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: Editorials 2004
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: Editorials 2007
A sad indictment on the Victoria Police training Academy. Ostracism of anti-corruption investigators working as instructors at the Victoria Police academy.
Work colleagues can easily corrupt many if not most individuals. Good people doing bad acts, the Lucifer Effect. The bravest and most honest police are vilified by a culture of corruption by the majority of corrupt Victorian Police. "I am happy that someone has finally acknowledged these issues of ostracism and resentment faced by a number of Ceja investigators", said Bill Patten. But what has Premier Brumby done about the entrenched corruption, absolutely nothing.
The compliant weak personality types should be weeded out in the early stages. At the Police training academy among the fresh faced recruits, plant half-a-dozen trusted graduates to behave as if they are also new recruits. Give them a special certificate from the Chief Commissioner to allow the possession of a small quantity of drugs for training purposes. Let them mingle with the new recruits and be seen to be consuming drugs. Let them encourage others to participate with them in illegal activity. Find out which new recruits have no internal locus-of-control to resist the dishonest element they will encounter in Victoria Police. Send the deficient recruits on their way.
Law enforcement is definitely a growth industry. Thousands of the unemployed are being given Security training courses to work as guards for a few bob an hour. ASIO are recruiting 900 new staff. Who wants to work as a police officer trying to catch the immoral, unethical and insane? What sort of personality aspires to wield the authority of the law over the bad immoral and insane? Run you mouse over items for more information.
The general public
Many people enthusiastic enough to apply might be inappropriate
Support tolerance and leadership skills in schools
Allow dissent and individual growth not vacant compliance
Obligation to the state/people
Increase levels of police integrity.
Give Police sensible laws to uphold, based on solid legal principals
Admit that many personalities are fragile, strongly influenced by:
Genetic personality traits learned responses, habits
Work colleagues can easily corrupt many individuals.
Current Rewards: Drugs money sex and firepower ergo many police are corrupt
Deterrents required: Swiftness and certainty of detection via:
A Standing Royal Commission 150 million a year
Standard routine Police Integrity testing annual cycle
Sting operations to test suspect individual police honesty
Audit arrest and conviction rates for evidence of corruption
Recruitment and Training
Victoria Police use four main entry criteria:
Probity checks on past criminal activity.
Agility fitness testing.
Medical suitability.
Interviews with the police selection panel.
Currently Victoria Police reject one-third of applicants as being unsuitable for the police force. Perhaps the figure should be much higher?
Police recruitment could perform more testing to ensure well balanced personalities are recruited which would ultimately benefit the public as well as the level of professional standards in the force. They could perform Personality assessments
Socially desired response set testing
Use lie detector testing for some more senior positions
Do background checks on past behaviour not just convictions
Questioning applicants on peer pressure stereotyping and ethics
Recruit some highly educated social sciences graduates
Each applicant should be interviewed by an experienced psychologist
"So! Why do you want to join the police".
"I just like helping people".
"Maybe you could do that better in nursing or social work"?
"Ok, I'll try nursing instead".
"You seem to have good marks in biology and chemistry".
"I like the uniform and being a leader".
At least six months police cadet training, not 20 weeks!
comprising their:
Policing:
Criminal Law Reform Required
Controlled decriminalisation of personal drug use
Impairment testing competence based measures
Stop using the law to raise revenue
Behavioural evaluation not laws aginst biochemistry
A real Bill of rights supporting basic civil liberties
Policing Reforms
Supervision of junior police.
Education on Due Diligence and Code of Conduct and Standing Orders
Explain the method of work place assessment and integrity checking
Responsibility to uphold the criminal law and generally promote good order
Less emphasis on arrest and conviction rates for promotion
Rewards and promotion for clever use of discretionary powers for summary offences
Weapons use proportionate force theories of aggression
Dealing with People:
Field Impairment testing training
Drivers pass roadside impairment tests Victorian police zero tolerance drug testing which is primative and unrelated to physical co-ordination.
An introduction to personality theory and mental-illness
Strategic ways to deal compassionately with mentally ill citizens
Dealing with Conflict
Work Team Communication Skills
Managing Grievances and Disputes
Dealing with Clients and Customers
Interview Skills techniques
Team Building community skills
Speaking in Public facing fears and personal prejudice
After a one year trial of world-first Victorian laws based on government sponsored academic research, funded by Vic Roads law enforcement, the Premier of Victoria, Steve Bracks is "flagging" tough new penalties to remove anyone who has used illegal drugs from the road. The Police minister, Tim Holding says it is about road safety, but he refuses to accept ministerial responsibility and control the Victoria Police Union. He blames everyone else for his mistakes with speed cameras which have no error tolerance. Now the prohibitionist anti-democratic Victorian government is going further into judging criminal guilt with error-prone saliva testing.
In summary drug testing drivers:
If the Victorian government were really concerned about road safety, as the police minister Tim Holding claims, they could test all drivers for competence to drive, using a field sobriety test to catch all bad drivers. Competence to drive can be tested by the field sobriety test, but Steven Bracks and Tim Holding are trying to deceive all Victorian citizens that they really care about road safety, we wish they did really care and introduced field competency testing which will catch anyone who is not capable of driving and not just target of a few illegal drug groups.
Premier Bracks just started a nine million dollar TV advertising campaign, using propaganda to promote his health and law and order policy as being a great success. Victorian premier Bracks spends our money on his own self agrandisement. Common law rights have been destroyed by Bracks who gives a green light to corrupt police. To see government advertising saying the opposite is vile.
Yet another example of the Victorian government's assault and battery on common law rights and their ignorance of democratic principles. Today 26th October, Bracks decided it was OK to converscate the property of "hoon" drivers, anyone exceeding the speed limit by 45Km an hour will have their car impounded for three months for a second offence. Feudal thinking Mr Bracks, the government cannot rightly appropriate private property without compensation. Under the Victorian Major Crime Bill, hundreds of Victorians caught growing marijuana have had their homes taken off them by a government with no respect for private property.
Victorian Premier Bracks is already taking private property from Victorians after passing the Major Crime and Proceeds of Crime Bills. Regular sales are held in Victoria of property that Police "deem" to be the proceeds of crime. No charges are needed and nothing has to be proved for police to just "deem" that what you own is the proceeds of crime. Premier Bracks is not just the thief of civil liberties, he is the thief of an ancient right to own personal property.
In late 2005 Bracks was joking about Victorians being beaten by police with phone books so they do not leave bruises. While Bracks was joking about police beating suspects with phone books, on the other side of Melbourne suspects were being bashed in the head with a phone and then told, "Would you like to make another call, STOP bleeding all over the place". The bashed suspect will probably go free as police dismissed have zero credibility. What value is a confession if it is forced by a beating? A freudian slip from an irresponsible ignorant bully Premier Bracks.
Listening to talk back ABC radio, everyone wants to stomp on these hoon drivers, but they have no consideration of private ownership of property! Where it will end, if the government just takes private property? What next, police taking the shoes off pedestrians who j-walk across the road?
The Australian Oxford Dictionary 2nd Edition 2004
sedition/ n. 1 conduct or speech inciting to rebellion or a breach of public order 2 agitation against the authority of a state [ORIGIN Middle English from Old French sedition or Latin seditio] seditious/ adj. inciting or causing people to rebel against the authority of the state or monarch. seditiously/ adv. inciting or causing people to rebel against the authority of the state or monarch. [ORIGIN Late Middle English from Old French seditieux or Latin seditiosus from seditio "mutinous separation"]
The draft Australian Anti-terror Bill
A spelling typo, might be all you need for seven years jail. I meant to write thrill, not kill, the spellchecker could be co-accused.
Any journalist or writer could be guilty of sedition, even if they are being very careful not to make any reckless statements. A legal opinion from Mediawatch
Anyone, possibly John Pilger who praises resistance fighters to an occupying army, could be guilty of sedition. Are we now by compulsion to change our description of the good Eureka miners to; those wicked outlaws, so we are not supporting rebels in the media? Is the sedition law retrospective? Will all rebellions now be redefined, no matter what the cause or injustice is and now be attributed to, seditious rebels.
One principle of a democracy is Pluralism, diversity of opinion. If one person says something stupid, that is their right based on democratic principles, Voltaire, I disagree with what you say, but I defend your right to say it, (perhaps not to the death as that may now be defined as willing to use violence), anything defended to the death might be seditious.
The police will have the right to imprison anyone without charge for two weeks. From their record, Victoria Police especially and the AFP, do not merit that level of trust, even when fighting against misguided religious zealots who target civilians.
Teaching creation science and intelligent design theory promotes religious extremism, kamikaze pilots, suicide bombers or Christian martyrs, they all have a Theistic belief in - A creator who starts things and remains involved; believe in a God, heaven and a glorious after-life.
There is no judicial review process or compensation procedures to keep-in-check foreseeable, abuses of un-democratic, un-just, anti-terrorism laws.
The harsh laws do violate international standards of justice. Everyone wants terrorists caught, but not so much that the cure is worse than the disease, the baby democracy is thrown out with the dirty bath-water of fear and loathing of an enemy within, fear.
The draft bill of the Australian Anti-terror law states that you could be guilty of sedition if you "recklessly" make any statement suggesting the use of force. The Eureka Stockade miners would all be guilty of sedition. Anyone who urges the use of force, or possibly passive resistance, even anyone making supportive statements about any armed struggle against authority, they could be guilty of sedition as well. The protestant religious revolutionary, but peaceful publisher, (except for four witches he burnt to death at Wittenberg) Martin Luther would not stand a chance under the Australian Anti-terrorism laws.
Imagine you are the Editor of an early Victorian newspaper, the Argus, it is April 10th, 1855 and the Charles Hotham led British government has just enacted a version of the 2005 Anti-terrorism laws of sedition, to prevent the Eureka Stockade miners encouraging others to be rebellious against English rule.
Would you publish, the Letter to the Editor written by the leader of the Eureka movement, Peter Lalor, who was still in hiding from the government.
Could your chief editor, edit Lalor's Letter to the Editor, to make it comply with 2005 sedition laws and still retain the meaning intended by Lalor?
Instruct your cadet Argus reporters, how should they report the Eureka rebellion, wihout breaching sedition laws enacted by the Howard government in 2005. For example, this quote from Lalor's letter; miners"have been forced to take up arms" promotes violence in response to injustice and would probably breach current Australian sedition laws, including the praising of terrorist acts. Make a list of "seditious quotes" that would be encouraging the violent rebellion and the miner's actions. Make another list of quotes praising the miner's rebellious actions.
Imagine you are the Chief of the Australian Federal Police, or head of ASIO, under the 2005 law of sedition and praising terrorism related to the 1854 Eureka Stockade rebellion, who would you first arrest and why? You are furious when you see Lalor's letter published in the Argus. Lalor is a criminal inciting violence, a traitor who killed police, a criminal on the run (HE later became a member of the Victorian parliament). But Lalor, is in hiding, so who do you immediately arrest for two weeks detention without charge and who do you formally charge with sedition or treason? The publisher or editor of the Argus newspaper, the cadet reporters, the printer, the author quoted (when caught), the distributor, or even the readers of the paper? Unfortunately, you could probably arrest them all on sedition charges.
To the fury of the Federal Government, the good Labor Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory ACT (Canberra), Jon Stanhope, posted the confidential draft legislation on his website yesterday, after inviting feedback from Canberra Muslims. Well done Jon, the public were being denied any input in new laws giving police, unlimited powers to kill or detain anyone without charge.
The typical anti-democratic response from Victorian Premier Steve Bracks who also had the draft, was that the draft should have been kept confidential. Typical of pragmatic Mr Bracks, see below just a little of what he has done, without any debate to destroy legal foundations of democracy in Victoria.
The Australian Oxford Dictionary 2nd Edition 2004
praise/ n. 1 Express warm approval or admiration. 2 glorify God in words 3 the act or an instance of praising; commendation (won high praise; were loud in their praises) Praise Be An exclamation of pious gratitude. sing the praises of Commend (a person) highly. praiseful adj. praiser n. Origin Middle English from Old French preisier via Late Latin pretiare from Latin pretium prize
"Well praise be to St. Patrick", even in the word's definition, there are religious connotations that apply to an individual not an organisation.
On the four hundredth anniversary of Guy Fawke's being; hung, drawn and quartered, November 5th 1605, many other Catholics who did not support his attempt to destroy the English protestant parliament were put to death by James I of England as criminal co-conspirators, many innocents suffer when a religion is targeted, one bad "guy" does not spoil the whole bunch. Do we praise when we acquiesce with inaction and allow another to think you approve of their actions, is that praise? Praise by omission to criticise?
Could law enforcement authorities be condemned with faint praise? They can jail anyone for two weeks and not allow them any communication. A complete repudiation of the writ habeus corpus Would Noel Coward be arrested in WWII England for his song, "Dont let us be beastly to the Germans." His song was published and given airplay, today he might be immediate jailed with no charges for two weeks.
Could pointing out corruption and inadequacies in Australian law enforcement, be praise for the criminals they fail to catch? The Australian Keystone cops. Should police be given further powers to kill, when some are already unaccountable and out-of-control, especially in Victoria Australia? So while you are held in two weeks detention, without charge and no means to contact anyone except the Ombudsman, will ASIO pay your rent and collect the kids from school.
What compensation will the government pay for wrongful detention and killings? Anti-terrorism laws could be abused and used against political enemies of the government.
Ned Kelly! was an Australian outlaw and bush-ranger, hung in 1880, Ned is still a hero to the Victorian and Australian people. Is praising bold Ned Kelly or the Eureka miners now against the law? There were only three newspapers in Victoria at the time of the Eureka Stockade. The Argus supported the miners, other newspapers like the Ballarat Times, or the Age were more supportive of the status quo before the rebellion.
The Argus newspaper would almost certainly be closed down under Howard's 2005 sedition laws for publishing on 4 th January 1855, p. 5 - the letter to The Editor supporting the Eureka movement, written by one of its leaders, Frederick Vern.
You could argue in Ned's case and for the miners that you can't possibly encourage terrorist acts when the protagonists are long dead, perhaps though as symbols of bold insurrection. Ned and the Stockade miners could be appropriated by the state and renamed seditious terrorists. We pray, beseach and petition (Ned and the miners seditiously DEMANDED) the Howard government to redraft this nasty undemocratic legislation which sanctions police killings, arrest with no cause and detention without charge.
Defending your rights and liberties under the 1854 Eureka Stockade Miner's Oath could now be illegal. Self defence, the building of a stockade to protect yourself is illegal.
We petition judges, retired judges with dementia and every brown dog authorised, not to grant any orders to detain without charge, it is the judge's sacred and ancient common law duty to follow legal precedent, not parliamentary direction. Maintain some ancient common law rights granted by King John in the Magna Carta Some civil liberties of expression must be retained by any supposedly pluralistic democracy which values diversity of opinion.
A heretic is one who holds unorthodox opinions, not violent ones. Hereticpress praises the Irish Eureka miners in 1854, who led a rebellion against harsh colonial rule, unfair taxes and corrupt police. This rebellion was the foundation of democracy in victoria, but at the time it was a cause of shame. Guilty of praising terrorists? Would a general ideology or political view opposed to the ruling government's be sufficient?
What is the Australian government's educational policy on natural causes, in Muslim or Christian countries? Sadly, we had an Australian Education minister hungry for Creationist votes. Vote Brendon Nelson out of parliament for letting creation scientists teach "intelligent design" theory as if it were science. You may not have any problems with that Brendan, but think of the possible consequences apart from promoting religious terrorism, consequences of teaching false beliefs as if they were science, like Russian genetic plant breeding under the false belief of aquired characteristics being inheirited; Lamarkianism, the result was famine.
We hope the new education minister, Julie Bishop does a better job, unfortunately in late 2006 she wants centralised control of state education systems. What liberal right wing anti-democratic rubbish will she force students to learn?
Does the world need any more religious ideology, just another shame on the country, from the Howard government and our Education minister.
ASIO, The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation decides who is a threat to Australian security, but they look to be doing a poor job. (Oct 16th 900 new ASIO staff coming soon, but which applicants will they accept in a big hurry?) Someone at ASIO decided to arrest and deport a peaceful American political activist? The responsible ASIO officer should resign or be dismissed in any democratic country which values free-speech. Don't let this person in on the recruitment process of new staff ASIO or you will end up with a bad bunch. Scott Parkin was arrested, jailed and then deported to American at his own expense, without him being charged with anything.
As far as everyone can tell, except ASIO, Scott Parkin is a good principled man who advocates non-violent peaceful protest, while ASIO have behaved in a disgraceful manner, abusing a democratic right to peacefully protest against injustices. People like Scott Parkin are an example to others, how to vent their frustration without violence and aggression. This is like banning Michael Moore documentaries and films critical of society or the state. If you do not allow the peaceful protestors to speak, the aggressive and violent will surely hide themselves in silence.
Will other authors or activists be jailed or deported for criticising governments? The leader of the Australian Greens Party, Senator Bob Brown requested that ASIO brief him on the reason why Scott Parkin was deported, ASIO refused. It seems there was no reason except ASIO has an agenda to indiscriminately squash free speech and peaceful protest.
It is difficult not to remember other protestors in nations waging war against others, even Germany under Hitler 60 years ago. No dissent was allowed. To stifle free speech is one of the hallmarks of a fascist police state, where individuals are crushed supposedly for the greater good. Scott Parkin could be compared to a lone protestor outside a WWII Krupp steel and munitions factory pointing out who makes the most money from the conflict. What about a protestor at the front of the WWII German Degussa company which refined all gold taken from murdered concentration camp victims. Silence and preventing free-speech is the enemy of democracy, not Scott Parkin. Scott is any asset to a democratic country. Let him speak, even if you do not agree with him. German memories
ASIO are fighting a war against the aggressive and violent, others fight against violence and aggression educating against fundamentalist flaws in logic and the lack of education on the science of evolution and natural causes. You must let them speak ASIO, even if you disagree with their ideas. What laws did Scott break? Education on civil responsibility and peaceful protest is sadly needed to moderate extremism, it should not be so summarily rejected in an arbitrary and unjust manner.
Much of the ugly violence is based on a false belief in an afterlife. The longterm solution is education, probably two generations of education, not likely while politicians pander to religious based political factions in America or Australia. The destructive selfish aspect of Christianity, refuse to accept evolution and argue for a conscious designer, a GOD as a right which perpetuates all GODs as if they were legitimate science. The way to combat religious extremism is education.
ASIO banning all peaceful protest shows that an element of paranoia may have crept into the organisation. To ban Scott is self-defeating for an intelligence agency seeking information. It acts against ASIO's own Raison D'être, making people fear speaking their truth out loud. This action will make ASIO's difficult job of detection, even harder. To actually collect intelligence, you should let everyone speak and then arrest only the very worst and most obvious cases of malevolent intent or incitement to crime.
A report into why ASIO deported Scott was not made public, but exonerated ASIO for letting him into the country and then deporting him. One newspaper attributed violence tactics to Scott which were completely untrue. People should be free to speak their mind without inciting violence in a democracy, the FBI and America, welcomed Scott Parkin home, whatever you may think about American foreign policy, at least they take the democratic rights of their own citizens more seriously than a supposed democracy like Australia which outlaws dissent and can jail anyone for two weeks with no charges. Australia is removing democratic rights that have existed for almost a thousand years, reintroducing autocratic rights to jail citizens without any charges, abolishing rights gained like the writ of habeus corpus signed by King John in 1215.
The most corrupt Victorian Police Force. THE former chairman of the Australian Crime Commission, Peter Faris QC, has declared Victoria's police force the most corrupt in the nation. Other distinguished high ranking retired police agree with Peter Farris QC.
Sir Edward Woodward former head of ASIO (1976-1981) said, "Police corruption in Victoria is at its highest level ever"
Sir Edward said that before the late Commission Mick Millar cleaned up the force, 60% of Victoria police were being bribed by bookmakers now they are being bribed by drug dealers and Premier Brack's does almost nothing about it!
More than 60% of Victoria police are corrupt. We anecdotally believed that the corruption rate was about 70%, but could only statistically prove a little over 10%. Another senior policeman Federal policeman Kerry Milte pleads guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates Court.
Melbourne Police went on strike again today, refusing supervision. At least Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police, Christine Nixon seems to be trying her best, taking on the Police Association, to drug test them and make them declare their financial interests. Her demands of police are fair. She was also responsible for disbanding the drug squad and breaking police stereotypes about gays. She is trying to change the culture of the Victorian Police Association.
Next the police association will go on strike, saying they need more funding, can't possibly submit to random drug testing themselves (they do it to road users!). We support their claims that drug testing is unacceptable, to citizens as well. We must submit, they are the instruments of state policy on drug testing and they refuse to comply with it!
Instead of subjecting themselves to testing, however unfair it is, the population must comply, but police refuse to be tested. The police media unit through commercial TV and radio release many stories that drugged drivers are everywhere and we need more police to catch them.
If citizens supported the Police Associations claims, would they support the public's greater right to also not be tested and refuse to give drivers drug tests. You best protect the civil liberties of the Police Association members, by protecting the larger civil liberties of the public. Refuse to administer the test!
Claims will be watered down or police propoganda will wheel out older residents again saying they are scared of crime, just before the 2006 election. It has happened before to the previous Premier Jeff Kennet, Frankston police walked out on strike and Werribee Police have as well. Call the federal troops for help.
No mater what Christine Nixon tries, she still needs the help of a Royal Commission. Being from NSW, Sydney, she underestimates the level of entrenched Victorian corruption and well established political tactics used by many of the Police Association's, 7,000 gun-slinging, self interested, power-hungry, unaccountable, arrogant, democratically abusive members, who promote media fear campaigns in their own interests. In the Victorian city of Geelong police claim, that they need more police, they release misleading statistics about soaring crime rates. They commission studies that also state they need another 1,200 police! A policeman on every corner!
Crime rates are down, cut police numbers in Victoria. Victoria has a similar number of police officers per 100,000 head of population and per sq. km, Victoria has more police than every other Australian state.
Next Wednesday Victoria Police will be on strike. So what, let them all go out and call in the federal troops. Call their bluff, reduce police numbers, set up a royal commission into corruption.
Yesterday in Melbourne's County court, Det-Sgt Glenn Saunders, 44, Sen-Det Peter John Alexander, 37, Sen-Det Stephen Russell Campbell, 35, and former detective sergeant David John Waters, 44, were found not guilty of one count each of theft and conspiring to traffic a drug of dependence. One brave and honest officer Sen-Sgt Dean Thomas, brought proceedings against these police, even though his allegations were proved wrong. A letter from Saunders was published in the Victorian Police Journal praising the current police union executive (Mullett) for funding his legal defence, the previous union executive leader Janet Mitchell had refused to fund Saunders legal defence. Mitchell is suing the police union executive for defamation of her character by publishing the Saunder's letter. They were found not guilty, but there were some hear-say reports of jurors being threatened and intimidated, police found nothing in the allegations of jurors being threatened. The police charged and acquitted claimed drugs were actually fireams, that they were purchasing. Illegal unregistered guns have been found in St. Kilda Police station before!
The Premier of Victoria Steven Bracks knows all about the continuous serious incidents of corruption in Victoria Police, he allocated 15 million to the Police Ombudsman to spend in 2005 (for zero convictions), but NSW spends ten times that much to stem police corruption. Bracks does nothing practical for justice in Victoria, he appropriates private property, judges people criminal by biochemistry and bans everything he can based on generalising from the specific to the general. A single case will convince him to overturn a thousand years of legal tradition and human rights! Bracks lets corrupt police prosper and justice is denied to every Victorian.
Bruce McKenzie, spokesman for the Victorian Police Association today, 2nd May 2005, claimed that "99 per cent of our members are very honest" We have compiled statistics before that show more than 6% of them are corrupt and the figure is certainly much higher than 10%. There are honest cops in Victoria, a few who we are sure about, because they have been whistleblowers, Karl Konrad has left the state in fear of Victorian police, he received no support from the Police Association. The Association fined him $1,000 for unauthorized leaks to the media about 550 corrupt police in November 2001, they went around smashing windows and then claimed a spotter's fee from window companies to replace the broken windows. In the wake of Konrad's whistleblowing, 107 Victoria Police resigned and 224 were demoted, that leaves about 440 of them still serving Victoria, anyone else doing the same thing would have a criminal record, not these police. Then add to that number, another 750 last year caught evading fines, about 1,200 in total corrupt Victorian police, over 10% of the commissioned sworn officers in the force.
Today, May 2nd, 2005 many police have been caught with vast sums of money hidden in various investments. What graft corruption, murder, assault and battery, have they engaged in to gain such wealth. They probably stole this money from the public and drug dealers.
Bruce McKenzie is an apologist for a corrupt organization, how many citizens suffered for these criminal police to enrich themselves illegally? The window shutter scandal, or police evading traffic fines, Bruce said today on ABC radio that 99% are honest, he is being dishonest himself to make such false claims, we do have memories of the hundreds of police involved in corruption in 2004. Today Bruce claimed, 99% of his police members are honest, what crap Bruce making such false claims. How can you help clean up this corrupt police force, when you stick your head in the sand in denial of the corruption all around you. Why is Mr Mullett, your boss so quiet, have you taken over the police association's propaganda unit. The media unit?
You expect the Police Media Unit to release misleading statistics and false reports defending police action, but why is Neil Mitchell from a commercial network supporting police, as if they had a right to bash suspects? Perhaps more juicy police media briefings for Neil?
On Australian ABC TV 20th April, 2005 Bruce said, "We don't think at this time that it's useful to focus on statistics," a week later, Bruce makes up his own statistics that are a complete fiction. About 440 still serving from the window shutter fraud, exposed by Karl Konrad and another 750 evading traffic fines in 2004. What does that add up to Bruce, more than 1%!? We emailed Virginia Trioli the ABC interviewer, twice with statistics of corruption rates in VicPol, to ask her not to let Bruce Mckenzie get away with such lies on her afternoon 774 Melbourne show, she has not replied.
The total force is just under 13,000, that is about 10% at least of Victorian Police, who are bent coppers. Making such false claims about police honesty, is supporting the status quo of endemic corruption, so flippant with defensive lies. Victorian police, you cannot believe anything they say, as the good Father Peter Norden responded, "When you see a defensiveness, then there's cause for further concern." We say that Bruce is in state of total denial which encourages corruption and trigger-happy police, he is not just defensive, but in total denial of the large numbers of corrupt Victorian police.
In a similar way, to Karl Konrad, another higher ranked and honest internal affairs Victorian Detective (read this moving story) was not well received for his anti-corruption enthusiasm and as a whistleblower he was treated like Konrad and was also intimidated to keep quiet. Sergeant Simon Illingworth. Simon's new website. Simon is available to do public speaking engagements, he has an anti-corruption strategy. He refused a $250,0000 severance package, after Victoria Police demanded he never speak ill of the force or Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon to get his severance package. Simon refused the offer, great courage Cheers Simon, we wish there were more honest cops like you. Simon Illingworth was in internal affairs for four years, internal affairs try and gag their own whistleblowers and rotten cops assault and bash honest police trying to do an honourable job.
The Victorian police force is so bad, corrupt elements can prevail by force of brutality, over honest officers. Another Victorian Police bully, Senior Sergeant Richard Shields. Sergeant Peter Beames picked on the wrong person to bully in East Timor. The biggest bullies, however are in the police union. An investigation into the Police Association secretary, Paul Mullett Mullett theatens strike action if he is investigated, by Commissioner Nixon. Good on you Commissioner Nixon, bullies like Mullett should be extinct by now, they threaten the Victorian democracy and even their own members.
Another police whistleblower exposed to bent Victorian police. Whistleblower sues Commissioner Nixon
What a degrading, humiliating and dangerous work environment for any cop, for honest citizens as well to go about their business, but especially for honest cops like Karl Konrad. "Police will only turn on their own when the evidence is overwhelming. Loyalty makes them believe the weakest alibi if it means they don't have to confront the fact that a colleague is bent." said Lauchlan. Lauchlan McCulloch. A new Sound of Sirens.
Victoria Internal affairs police are unable to even use information from phone taps to detect corrupt police. Victorian police Internal investigations, completely impotent to catch corrupt police, but they have powers to demand that citizens appear before them and answer questions.
The federal government, for one year, did not allow OPI to use phone taps on Victorian Police suspected of being corrupt, until late in 2005 a year after the OPI was established. ABOUT TIME, but still not enough. Criminal police almost never communicate by phone anyway! Audit arrest and conviction rates, reinterview witnesses in a random selection of cases about the police involved. There are so many ways to catch crooked police, integrity testing! Having undercover officers in society bribe current Victoria Police. Do sting operations with weighted quantities of drugs being seized and see how much goes missing, the whole lot in many cases, as in the drugs used to train sniffer dogs example, the whole lot quantity was substituted with baby powder!
There is no right to silence, if being interviewed before the OPI. Appearing before them could be a death sentence for informers on corrupt police.
Terrence Hodson and his wife, Christine were murdered in their bed last year after their names and addresses were leaked. Hodson was a very valuable informer, spying on some of Melbourne's biggest criminals. He was also to give evidence against two detectives in a serious corruption case, which partly collapsed after his murder. Hodson told corruption investigators that police could carry out contract killings. The rot set in a long time ago as George Brouwer admitted. This year, it is no different, the comprehensive rot in the Victoria police pork barrel persists. One bad apple spoils the whole bunch, if it is packing a .38 revolver and is mad enough to use it for personal gain.
A female police informer's life has been put at risk by the leaking of a report giving details of her corruption allegations. Mr Doyle, the opposition leader, was leaked a copy of the report with specific details of which high ranking Victoria police were bent cops, he could be jailed, if he refuses to tell the Office of Police Integrity, who leaked it to him. So far he is keeping his source confidential, good on him. Internal affairs are hopeless at catching rotten police and good at leaking documents that put the lives of whistleblowers at risk. Mr Doyle has been asking for a Royal Commission to end this farce.
Another bad day for the Victorian people and especially two young boys, Police were called today 19th April, 2005 at 15.30 to a "domestic disturbance", in a Victorian country town, Shepparton. Police killed the husband and father Lee Andrew (Wally) Kennedy. A disturbed axe weilding Sunshine man Kennedy on February 21st 2007. They have done this many times before when called to domestic disputes. They claimed he threatened the life of his children, which is not supported by accounts from his family, friends and sociological evidence of his benevolent behaviour. Police kill Wally dead in front of his children! It appears that Wally was depressed about the suicide of his brother and breakdown of his marriage. He needed some care and counselling more than an a reactionary response by police. A caring father killed and a nurturing environment for two young boys destroyed, will they grow up thinking their dad was a criminal by police accounts to justify this killing? Did they back-off at all, it looks like they just confronted him, yelled demands with how much effort to negotiate or strategically back away? Did the man have any history with the policewoman who killed him? All questions, never any answers from the police propaganda media unit. Police will now be free to release media propaganda, before the Coroner investigates.
Victorian Police kill Shepparton father. The Coroner's report. Police acted in self-defence.
Dad was killed by police in front of us! Was it necessary? No! Was he really armed? Was he depressed and mentally ill? Wally knew that he could rely on Victoria Police to kill him if he called them to a domestic dispute and then threateded them.
Last week, in the western suburbs on Melbourne on 5th April, 2005 in a suburb called Brooklyn, a 29 year old man Mohamed Chaouk, may he rest in peace, was killed by Special Operations Group Police SOG. They were fully armed with bullet proof vests, why did they have to shoot Mohamed "several" times? We hoped for more cautious behaviour from SOG, than the average aggressive Victorian plod, but it appears they are becoming a military army, SOG standing for Sons of God SOG, Police operation terrifies residents
Mohamed Chaouk was wanted by police, but instead of capture and bringing him before the courts, they killed him, when there may have been no need to do so. Police claimed at the inquest into Mohamed's death that he came at them with a sword in a samurai attack. Waking people up in the middle of the night is not a good police strategy to capture wanted men peacefully. Police then locked up Mohamed's brothers and father for protesting about the killing of a family member by SOG and did not even let them attend the funeral of their brother and son, though they had not been convicted of anything.
We hope the family can forgive. Revenge will not achieve anything positive and would create more grief for innocent police and their family members. Eventually there will be a real investigation into police corruption and killings in Victoria. The Chaouk family have sworn to get revenge but they should seek a legal just revenge, campaign for a Royal Commission into Corruption.
Many police and gangland murders in Victoria are payback for other killings, they achieve nothing positive. Police have killed so many people in Victoria for many decades, some have struck back for revenge, throughout history they have. Some were as brave as the Eureka Stockade miners or as bold as Ned Kelly, who confronted Victoria police, to try and hold them accountable for their crimes. You shouldn't take revenge against innocent police for the wrong actions of a minority of poorly trained members.
Others have sought payback for police killings by cowardly murders of innocent police like the Walsh Street murder of two police, Steven Tynan and Damian Eyre in 1988.
The Victorian Brack's government is the empty vessel making the most hollow sounds about law and order, a farce, witnesses against police murdered and they fail to institute a Royal Commission into corruption in Victoria Police. The threat to whistleblowers is extreme, their names are still being leaked by internal affairs. Call in the Federal troops like the Victorian government had to in 1923 when Victoria police went on strike, refusing supervision as they always have.
The Police Association's Bruce McKenzie was interviewed again last night on ABC TV on 20th April 2005. He has such an unaccountable attitude towards the people of Victoria, that police can do no wrong, if they shoot someone, it does not need investigating, they were doing their job, "Don't quote statistics" on police killings, said Bruce of VicPol, but VicPol kill more people than every other Australian states police forces combined. Simple maths Bruce shows that: (only for officers on duty known shootings by uniformed police)
"Don't talk about statistics Bruce," will you or some mates of yours shoot us to stop us quoting appalling figures, the facts speak for themselves, an unaccountable police force with no intention of protecting anyone, but themselves. Bruce says that the policemen involved in the shooting will have counselling! What will the children of the dead men get Bruce? A more difficult life most probably.
Bruce Mckenzie from the Police Association felt sorry for the Shepparton police who killed a father in front of his kids, we were more concerned about the man loosing his life and his poor children, but Bruce thinks his members have a god given right to kill anyone who looks at them in a threatening manner, don't wave a blunt bread knife in their general direction. What an attitude for a public servant to hold, the antithesis of his responsibility to expose corrupt police, not blindly always supporting trigger-happy police, he is a power hungry apologist for anything police do. The pithy core of his irresponsible attitude seems to be, that Victorian Police can do no wrong. What a defensive disposition he has towards people he is charged to protect. He should not automatically protect killers, without looking at the facts of each case.
Bruce, a leader of the Police Association of Victorian police, forgets his civic and professional responsibility to protect life, forgets everything to advance his members interests, 7,000 gun-toting Victoria Police. Do you still deny any accountability for police killings. Answer to the people of Victoria, for your defensive attitude to anyone questioning your member's trigger-happy attitude and to the children of the dead men. We were shocked by the ugliness of your disregard for police being accountable for human life they take, that we should not quote statistics on police killing, fair dinkum , read your job description, do you think we are all just targets for your members to take pot-shots at. An attitude of many of your corrupt members and one that seems to be sanctioned by your boss, the fire-power hungry "stun-gun," we must go on strike, Mr Mullett. It is now proven that the Stun guns, which Mr Mullett campaigned so hard for in 2004, can kill. At least they are less lethal than a psychopath with a badge and .38 revolver. They have been used indiscriminately already on an elderly man shot by a Taser gun.
The policeman killed with his own gun last week, he could be alive today, if police worked unarmed. They live by the sword and die by the sword, but they are our public servants and we abhor violence. Previously that same day, the policeman shot had fined and convicted the motorist who later killed him. The driver and killer was given a $200 ticket for doing 90km in an 80km zone. He was stopped again hours later by the same policeman. Was the man who later shot the policeman intimidated and victimized by this policeman, earlier that same day? The driver's behaviour at the party he attended seemed gregarious. How was the policeman killed with his own gun? Had he drawn it from his holster on this driver he had booked earlier? Victoria police are trained to protect their weapons. The police report said that the gun holsters may be faulty, they have not considered that this policeman may have drawn his weapon from the holster. For a seated motorist in a car, getting a Victorian policeman's gun off them, would be very difficult, (It happened in Carlton as well a disarmed policeman was shot with his own gun) unless they have drawn it from the holster. We will never know exactly what happened here, between these two men, but it is almost certain that this policeman could be alive today, if Victoria Police worked unarmed.
Why do so many Victorian police insist on operating alone? Commissioner Nixon is not demanding safer two person police patrols, because many corrupt cops insist on working alone without supervision. Professional legal and Public confidence in Victorian police is almost non-existent.
A Royal Commission can call witnesses; make determinations on complex issues, take it all out of the hands of police, who should not investigate themselves. Just as an editor cannot check their own writing, you don't notice your own mistakes, police culture is so secular, it immediately denies any problems with corruption, evades any criticism and does not welcome whistleblowers.
Heretic Press has mirror servers and backup ISP's, in three countries, but we also need the Victorian public's support. At least our pages are cached and archived by world search engines, see a cached page if this site is unavailable.
Freedom of speech laws in America are a good reason to get a US server and domain name. Still, Joe Gutnick, a Victorian showed how to sue a US hosted website from Victoria, without leaving home, for defamation in the US, even though only 14 Australians subscribed to the internet site he sued. A threat to the global internet community and an Aussie yobbo tradition of drinking beer and watching Aussie rules football, on a SATURDAY. For many Australians, Beer and Sport come before religion!
Brack's just allocated in the 2005 budget an extra $137 million Aussie dollars from our pockets for corrupt police to bully and kill the public they are supposed to protect. Spend some of this money on a Royal Commission into police corruption, a third of the rise you gave police, $42 million or so would be plenty to uncover the rot in this state with a Royal Commission.
The Victorian ombudsman spent nearly 15 Million in its first year, the result, zero convictions. 14.5 million a year, or 10% of what NSW spends to try and manage police corruption. How many convictions did NSW get per million dollars?
Unfortunately the Victorian rot may be infecting the Australian Federal Police as well. Former AFP policeman, Ray Cooper, revealed some forms of Federal Police corruption on ABC TV 7.00 pm news, on Sunday 8th May 2005. Good on you Ray Cooper, help clean out the criminals in the Federal Police. We lament, that you did not have the courage to be a whistleblower at the time you first discovered the corruption, but you have redeemed yourself. Thanks Ray. A few questions please? An estimate will do? How many of the bad eggs in the Federal police, when you were there, came from Victoria, come on Ray an estimate will do? Keep yourself safe Ray, others seem to have been killed for mentioning Federal Police corruption like, Garry Lee-Rogers an internal affairs senior Federal policeman, who was murdered not long after first raising the connection between Federal police, baggage handlers, and drugs in 2002.
The Australian Federal Police Commissioner (AFP), Mick Keelty denied any corruption in his ranks or involvement with drug running airport baggage handlers. He denies any Federal corruption, despite evidence from whistleblowers with inside knowledge. Why does Ray Cooper know about something, that Keelty denies any knowledge of? "It was well known amongst the federal police that this particular operation and strategy was being adopted by criminals," Mr Cooper said. Keelty denied any knowledge of this, until today 24th May 2005, when questioned by parliament, he admitted an officer of his was under investigation for "alleged" drug smuggling, but that the officer was still working on full pay for AFP.
The Police Union are adept masters of media manipulatioon, turning a bad story on police corruption into a beatup against honest police. People who would normally be considered conservative intellectual radio hosts on commercial radio like Neil Mitchell swallow such propoganda for some unknown reason? TV, and newspapers, generally support the police denial and lies.
What spin can commercial media put on Mick Keelty of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) handing over Australian drug smugglers to Indonesia where they may get a death penalty. The Bali drugs squad chief, Bambang Sugiarto, said he had only heard of one drugs acquittal. Almost everyone charged is convicted as guilty. The media never mention how the Bali nine where handed over to Indonesian Police by Mick Keelty who was tipped off by a concerned father of one of the nine.
Why did the AFP tip off Indonesian Police to catch nine Australian drug smugglers in Bali instead of Australia? To improve their image perhaps, maybe to payback a favour to Indonesian police for their co-operation in the Bali bombing investigation.
The AFP could have arrested the Bali nine on their return to Australia and they might have access to a fairer trial with a presumption of innocence and NO DEATH PENaltY. The father of one of the charged Bali nine said, he told Federal Police his child had a problem and could they warn the Bali nine they were being watched.
Instead of preventing or deterring a crime, the Federal Police used the father's information to put his child in a Bali prison, now possibly awaiting a death sentence. He trusted Australian Federal police to prevent a crime, they abused the confidentiality of the information he provided. Trust the AFP again, not likely. New Guinea recently kicked out the Australian Federal Police.
To further demonstrate the blatant and rampant corruption, on 20th May, 2005 seven "illicit" drug sniffer dogs, were found to have been trained to detect talcum powder. The real cocaine in a training pack was stolen, by either the federal police who supplied it or the Victorian police who received it?
How many babies and grannies did Victoria Police harass for drug use?
Whoever stole this cocaine, federal or state police, they have no regard at all for any laws and a complete contempt for any possibility they would be caught.
This story has not appeared in any major daily Melbourne newspapers, why not? The person who switched the cocaine for talcum powder are not very ethical, they would know where these sniffer dogs worked and that they would be free to traffic any amount of cocaine, as long as it was not cut with talcum powder.
If you hinder corrupt police in the execution of their duty, even if they are acting outside their duty, they can shoot you dead and very few questions are asked. Following a killing, there is a media blackout and propaganda is peddled by police, only the independent Australian media, like Crikey revealed police corruption links to gangland wars. The commercial news TV and Radio, just release police media briefings, without any critical comment or questioning. Simon Overland, assistant Police Commissioner, must be hiding a lot of other secrets that it is up to the independent media to reveal.
Unfortunately, almost everyone Victoria Police shoot dies, as they use hollow point bullets, designed to flatten and kill on impact, "dum-dums" they are easily stopped by any object but cause much more damage than normal shells.
In most cases, the police influence the media by false reports that they fear violence, anything to justify the harsh use of power, such as baton charges on protestors. The police have infiltrated almost every nonviolent community group. The NSW Law reform Commissions report on the media and the courts. Forget police media briefings as any form of truthful communication from police, they are merely police propaganda and red-herrings. Raymond Hoser on the Police Media Unit.
Ex Age reporter, Steve Linnell was head of police media. Some journalists are too close to police. Neil Mitchell supporting police caught red handed bashing suspects, Police spokesman, Steve Linnell said the force opposed a royal commission because, it would cost millions of dollars and would not guarantee convictions. Still the corruption continues and internal affairs was again reshuffled on May 23, 2005, swapping the crooked police around, like moving the deck chairs on the Titanic, utterly pointless.
Steven Linnell was called to appear before the Office of Police Integrity (OPI)in 2007 regarding possible leaks of information that led to the murder of a suspect, a summary and arbitrary justice
Some of the Graffiti on Melbourne walls, after the S11 protests, more truth than most newspaper reports. Regarding a baton charge by Victoria Police with name tags removed. Now to stop any further criticism of these brutal police the Bracks government has paid out protestors bashed by Victoria Police with no admission of wrongdoing.
The conference in 2006 was the same, violent police, a Premier who supports police violence and media propaganda of what a good job police are doing. 2006 forum report
As well as passive surveillance activities, and gathering information to persecute anyone critical of them, police also try to influence the more independent internet media.
If you look in the newsgroups Aus.legal, you will sometimes see examples of Victoria Police trying to influence and stifle free speech on the internet as they do on commercial media. In this newsgroup, Shep is also the servant of Simon Overland of Victoria police. He regurgitates past media interviews and press releases from Assistant Victoria Police Deputy Sherif, Simon Overland. The Police media unit are complicit in a fraud of Orwellian proportions on 5 million Victorians.
Aus.legal, newsgroup.
This is just some of the Australian state of Victoria's Police propaganda which ignores criticism of corrupt police and tries to denigrate the messenger. Critics are said to have a personal vendetta, be drunkards or drug users. The Police media unit propaganda is out-of-control, but worse is yet to come, when they get a budget to fund academic support for new drug driving laws.
The Swinburne Simulator drug research is funded by law enforcement who abuse the results and all standards of scientific research, to further their own agenda against the civil liberties of every Victorian.
Suppressed Books
Books pulped for legal reasons
Deborah Locke should be congratulated for her work exposing corruption