16th July 2022
The acquittal of Jason Roberts for the murders of Senior Constable Rodney Miller and Sergeant Garry Silk in 1998 is disappointing, but the part that rips at our guts is that the acquittal was achieved because it would seem, the ineptitude of investigators, not much else.
How could such an important, or for that matter, any case be subjected to the errors that this brief contained?
We suspect some will be held to account, but the real culprits, senior management, will not be tarred with that brush; low-hanging fruit will be the scapegoats.
Tampering with evidence is an absolute no, in any circumstances, and irrespective of the crime, there is never a justification.
It would seem the necessary elements of Perverting the Course of Justice exist in this matter. A Common Law offence with a codified maximum penalty of twenty-five years in the Crimes Act, indicates the seriousness of how this type of behaviour is viewed.
Every detective and police member knows this. So fundamental and absolute is this rule and the consequences, that denial of its existence by any police member is indefensible.
Additionally, those same police, are well aware of the process should a witness, due to circumstances, wish to change their statement. That is not an offence, but there are procedures to follow.
It would be helpful if the Chief were to condemn the tampering of evidence publicly to attempt to regain some credibility for the Force with a public apology to the State and the families of the two members who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
The families of the slain members, serving and former police, having to carry the ignominy of the failures of the Victoria Police is beyond reprehensible.
There is palpable anger over the incompetence in this case.
The old saying, we all bleed blue, is a truism in this case, with the vast majority of serving and former police sharing the pain with the slain members’ families.
If policing cannot get it right when their own are slain, what hope for the rest of the community?
The handling of this case has severely damaged community confidence in the Victoria Police as an Organisation already reeling from a number of missteps in recent years. This latest just made policing just that much harder.
Some of us in our early careers were exposed to old-timers who saw the end justifies the means as legitimate Policing. For many of us, that was an uncomfortable concept, but it now appears evident that this outdated and wrong culture has crept back into policing in Victoria.
That can only happen if management is inept.
We strongly suspect this was bought in predominately by external senior appointments and was able to take hold because of bad management practices, also imported.
It is in this environment that spawned a flawed culture that these issues occurred.
It is hoped lessons have been learnt and lateral entry to senior roles is never contemplated again. We hope that our community leaders cannot be that dumb not to learn from the litany of errors foisted upon us by imports.
The problem has evolved over the last couple of decades, where any action to achieve a conviction is acceptable. This flies directly in the face of the principles of good investigations.
Moreover, in part, it puts policing above the law.
A notion rejected by the overwhelming majority of serving police and those who have served.
To blame a few rogue detectives is a nonsense; this concept is a cultural one that senior managers have not addressed, and it is they who are responsible.
A Royal Commission is now being touted as justified because of the failure and ineptitude of Policing in Victoria as an organisation.
There have been a plethora of incidents over recent years that are building pressure for action to be taken.
VicPol has not challenged this growing body of justification for an inquiry, so we can only assume that the police executives are resigned to the inevitability of a review of some type.
A Royal Commission, however, in our view, is not the answer as the answer lies within VicPol itself.
Nothing will change until one or more Senior Executives are held to account and suffer the consequence of their ineptitude.
It is incredulous that some of those involved in the Gobbo debacle still hold senior positions in VicPol, and elsewhere, enabling their incompetence, or more disastrous their policing values, to be further promulgated.
This raises the question of what some inept, incompetent managers must do to be held to account.
It seems whatever they like, it just won’t happen.
The reality is that many who have acted corruptly in the Gobbo matters will have retired and accessed their comfortable Superannuation by the time charges are made. Culprits will not face court as police, effectively shifting the responsibility from VicPol.
Draining the executive swamp is one alternative, but fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your perspective, there are a number of executives whose services are of considerable value.
The ball, however, is now squarely in the Chief Commissioner’s court.
His response will determine whether the Government is forced by public pressure to hold an inquiry or Commission.
There is a growing air of inevitability.
More incompetence and corruption within Vicpol. The police l used to work with were average good guys but the goings on on the past couple of years has shattered my trust in all police, unfortunately. My take is senior management bowing down to the dictates of state government and this flowing through the ranks. Can the confidence of the community be regained? Individuals, or groups of police, need to remember their oath,act accordingly and not just obey government directives.
The community wants to have confidence in their police.
VicPol is just a political arm of the Andrews fascist regime. Zero credibility, so who’s surprised when these corrupt practices are exposed?
Like the regime, they themselves from the top down are above the law in the gulag of Victoria.
Thankyou for writing a balanced article. There were a total of five statements, which were destroyed, new ones submitted purporting to me originals. It was corrupt and done so to fit a narrative which was wrong. I have been blamed for the outcome, when all I was doing was my job, in accordance with the oath I undertook,
Ron Iddles. A very fair comment, by a blameless investigator, with values exactly in accord with your oath of office
There needs to be a Royal Commission into Vicpol. concerning matters whereby there are allegations of Vicpol usurping justice in the courts, including the Coroners Court.
The last effective and respected CCP was Mick Miller. Unfortunately they don’t make men like that any more let alone coppers! Police are just a reflection of society so it is not surprising the bread we have today. The public gets what the public wants, some might say ‘deserve’.
It’s very hard to write anything in the emotional wake of this diabolical travesty that permeates our community. There is little comfort from the killer still facing sentencing for 10 confessed armed robberies. There must be public accountability for the serious failures of political “Commissioner” appointments that have presided over this sad outcome. A public inquiry is inevitable.
This type of practice is not confined to Victoria although Victoria is the only state that appears to investigate these practices publicly (Inflation Nightclub) when they are identified.
You can’t fix a problem unless you acknowledge there is one. Victoria has taken that step. Good work. The question now is, what’s the next step.
I spent 35 years in Vic Police. 25 as a detective. I used to be proud but that changed when NIXON took the helm and the fog between Command and the Govt commenced. I am now ashamed. Corporate nepotism became the norm which rewarded narcissists and ensured the progress of their like minded sycophants. Misandric feminists climbed the ladder and it appears the force is more concerned about wokeist left wing garbage than conducting their core duties. Too many people have been promoted for the wrong reasons. They have dumbed down members, specifically detectives. The current indifference to blatant corrupt and criminal acts by the current Andrews Govt beggars belief.
Yes Marty. I totally agree. Look what they are trying to do to me. O.k. not in the same scale, but a bunch of left wing, woke, gender confused people want to sack me for speaking my mind…
Yeah right
In my opinion a public inquiry is NOT inevitable. The direct interference or remote influence of State political emissaries, whether past or present, will act currently to stimy a seriously needed effective inquiry. When popular media, and therefore the general population, is willing to recognise that VicPol suffers at a profound level from a disorder that seriously puts justice at risk, then a useful inquiry might take place. Neither Vic Pol Senior Management, Political Emissaries, Popular Media, or the General Population of Victoria are currently disposed to an adequate inquiry.
I don’t know enough to assess whether Roberts was guilty or innocent. But he was 17 at the time of the murders, and has spent 22 years in jail. If he was guilty that seems a fair punishment (given his youth). If he was innocent then, yes, there needs to be an investigation into why the police investigation was so flawed.
Sorry Jeanette, if he was guilty, you think 22 years is a fair punishment??? He took the LIVES of two Policemen, who each, had more than 22 years of quality life left to live, and that’s not even taking into account the lives of their families he has destroyed for life! No amount of jail time will bring them back, but he will go on to live his quality life in the many years he has left! He should have rotted in jail for life!
When one listens to the recordings of the conversations between these two murderers, on a CD that was included in the first issue of a book on this case, one is left in no doubt as to the guilt of both offenders. Very harrowing listening to say the least discussing the whole episode.
Not fair to have Ron and Charlie’s photo on this article as they would be two of the most straight shooters in regards to police practices and investigations.
No longer a job for anyone with street smarts and critical thinking abilities. Narcs and sycophants poison the upper echelons! Sad state of affairs