The Plodcast

John Stubbs once said that when Gil King and his team from the Major Crime Squad came crashing through your door at 4am during the seventies and eighties you knew you were in serious trouble.

Responsible for the apprehension of some of the most notorious criminals in the district and upsetting the criminal world, Gil quickly became known as 'that bloody Gil King': the copper you really didn't want coming after you.

*Content Warning* - this episode contains a discussion on the Eastern Freeway tragedy of April 22, 2020 as well as general discussion around death. Listener discretion is advised. 

To Drew Mellor, every knock at the door to the family of a fallen police officer is an opportunity to give the greatest level of intimacy there is. As a senior Police Chaplain and a former ED nurse, Drew has been at the epicentre of some of Victoria's most harrowing tragedies including the Eastern Freeway tragedy of 2020, which took the lives of four police officers. Drew's message is simple; to listen well, stay true to your values, and, above all, respect the sanctity of a families safe space on the worst day of their lives. 

An “unsolvable” case isn’t something in Ken Ashworth’s vocabulary. A  Victoria Police veteran of 39 years and the recipient of the Australian Police Medal, Ken is no stranger to chest-to-chest confrontations with “good” crooks. Having joined the force at 18, he was quickly thrust into Melbourne’s wild-west scenes of the 1980’s, and would make a name for himself for arresting and successfully prosecuting some of Australia’s most notorious criminals including Ray Denning, Russell Cox, and Lex Pierce; just to name a few.

Explain that Photo: https://policeveteransvic.org.au/the-plodcasts-explain-that-photo-episode-8/

If you are struggling and have suicidal thoughts, please know you are not alone and help is available. Please contact any one of the following organisations:

Lifeline Australia – 13 11 14

Suicide Crisis Text Line – 0477 13 11 14

Beyond Blue – 1300 224 636

*Mentions of child abuse in this episode. Take care when listening.*

Stuart Grimley inhabits two worlds: policing and politics. Having served as a Police Officer in Western Australia for six years before transferring to Victoria Police where he served for ten, he's no stranger to the thin blue line after working in general policing, drug investigations, sexual offences and the child abuse unit. Now the Member for Western Victoria, Stuart advocates for police veterans across Victoria, being the voice we all need.

A daughter to a shearer, a mother, a roustabout with wanderlust and PVV’s resident social worker from the wheatbelt town of Warracknabeal: this is the story of Rebecca Lynch. Bec’s work has taken her all over the globe; from Alice Springs, to London, to Scotland, to Tanzania teaching children English and across multiple courts and prisons. One thing has always remained the same, however; you can take Bec out of Warracknabeal, but you can’t take Warracknabeal out of Bec.

Get support: https://policeveteransvic.org.au/get-support/

Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467

Lifeline 13 11 14

beyondblue – 1300 224 636

Headspace – 1800 650 890

*Content Warning* Mentions of suicide and a road incident. Please take care when listening.

Pat Daley's got a tail* to tell; but not without Lucy, the chocolate lab who helped him ward off the black dog. The senior Constable never lost his sense of humour despite suffering a serious spinal injury at 26 after an offender rammed into his patrol car, snapping off two spinous processes and leaving a huge indentation in his head in the shape of the rear vision mirror. Now ill-health retired, Pat finds relief in Lucy, his assistance dog, who over time has kept him out of hospital almost a dozen times. Mounted on the walls of Pat's home now is that very mirror; a plaque and tribute made by his wife – “proof that Pat Daly uses his head”.

*Content Warning* Mentions of domestic abuse and death in this episode. 

Keith Banks is a firm believer in being careful with what you wish for. Joining the Queensland Police Force at 17 with a dream of being a 'supercop', Keith would give two decades of his life to policing; a life lived mostly deep undercover, busting some of Queensland's most notorious criminals. His time in the job saw him flourish in criminal investigations, special weapons, bomb disposal, counter-terrorism and criminal intelligence. What he didn't anticipate, however, was being left broken by a job he loved, racked with a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress that would take years to tackle. Now a published author of two bestselling books detailing his life in the job, Keith has found a way to draw on his experiences; all in pursuit of better understanding the minds of police veterans, and what they might struggle with.

When Mick Cummins joined the police force in December 1976 at 19, he could have never imagined where it might take him; but he was determined to never stop learning. His time with Victoria Police took him to all corners of the world - to Iraq, across parts of Europe, country NSW, and eventually led him to the Retired Peer Support Program. What Mick helped create would become the foundation of everything PVV is today, and we couldn't be more thankful for him. 

John Stubbs' secret weapon as a cop was never really his brawn, but his brains. Forever known as the cop with the gift of the gab, 'Stubbsy' cut his teeth at Broadmeadows and what would soon follow was a decorated career with plenty of hilarious stories along the way. John continued to use the art of persuasion when he left the job in 1993 to pursue real estate and property development.