Policing Australia: The Official Podcast of the Australian Police Journal

International partnerships are critical for improving the effectiveness of policing and law enforcement, especially in the Pacific. More effective policing across the region leads to safer communities and an increased potential ability to combat transnational and serious organised crimes such fraud, environmental crime and the smuggling of illicit drugs and people.

For decades, Australia and New Zealand have played an important role in assisting and working alongside Pacific islands police, with a view to building Pacific policing capabilities and security. In recent years China has also established and then increased its policing presence in several Pacific island...

What’s it like to police a community crippled by a violent insurgency? 

Hear from former policeman Don Urquhart who served with the Royal Ulster Constabulary in the 1970s during the height of 'The Troubles'—the late 20th Century period of horrid violence in Northern Ireland. Don recalls what policing was like for officers who came from and lived within a community either afraid or unwilling to cooperate with the constabulary. It’s an eye-opening account of the challenges of policing by consent in a ruthlessly violent society.

Don’s article—Troubling Times: The Royal Ulster Cons...

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, and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. 

In this episode Damian talks about his experiences and career, including discussing some more notable search and rescue incidents he attended, including helicopter, cave and marine r...

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 of the century might present some lessons for today’s law enforcement agencies.

The three articles are discussed in the episode are:

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 certain, but many nations (including Australia) are currently building up their military capabilities and equipment levels, just in case.

This episode looks at Australian policing during the Second World War, and of Ukrainian policing in that nation's c...

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 observations of the legal system, the scourge of domestic violence, policing and the authenticity (or otherwise) of legal TV shows. 

John’s book – My Life in Crime: A tapestry of cases – is published by Upswell Publishing. Those wanting...

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. Cases touched on in this conversation include the death of musician Michael Hutchens, the Port Arthur Massacre and the horrendous goings on in the Chelmsford Hospital where psychiatric patients were maliciously killed while being treated. 

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 offender, who later died of natural causes while serving his sentence.

In the podcast Detective Inspector Mathieu Russell of the New South Wales Police Force talks about key aspects of the investigation and court case, and...

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. Case 4: a lovestruck armed robber is apprehended by detectives. Case 5: a man is murdered in rural Queensland and his body is found in remote NSW. These...

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 ‘cargo cults’ and how they emerged in some Pacific Island communities who were keen to enrich themselves with western consumer goods.

It’s a compelling story which shows how...

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 organises the world – covers the history and evolution of organised crime. It leaves the reader pondering the future and how authorities should tackle the challenges posed by criminal syndicates, who are professionalising in a process Mark describes as Darwinian. 

Ma...

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’ location at the time of Stephanie’s death.  When police became satisfied Marcus had been in South Australia, he was ruled out as a suspect. As events transpired however, Marcus became an accessory after the fact to murd...

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 fascinating example of police working to bring justice for Stephanie’s family.

The crime case story this conversation references – Merciless and Cold Blooded: The Murder of Bride to Be Stephanie Scott – is in the September 2019 edition of t...

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 episode begins a three-part must-listen series for any aspiring detective.

The crime case story this conversation references – Merciless and Cold Blooded: The Murder of Bride to Be Stephanie Scott – is in the...

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 Police Diplomacy – the Australian Experience’. It’s an analysis of six decades of Australian police activities in places such as Indonesia, Afghanistan, Ukraine, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Is...

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 titled ‘Uncontrollable Urges’ (September 2011). It can be viewed at www.apjl.com.au.

Host: Jason Byrnes 

Guest: Carl Whitaker

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 Queensland, a day before the region was struck by Tropical Cyclone Debbie.

The second case involved a hermit, Mr Victor Horne, who disappeared on a large property in Far North Queensland. Initially...

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 Whitaker talks to podcast host Jason Byrnes about the challenging investigation with a focus on how it was managed. Aspects covered include the use of interpreters, how the police interacted with other state a...

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 interview Chris mentions serial killer Colonel Russell Williams. The police interview of Williams – which is now used as a training aid for Canadian law enforcement – can be viewed at: ht...

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, Caroline O’Hare and David Gawel, join podcast host Jason Byrnes in this episode. They talk about the impact of terrorism in Australia, signs all police should be aware of, and VOTA’s objectives. It is well worth your time...

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 independence from Indonesia, and after the new nation was almost destroyed by pro-Indonesian militias.

In this fascinating episode, Mike talks about training and preparing to deploy, the extremely tough liv...

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 were able to build briefs of evidence sufficient to obtain convictions for murder and associated offences, despite being unable to locate Allecha’s body. 

Police continued to investigate avenues of in...

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 propensity evidence.

Former Detective Sergeant Darren Prickett led the investigation and joins host Jason Byrnes to talk about what occurred and how the brief of evidence was built. Darren's article - The Insatiable...

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 amazing results.

Recently retired Deputy Editor Barry Fay joins Jason Byrnes to discuss the case, which Barry wrote about in the September 2003 edition of the AP...