For quite a period, the politicisation of Victoria Police has been evolving, and no more so than during the COVID pandemic, when it became so prevalent that it seemed the norm.
During that time, however, there was always an endgame, when the pandemic was over, that offered some solace to those aware of the insidious nature of politicising the State Police Force.
Apart from COVID, the political interference in Police operations has been all too evident for nearly two decades.
This interference is not always overtly evident, but when you look at these major criminal matters, there is a common thread that reeks of politicisation.
The major criminal activities we refer to are,
- George Pell – prosecution, where it was found that a conviction was not upheld; however, there should never have been a prosecution in the first place.
Importantly, you will recall the work done by journalist Andrew Bolt, who demonstrated how it was highly improbable that Pell had the opportunity to offend, let alone actually offend.
A reasonable and indefensible Reasonable Doubt.
Despite the alarm bells that Bolt raised, doubting the validity of a prosecution, the police and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) went ahead anyway. Neither the DPP nor VicPol were held to account for a miscarriage of justice. The question is, why?
- Slug Gate – was a prime example where normal Police practices were set aside when there was ample evidence to prosecute perpetrators involved in what can only be described as an ideological political stitch-up of a small business operator who after many years of providing food services to Local Government and other entities, had the misfortune of a Government deciding to enter into the industry with a government funded competitor hell bent on success.
There was ample evidence of a number of prime facia criminal offences committed by the promoters and operators of this Government-funded competitor, but none were ever prosecuted – Why?
- Nicolla Gobbo Affair – cited by a Jurist who described the Gobbo affair not merely as professional misconduct, but as a corruption of the criminal justice system itself, involving fundamental breaches by both Gobbo and Victoria Police.
Even with such a damning indictment from the High Court, no person has been charged or made to answer for their behaviour or role in this matter, which included many in the highest echelons of Victoria Police, including a number of Commissioners and Chief Commissioners, and the members of the Victorian Bar.
There has been a rumour that some of the lower-ranking Police involved were to face accountability, but this would be a supreme travesty given the rank of the architects of this debacle. They are the ones who must atone, not those who operate under their instruction or supervision.
That many involved have left the force for whatever reason; that must not be the get-out-of-jail-free card that many have dealt themselves.
There would be absolute and justifiable community outrage if a criminal responsible for egregious crimes were able to escape investigation and accountability by playing a similar card to the Police in the Gobbo matter.
We need to know why?
- Bike Boy – All matters are not historic, and the Bike Boy incident, where Daniel Andrews, leader of the Opposition’s car, struck and severely injured a young boy, has never been properly resolved. No proper investigation was undertaken, and it has taken a number of retired Police to conduct a detailed examination without the resources available to serving police, to compile a very solid brief of evidence against Daniel and Catherine Andrews. Adding to that, media reports painted the attending Police as failing to fulfil their professional obligations. The two suspects in this case were the then Opposition Leader of the State of Victoria and his wife. It is no wonder that crime in this State is rampant when the dignitaries are placed above the law, setting an example for the rest of the criminal community.
Miscreants must be charged and face a court, as we would expect to happen to any other Victorian.
If not, we must know why?
- Tobacco Wars – The so-called Tobacco Wars are like all crime, driven by greed, with little or no consideration of Victims. The Government has quietly sat on its hands, failing to take decisive action against the criminals and organised crime driving the problem. The State Government has seen this as a Federal excise Tax issue, and there is some truth to this; however, the state is responsible for law and order, and the criminal behaviour needs to be excised from the excise tax issue, and sufficiently strong legislation enacted to arm the police to deal with criminality.
It is no coincidence that weak anti-organised-crime laws have encouraged bikie-linked organised crime to shift to Victoria, where such laws are the weakest in the country.
There is also the growth of lawlessness on building sites, and this is not just an unfortunate coincidence but the result of being soft on crime by hamstringing the Police, and a Judiciary in lockstep with the failed Restorative Justice ideological dream. The public is entitled to know. Why?
- Gang violence – another community and law professionals’ sore point. It has become very apparent that Victoria Police are very effective at bringing the perpetrators to justice, but there, effectiveness hits a brick wall.
Jurists responsible for delivering justice have embarked on a campaign over the last decade or so to do just the opposite. Yes, and again, it is restorative justice embraced by so many of those charged with delivering justice that has failed.
It has not been lost on those who are interested that the Restorative Justice push coincides with the evolution of the Crime Tsunami.
The Government has got nobody else to blame but itself for listening to ill-informed people who thought the idea of providing an amnesty to allow for the surrender of edged weapons into bins outside Police Stations was a good idea.
Understanding the psyche of those who carry these weapons, one would think it would be a strategy, one-O-one.
The weapons are a status symbol amongst many of the youth cohort and give them some misguided power to let it be known amongst their peers they are armed, so they are not going to relinquish their ‘ protection’ or ‘strength’ in a bin outside a Police Station. Remember, we are dealing with juveniles who have no respect for the law.
If you thought this might work to reduce the number of weapons carried by youths, from the immortal classic, ‘The Castle,’ “tell em they’re dreaming”.
But we, as a community, are not privy to what strategies (if any) will be implemented to tackle this problem. Why?
The latest news, however, is that a top secret agency (until now – if it is supposed to be top secret, why announce it – doh! ) would target gangland-related activity that has sparked a wave of fire bombings, extortion and other serious crime in Victoria.
Whoop-de-doo, a fat lot of good that will do when all the other outstanding matters listed herein are not being seriously addressed and resolved.
And more importantly, how do they plan to staff this agency?
Presumably, it will be Police, but where are they going to come from?
One guess- your local Police Station.
The Chief Commissioner is reported as supporting the idea, but he must have grave fears that this sort of decision or thought bubble is going to be foisted on an already overstretched Force.
Unless there is a plan to ensure that the Judiciary will support this approach, the whole idea is rather moot.
Our view is that we have an excellent and very competent Chief Commissioner, and the Government should butt out and, instead of announcing ‘mind sparks’, provide the Force with adequate resources and remove the recruiting cap for both full-time Police and Reserve Police.
We know that you cannot arrest your way out of a crime tsunami; the only effective strategy is to prevent crime before it happens, and to do that, you need sufficient police. We are confident that the Chief Commissioner understands this approach.
Like many political activities, the question remains: has this thought bubble any meat on the bone?.
The lack of detail reported is bordering on scary.
Announced as a Top-Secret Agency implies it will be an autonomous body, A Government agency: A public body that administers programs or regulations. Example: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
This is getting perilously close to a secret government law enforcement body that can operate at the will of the Government of the day.
The ultimate politicisation of law enforcement is the path to a Police State.
