The Crime Couch with Rochelle Jackson

Bruce "Knighty" Knight is regarded as an expert in tactical policing within Australia. He left as a Superintendent with Victoria Police after 37 years' service, 18 in the SOG or Special Operations Group. Bruce is a Sniper, Senior Bomb Technician and Weapons Instructor. After serving operationally, he was promoted to Inspector when he took charge of the day-to-day SOG operations. His specialist exp...

Imagine being called to a job involving a man who walked into a kindergarten, pulled out a gun and held four children hostage. During the seven-hour siege, he poured petrol over the children, threatening to ignite them.  At the time Bruce "Knighty" Knight was a Senior Sergeant, attached to Victoria Police Special Operations Group. In fact, he still describes this job as "the most stressful day of...

BankVic is a small member-owned bank for police and first responders that's giving the big four Aussie banks a run for their money. CEO Anthony De Fazio is not your average banking executive. He's relaxed, very personable and genuinely listens to anyone he talks with. You get the feeling he'd make a positive difference wherever he'd work. And he does. Anthony is highly qualified and been with Bank...

It's not always easy to have your first crime fiction novel published - but Tara Oldfield has succeeded! Her first book Diamonds, Furs & Murder: The Many Crimes of Mona Hayes has been published by Ginninderra Press and no doubt she's planning her next one. Tara is a PR and communications professional who currently works at the State Archives. She's written for Traces Magazine and Ancestor publ...

John Bodinnar had a brilliant career both inside and outside Victoria Police, retiring after 35 years as a Chief Superintendent. But one case he investigated has remained with him forever. The abduction of 8-year-old Eloise Worledge.  During 1974 as a young Detective, John was transferred to Moorabbin CIB and was the first on the scene at Eloise’s house. He and his partner were initially suspiciou...

John G Bodinnar started as an Albury car salesman before joining Victoria Police. He’s had a stellar career inside and outside “the job” retiring as a Chief Superintendent. John was awarded an Australian Police Medal for services to community policing in developing countries. Initially stationed at South Melbourne, then St Kilda’s Traffic Operations Group before various Crime Car Squads and Moorab...

If you were to commit a crime, Dr Deb Bennett could make an assessment about what sort of a person you are, and what your motivation was without actually meeting you.  The former Victoria Police Detective Senior Sergeant is a clinical Forensic Psychologist and a Behaviour Analyst - or a Profiler. She worked as a specialist investigator in cold case sex crimes and was also an operational police mem...

It's not every day I interview someone who's served in both the Royal Australian Airforce and the Royal Australian Navy; Arthur "Artie" Heather has. He spent 20 years in the RAAF and a further three decades in the RAN; his last twenty years in the Naval Reserve. At the same time, he was employed at the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). Artie's time in the Navy saw him serve on two Speci...

We all recall the first Gulf War, the rescue of British sailor Tony Bullimore in the Southern Ocean, the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race rescue and the disappearance of MH370 Boeing 777. These are some of the major events in Arthur "Artie" Heather's illustrious career.  Artie spent 20 years in the Royal Australian Airforce and a further 30 years in the Royal Australian Navy - his last 20 in the N...

After nearly 43 years of service, former Victoria Police Sergeant Amanda "Mandy" Crowley has finally hung up the reins. Mandy rode horses from the age of 5; so, after graduating from the Police Academy, it made sense that she join the Mounted Branch. Mandy is the longest serving female member of the Mounted Branch and the first in charge of rider and horse training. She's probably worked more demo...

Reverend Dr Drew Mellor has just retired after 6 years with Victoria Police. The former Senior Police Chaplain is highly qualified in the Anglican Diocese having previously been a lead pastor at the Glen Waverly and Deep Creek Anglican Churches. He was the Director of the Centre for Youth and Children's Ministry at Ridley Theological College and worked in the Accident and Emergency Department of B...

It's the end of season 5 on The Crime Couch and what a year it has been! This is a compilation of the 22 episodes during 2025. Every interview has been a revealing insight into the lives of men and women "in the job". And many people outside the job.  I want to thank everyone who joined me this year on The Crime Couch. It continues to be real pleasure and privilege to hear your stories. A special...

This is the second of a two-part interview with Brian Doherty. Brian retired as an Inspector from Victoria Police. He spent 19 years in the CIB, the Consorting Squad, the Major Crime and Drug Squads; he also did a stint in community policing at Broadmeadows.   While some turn to lawn bowls after retirement, Brian certainly doesn't let the grass grow under his feet. He's held managerial roles at th...

There's not too many former Victoria Police Inspectors who've been Managers at the elite Sandringham Club, the Health Workers Union, Geelong Harness Racing Inc, a tropical reef shipyard in Cairns and the magnificent Collingwood Football Club. Brian Doherty has. In fact, Brian's also halfway through a law degree.  He spent 19 years in the job in the CIB, Consorting Squad, the Major Crime Squad and...

Former Superintendent Geoff Tulloch was known in the job for his honesty, meticulous record-keeping and making a difference. He worked in the Mobile Traffic Section, the Second-Hand Dealers Squad, the Crime Cars and the Training Research Section before finishing as a Law Instructor at the Police Academy. When stationed in Bairnsdale, he was the only motorcycle traffic cop in Gippsland. Geoff proud...

This is the second of a two-part interview with former Victoria Police Detective Senior Constable Brendan "Finni" Finn about nabbing crooks.  First there was the Major Crime Squad, then the Fugitive Squad... both Squads tracked down escapees, crooks, murderers, armed robbers, parolees who breached their parole conditions and anyone who didn't want to be found. They also did extraditions where they...

Catching fugitives like the alleged police murderer Dezi Freeman has always been important in Victoria Police. Finding and nabbing crooks is routine for specialist units like the Special Operations Group (SOG) and the Fugitive Squad and former Detective Senior Constable Brendan Finn aka "Finni" was right in the thick of it. Finni was in the Fugitive Squad which is part of the Crime Department. The...

In 1964, Prime Minister Robert Menzies concluded Australia had inadequate defence manpower and wanted to increase our army's strength by introducing national service.  This meant 20-year-old males like Gordon Beach, if selected, were conscripted for a compulsory two years in the army. Gordon was one of 58 Victoria Police members who served in Vietnam in the Military Police or Provo.  Gordon return...

John Van Groningen has over 50 years' experience in the prison and corrections system. He's been a Prison Officer and Commissioner, academic researcher and teacher, bureaucrat, expert commentator and a ministerial and government advisor. John's lectured extensively and worked as a criminal justice consultant in the United States and Australia. He's always been motivated to deliver dramatic change...

In a dramatic week where two members of Victoria Police were ambushed and murdered and another officer injured; we return to another dangerous pursuit and recapture of one of Australia's most wanted, Robert Lindsay Wright. In January 1984, hard cops were needed for hard crooks and former Major Crime Squad detectives George Hateley, Jim Venn and their colleagues were no exception. In this week's ep...

Well, The Crime Couch has gone outback and recently I caught up with ABC Broken Hill journalist Bill Ormonde in the remote town.  Bill's a former Nine reporter and video journalist and was named the 2024 Young Australian Journalist of the Year at last year's Walkley Awards. He also won the Visual Story-Telling category in the awards for "Out of the Darkness", an interactive online story that explo...

In her first public interview, the new Chief Executive Officer of Police Veterans Victoria, Debra Richardson talks about her vision for the organisation. The former Victoria Police Senior Constable and Criminal Intelligence Analyst also survived the 1986 Russell Street bombing. She was a 21-year-old Constable when the car bomb hit and believed she'd been shot. Debra successfully lobbied the then S...

In her second interview on The Crime Couch, Christine "Chris" McIntyre talks about being the first woman to run a police station, how she arrested an armed robber and the wonders of the ASP baton! In an era where female Victoria Police officers had to know their place and given jobs involving welfare and minor crimes; the former Victoria Police detective was one of the women who led the way for fe...

Christine "Chris" McIntyre was the first female in the infamous Breaking Squad. The former Victoria Police detective was one of the leading women in the job; was the first female to run her own police station and be elected Director of the Police Association Credit Union. The gutsy officer had an extraordinary career, once leaping on the back of a crook attempting to put a sleeper-hold on him as h...

Victoria Police's Detective Senior Constable Reginald Ernest Henderson was an extraordinary police officer. In a career spanning 38 years, Reg apprehended more than 3,000 offenders, identifying many only by photographs he kept in a little notebook.  He was also known as "the Falcon of The Force" and "Eagle Eye Henderson".  Reg was more of a diplomat than a detective; well-groomed, quiet, didn't dr...