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 ..read more

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: https://www.youtu ..read more

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 ..read more

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 t ..read more

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 ..read more

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 Insati ..read more

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 APJ.  This podcast series is provide ..read more

Former policeman Ronald Cornish talks about his time as a police peacekeeper with the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). Sixty years ago, Australia sent its first contingent of police to UNFICYP, to undertake monitoring duties of Greek Cypriot police. Australia’s contribution to UNFICYP eventually lasted 53 years, with the final contingent leaving in 2017. In 1965 Constable Ron Cornish of the Tasmania Police was selected to be a member of the second contingent (at the time called the ‘Australian Police Element’). In this interview he recalls his experiences, the duties of t ..read more

Elder abuse is a crime long ignored or downplayed in society. This needs to change, especially as society ages. Abuse can be physical and/or psychological, is often committed by people the victim relies on or trusts, and can hasten a victim's death. Rob Critchlow APM is the author of the article titled 'Dignity and Safety: Responding Effectively to Abuse of Older Persons', which is in the new (June 2024) issue of the APJ. Rob joins host Jason Byrnes, to talk about elder abuse awareness, the forms that abuse can take, and what police should be alert to when dealing with people over the age of ..read more

Deputy Commissioner Neil Gaughan APM talks about his time as the Chief Police Officer (CPO) for the Australian Capital Territory. The experienced police officer has worked at the local and national levels for 40 years - starting as a general duties Constable in the ACT and ending up leading ACT Policing. On the way he held responsibilities for leading the Australian Federal Police's Counter Terrorism, Cyber and Organised Crime Commands, and the organisation's international engagements.  Having recently retired from the Chief Police Officer role, Gaughan talks about a range of issues incl ..read more