim bravely chased him out of her home where he escaped on foot.
After speaking to the victim and gathering the information required to start their search, Ldg Sen Const Dench and Devil headed off to track the offender.
Putting his tracking skills to work, Devil quickly located the offender hiding under a property about a kilometre away from the victim’s house, making it one of the greatest catches of the team’s career.
It’s jobs and outcomes like this that keep Ldg Sen Const Dench passionate about the work she does.
“The nature of the offence made the catch even more satisfying. The relief from the victim is what this job is all about,” Ldg Sen Const Dench said. Ldg Sen Const Dench has been a general purpose (GP) dog handler – and arguably one of the best dog trainers – in the Dog Squad for fifteen years.
While for many, career progression means chasing promotions to higher ranks, Ldg Sen Const Dench is right where she belongs, with Devil by her side.
Having been promoted to the rank of sergeant in 2015, Ldg Sen Const Dench quickly realised it wasn’t where she wanted to be.
“It took me away from what I love doing, which is being out on the street, working a dog,” Ldg Sen Const Dench said.
“I was sending the crew to different jobs and always thinking, ‘I want to be out there’.”
After months of soul searching and discussing with her managers, Ldg Sen Const Dench stepped down from the role to return to GP handler duties.
“I took the reversion and I knew it was the right decision. The love for the job had returned and I never looked back.”
The self-confessed ‘crazy dog lady’ will tell anyone who listens just how great her job is.
“I still pinch myself every day and can’t believe the job that I’ve got. I’m very lucky,” Ldg Sen Const Dench said.
The obvious drawcard to the Dog Squad is Devil, a five-year-old Belgian Malinois, who was matched with Ldg Sen Const Dench at eight weeks old and has been part of her family ever since.
The pair lives, works and trains together, forming a lifelong bond beyond the hours of duty.
Despite his name, given to him in honour of a military dog killed in action in Afghanistan, Devil is known in the squad for his affectionate nature.
“Devil’s ability to track offenders is outstanding.
And his siege work goes beyond natural instincts,” Ldg Sen Const Dench said.
“But he can also get anyone in uniform to give him a belly rub.”
As well as her four-legged colleague, Ldg Sen Const is also drawn to the operational and physical aspects of her role.
“There are shifts where we’re jumping 20 or more fences and running kilometres at a time – rain, hail or shine,” she said.
“And all this while holding onto a 40-kilogram dog full of power and enthusiasm.”
When they aren’t training or called to a pursuit or siege, the pair still assists local stations and members in any way required. From local patrolling to stopping and inspecting cars, they are both happiest when on the ground.
It’s no surprise, then, that GP handlers like to keep fit, play sport and maintain healthy lifestyles to keep up with their duties.
The fitness test to join the specialised unit requires GP applicants to perform specific tasks, such as endurance running, scaling walls and obstacles and carrying a dog for a set amount of time. Unlike arbitrary recruitment tests that typically include chin-ups and push-ups, GP handler requirements are much more fit-for-purpose.
Ldg Sen Const Dench believes the selection criteria is much better aligned to the GP role, an improvement from when she applied in 2007.
“It was rigorous, but it wasn’t aligned with what we actually do day-to-day,” Ldg Sen Const Dench said.
“It knocked a lot of females out, which was a shame, because it didn’t mean they couldn’t do the role.”
“Without a shadow of doubt, females can work a dog as well as a man can.”
While the Dog Squad was always her ambition, Ldg Sen Const Dench spent her first 10 years in other areas at Victoria Police, gaining broader experience at the Vehicle Crime Squad and Yarra Crime Investigation Unit.
“I had a feeling that once I joined the Dog Squad I probably wasn’t going to do anything else for the rest of my career,” Ldg Sen Const Dench said. “And I was right. I’ll be here until I retire.”
The sentiment is shared across the squad, whose passionate members stay for years.
“When you get to the Dog Squad, no one leaves because we all love what we do. We all love our jobs, we love the work, we love our dogs.”
Image Canine colleague
Ldg Sen Const Michelle Dench is happiest when she is working side-by-side with her four-legged offsider Devil. As part of Victoria Police’s Dog Squad, the team track and apprehend offenders.
Editorial: Sarah Larsen
Photography: Danielle Ford
“I HAD A FEELING THAT ONCE I JOINED THE DOG SQUAD I PROBABLY WASN’T GOING TO DO ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE REST OF MY CAREER
Ldg Sen Const Dench
Home to spectacular beaches and the winding, picturesque Great Ocean Road, the Geelong and Surf Coast region is now also home to two new police motorcycles.
The new additions to the local Highway Patrol fleet will give police an added tool in its road safety arsenal, helping them minimise road trauma in the area.
Well-regarded for their ability to manoeuvre tight surrounds and allow police a closer view of road users behaving badly, Greater Geelong Highway Patrol Senior Sergeant Craig Stevens said the bikes and their unique abilities are essential for road policing in the local area. “We have a very unique area with some roads that can be difficult to police in a car due to narrow lanes, tight bends and blind turns,” Sen Sgt Stevens said.
“The agility of the bikes means you can complete U-turns to intercept vehicles in no space at all or pull up to tap on the window of a driver using their phone in traffic.”
After a spate of motorcycle collisions in the area and some observed challenges in detecting distraction, seatbelt and speeding offences, the local unit sourced two motorcycles, also known as solos, to trial temporarily in December 2020.
“It had been seven years since we had solos dedicated to our unit, so we were really happy to have them back,” Sen Sgt Stevens said. “The results of the trial were outstanding and led us to apply for some bikes on a permanent basis.”
The team held on to the temporary bikes while waiting for the permanent solos to arrive, and the positive results continued.
In the initial 12-month period, there was a 39 per cent increase in speed and seatbelt offence enforcement and a 26 per cent increase in distraction offences detected.
Solo rider Acting Sergeant Justin Holland said the initial success of the bikes, and a worrying motorcycle collision statistic inspired him to develop a dedicated operation to engage and have conversations about safety with the motorcyclist community.
“We were seeing that 84 per cent of motorcycle collisions in our area were single vehicle collisions, which told me that a lot of these riders are unfamiliar with the roads and riding outside their ability,” A/Sgt Holland said.
“Operation Rider gave us the opportunity to carve out some dedicated time to not only check safety compliance but also have really productive conversations about safety with the motorcyclist community.”
Throughout Operation Rider, police solo members regularly engaged with groups of up to 30 recreational riders, usually while they were already pulled over for food or coffee stops. A common concern was being out of practice after Victoria’s COVID lockdowns, when many recreational riders had their bikes out of action for months at a time.
“As much as the old analogy of ‘it’s like riding a bike’ is thrown around, unfortunately that’s not the case,” A/Sgt Holland said.
“It’s a perishable skill and, if you haven’t gone for a ride in a few months, it’s easy to forget the little tips and tricks to stay safe and in control.”
In April 2022, Sen Sgt Stevens and A/Sgt Holland were thrilled to welcome their two new and highly-anticipated solos to the Geelong Highway Patrol fleet.
“There was definitely a bit of a Christmas morning feel to the day with a lot of buzz around the office,” Sen Sgt Stevens said.
“We have four very keen riders at the moment and more coming on board soon so we can have the solos out on the road for as many shifts as possible.”
The unit plans to continue working with the community to ensure the safest possible environment for all road users, with solo riders particularly focused on motorcyclists.
“All of us solo riders are motorbike enthusiasts ourselves, so that gives us credibility with other riders and the feedback we’ve had from the community has been excellent,” A/Sgt Holland said. “It’s important for us to make it clear that we’re not here to ruin their ride, but to make sure everyone can enjoy themselves and still get home to their loved ones in one piece.”
Image Riding towards road safety
Leading Senior Constable Sven Bartels and Senior Constable Paul Trentini patrol the Greater Geelong area on new police motorcycles, the latest additions to the local road policing fleet.
Editorial: Cassandra Stanghi
Photography: Brendan McCarthy
With motorcyclists accounting for one in five lives lost on Victorian roads so far this year, initiatives to prioritise motorcyclist safety, including those underway in Greater Geelong, have never been timelier.
Sadly, the broader picture of road trauma across Victoria is equally sombre.
Among other over-represented road user cohorts involved in fatal collisions are pedestrians, with 28 killed before August this year, almost double the number at the same time in 2021.
Speed, impaired driving, distraction, seatbelt noncompliance and fatigue continue to significantly contribute to serious injuries and deaths on Victorian roads.
Police are working hard to deter people from engaging in these high-risk behaviours by expanding drug testing capabilities to more operational units and increasing enforcement activity in high-risk locations identified by enhanced intelligence practices.
Road Policing Command Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said Victoria Police is committed to minimising road trauma across the state and will continue to hold offenders to account.
“Whether you’re in a car, on a bike or using the road as a pedestrian, we will keep doing everything we can to keep you safe – including targeting and enforcing against those who engage in risky behaviour on our roads,” AC Weir said.
“Even one life lost is one too many and a single bad decision is all it takes to cause a tragedy.”
*All statistics current as of 31 July 2022
is the phone number people can text ‘STOPIT’ to in order to notify police about non-emergency unwanted sexual and anti-social behaviour on public transport. Read about the new service on Page 13.
police custody officers (PCOs) are based at 22 locations across Victoria. PCOs are responsible for managing persons in Victoria Police custody.
0499 455 455 394 2003
11,000 30 89
is the approximate number of body-worn cameras currently in operation across Victoria Police. These cameras are used to capture real time audio and video recordings of interactions between officers and the public.
is the year the Chemical, Biological & Radiological and Disaster Victim Identification Unit was established. Read more about the work the unit does on Page 16.
is the maximum number of horses owned and cared for by the Victoria Police Mounted Branch.
is the number of motorbikes used by the Victoria Police fleet. Read about the two newest additions on Page 20.
cars belonging to hoons won’t be hitting the road any time soon unless their owners bring the vehicles up to scratch. Police inspected the vehicles in August as part of Operation Achilles. The cars were already impounded as a result of illegal hoon driving offences, including burnouts and speeding, and the defect notices mean the owners will need to collect their cars from the impound unit with a tow truck or a trailer. Once they have fixed the defect, they will need to obtain a roadworthy certificate before the car is allowed back on Victorian roads. Read more on Page 18.
29 September
is the date National Police Remembrance Day is observed each year. The day commemorates police who have died in the line of duty while serving the community. Read more about this year's service on Page 10.
Victorian commuters are feeling safer while travelling on the state’s public transport network thanks to a new public safety notification service – the first of its kind in Australia.
Developed by Victoria Police’s Transit Safety Division (TSD), STOPIT is part of a strategy to increase reporting of non-emergency unwanted sexual and anti-social behaviour on public transport in order to address these issues.
By using STOPIT, the public is now able to instantly and discreetly alert police to offences they experience or witness while on public transport.
The service works by users texting ‘STOPIT’ to 0499 455 455, which generates an automatic reply SMS containing a URL that the user clicks to start the reporting process – either while the incident is happening or after it has occurred.
Users aren’t required to provide their details, however police can follow up with them using their mobile number. Images can be uploaded, or users can indicate they have video, to support the notification.
Once completed, the notification is sent to TSD to review.
“Because of the data we’ve collected from STOPIT notifications so far, we’re better positioned to understand the most common types of offences, when and where they’re occurring, and identify offenders,” TSD Superintendent Matthew Ryan said.
“This means we have a greater ability to take more targeted action against unwanted sexual and anti-social behaviour crimes.”
These offences can have a devastating and long-lasting impact on victims – who are most commonly women and girls – and reduces their confidence to take a train, tram or bus when travelling according to Superintendent Alison Boyes, formerly of TSD who managed the development of STOPIT.
“Research has shown that between 75 to 90 per cent of these offences weren’t reported to police, so we didn’t have a complete picture of the type of unwanted sexual and anti-social behaviour crimes that were being committed, where and when they were happening, and who offenders were,” Supt Boyes said.
“This was one of the key reasons behind the development of the service, and why it is so important for police to have a tool that captures this information and lets us analyse trends in offending to best use the organisation’s resources.
“Now, using STOPIT, people are quickly and easily reporting these crimes to police that they may not have reported before, typically because they didn’t think it was serious enough or didn’t have an easy way to do it.”
To further increase awareness around unwanted sexual behaviour on public transport and encourage reporting, Victoria Police also ran a state-wide campaign as part of the launch of STOPIT that featured across digital, social, audio, and outdoor media.
Supt Ryan said the campaign helped educate the community about the prevalence of this crime on public transport to further remove the normalisation that this behaviour should be expected, or that public transport users should become accustomed to it.
It also served to remind the public about how to report these crimes using STOPIT.
Once a crime of this nature is reported, in seven out of 10 cases TSD’s Crime Investigation Unit can identity the offender.
It’s important for the community to understand that STOPIT is a notification service only, so an immediate police or protective services officer response is not provided and some people may not be contacted regarding their submission. If urgent assistance is required people should still call Triple Zero (000), or in non-emergency cases, visit a police station to complete a formal report.
Supt Ryan said TSD takes unwanted sexual behaviour and anti-social offences seriously, and with the introduction of STOPIT, the division can deploy resources to locations where they are most needed.
“This means a highly-visible and active police and protective services officer presence to deter and apprehend offenders, and to provide more support and reassurance to victims of these crimes,” he said.
Editorial: Emily Wan
Photography: Brent Houghton
In March 2020, Inspector Chris Allen set out on a mission to amplify the voices of his local disability community.
But when COVID-19 began to spread across the state, the former Community Engagement and Road Policing Inspector was forced to go back to the drawing board.
“We were just about ready to go,” Insp Allen said. “I’d spent several months working with my colleagues and external stakeholders to set up a series of forums for members of the community with intellectual or physical disability.
“The program was designed for residents of the Moreland, Moonee Valley and Hume local government areas and was going to be delivered in-person at Fawkner Police Station.”
But things just didn’t go to plan.
“When the first state-wide lockdown was announced, it quickly became clear that the forums would have to be postponed,” Insp Allen said.
“Like everyone else, we weren’t sure what the future held – but what we were sure of was that we wanted to come up with something new.”
Within just a few weeks, Insp Allen and his colleagues had gathered the names and contact details of almost 60 locals with disability.
A team of 15 police officers was then assembled to conduct regular ‘check-ins’ with each and every person.
“We contacted these members of the community via phone,” Insp Allen said.
“This allowed us to gauge how the pandemic was affecting them and listen to their community safety concerns without coming into physical contact.”
While some individuals used the check-ins as an opportunity to bring officers’ attention to issues such as poor street lighting, others just answered the phone for a chat.
“We didn’t make the calls with any expectations,” Insp Allen said.
“We just wanted to make sure members of the disability community knew we were there to listen.”
The outreach initiative was so successful that the Office of the Public Advocate (OPA) presented Insp Allen with the 2021 Ben Bodna award for ‘Outstanding Police Service to People with Disability’ in March this year.
Victorian Public Advocate Dr Colleen Pearce told Police Life that the award was well-deserved.
"The human stories behind all of the recipients’ work is incredibly moving,” Dr Pearce said.
“It showcases police in an impressive light which gives a lot of confidence in the system and its evolution towards a more compassionate approach to people with a disability."
But Victoria Police’s connection with the OPA extends further than this award.
The organisation works closely with the OPA to deliver a range of disability services – including the Independent Third Persons (ITP) program. ITPs provide assistance to members of the disability community during the police interview and statement-taking process.
They work with people of all ages and are trained to support individuals with various cognitive impairments, such as an intellectual disability, acquired brain injury, dementia or mental illness.
“The ITP program is a human rights safeguard for members of the disability community,” Dr Pearce said.
“Whether an individual is a witness, victim or alleged offender, they should have access to this service.”
Because of this, ITPs are in high demand across the state.
“Victoria Police called for an ITP more than 3800 times this year,” Dr Pearce said. “But we’re anticipating next year will be the program’s busiest year since its launch 34 years ago.
“To prepare for the projected increase in requests, the OPA will continue to work with Victoria Police to help grow the number of ITP volunteers across the state.”
That’s where Victoria Police’s Disability Portfolio team comes in.
Sitting within the Priority and Safer Communities Division (PSCD), the Disability Portfolio acts as an internal point of contact for all enquiries relating to the disability community.
“The portfolio’s responsibility is to raise police capability in engaging with members of the community who have an intellectual or physical disability,” PSCD Commander Lisa Hardeman said.
“Part of our work is developing action plans and guidelines to ensure members of the disability community are provided with the support and adjustments they need, both within the organisation and the community at large.
“But working directly with frontline employees is another big part of what we do – whether it’s to help deliver services like the ITP program or to assist stations with training days.”
As chairperson of the Disability Portfolio Reference Group, Cmdr Hardeman is also a proud supporter of employee initiatives designed to serve the disability community.
“The outreach program led by Insp Allen was fantastic,” she said.
“It’s work like this that demonstrates Victoria Police’s continued commitment to support and learn from members of the disability community.”
Despite only starting in his new role as Whittlesea Local Area Commander 12 months ago, Insp Allen has already reached out to local disability services to form connections.
“I haven’t been here long, but I’ve already been fortunate enough to meet and spend time with members of the disability community at local events and gatherings,” Insp Allen said.
“Engaging with these individuals is one of the best parts of my job and it’s something I’m really passionate about.
“So I can’t tell you how fantastic it is to work alongside so many others who feel the same way.”
02 03
Image Connecting with community
01 Insp Allen spending time with members of the disability community at Lifetrobe Lifeskills
02 A young male with intellectual disability tries on Insp Allen’s ballistics vest.
03 Insp Allen pictured with his 2021 Public Advocate Award for Outstanding Police Service to People with Disability.
Editorial: Lane Mihaljevic
Fitting more than 170 years of policing history into the new, state-of-the-art Victoria Police Museum is a massive task.
It’s a responsibility Victoria Police’s Museum and Historical Services team has tackled with expertise and determination.
The relocated museum will reopen in early 2023 and feature select items on display from a collection of more than 200,000 pieces, including 13,000 physical objects.
The team is working on the new design with other museum sector suppliers including Thylacine, POD Museum and Art Services, Arterial Design, Grace Fine Art, and Commando Storage Systems.
The museum showcases Victorian history through the lens of policing and social history. Victoria Police was formed in January 1853, with police present in Victoria since the 1830s. Part of the collection are two sets of armour worn by the Kelly Gang and the remains of the car that was used in the bombing of the former police headquarters on Russell Street. Museum and Historical Services Manager
Laura Miles said the new museum at the Victoria Police Centre (VPC) on Spencer Street in Melbourne will attract a variety of visitors.
“The space is designed to create a meaningful experience for all visitors, whether they stay for two minutes or two hours,” Ms Miles said.
“The aim of the museum is to interpret Victoria Police’s history in a representative way.
“We’ve created seven thematic zones of permanent displays from the 19th century to modern policing, and we also have space for two temporary exhibitions.
“Both types of exhibitions have static and dynamic displays, a deliberate design decision by our curatorial team to best engage a wide range of visitors, from school groups to individuals with an interest in policing and social history.”
Ms Miles said it is a huge advantage that the new museum now has a street frontage, allowing it to attract people who are just passing by as well as people who intend to visit.
The new museum has a purpose-built expansive area with a 13-metre-high ceiling with clever engineering structures where collection items can be hung on walls and suspended from the ceiling.
The museum team has been hard at work to get the priceless collection ready for the move to the new space.
“It’s been a mammoth challenge,” Ms Miles said.
“Museum collections require great care, and that means we precisely control how they are displayed, stored and handled.
“We have invested in world-class systems in our museum spaces to control the temperature and relative humidity.
“Our expert collections team also has a strict system for rotating out collection items, because some are only allowed to be displayed for a certain time, before they are removed from display and ‘rested’ to avoid damage from light, heat and other risk factors.
“Every showcase, shelf, drawer, hanging rail and archival sleeve has been selected to hold collection items in place, whether it’s a vintage breathalyser machine, tactical vest, vintage tunic, or photograph.”
Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said the museum played a pivotal part in understanding Victoria Police over the years.
“Understanding our past is the key to being part of a better future,” CCP Patton said.
“The museum will detail Victoria Police’s history and its role within and as part of the community. “This includes the public’s response to positive events and difficult events.
“We have a great responsibility to present a fair history of the organisation, in a way that encourages visitors to question and reflect.”
The museum shop will also be returning to the new space and include some old favourite items for sale, alongside some exciting new additions that are expected to gallop off the shelves.
Entry to the museum at 313 Spencer Street, Docklands will be free, and visitors are encouraged to check the website for updates on the reopening.
Image Designer’s impression Permanent exhibition design and installation by Thylacine.
Editorial and photography: Jesse Wray-McCann policemuseum.vic.gov.au
For 65 years, the work of Victoria Police reservists has helped operational police stay on the beat instead of at the station doing administrative work.
But with the organisation’s final two remaining reservists – Garth Smith and Crystal Croxford – coming to the end of their careers, the role will follow them out the door.
The role of Victoria Police reservist was created in 1957 after it was recognised that frontline police were too bogged down with administrative duties.
The role was exclusively for former police officers to re-join the organisation in a nonfrontline capacity.
There have been 562 reservists since the program’s inception and they performed a broad range of tasks as needed by the station or division they were allocated to.
The final new reservist was appointed in 1991, with Victorian Public Service employees now having taken on most of their duties.
There are now just two reservists remaining in the whole organisation, Garth Smith and Crystal Croxford, who are nearing the end of their long careers.
Editorial: Jesse Wray-McCann
Photography: Jesse Wray McCann and supplied
To help his police colleagues perform at their best on the frontline, Reservist Garth Smith makes sure they’re ticking along both administratively and mentally.
For more than 30 years, Reservist Smith has been a beloved and crucial fixture at Geelong Police Station.
He first graduated as a constable in 1966, left the force in 1973, returned as a reservist in 1986 and has been based at Geelong since 1991.
The 77-year-old looks after the station’s vehicle fleet, equipment such as radios and breathalysers, and any other administrative duties to help lighten the load on police officers.
“I just want to make sure the members are out on the road and not worrying about these little items like getting a breathalyser fixed or being tied up driving a car up to Brunswick just to swap it over,” Reservist Smith said.
“They should be able to come in and start their shift focused on the main thing –preventing crime.
“There are plenty of little things I do to help keep the station running.”
One thing that keeps the station running at its best is good morale, and any officer who has worked at Geelong will agree, Reservist Smith’s best work is done with people.
He actively goes out of his way to get to know his colleagues and keep their spirits up.
“I like to encourage everyone who works here, especially the younger ones because they face a lot of difficult stuff in this job and it can get you down,” he said.
“So I like to be always around encouraging them and asking how they’re going.”
Acting Sergeant Sarah Boore said Reservist Smith was a “true one-of-akind gentleman” and his impact on the officers at Geelong was incalculable.
“We so often talk about people being foundations of stations, but Garth is a true foundation,” A/Sgt Boore said.
“He knows everyone from the cleaner and first-day constable, right through to the superintendent by first name.
“Not only that, he knows and values the members as people, knowing their families, sporting habits and outside interests.
“Every morning without fail, Garth greets everyone with a smile and cheeky comment, and he loves nothing more than getting on the stations PA system to announce someone’s birthday with a background story that is so far removed from the truth that laughter fills the corridors.”
Reservist Smith, who is beginning to think about retirement, feels the same way about his colleagues.
“I’ve started taking some of my long service leave on Fridays and Mondays so that I can be ready for retirement,” he said.
“But I must admit, when I’m off work, I do miss it.
“It’s like a family at the station and I just love them all.”
In the mid-1970s, Reservist Crystal Croxford had been a police officer for six years when she left Victoria Police to start a family.
She was enjoying her time as a senior constable in the Police Women’s Division at the Russell Street headquarters, but she knew at the time she wouldn’t be able to both look after her kids and continue her career.
“I could have come back, but I couldn’t do the shift work that was required, and there weren't childcare facilities back in those days like there are now,” Reservist Croxford said.
“My family was really important to me and it was important for me to be a stay-at-home mum.”
But in 1987, she returned to work with her blue family at Victoria Police in the role of reservist at Sunbury Police Station, where she continues to work today at the age of 75.
“It was great to have the opportunity to continue on the career path I started but in a way that allowed me to still be there for my family,” Reservist Croxford said.
“I loved being back and loved the camaraderie here.”
Reservist Croxford has been responsible for many different tasks during her 35 years at Sunbury, including registering trucks before VicRoads took over that role, and managing the Sunbury Police Community Register.
As part of her work with the register, Reservist Croxford coordinates a team of volunteers that regularly checks in on locals by phone who may be elderly, living with disability or who may be socially isolated.
Not only was Reservist Croxford’s previous experience as a police officer helpful for her Sunbury colleagues, but her experience as a mother was also highly sought after.
“I used to say that I was like a mother to everyone here at the station, and some of them actually used to call me mum,” she said. For many years, next to Reservist Croxford’s desk was a yellow chair that almost acted like a therapist’s couch.
“There were members with young families who would have dramas before they came in to work, because working full-time as a police officer with kids is not easy,” she said.
“They'd come in and sit on the yellow chair and pour their heart out to me.”
Senior Sergeant Brad Towers has known Reservist Croxford for many years and said she was legendary at Sunbury.
So much so that the station’s annual ‘Person of the Year Award’ is named the Crystal Croxford Award in her honour.
“Crystal is the glue that holds Sunbury Police Station together,” Sen Sgt Towers said.
“There have been plenty of senior sergeants come and go at Sunbury over the decades, but Crystal is the real officer in charge.”
Reservist Croxford said she is incredibly grateful Victoria Police has given her the opportunity to continue working at her age, and she plans to keep on going.
“My job is like the best job in the world. That's why I'm still here,” she said.
Earlier this year, the Victoria Police Centre and other landmarks were illuminated in support of the 2022 Candlelight Vigil.
The colour purple marked Family Violence Awareness Month, an event to remember those whose lives have been taken as a direct result of family and domestic violence.
Rain, hail or shine, the Melbourne Bicycle Patrol Unit always has a wheelie great day. Being on the ground provides members of the unit with the opportunity to speak to the public and get to know what people are looking for when it comes to policing in their area.
These three officers were spotted out and about on #WorldBicycleDay.
Working alongside first responders from Life Saving Victoria and Ambulance Victoria, Sergeant Patrick Yeung, Sergeant Matthew Roberts, Leading Senior Constable John Hogan and Leading Senior Constable Stephen Carter rescued a group of stranded beachgoers at Bushrangers Bay on 13 January.
The officers were recognised for their quick action in June, when they were presented with certificates to acknowledge their work.
When Senior Constable Murray Stranger heard via police radio that a kite-surfer had been blown out to sea in Mordialloc, his first thought was to call his 15-yearold daughter Bianca, an off-duty lifesaver.
On patrol in a different area at the time, Sen Const Stranger wasn’t able to get to the beach himself and knew there wasn’t much time to spare.
Knowing Bianca was nearby, he rang and asked her to paddle out and check on the stranded 60-year-old man.
After reaching the kite-surfer, Bianca waited with him until Water Police and Air Wing arrived to complete the rescue. Thanks to Sen Const Stranger’s quick thinking and the combined efforts of Bianca and the specialist units, the man was brought to safety without injury.
Follow Victoria Police on Instagram at instagram.com/ victoriapolice Follow Victoria Police on Twitter at twitter.com/ victoriapolice Like Victoria Police on Facebook by visiting facebook.com/ victoriapoliceIn July, Deputy Commissioner Neil Paterson attended a NAIDOC celebration at Nairm Marr Djambana in Frankston to present the Southern Metro Region NAIDOC Awards.
The event invited Victoria Police employees and members of the community to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
After a smoking ceremony and Acknowledgement of Country, attendees heard from Aboriginal Community Liaison Officer (ACLO) Stewart Taylor, Southern Metro Region Acting Assistant Commissioner Therese Fitzgerald and Bunurong man David Tournier who performed a Welcome to Country.
Then came a cultural dance from local Aboriginal performers Bandok Tati, one of the highlights for many.
“It provided both employees and members of the community with valuable insight into local Aboriginal culture,” Priorities and Safer Communities Commander Lisa Hardeman said.
Following the performance, Bunurong elder Aunty Elaine Taylor and A/AC Fitzgerald presented the awards. They were presented to eight individuals and the Casey Aboriginal Gathering Place.
Sen Sgt Alan Dew, A/Det Sgt Robbie Colcott, A/Sgt Kim Gammon and ACLO Stewart Taylor were presented with awards for going above and beyond to enhance the relationship between Victoria Police and the Aboriginal community, while four students completing Indigenous School Based Traineeships received awards for their outstanding attitude and leadership.
Earlier this year, Crime Command Detective Superintendent Peter Brigham was recognised by Crime Stoppers Victoria for his work on a national campaign to help get illegal guns off the streets.
At a special event in May, Det Supt Brigham was awarded the Crime Stoppers Victoria S.I. Mick Miller Award for his continued work and contribution to the National Illegal Firearms Campaign, which is designed to remove illegal guns from the community through education and awareness of dangers posed by them.
Crime Stoppers chief executive Stella Smith said Det Supt Brigham’s expertise in the area was invaluable to the campaign team’s understanding of the impact illegal guns have in the community.
“This project has led to the surrender of tens of thousands of guns, each one now unable to fall into the hands of criminals,” Ms Smith said.
“It has been a great example of Peter’s leadership and understanding of how to collaborate with Crime Stoppers to achieve community safety outcomes.”
Deputy Commissioner Wendy Steendam presented Det Supt Brigham with the award.
The Crime Stoppers Victoria S.I. Mick Miller Award is in honour of former Chief Commissioner Mick Miller, who was a staunch supporter of Crime Stoppers and remained an advocate for the organisation throughout his lifetime.
Special zones have been set up outside police stations in Melbourne’s northeast for buyers and sellers to safely exchange items bought online.
In a trial that started in July, the zones have been established outside 24-hour police stations in the area with good CCTV coverage.
Victoria Police has worked with Darebin Council to set up the initiative, which has been popular in the United States for the last few years.
Superintendent Sean Woods said feedback indicates people feel safer meeting at designated sites instead of inviting someone to their home or meeting where there isn’t good lighting or CCTV.
“With so many transactions made via online marketplaces now, this is about ensuring people feel safer when arranging to meet someone they have never met before,” Supt Woods said.
“We still ask that people consider the risks of meeting someone they have never met before – if you decide to proceed with this method then we also advise to take some common sense safety measures such as meeting during daylight hours and taking someone with you.”
The trial will run over several months and will seek to establish whether the signs improve community safety and whether there are benefits in establishing more safer sites elsewhere.
Participating police stations include:
• Eltham Police Station
• Epping Police Station
• Greensborough Police Station
• Heidelberg Police Station
• Mernda Police Station
• Mill Park Police Station
• Northcote Police Station
• Preston Police Station
• Reservoir Police Station
