Annette in't Hout is one of three fulltime Senior Chaplains working with Victoria Police. There's also about 85 volunteer Chaplains across the state. This year the Victoria Police Chaplaincy commemorates it's 50-year anniversary of making a difference to the men and women in blue. Annette grew up in Griffith, NSW with Barbara McKay as her Sunday school teacher. She wanted to pursue a career in textile forensics and found herself working in an industrial textiles factory, being a fulltime Mum and...
Mar 14, 2024•27 min•Ep. 128
Tim Egan is not your average police member. The retired AFP Superintendent has served 34 years in three continents. Before joining the Northern Territory Police, Tim was a mine worker, timber millhand, builder's laborer and bank clerk. His role "in the job" proved just as varied. The 85-year-old worked in some of Australia's most remote police stations, as an Alice Springs Prosecutor and an Inspector in Darwin during Cyclone Tracey before joining the Custom Department's Narcotics Bureau and work...
Feb 29, 2024•30 min•Ep. 127
Sheree Moore still hears the gunshots from the Queen Street shootings involving killer Frank Vitkovic. It's not something you ever forget, she says. Sheree was on duty in December 1987 when the Queen Street massacres took place. The former Sergeant and Crime Scene Investigator worked in suburban stations, at Dandenong, and did temp duties at the CIB, AIS and Drug Squad. She set up "Project Clarendon" which was a one stop shop for crime reporting and forensics in property crime. After 37 years "i...
Feb 15, 2024•16 min•Ep. 126
Well, it's the end of Season 3 on The Crime Couch. This is a compilation of the 39 episodes during 2023. You'll hear from former Detective Senior Constable Carl Stella, retired members Colleen Woolley, Graeme Simpfendorfer, Val Smith, Highway Patrol Senior Constable Alex Prestney and true crime author Megan Norris. Sadly, this year marked the passing of several retired members like Detective Sergeant Brian "The Skull" Murphy, who you'll also hear from in this episode. I want to thank everyone wh...
Dec 14, 2023•34 min•Ep. 125
Working in Victoria Police's Major Crime Squad was not for sissies, according to Ian "Doss" Dosser. He recalls going through doors with a nine-pound door-key and loaded firearms when chasing armed robbers. The former Detective Chief Inspector initially worked at the usual round of suburban CIB's including the Heidelberg Crime Cars, before joining "The Majors". Doss also worked in the Homicide Squad. He was Officer in Charge of the Armed Robbery, Arson, Asian, Stolen Motor Vehicle and Racing Live...
Dec 07, 2023•32 min•Ep. 124
Wendy Cowling is a former Victoria Police Sergeant with 34 years under her belt. She began at the Russell Street Policewomen's Division and had mentors like Joan Paffett, Sandy Langlands, Myrene Purcell and Jill Wood. She was an operational policewoman most of her career; gazetted at Cheltenham General Duties and worked in General Duties throughout Melbourne's south-east. Wendy was promoted to Sergeant at the Police Schools program, a member of the Victorian Road Safety Education Reference Group...
Nov 30, 2023•24 min•Ep. 123
Well, 2023 has been a big year on The Crime Couch. We’ve featured some intriguing, fascinating current and retired police members, and other interesting individuals. This is the last of a 2-parter, featuring “The Best of” my interviewees this year; including former Detective Chief Inspector Ian "Doss" Dosser, retired Detective Sergeant Geoff Shepherd, retired Superintendent Geoff Tulloch, former Emergency Services Group Dog Squad boss and military cop Kevin "Kev" Collister, Air Wing Observer and...
Nov 23, 2023•34 min•Ep. 122
2023 has been a huge year on The Crime Couch. We've interviewed the most intriguing and fascinating current and former police members and interesting individuals. This is part 1 of a 2 parter; "The Best of The Crime Couch" featuring some of the females I've interviewed this year, such as former Victoria Police Detective Christine "Chris" McIntyre, retired member Senior Sergeant Janet Low, former Sergeant Wendy Cowling, former Inspector Lilian "Lil" Irwin, Detective Senior Sergeant Joy Murphy, fo...
Nov 16, 2023•30 min•Ep. 121
Christine "Chris" McIntyre was the first female to join the infamous Breaking Squad. The gutsy officer had an extraordinary career; once leaping on the back of a crook attempting to put a sleeper-hold on him as he held her partner at gunpoint! Christine also recalls hiding in a broom cupboard from crims when working undercover in BCI. The former Victoria Police detective led the way for women in the job; was the first female to run her own police station and be elected Director of the Police Ass...
Nov 09, 2023•22 min•Ep. 120
Graeme Simpfendorfer was working at a county bank when armed robbers busted in. As police dramatically arrested the offenders when they did a runner - Graeme knew exactly what he wanted to do. He joined Victoria Police "working the beat" across Melbourne, before becoming a detective. The former Detective Sergeant joined the Homicide Squad before leading teams in the Armed Robbery Taskforce. Graeme then worked in Wodonga before retiring after 27 years. He's the recipient of the National Emergency...
Nov 02, 2023•25 min•Ep. 119
Trevor Collins and a fellow Victoria Police's Major Collision Investigation Unit (MCIU) detective once crawled along a road hunting for a red paint flake after a tragic hit run collision where an 84-year-old woman was killed. He found it and was able to trace the paint flake back to the vehicle driven by an offender who was later found, charged and convicted. The former Detective Leading Constable is a brilliant collision investigator and qualified by the courts as an expert in his field. Trevor...
Oct 26, 2023•24 min•Ep. 118
Trevor Collins spent more than two decades dealing with the horror and anguish of road trauma in Victoria Police's Major Collision Investigation Unit. The former Detective Leading Senior Constable is a brilliant collision investigator and qualified by the courts as an expert in the field. Trevor was passionate and dedicated about ensuring justice was not only seen to be done but achieved for the victim of any road trauma, their families and friends. He's been described as fearless in finding the...
Oct 19, 2023•25 min•Ep. 117
Ed Pollard's had a fascinating career in Victoria Police. The Senior Sergeant worked extensively at inner-city stations before joining the Police Air-Wing as an Observer. Ed then qualified as a Prosecutor which led to him working at the State Coroner's Assistant Unit and tours to Bali, after the bombings and Thailand, after the tsunami. He's specialised in DVI or Disaster Victim Identification and was seconded as the Mortuary Co-ordinator for the Black Saturday bushfires, before being sent to Me...
Oct 12, 2023•28 min•Ep. 116
Maureen Blue has retired after nearly fifty years with Victoria Police. She's worked in sworn and unsworn roles and is an expert in management, behavioural issues, education and training. Maureen's a specialist in people management and dispute resolution and been working as a Senior Instructor at People Development Command. In her 14 years at the Academy, she's trained over 4,000 Sergeants. Maureen is now looking forward to the next chapter of her life, complete with vegie patch and chickens. Co...
Oct 05, 2023•20 min•Ep. 115
Steve Cook is an experienced investigator with more than 16 years working in law enforcement. He's currently a Senior Inspector with RSPCA Victoria in the Major Investigations team. Steve's role includes responding to reports from the public, investigating animal cruelty and attending properties "one up" across the state. Prior to working at the RSPCA, Steve worked in animal care and the media. He owns two parrots and a number of goldfish. Contains Snappy @2021 performed Jonathan Boyle with musi...
Sep 28, 2023•21 min•Ep. 114
Carl Stella was a Detective Senior Constable with Victoria Police for more than 30 years. He followed his grandfather who was a police officer in Italy. He joined the Highway Patrol before having a serious motorbike collision, eventually returning to the CIB. Carl did his rounds as a suburban detective but always aimed to get into the Crime Squads. He succeeded, working in the Major Fraud Group and Missing Persons/Homicide Squad, investigating serious criminals like serial killer Peter Dupas and...
Sep 21, 2023•22 min•Ep. 113
Esther McKay is a former NSW Police Force Detective Senior Constable who specialises in forensic services. She spent years at murder scenes, traffic accidents and major crime investigations. Her areas of expertise include crime scene, vehicle and document examination. The grueling work, huge hours and her relentless commitment to the job eventually took its toll. Esther was discharged from the police force, hurt in the line of duty and began a very different journey. Today, she's a Consultant Ma...
Sep 14, 2023•27 min•Ep. 112
One Australian woman dies at the hands of an intimate or former partner every week in Australia. What's less known is that one Australian child is killed each fortnight at the hands of as parent or stepparent. Megan Norris has republished a book, "Look What You Made Me Do" which features nine cases of "spousal revenge" where fathers or stepfathers have taken the lives of their own children. Megan's a former court reporter, investigative journalist and true crime author with eight books under her...
Sep 07, 2023•29 min•Ep. 111
I first met Esther McKay in 2005 at a writer's festival. We were both authors talking about our new true crime books. Esther is a former NSW Police Force Detective Senior Constable whose life journey has been fascinating. She worked for 17 years in the job specialising in forensic services. Esther entered that tough, male-dominated world determined to hold her own. But it took a huge cost. She was discharged from the NSW Police Force hurt in the line of duty and began a very different journey. T...
Aug 31, 2023•28 min•Ep. 110
The Crime Couch is back! With a new sponsor, Police Care Australia. It's an online portal where current, former police and family members can get support and counselling with professionals that understand police. Ken "Ashy" Ashworth was one of the hard men in the job. He retired as a Victoria Police Detective Inspector, was awarded an APM and two Chief Commissioner's Commendations. Ashy worked in the Armed Robbery and Homicide Squads before heading up the Water Police Search and Rescue Squads. H...
Aug 24, 2023•22 min•Ep. 109
Russian-based hacker groups, phishing, data-breaches and ransomware attacks have become part of today's workplace. This week on The Crime Couch, former Detective Leading Senior Constable Christopher McNaughton talks about cyber-criminals, the latest trends and how our internet-enabled devices like the fridge can be used against us! Chris left Victoria Police and joined the corporate sector running global investigations with GE before forming his company, SECMON1. He specialises in fraud, corrupt...
Jul 20, 2023•20 min•Ep. 108
This is part 2 of an interview I did 20 years ago with former Victoria Police Detective Superintendent Alan Pleitner. I interviewed Alan when writing Billy "The Texan" Longley's biography. He was a Detective Senior Constable in the Homicide Squad when Melbourne's waterfront war was underway. Alan talks about the role of the Homicide Squad Detective and how they work hard to bring justice to the victim. Alan was working when the Painters and Dockers' boss Pat Shannon was murdered at the Druids Ho...
Jul 13, 2023•27 min•Ep. 107
Senior Constable Alex Prestney knows more than most about road trauma. The Victoria Police officer lost his brother Joshua in the Eastern Freeway crash on the 22nd of April 2020. Joshua was one of four Victoria Police members tragically killed in the accident. Alex is articulate, publicly expressing what he's going through. He's even returned to his role in Highway Patrol. I can't even imagine how difficult this trauma has been for him and his family. But he's not one to stand still. Alex is abo...
Jul 06, 2023•33 min•Ep. 106
This week from the vault, part one of a two -part interview from 2003 with former Victoria Police Detective Superintendent Alan Pleitner. Alan was a Detective Senior Constable in the Homicide Squad when Melbourne's waterfront war was exploding. He'd grown up in the country and worked as a young Constable in the inner city. I interviewed Alan when writing Billy "The Texan" Longley's biography in 2003. Alan was on-call when Painters and Docker's boss, Pat Shannon was murdered at the Druids Hotel o...
Jun 29, 2023•25 min•Ep. 105
Former Victoria Police Inspector Lilian Irwin sadly passed away on Saturday night, 17 June 2023. I was lucky to sit with the 96-year-old "Lil" as she was affectionately known, on The Crime Couch, during 2021. This is our interview, republished. Lil led the way for women in the police force for nearly three decades. When she joined in 1961, she was only one of four women in her squad. Nick-named “The Queen of Fitzroy” and “Legs 11,” Lil was the only female Inspector when she was promoted in 1977 ...
Jun 22, 2023•27 min•Ep. 104
I first met Colleen Woolley at the Retired Police Association (RPA). As a television producer, I'd contact her trying to contact Victoria Police members. The former Senior Sergeant served as a Woman Auxiliary in the South Australian Police Force and represented policewomen in Victoria as the sole Police Association delegate. Colleen was the first female RPA Secretary, a founding Committee Member of The Past and Present Women Police Association; a Justice of the Peace and also an author. Contains...
Jun 15, 2023•26 min•Ep. 102
Joy Murphy is the longest serving female police officer in the world. The Victoria Police Detective Senior Sergeant worked in the first Rape Squad, the Dealers and Sexual Offences Squads. She has more than 50 years in the job and renowned for her work in sex crime. Joy's changed the way Victoria Police investigate sexual assault and family violence. She coordinated the Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Teams (SOCIT) and was the first female voice to be ever heard on D-24. Contains Sn...
Jun 08, 2023•24 min•Ep. 101
This is the last of a two-part interview with Brian "The Skull" Murphy. I interviewed him when writing Billy "The Texan" Longley's biography in 2004. Murph talks about the Pat Shannon trial, giving evidence against Billy in court and the company they set up called "Industrial Mediation". The former Victoria Police Detective Sergeant had a fearsome reputation with police and the criminal world. He was the recipient of a Valour Award, charged and acquitted of a homicide and falsely accused of an u...
Jun 01, 2023•17 min•Ep. 100
This week on The Crime Couch I feature the first of a two-part historical interview with Brian "The Skull" Murphy. I interviewed the infamous former Victoria Police Detective Sergeant in 2004 when writing the biography of Billy "The Texan" Longley. From his loungeroom, Brian opened up about the Painters and Dockers, when he first met The Texan and his suspension in 1971. He was the recipient of a Valour Award, charged and acquitted of a homicide, and falsely accused of an underworld hit. Sadly, ...
May 25, 2023•23 min•Ep. 99
Ian "Doss" Dosser is an experienced Detective with years of working in Victoria Police's Crime Squads. In part two of his interview, the former Detective Chief Inspector talks about Operation Sentinel, the investigation into the Drug Squad break-in, his two awards involving a successful fraud investigation and an armed offender situation where three people were shot and a woman was kidnapped. Doss also remembers his time in the Royal PNG Constabulary. Contains Snappy @2021 performed Jonathan Boy...
May 18, 2023•29 min•Ep. 98
