Policing Australia: The Official Podcast of the Australian Police Journal

Discover in this episode the types of duties search and rescue police undertake in Tasmania. Damian Bidgood served with Tasmania Police for 32 years, and for almost all of that time, he undertook search and rescue duties on land, on-and-under water, and in the air. He is the recipient of bravery awards and commendations for his actions, issued by Tasmania Police, the Royal Life Saving Authority, a...

The availability of illicit tobacco in Australia has reached plague proportions, with organised crime involving itself in the smuggling and distribution of the product.  And here’s the strange part – the situation is the result of a public health policy success story! This episode looks at the nature and scale of the problem as well as examines how policing the so-called heroin drought at the turn...

What would be the challenges facing Australian police, should Australia find itself involved in an existential war for national survival?  The globe is currently experiencing intense geo-strategic rivalries and changing international norms. The Australian Government has described this era as being the most complex set of strategic circumstances since the end of the Second World War. War isn't...

Former prosecutor, Supreme Court justice and anti-corruption commissioner John McKechnie AO KC, talks to host Jason Byrnes about his life and distinguished career. Over the course of five decades John has been involved in numerous high profile criminal cases, as well as hundreds of lesser-known matters that nonetheless impacted victims of crime and their families. In the conversation John includes...

Distinguished crime reporter and author Janet Fife-Yeomans talks about some of the more interesting cases she covered during her career, and the books she has written about serial killers, sudden deaths, murderers and rapists.  Janet, the daughter of a policeman, started her career in England before migrating to Australia. She worked for newspapers in Western Australia and then in New South Wales....

Hear from the lead investigator of Strike Force Reddan , the investigation into the so-called 'Family Law Court Bombings' - a crimewave which saw four people murdered and many others badly wounded in a series of shootings, bombings and an attempted bombing. Several buildings were destroyed or damaged in the attacks. Strike Force Reddan resulted in the arrest and conviction of the offende...

Five short crime case studies from the April-June 1947 issue of the APJ, give insight to policing in the first half of the 20th Century. Case 1: police use an ingenious method to locate a notorious counterfeiter. Case 2: police use common sense and legwork to identify arsonists who had damaged a factory. Case 3: how fraudsters came unstuck, attempting to defraud the government of petrol coupons. C...

Authorities are notified of a man having been ritualistically killed in a highlands village in remote New Guinea. Australian and New Guinean police, and a doctor, set out on foot to investigate. The case then takes a bizarre turn when the murderer seeks a reward for his actions.  This episode is a case from the archives of the APJ – a 1972 article concentrating on the strange phenomenon known as ‘...

Organised crime is the focus of this wide-ranging discussion with author, lecturer and academic, Professor Mark Galeotti. Criminal activities canvassed in the chat include people smuggling, the illicit drug trade, slavery, 3D printed weapons, human organ harvesting, and environmental crimes such as the smuggling of sand and counterfeit cacao beans. Mark’s recent book – Homo Criminalis: How crime o...

This is the third and final episode regarding the police investigation into the 2015 murder of Leeton High School teacher Stephanie Scott. The first two episodes focused on how police identified and brought to justice, the murderer Vincent Stanford. This episode concentrates on Vincent’s twin brother, Marcus. Because twins have identical DNA, it was important for police to clearly establish Marcus...

Following on from episode 49, Detectives Tim Clark and Justin Milne discuss how police were able to build a brief of evidence against Stephanie Scott’s murderer. This included locating Stephanie’s abandoned and burnt body near a campsite. The unique challenges facing police in rural areas are detailed in the episode, especially how detectives engaged with the cold-blooded killer. It’s a fascinatin...

The nation was shocked by the vicious and senseless murder of schoolteacher Stephanie Scott in Leeton NSW in 2015. Two detectives involved in the investigation give their unique insights into the early days of the case, from the moment they were called upon to assist in what was initially reported as a missing person case, to when they arrested the offender and charged him with murder. This episod...

This episode is about how the actions of Australian police can have a diplomatic effect, when police personnel are deployed overseas. The deployment of police to another country is as much a statement about the sending nation’s intent and values, as it is about the police duties being performed. Dr Martin Hess is a retired police officer who has just published a book titled ‘ The Politics of Polic...

Learn how police were able to identify and apprehend a serial sex offender and burglar in northern Adelaide. When the offender was eventually sentenced in court, the judge declared the man had 'no control over his sexual instincts'.  Retired Detective Senior Sergeant Carl Whitaker returns to the podcast to talk about the investigation, which he previously wrote about in an APJ article ti...

Search & Rescue coordination expert and retired policeman, Dr Jim Whitehead APM, discusses two cases where police were called to search for men who went missing in remote bushland. Jim’s article about the first case – titled ‘The Perfect Storm’ – was printed in the September 2023 edition of the APJ . In that case Mr Don Marchant went missing in rugged jungle-like bushland in southern Queenslan...

In January 2014 a brutal murder occurred to the north of Adelaide. Attending police were confronted with the body of an asylum seeker laying in the yard of his suburban home. The offender, a neighbour who was also an asylum seeker known to the victim, initially denied knowledge of the crime and attempted to implicate an innocent witness.  Retired South Australia Police Senior Sergeant Carl Whitake...

Noted UK criminologist and author Christopher Berry-Dee talks to Jason Byrnes about his lengthy career in dealing with serial killers, psychopaths and savages. He talks about some of the more memorable people and cases he has dealt with. Chris’ books can be purchased through major bookshops and internet sites. To subscribe to the APJ, go to www.apjl.com.au and click the subscribe button. In the in...

To varying degrees, all Australians are either victims of terrorism or have been adversely impacted by terrorist acts. This includes police, emergency workers and counter terrorism professionals.  Victims of Terrorism Australia (VOTA) has been formed to assist victims cope with trauma and to come out the other side. Two retired police who had distinguished careers in counter-terrorist operations,...

Imagine having to police a war-torn nation with no laws, limited or damaged infrastructure and a deeply traumatised community. That’s what Australian police were faced with in late 1999 when they deployed to East Timor as part of a massive United Nations peacekeeping operation.  Michael Ward was one of hundreds of police who volunteered to help the people of East Timor after they had voted for ind...

In the latest podcast from the APJ , hear from two detectives involved in a missing person case which soon became a homicide investigation, and an investigation into criminal drug dealing.   Allecha Boyd was reported missing to police in mid-2017. Inquiries suggested the involvement of a local drug dealer and his associates.  Detective Sergeants Brent Fletcher and Tim Briggs talk about how police...

A horrid rape and robbery in December 2006 brought Ipswich detectives into contact with a man who had previously been convicted of multiple rapes and sexual assaults in Queensland and New South Wales. On this occasion however, police were initially unable to find direct evidence of the man's guilt. Over time, detectives were able to build a brief of evidence based on the principles of propens...

Police are called to a perplexing scene at a rural property where a man’s body was found lying face down, pinned to the ground by the rear wheel of his utility. There were no tools nearby. Was it a case of death by misadventure, or something more sinister? A scientific officer develops a hypothesis which appears far-fetched at police headquarters. A reconstruction of the scene is undertaken, with...

Former policeman Ronald Cornish talks about his time as a police peacekeeper with the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). Sixty years ago, Australia sent its first contingent of police to UNFICYP, to undertake monitoring duties of Greek Cypriot police. Australia’s contribution to UNFICYP eventually lasted 53 years, with the final contingent leaving in 2017. In 1965 Constable Ron...

Elder abuse is a crime long ignored or downplayed in society. This needs to change, especially as society ages. Abuse can be physical and/or psychological, is often committed by people the victim relies on or trusts, and can hasten a victim's death. Rob Critchlow APM is the author of the article titled 'Dignity and Safety: Responding Effectively to Abuse of Older Persons', which is...

Deputy Commissioner Neil Gaughan APM talks about his time as the Chief Police Officer (CPO) for the Australian Capital Territory. The experienced police officer has worked at the local and national levels for 40 years - starting as a general duties Constable in the ACT and ending up leading ACT Policing. On the way he held responsibilities for leading the Australian Federal Police's Counter T...