Policing Australia: The Official Podcast of the Australian Police Journal

In 2012, 11-month-old Zayden Veal-Whitting was murdered while he was asleep in his bedroom cot, in his home in the regional Victorian city of Bendigo. In this episode we hear about how police were able to identify the offender and bring him to justice - a journey of many twists and turns. The investigation was marked by a high degree of professionalism, thoroughness and basics of policing, including knowing the local 'crooks&a...

A burglar literally leaves part of himself behind at a crime scene!

APJ Deputy Editor Barry Fay talks about a crime scene investigation he conducted at a Bondi restaurant, where he found the tip of the offender's finger.

APJ Editor Simon Bouda then talks to host Jason Byrnes, about the diverse range of interesting articles in the newly released June 2023 edition of the journal.

Host: Jason Byrnes A...

On 30 September 1971 two NSW police officers were murdered at a house in Toongabbie, Western Sydney. The murderer had earlier shot his brother dead, and sexually assaulted his brother’s de-facto partner. After the shootings the murderer fled the house but was later chased by police. The pursuit ended in a crash between the murderer’s car and a police truck, and then another shooting.

In this episode APJ Deputy Editor Barry Fay talks...

Hear from experienced Tasmania Police forensic officer Tania Curtis APM, who was one of the police who responded to the Port Arthur Massacre on Sunday 28 April 1996. Thirty-five people were shot dead by a lone gunman on the day at Tasmania’s best known tourist spot, situated in a rural setting 90 minutes’ drive from Hobart.

Then a junior constable who had recently joined the Launceston Scientific Unit, Curtis worked at th...

Magistrate Greg Grogin talks to host Jason Byrnes about his article titled Court Craft – the essential skills required for police to be effective in court. Mr Grogin has over 30 years of legal expertise (including as defence barrister) and before that was a police officer – so he’s seen ‘all sides’ of a court room.  The tips and issues raised in the podcast are relevant for police in all jurisdictions.

Also appearing in the podcast ...

Learn about Australia’s only human body farm. 

The Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research – AFTER – is dedicated to better understanding the physical, chemical and biological process of human decomposition down under. Part of this process involves conducting training exercises for police and forensic scientists, using donated cadavers in bushland. 

AFTER’s Director, Associate Professor Jodie Ward (Universi...

Retired Tasmania Police Detective Inspector David Plumpton joins Jason Byrnes to talk about the murder case that resulted in Tasmania’s last judicially sanctioned hanging. David also talks about his plans regarding the victim’s place of rest. The victim, Evelyn Maughan, is buried in an unmarked grave and David wants to erect a headstone to honour her. First, he needs the permission of a family member.

For a few weeks the APJ will al...

The true story of a woman kidnapped from her suburban home and left tied to a tree in bushland, while the offender lazily issued a $500,000 ransom demand. The story is also about the fortunate series of events which led police to rescue the woman before she succumbed to the elements and injuries. Sent to gaol for his horrendous crime, the offender later came to a violent end whilst robbing a second-hand antiques store.

APJ Deputy Ed...

APJ Deputy Editor Barry Fay discusses one of the more difficult police investigations he was involved in as a fingerprint expert: the so-called Jane Doe Murder Mystery. 

Detectives and support staff spent months trying to identify the body of a young woman, murdered and left abandoned on a suburban street in late 1991. One of the more gruesome elements was a fingerprint found on newspaper that had been forced into the throat/mouth o...

Retired Detective Inspector Dennis Bray talks to Jason Byrnes about his high-profile investigation regarding the disappearance and murders of Kerry Whelan and Dottie Davis. Bray’s article, Crueller than Murder, is the feature article of the September 2022 issue of the Australian Police Journal.

Rather than canvassing each step of the investigation, Dennis talks about aspects of the complicated and complex operation – topics discusse...

Veteran crime reporter and new APJ Editor Simon Bouda, joins host Jason Byrnes to talk about his journalistic career, themes in crime reporting and the contents of the latest issue of the APJ (September 2022).

Retired US police officer Sean Grogan then joins Jason to talk about body language and its implications for policing. Sean currently teaches body language to police around the world; his conversation with Jason ranges from bas...

Money laundering is an insidious crime which harms the Australian way of life. 

Author and financial crime expert Nathan Lynch talks to podcast host Jason Byrnes about money laundering and some of the excellent work done by Australian law enforcement and criminal intelligence agencies in countering the crime. 

Examples discussed include failures by banks to monitor financial transactions, public/private partnerships to inve...

Chris Dawson APM was the 29th Commissioner of the Western Australia Police Force. This month he retired from the role and was appointed Governor of the state of Western Australia – the first time a former police officer has occupied the viceregal position.

Before he left the force, Commissioner Dawson spoke to Policing Australia to discuss his thoughts on policing. He also talked about his 38-year career in law enforcement, includin...

Listen to barrister Mark Tedeschi QC as he discusses one of the more notable episodes in his prosecutorial career – the prosecution of notorious murderer Bruce Burrell. As Crown Prosecutor, Tedeschi worked with a legal team and police to secure the conviction of Burrell for two vicious murders, committed for financial gain. The bodies of the victims have never been found.

In the podcast you will head Tedeschi talk about a range of i...

Author David Dufty talks about his book – ‘Nabbing Ned Kelly: The extraordinary true story of the men who brought Australia's notorious outlaw to justice'. The book is a refreshingly new look at the work of police in bringing a major criminal to justice in colonial Victoria. It challenges the myths surrounding Kelly and his gang, who were in real life vicious and violent thugs. The book is published by Allen & Unwin a...

The story of a multi-jurisdictional manhunt for a vicious murderer who killed and beheaded his victim. During his time on the run, the offender decided to audition as an extra for a major movie! He was eventually captured at gunpoint in the remove Northern Territory. The author was one of the leading investigators into the matter. APJ Editor Pat Paroz also provides an overview of the diverse range of articles in the latest issue of...

Recently retired NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller discusses his thoughts on multiple issues impacting contemporary policing. These include the evolving nature of crime, the impact of COVID-19 on the force, and the relationship between police and the community, elected officials and the media. He also reflects on his experiences as a policeman, especially the period where he led the nation’s largest force.

This is the s...

Retired policeman Bob Brown talks with host Jason Byrnes about his career with the Western Australia Police in general, and the WA Tactical Response Group (TRG) in particular. Bob is the author of the article Top End Murders: The Search for the ‘Kimberley Killer’, which appears in the December 2021 issue of the APJ. The article is about a TRG search for a serial killer in a remote part of the state in 1987, during which the team ca...

Historian and author Michael Bennett talks about some of the amazing stories associated with NSW Police Aboriginal trackers of the 19th and 20th Centuries. Michael’s book, PATHFINDERS: A HISTORY OF ABORIGINAL TRACKERS IN NSW has been nominated for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award in Australian History. For more information about the APJ, go to www.apjl.com.au; to find out more about aboriginal trackers, go to https://pathfinders...