Lights, camera, action

Editorial and photography: Lane Mihaljevic

It’s 6am on Thursday and two members from Melbourne’s western suburbs are kitted up to patrol the roads of Keilor Downs. But today, they’ll have extra passengers in tow.

With the help of Victoria Police’s Film and Television Office, Acting Sergeant Jason McDonald and Senior Constable Morgan Bartlett will capture the ups and downs of road policing for the television show Highway Patrol

Watched by millions on the Seven Network every year, the series gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the shocking array of offences detected by Highway Patrol units every day, as well as the members’ dedication to keeping Victoria’s roads safe.

After a quick chat with one of the show’s hosts, Acting Sergeant Holly Gibson, Brimbank Highway Patrol’s A/Sgt McDonald and Sen Const Bartlett set off down one of Keilor Downs’ busiest thoroughfares.

A/Sgt Gibson, trailing behind with the production team, said it was key that the members paid very little attention to her and the film crew.

“I always say to the members, just do exactly what you’d normally do,” A/Sgt Gibson said.

They’re mic’d up and have cameras inside their vehicles, capturing where they’re going and what they’re saying. So aside from us pulling them aside for a chat in front of the camera between jobs, they can pretty much forget about us.

As soon as they hit the road, the pair spotted an unregistered vehicle. But this wasn’t the only problem.

The vehicle was also travelling with a trailer containing a large amount of unsecured building material.

If it were to fall off while the vehicle was travelling at high speeds, it could pose a significant danger to surrounding drivers, so A/Sgt McDonald and Sen Const Bartlett pulled the vehicle over.

Having attended a devastating incident involving unsecured trailer contents in the past, the duo was keen to educate the driver on the potential consequences of his actions.

“It’s an offence to transport a load that is not properly secured, so pulling the vehicle over meant A/Sgt McDonald and Sen Const Bartlett could communicate this to the driver,” A/Sgt Gibson said.

After a quick debrief on camera, the pair got back on the road.

Not long after, they spotted several more unregistered vehicles, one of which was occupied by a man who was more than happy to talk to police — until A/Sgt McDonald questioned the legitimacy of his driver license.

The license photo didn’t resemble the driver whatsoever.

Initially, the man stuck to his story, claiming that he’d changed his hair and lost weight since the ID photo was taken.

But eventually, with persistence from A/Sgt McDonald and Sen Const Bartlett, he admitted to producing identification that belonged to someone else.

“He had been caught speeding just a few months earlier and his license was still suspended,” A/Sgt Gibson said.

“So the members reinforced the suspension by impounding his vehicle, preventing him from continuing to drive dangerously.”

Senior Sergeant Anthoula Moutis, from the Film and Television Office, said the unpredictability of road policing is just one of the things that have kept Highway Patrol fans hooked since the show premiered in 2009.

“We’re now up to Season 14 and it continues to attract consistently high ratings, not only because it’s entertaining, but because it gives viewers a rare glimpse behind the scenes,” Sen Sgt Moutis said.

“The series is relatable, educational, portrays a strong sense of fairness, and most importantly, reminds Victorians to stay safe on the roads.”