The crooked Charters Towers cops who escaped the Fitzgerald Inquiry

The disappearance of a lone hitch-hiker on the outskirts of Townsville in 1982 has led to the uncovering of one of Australia’s greatest rogue cops. Merv Henry Stevenson is an ex-stock squad cop and former Inspector of Police in Townsville. He emerged as the great untouchable from the far-reaching Fitzgerald inquiry.

On Wednesday, November 3rd 1982, a twenty year old man from Perth was on the trip of a lifetime around Australia when he mysteriously vanished. Tony Jones had no more than a few dollars on him when he rang his family in Perth from Townsville to organise a rendezvous with his brother Tim who was waiting for him 900km away in Mt Isa. They were meant to meet up and continue on to Perth, Tony hitching, Tim riding his push bike. Tony was never heard from again. His bank account was untouched and a dole cheque due a couple of days later was never collected.

With the police showing little interest in the matter, members of Tony Jones’s family flew to Townsville and so began one of the most publicized missing persons cases in Queensland, a case that has brought a tremendous amount of shame on the Townsville Police Force for their ineptitude at almost every turn in the ensuing 30 years. The family have been instrumental in pushing for a National Missing Persons Database, Missing Persons Week, and a number of other significant reforms.

They never stopped searching for answers and along the way appear to have uncovered a chapter of police corruption that is noteworthy as much for escaping the notice of the Fitzgerald Report as it is for the scale of its corruption.

A young firebrand investigative reporter, now a high-profile ABC presenter in Brisbane, exposed the sinister workings of a group of stock squad cops that were known as the Crooked Crooked Cattle Company, and in particular a man by the name of Merv Henry Stevenson, a man whose name has been mention in parliament by the likes of Bob Katter jnr and former premier Wayne Goss.

In 1992 on the 10th anniversary of the disappearance of Tony Jones, Perth private investigator Mick Buckley travelled to Townsville to follow-up a lead that the police had not only failed to follow-up on, but that had only been made known to the family some 7 years after the police became aware of it. Some years later the coroner was highly critical of Det. Chris Lill for failing to pursue this critical lead. He stopped short of calling it a cover up.

The lead came from a witness who believed he was drinking with the missing hitchhiker who entered the Rising Sun Hotel in Townsville with a man who had picked him up earlier and who suggested they get a meal there before driving to the next town, Charters Towers, to stop the night before going on to Mt Isa the next day.

The younger man sat next to the witness and said his name was Tony and that he was hitching out to Mt Isa to meet his brother before heading on to Perth were his family lived. The witness later saw a photograph of Tony Jones and was certain that this was the person he spoke to that day.

The man who entered with Tony was described as being neatly dressed like a station owner visiting the city, and his vehicle was described as a white or light grey Toyota ute with two 44 gallon drums tied in the back. The witness was able to remember this man’s appearance in great detail and provided Det. Lill with a great deal of information over the phone, even though it was another six months before Lill bothered to get him to make a signed written statement.

Private investigator Mick Buckley arrived in Townsville in 1992 after arranging with Lill for a police artist to draw up a sketch of the man the witness saw with Tony at the Rising Sun Hotel.

The following events took place.

Det Lill faxed the sketch and details to all police stations in the region. He called the Charters Towers station (137 km west of Townsville) to find out why they had not responded. They thought it was a joke. “You’ve sent us a drawing and description of Merv Stevenson!” Lill’s jaw dropped. “Jesus, you’re bloody right”.

The next morning Buckley arrived at the ABC radio station in Townsville to be interview by John Nutting. He was greeted by a man named Steve who asked him how the search was going. Buckley mentioned that he was chasing a guy name Merv Stevenson at which moment Steve excused himself. He picked up a phone on the reception desk and spoke to John Nutting in the studio. “Guess who they think it is?”. “Merv Henry Stevenson” came the reply without a moment’s hesitation.

After the radio interview Steve invited Mick Buckley back to his home nearby. The dining table was piled a foot high with documents and every wall was covered with aerial maps, title deeds and flow charts.

Steve went on to explain that he had been investigating Merv Stevenson for some time, along with other members of the so-called Crooked Creek Cattle Company.

Over a ten year period, pretty much the decade preceding the disappearance of the Perth hitchhiker, there were 10 mysterious suicides by associates of Merv Stevenson. Steve pointed at property lines on maps and at title deeds and other documents, and explained that each mysterious suicide resulted in money or property falling into the hands of Merv Stevenson. One of the those suicides was that of his defacto wife who shot herself in the head – twice.

As Steve described it, Det Warren Hansen, who was later to become Superintendent at Townsville, went to visit Stevenson to discuss the matter of his defacto wife who was dead with two bullets in her skull. In Steve’s words, they had a cup of tea and Hansen signed the death certificate – no suspicious circumstances.

He went on to say that Stevenson was part of the so-called Crooked Creek Cattle Company comprised of Charters Towers stock squad cops who were known to be involved in cattle duffing on a grand scale. There was the suggestion of drug dealing and other crimes. The mayor of Charters Towers at the time was involved in defrauding pensioners of antiques and other property.

It appears that a number of people entrusted to look after the interests of the citizens of Charters Towers were more intent on looking after their own interests – and acting with impunity it seems.

Let’s get back to the case of Tony Jones, missing for ten years at that point. It may appear to be something of a major breakthrough that an officer from his own station had nominated Stevenson as resembling the sketch of the man seen with Jones just hours before he disappeared. It was not just the resemblance to the sketch either, it was everything that the witness had described, his manner of dress, the sun scars on his forearms, the low crown hat, and his vehicle, including his habit of tying two drums to the rear, not just a single drum that would suffice most people. Remember the jaw dropping response from Lill when he realised that this was in fact a stunning likeness to Merv Henry Stevenson?

Despite front page headlines in the Townsville Bulletin stating that an ex-cop was a suspect in disappearance of Tony Jones, this line of enquiry was never pursued by the police.

In fact, Stevenson’s good mate Det Warren Hansen was quoted at saying at that time that the best lead that they had was a reported sighting of Jones nearly two weeks after his last phone call home on November 3, 1982.

A coronial inquest in 2001 failed to call Warren Hansen to give evidence despite him being initially in charge of the case and later Superintendent overseeing the case. The coroner should have found that Hansen’s statement to be nothing less than a cover up. Here’s why.

In the weeks following Nov 3,1982, there were several reported sightings of Tony Jones. These were confusing to his family, firstly because it appeared that the man witnesses described was travelling back away from Mt Isa towards Townsville, and secondly, it just made no sense at all that he would still be around and not contact them and not touch his bank account. His last known withdrawals were of around $10 on each of the two days prior to his last call home, suggesting he had no more than a couple of dollars on him on Nov 3rd.

What the family were later to discover was that Tony had shaved off a full beard just two days before arriving in Townsville on November 3. They made sure that each of the witnesses saw a photo of Tony without his beard and with features much clearer than the one that was being circulated by the media which showed him with a full beard. Each of the witnesses were quick to change to their minds upon seeing the photo. Not only did the man they saw have a beard but his features were much darker, more European looking. Later they were able to confirm that the man the witnesses had all seen was in fact an Italian man travelling in the opposite direction.

Hansen knew that there was no validity to these sightings, it was reflected in the police running sheet and it was described in the book Searching for Tony several years earlier.

For Jones to still be alive two weeks later and to not have touched his account or contacted his family, meant in fact that there was no reason to think he was not still alive today. It was a preposterous statement and its only purpose was to deflect suspicion of his old mate Merv with the suicidal missus with the two lumps of lead in her head.

How has Merv Henry Stevenson escaped investigation all these years?

Stevenson died in 2001. He was never investigated over the disappearance and suspected murder of Tony Jones.

What is more remarkable is that he has never convicted, or even properly investigated, for crimes that seem to be common knowledge in his part of the world. A journalist with an impeccable reputation investigated this man and found compelling evidence that he may have committed crimes of the most serious order. This was not hearsay or suspicion, these were paper trails and hard documents that showed that he was profiting nicely and often from otherwise healthy and sane people falling off the perch at the rate of one a year over a decade.

What’s more, this information was made public in the 1990s. If a man is accused by a radio station of murdering ten people, and he does not sue that station or that journalist, what are we left to think?

And if allegations are made such as those about Merv and the so-called Crooked Creek Cattle Company, and the police choose to turn a blind eye, what does that say about the culture of that police force?

It may well not have been Merv Stevenson that was seen at the Rising Sun Hotel with Tony Jones before his suspected murder, but given that there are no other names, no other leads in that long-standing case, why was he not investigated?

Stevenson is dead, so is his mate Warren Hansen. But who else from the Crooked Creek Cattle Company is still alive? Who remains in the police force as corrupt influences?

Tony Fitzgerald conceded that his inquiry would not catch every crooked cop, and that some that they did investigate were less guilty than some that they chose not to. I believe the crooked cops in Charters Towers, and doubtless in others towns in that region, operated with impunity during the 70s and 80′s, possibly still. There is a code of silence that kept them under the radar. There was fear in the eyes of those who were interviewed about Stevenson during the Tony Jones case and clearly he had friends in Townsville to support him when he was nominated as a suspect in that case.

There is a second inquest underway in the Tony Jones case. Counsel Assisting, Mark Le Grand, formerly worked on the Fitzgerald Inquiry. Will he be the man to break the code of silence, or will he be yet another in a long line of officials and men of the law who have simply looked the other way?

Mervyn Henry Stevenson is surely one of the great untouchables, the crooked cop who laughed at the Fitzgerald inquiry, who laughed at Wayne Goss when he asked questions, and who cocooned himself with self-serving cops who learned much from him about pure rat cunning and stunning chutzpah.

Let’s hope that the second coronial inquest of Anthony John Jones, to be heard by Qld state coroner Michael Barnes on a date to be fixed, brings the notorious deeds of Merv Henry Stevenson to the attention of the public and perhaps to someone who cares enough to scratch a little deeper.

This entry was posted in Police Corruption and tagged abc, cattle, Charters Towers, company, Condon, corruption, creek, crooked,disappearance, Hannahan, Hansen, hitchhiker, inquest, Lewis, Mervyn Stevenson, Mick Buckley, missing, murder, Queensland, Rising Sun Hotel, Steve Austin, Stevenson, suicide, Terry Lewis, Tony Jones, Townsville on April 3, 2013 by crookednoddy.

Mervyn Henry Stevenson served as a Queensland police officer from 1947 until 1982. He started as a bush cop and ended up as the superintendent in charge of the Townsville Police District, though his retirement years were tainted with the spectre of corruption

Renowned bushman

Described as "the last of the corned beef and damper coppers", Stevenson made a name for himself as a horseman, cattleman and bushman.^[3]He gained notoriety in 1950 at the northern township of Coen for tracking down on horseback a group of 12 Aborigines wanted for questioning over the murder of an indigenous police boy.^[4] In 1965 he was promoted to detective sergeant and named officer-in-charge of the CIB stock squad based in Charters Towers.^[5]

Corruption charges

Following his retirement, Stevenson's reputation was tarnished by the publication of a confidential police report prepared by Inspector John Huey, an investigator who would later head a special task force of the Fitzgerald Inquiry.^[6] Huey's report was tabled in Queensland Parliament on 18 September 1984 by Opposition police spokesman, Mr. Wayne Goss.^[7] Goss told Parliament police investigations into cattle stealing offences in north Queensland resulted in recommendations that charges be laid against Stevenson. The report also recommended the reopening of investigations into the suspicious suicide of Detective Sergeant Jack Connor at Mareeba and various drug-related matters because statements made by Stevenson indicated that he had not properly investigated these matters to the benefit of a fellow officer.^[8]

Goss criticized Police Commissioner Terry Lewis (a man who was subsequently indicted and jailed for his role in various police corruption scandals that emerged a few years later during the Fitzgerald Inquiry) for vetoing the recommendations of the report.^[9] He asked Parliament why the proposed charges against Stevenson were treated as "internal" charges requiring the approval of the commissioner before charges could be laid.

"In any other case involving any ordinary citizen, once the police officer forms the view that he has sufficient evidence to charge he goes ahead and charges the person and the matter comes before the court", Goss said. "Not so in this case. At the highest level a special procedure was directed and this resulted in no charges being laid".^[10]

Stevenson lamented the accusations, saying: "In my time, I recovered stolen cattle worth more than $700,000. I was in more than 2000 criminal or quasi-criminal investigations. And right at the end of my career, here I am accused of being a cattle thief".^[11]

Friends in high places

High-level supporters of Stevenson lauded his accomplishments. Assistant Commissioner Bill McArthur, a former stock squad officer himself, said: "I will say I wish there were more young Stevensons…in the police force today. They are excellent men and outstanding stock squad investigators…true blue horsemen, bushmen and stockmen".^[12] McArthur subsequently removed Inspector Huey from the Stevenson investigation and, in 1989, during the Fitzgerald Inquiry, was questioned as to whether his friendship with Stevenson was the reason the investigation was halted.^[13]

Inspector John Huey testified before the Fitzgerald Inquiry on 14 June 1989 that Stevenson had stopped another officer making a confession about the death of officer Jack Connor at Mareeba, adding that he had not included full details about Stevenson in his report because he believed that Stevenson "had friends in high places".^[14]

Crooked Creek Cattle Company

The cattle duffing racket of Stevenson and other north Queensland police was mentioned in the Australian House of Representatives in 2006 by the Federal Member for Kennedy, Bob Katter.^[15] He referred to it as ‘the crooked creek cattle company’. He told parliament he had given evidence about it when he was a senior minister of the Queensland government. He also acknowledged the very courageous actions of ABC journalist Steve Austin, who exposed the situation. Stevenson allegedly made financial gains from the supposed suicides of 10 people connected with him, including his de facto wife who managed to shoot herself in the head with two bullets.^[16]

Missing Person Link

In 1992 Townsville police published an identikit sketch of a person wanted for questioning in relation to the suspected murder of a young West Australian hitchhiker, Tony Jones, who disappeared without trace in 1982.^[17] On the night of the disappearance, the suspect, believed to be involved in the cattle industry, was allegedly dining with Jones at the Rising Sun Hotel and planning to give him a lift to Charters Towers.^[18] The Townsville Bulletin reported that the identikit sketch matched a “former policeman”,^[19] whose identity was subsequently confirmed during the 2002 coronial inquest into Jones’s disappearance as being none other than Mervyn Henry Stevenson.^[20]^[21]

Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame

Stevenson avoided prosecution and was eventually inducted into the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame in 2001.^[22] He died of cancer on 16 December 2001 and was farewelled by a police guard of honour at his funeral in Townsville.^[23]

External links

Australian Stockman's Hall of Famehttp://ehive.com/account/3492/object/77960/Mervyn_Henry_STEVENSON_b_31st_March_1926_Mt_Morgan_QLD

References

^ Anderson, John, "Tough bush adversary", Townsville Bulletin, 22 December 2001.
^ Hansen, P, "Ex-policeman lashes out: confessions 'red hot'",Sunday Mail, 23 September 1984.
^ Anderson, John, "Tough bush adversary", Townsville Bulletin, 22 December 2001.
^ "Two natives charged with having murdered police boy", Cairns Post, 10 May 1950.
^ Anderson, John, "Tough bush adversary", Townsville Bulletin, 22 December 2001.
^ "Report by inspector", Courier Mail, 19 September 1984.
^http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/hansard/1984/1984_09_18.pdf.
^ Koch, A, "Policeman's death: report urges renewed investigation", Courier Mail, 19 September 1984.
^ Koch, A, "Policeman's death: report urges renewed investigation", Courier Mail, 19 September 1984.
^ Koch, A, "Policeman's death: report urges renewed investigation", Courier Mail, 19 September 1984.
^ Hansen, P, "Ex-policeman lashes out: confessions 'red hot'",Sunday Mail, 23 September 1984.
^ Hansen, P, "Ex-policeman lashes out: confessions 'red hot'",Sunday Mail, 23 September 1984.
^ "'Unethical' halt to investigation", Sydney Morning Herald, 15 June 1989, p.2.
^ "Death words stopped", Sydney Morning Herald, 14 June 1989, p.2.
^http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;db=CHAMBER;id=chamber%2Fhansardr%2F2006-05-24%2F0095;query=Id%3Achamber%2Fhansardr%2F2006-05-24%2F0000
^ http://crookedcreekcattleco.wordpress.com/,The Crooked Creek Cattle Company – Qld Police Force’s great untouchables, 3 April 2013.
^ "Identikit issued after 10 years", Courier Mail, 2 November 1992.
^ "Identikit issued after 10 years", Courier Mail, 2 November 1992.
^ "Former policeman matches description", Townsville Bulletin, 4 November 1992.
^ ^ Transcripts of inquest into the cause and circumstances surrounding the death of Anthony John Jones", Townsville Coroner's Court, Ref. no. 20022002 T20/JOW M/T TSV6356.
^ Armistead, Jane, "Inquest into 30-year-old case gives hope",Townsville Bulletin, 3 November 2012.
^ "Fitting farewell for bush policeman", Townsville Bulletin, 22 December 2001.
^ "Fitting farewell for bush policeman", Townsville Bulletin, 22 December 2001.

HE may have a North Queensland Cowboys jersey hanging on his wall but new Assistant Police Commissioner Paul Wilson promises he will be watching the Titans with interest next season.

News Gold Coast

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2008/09/27/16815_gold-coast-news.html

Top cop settles into new job

Hayley Sultanie and Melissa Townsend | September 27th, 2008

Assistant Commissioner Paul Wilson surveys his new patch

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2008/09/27/16815_gold-coast-news.html

Mr Wilson started his new post as the assistant commissioner for the southeastern region on Monday, the next logical step in an impressive 34 years with the police service after leaving Townsville two weeks ago.

Since starting out as a cadet in 1974, Mr Wilson has served throughout Queensland at both metropolitan and rural criminal investigation branches which have included Mount Isa, Brisbane, Redcliffe, Caboolture, Proserpine, Mackay and the Sunshine Coast.

However, the Gold Coast will serve as home for the foreseeable future and Mr Wilson said he was definitely looking forward to his stint here.

"I've never been stationed in the southeast region but I've done a lot of jobs down here as a detective over the years," he said.

"It's a unique location here in so much as it's an international tourist destination and as a result of that it's probably one of the most unique police environments in the country.

"Policing is the same the world over, it's just a unique environment here."

Mr Wilson has held a number of highly regarded positions over the years including three years as superintendent in charge of the north Brisbane police district and two years as detective chief superintendent on the State Crime Operations Command.

He said it was his time as a detective that had shaped him the most.

"Nothing daunts me in the job because I come from an operational background," he said.

"Being an old detective I have a keen interest in major criminal investigations to ensure, especially with homicides, that my staff get the right resources to ensure they are thorough investigations."

His dedication to his job has meant Mr Wilson and his family have had to travel all over the state -- the Gold Coast is just another notch on an impressive list of postings.

"When my wife and I left Townsville recently in our 30th year of marriage, it was our 15th change of residence in the job," he said.

"We have three adult daughters. This is the second occasion they didn't move with us but that's what it's been, a family journey. In fact, it's been an adventure."

It is this adventure that has helped keep Mr Wilson in the job so long, and perhaps even what has made him so good at it.

"I've lived all across Queensland. We've been a bit of a Leyland Brothers in moving around but I think the great adventure that is available to police officers and moving around this vast state, the life experience you acquire you bring with you," he said.

Mr Wilson has come to the Gold Coast just in time for some of the city's biggest events, which he said would present a new challenge for him.

"It's a good time to come because you see what's happening. I've come at the right time of the year to experience the major events of Indy, Schoolies, Christmas and New Year.

"I've previously been to all those events as a non-local police officer; now I come as the local police chief.

"I've already been to some of the planning events for the Indy event coming up and I look forward to meeting and working in conjunction with our emergency services and community groups in ensuring that public safety is paramount."

Mr Wilson said he looked forward to his time on the Coast and was passionate about policing after his 34 years in the business.

"I've still got a few years left in the job," he said. "I've been at it a long time, I should know what I'm on about."

May 9, 2013 at 4:08 pm

Congratulations to our four new Assistant Commissioners announced today:

Assistant Commissioner Peter Crawford

Peter Crawford, the Chief Superintendent of Ethical Standards Command since May 2011, will become the Assistant Commissioner of the new Intelligence, Counter-Terrorism and Major Events Command.

Assistant Commissioner Crawford began his policing career in Beenleigh in 1987 before serving in Metropolitan South Region and performing a variety of plain clothes and detective roles in Logan District.

He was a Senior Sergeant in the Office of the Commissioner and State Crime Operations Command (SCOC) before being promoted to Inspector and Superintendent in SCOC.

Assistant Commissioner Alistair Dawson

Alistair Dawson, currently Chief Superintendent at the G20 Group, will return to Operations Support Command (OSC) as the new Assistant Commissioner.

Assistant Commissioner Dawson first served at Brisbane City Station in 1982. He spent time in the traffic branch and water police before being promoted to Sergeant and Senior Sergeant in Disaster and Major Events Planning.

He was promoted to Inspector for CHOGM in 2000 before serving in Southern and South Eastern regions. He was appointed as the Superintendent, Logan District Officer in 2007 before being appointed as Chief Superintendent of OSC in November 2010.

Assistant Commissioner Bob Gee

Bob Gee, currently Chief Superintendent of the State Traffic Support Branch, will be the new Assistant Commissioner of the Information Technology Division.

His first position was in Rockhampton in 1987 before transferring to Brisbane City Station. He had roles in Operations Support Command and Office of the Commissioner before being promoted to Inspector at Ethical Standards Command in 1999.

Assistant Commissioner Gee was then an Inspector in Metropolitan North Region before progressing to Superintendent at Ethical Standards Command. He was promoted to his current role in 2011.

Assistant Commissioner Gayle Hogan

Gayle Hogan has been promoted to Assistant Commissioner of State Crime Command (SCC).Assistant Commissioner Hogan began her policing career at the Academy in 1976.

She was sworn in to Brisbane City Station in 1978 before serving throughout Brisbane, Charleville and Mount Isa. After returning to Brisbane, Assistant Commissioner Hogan was promoted to Senior Sergeant at Toowoomba CIB in 1996 before serving at Ethical Standards Command, and becoming an Inspector performing various roles in Metropolitan South Region.

She was promoted to Detective Superintendent and then Detective Chief Superintendent at State Crime Operations Command in 2005 and 2011 respectively.

In addition to these promotions, a number of existing Assistant Commissioners will also commence new roles:

Mike Condon – Central Region

Steve Gollschewski – Road Policing Command

Peter Martin – Brisbane Region

Paul Stewart – Community Contact Command

Paul Wilson – Education and Training Command

Tony Wright – Southern Region

The following Assistant Commissioners will remain in their current roles:

Peter Barron – Crime and Misconduct Commission

Katarina Carroll – G20 Group

Paul Doyle – Ethical Standards Command

Clem O’Regan – Northern Region

Graham Rynders – South Eastern Region

The existing Chief Superintendents have been assigned as follows:

Brent Carter – North Brisbane District

Brian Codd – Ethical Standards Command

Steve Hollands – South Eastern Region

Mike Keating – G20 Group

Allan McCarthy – South Brisbane District

Paul Taylor – Far North District

Media Statements


	Minister for Police and Community Safety The Honourable Jack Dempsey

New QPS Assistant Commissioners announced

Police Minister Jack Dempsey has welcomed the appointment of four new Assistant Commissioners into the Queensland Police Service (QPS).

The new executives will take up their posts as part of Police Commissioner Ian Stewart’s corporate restructure of the service due to be implemented on 1 July.

Mr Dempsey said he welcomed the announcement and looked forward to the contribution they will make in the service and the Queensland community.

“Peter Crawford, Alistair Dawson, Bob Gee and Gayle Hogan have already proven themselves as exceptional police officers and first class administrators and will undoubtedly make fine additions to the QPS executive,” Mr Dempsey said.

“The new Assistant Commissioners will also be responsible for assisting Commissioner Ian Stewart to implement his vision for the QPS which will see the service prepare and evolve for policing well into the 21^st century.”

Commissioner Stewart also congratulated the new appointees and wished them well in their new roles.

“They are highly respected and professional officers who I am confident will lead the Service well into the future,” Commissioner Stewart said.

“I welcome them into the senior executive of the organisation,” Commissioner Stewart said.

Peter Crawford, the Chief Superintendent of Ethical Standards Command since May 2011, will become the Assistant Commissioner of the new Intelligence, Counter-Terrorism and Major Events Command.

He was a Senior Sergeant in the Office of the Commissioner and State Crime Operations Command (SCOC) before being promoted to Inspector and Superintendent in SCOC.

Alistair Dawson, currently Chief Superintendent at the G20 Group, will return to Operations Support Command (OSC) as the new Assistant Commissioner.

Bob Gee, currently Chief Superintendent of the State Traffic Support Branch, will be the new Assistant Commissioner of the Information Technology Division.

Assistant Commissioner Gee was then an Inspector in Metropolitan North Region before progressing to Superintendent at Ethical Standards Command. He was promoted to his current role in 2011.

Gayle Hogan has been promoted to Assistant Commissioner of State Crime Command (SCC).

Assistant Commissioner Hogan began her policing career at the Academy in 1976. She was sworn in to Brisbane City Station in 1978 before serving throughout Brisbane, Charleville and Mount Isa. After returning to Brisbane, Assistant Commissioner Hogan was promoted to Senior Sergeant at Toowoomba CIB in 1996 before serving at Ethical Standards Command, and becoming an Inspector performing various roles in Metropolitan South Region.

She was promoted to Detective Superintendent and then Detective Chief Superintendent at State Crime Operations Command in 2005 and 2011 respectively.

In addition to these promotions, a number of existing Assistant Commissioners will also commence new roles:

Mike Condon – Central Region

Steve Gollschewski – Road Policing Command

Peter Martin – Brisbane Region

Paul Stewart – Community Contact Command

Paul Wilson – Education and Training Command

Tony Wright – Southern Region

The following Assistant Commissioners will remain in their current roles:

Peter Barron – Crime and Misconduct Commission

Katarina Carroll – G20 Group

Paul Doyle – Ethical Standards Command

Clem O’Regan – Northern Region

Graham Rynders – South Eastern Region

The existing Chief Superintendents have been assigned as follows:

Brent Carter – North Brisbane District

Brian Codd – Ethical Standards Command

Steve Hollands – South Eastern Region

Mike Keating – G20 Group

Allan McCarthy – South Brisbane District

Paul Taylor – Far North District

The QPS will start the recruitment process for the two remaining Chief Superintendent positions (Logan District and Information Technology Division) in the near future.

Commissioner Stewart said the QPS had also advertised a new Deputy Commissioner position. Applications close on May 20.

“The position was provided for in the new structure that was announced on 7 January and will take effect on or soon after 1 July,” Commissioner Stewart said.

“The portfolio for the position is strategy, policy and performance. It will provide the building blocks of how police services will be delivered, managed, measured and reformed.

“This area has the capacity to reduce red tape and drive significant productivity improvements.”

[ENDS] 9 May 2013

Media Contacts: Danny Donald 0439 719 116 or Lea Emery 0417 226 114

Gold Coast police crack down on violent crime
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2011/s3299566.htm

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Broadcast: 22/08/2011

Reporter: Peter McCutcheon

Queensland police have embarked on a a crusade aimed at reducing violent crime and alcohol-related offences on the Gold Coast south of Brisbane.

Transcript

LEIGH SALES, PRESENTER: Is the Gold Coast the most dangerous place in Australia?

A spate of armed robberies and fatal shootings in the tourist city have police on the run and residents are asking why the city has become so violent.

Police are coming to the end of a month-long crime blitz called Operation Seymour and Peter McCutcheon spent a night on the beat.

PETER MCCUTCHEON, REPORTER: It's 11 o'clock on a Friday night at Surfers Paradise and police officers are out clubbing.

PAUL ZIEBARTH, QLD POLICE SUPERINTENDENT: The whole idea was we get our police out on the beat, in the clubs, importantly, all of the clubs, every club in Surfers Paradise will see the police in there with high vis' vests on.

PETER MCCUTCHEON: There are more than 100 drinking spots within two square kilometres of this strip. And the place is teeming with police. Not a good time or place to go driving without a licence.

The high visibility of police on party nights is part of a Queensland Government drink safe program, introduced as a two-year trial late last year. And the man overseeing this operation on the glitter strip is superintendent Paul Zebath.

PAUL ZIEBARTH: Everyone wants service to be safe, they want people to come in, enjoy 'emselves. They don't want the drunken element to go over the line and become offenders or perpetrators of crime.

PETER MCCUTCHEON: But in the outer suburbs of the Gold Coast, policing takes on a different role. These officers are preparing for night shift in the Coomera district as part of Operation Seymour, a month-long blitz on serious crime involving 50 extra police.

PAUL WILSON, QLD ASST POLICE COMMISSIONER: And it's intelligence-driven patrolling where they look at our hot spots, whether it be breaking and entering, stealing, theft of motor vehicles. One of the things we are liking to do is visit all the areas that are normally targets for our robberies, which our soft targets, and going to them, visiting the store owners, ensuring that we are having aggressive patrolling.

PETER MCCUTCHEON: Assistant commissioner Paul Wilson explains the trigger for this blitz was a spike in armed robberies earlier this year. At one stage there were five shootings and three deaths in just seven weeks.

The game-changer was the fatal shooting of a police officer.

STEVE FLORI, INSPECTOR, COOMERA POLICE: The death of Detective Senior Constable Leeding was a blow to not only my staff, but the wider community.

PETER MCCUTCHEON: There were extraordinary scenes on the streets of the Gold Coast in June as tens of thousands paid tribute to a fallen officer and the effects of this tragedy are still being felt.

What do you say to officers after something like that?

STEVE FLORI: Yeah, that's a good question, isn't it? It's really - it's not a one-answer possible to that question. Different people have suffered in different ways. We're obviously supporting Damian's family and that will be ongoing.

PETER MCCUTCHEON: Assistant commissioner Wilson admits the spate of shootings has affected morale.

PAUL WILSON: It certainly worries our staff that there's a lot of people armed with guns here. It's very serious and our police have to be operationally aware in everything they do.

PETER MCCUTCHEON: Since the shootings, Queensland Police have also set up Taskforce Resolve, a specialist squad tackling violent and serious crime in this part of the state. Yet for all this flurry of activity and extra resources, Queensland Police deny the Gold Coast is becoming more dangerous.

PAUL WILSON: Unfortunately, there has been shootings, but if you go back in the last several decades you will find that this area, like any other capital city, and it is the sixth-biggest city in Australia, that does have crime of this nature. And unfortunately, with the Gold Coast's international tourist identity and those crimes taking place, it does get a fair share of sometimes a little bit more publicity than it probably should.

PETER MCCUTCHEON: How confident are you that this is not a sign that crime is actually increasing here?

PAUL WILSON: Well technically the armed robbery raid of 2011 is the same of 2000.

PETER MCCUTCHEON: The worry is that bad publicity will ultimately affect tourism and undermine the Gold Coast's image as a place for fun, even if it is sometimes with an edge. And superintendent Ziebarth believes he's making progress in tackling drug and alcohol abuse.

Perception is important given that this is a tourist city. From you on the ground, have you noticed any change in the last year or so?

PAUL ZIEBARTH: Look, the interesting thing about the Gold Coast is the sheer volume of people. We've got a large population, sixth-biggest city, four million visitors a year. One of the key things for us is getting the community on board and public perception is something we need to work on.

LEIGH SALES: Peter McCutcheon on the Gold Coast.

top cop settles into new job- goldcoastnews sept 28th 2008

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4UY9PVkaqQ

QLD Senator Peter Wellington & Assistant Police Commissioner Paul

Published on 9 Mar 2013

Senator Peter Wellington as a young rooky cop & The Queensland Assistant Police Commissioner Homicide Detective Paul Wilson stars in this Police Bashing film from Chanel Seven News Brisbane.

Corrupt Police stole the film from channel 7 Brisbane studios and thought all copies were destroyed.

The CJC obtained a Copy and recently the CMC Opened its doors to the Victims of Police corruption and copies of Files and other Police films were accessed.

Unlawful Police Bashings today the Queensland government is Lying that Senator Peter Wellington and Detective Paul Wilson gave evidence to the Fitzgerald Inquiry so are ***** Protected from prosecutions and have Immunity for criminal Acts .........And the Victims ? ......

The Queensland Government is saying to the Victims fuck you.........your not getting compensated despite an attempted murder in 1988 by Homicide Detective Paul Wilson ....where the victims neck was Broken in 3 places C2 C3 C5 ; Brainstem injury %72 : a Hole ripped into the victims Heart . Intentionally state government Denied Full Medical Disability Pension 1990 .

Category

News & Politics

goldprospectorjapan 3 months ago

Police verbally State to Citizens " Your Under Arrest " .

The United Nations HUMAN RIGHTS Organization is very Specific about Beatings and Bashings of people " Under Arrest " & such Violations are considered " Torture " :

NO If Buts or maybe 's about it :

goldprospectorjapan 4 months ago

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman advocates Executive government corruption IF its Kept SECRET eh well hidden by NEW state Laws to protect people who really never did Testify to the Fitzgerald Inquiry ........But the QLD Govt Says YES They Did IF WE Say they did & the Tax Payers have NO choice but to believe the governments Gobbshite ! . Fascist Regime of closed Doors Court hearings to Protect the executive corrupt members of Parliament.

POLICE STATE - Cops Arrest Boy For Standing Up Against His Bullies

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU6FQwoVDzs

Uploaded on 18 Mar 2011

http://qldcops.blogspot.co.uk/

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Battle to get police thug Arndt punished still ongoing

The Police service is protecting him. It's only a very persistent victim that is giving hope of justice*

A POLICE officer who assaulted an elderly homeless man in a mall seven years ago has failed to stop the Crime and Misconduct Commission trying to have him disciplined.

Bruce Rowe was assaulted in Brisbane's Queen Street Mall in 2006 when some police officers pinned him to the ground and Constable Benjamin Arndt kneed him.

Constable Arndt was found guilty of assaulting Mr Rowe and fined $1000, with no conviction recorded, after a private prosecution.

After the CMC referred a complaint from Mr Rowe to the Queensland Police Service, an assistant commissioner decided Constable Arndt needed only "managerial guidance'', and there was no disciplinary action.

The CMC has applied to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal for that decision to be reviewed, on the ground that Constable Arndt should have been disciplined for misconduct.

Constable Arndt tried to strike out the CMC application, saying it lacked substance and the tribunal did not have jurisdiction to deal with it.

The tribunal heard when the CMC first investigated Mr Rowe's complaint, it found there had been an illegal assault and referred a report to the QPS for any disciplinary action.

In February, the QPS told the CMC that managerial guidance had been provided to Constable Arndt.

The officer was told no further action would be taken in relation to the complaint and no adverse reference would be put on his personal file, the tribunal heard.

Tribunal member Michelle Howard said the CMC Act allowed the tribunal to review specified decisions made about police officers if the CMC applied.

While Constable Arndt argued there had been no reviewable decision, Ms Howard found there had been a decision in relation to an allegation of misconduct regarding the unlawful assault.

On May 10, she found that it was a reviewable decision that was made within the appropriate time and dismissed Constable Arndt's application.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/national-news/queensland/police-constable8217s-bid-to-stop-the-cmc-punishing-him-for-bashing-a-homeless-man-in-2006-has-failed/story-fnii5v6w-1226669565234

Posted by jonjayray at 10:11 AM 1 comment:

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Gold Coast surf shop worker claims to be second man brutally bashed at Surfers Paradise police station

A GOLD Coast surf shop worker claims to be the second man brutally bashed while handcuffed in the bowels of Surfers Paradise police station.

Josh Gowdie, 21, is suing the Queensland Police Service for tens of thousands of dollars in damages.

He claims he was assaulted and thrown into a brick wall inside the Orchid Ave police station in December, 2011.

CCTV footage of the incident, obtained by Mr Gowdie's lawyers, was broadcast last night by Channel 9.

Mr Gowdie was allegedly bashed a month before chef Noah Begic claims to have been subjected to similar police brutality in the basement of the Surfers police station. He, too, is suing the police service for a six-figure sum.

"The police can't be allowed to get away with this sort of thing," Mr Gowdie told The Courier-Mail last night. "The two officers who did this to me are not fit to be in the police service."

Mr Gowdie said the incident happened in Surfers in the early hours of December 5, 2011, when he was "standing up for a female who got arrested".

He said police pushed, shoved and punched him in the street before hurling him against a brick wall in a passageway inside the police station. "I didn't do a single thing to deserve it," he said.

"I told them I'd had shoulder surgery and they (police) said they'd dislocate my shoulder again. "I suffered multiple injuries including cuts and bruising, grazes, claw marks and a chipped tooth and I still get flashbacks."

Mr Gowdie said he was speaking out now because he was frustrated at the slow pace of the police investigation.

A QPS spokeswoman said the investigation was ongoing.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/gold-coast-surf-shop-worker-claims-to-be-second-man-brutally-bashed-at-surfers-paradise-police-station/story-e6frg6n6-1226651701797

Posted by jonjayray at 6:27 AM No comments:

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Man bashed by Qld police to sue

A MAN allegedly bashed by police under the Surfers Paradise police station has launched legal action against the state of Queensland.

Noa Begic was arrested after a night out in Surfers Paradise in January last year and taken to the basement of the local police station, where CCTV footage appeared to show him being punched and thrown to the ground by officers.

The Courier-Mail posted exclusive footage of the incident on its website and all charges against Mr Begic were later dropped.

However, he has now taken legal action, engaging high-profile law firm Maurice Blackburn to sue the state of Queensland in a civil suit. He is believed to be seeking a six-figure settlement.

A close friend of Mr Begic said it was taking a long time for the mental scars to heal after the ordeal. "He was very anxious about police for a long while as you can imagine," said the friend. "He is trying to get on with his life and sees this as a chance to close the door on that chapter."

Two of the four officers allegedly involved in the incident remain suspended from duty while the Queensland Police Service's Ethical Standards Command runs its own investigation.

Mr Begic had been drinking with friends after finishing his shift at a Surfers Paradise restaurant when he was approached by police officers. He was arrested and taken to the basement of the nearby police station.

CCTV then appears to show a handcuffed Mr Begic being flung to the ground before being punched several times in the head by one of the officers as he is pushed into the back of a police wagon.

One of the officers is then shown pouring a bucket of water over what looks to be a puddle of blood on the basement floor.

Mr Begic was charged with being a public nuisance and obstructing police after he allegedly directed numerous loud and abusive comments towards officers patrolling the Surfers nightclub strip.

The charges against Mr Begic were thrown out last June. Mr Begic has also asked the Queensland Police Service to pay his legal costs from that court action.

The ethical standards investigation into the affair continues, while an investigation is also under way into an officer accused of leaking the CCTV footage to the newspaper.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/friend-says-noa-begic-has-mental-scars-after-bashing-in-surfers-paradise-police-station-basement/story-e6freoof-1226647224141

Posted by jonjayray at 8:13 AM No comments:

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Officer who failed to issue alert on sinking boat set to be demoted

A POLICE officer who failed to alert authorities that a boat was sinking in the Torres Strait before five people died is likely to be demoted, after a successful Crime and Misconduct Commission appeal.

A girl, four, and four other people drowned when the Malu Sara went down on the way from Saibai to Badu Island in October 2005.

Thursday Island Sergeant Warren Flegg was told the vessel was taking on water but did not tell rescue authorities that the boat was in distress until hours later.

After a disciplinary hearing an Assistant Commissioner found Sgt Flegg should be demoted to Senior Constable for two years, but suspended the order, subject to him completing training. In February last year a Queensland Civil and Administrative Appeal Tribunal senior member dismissed the CMC's appeal against that decision, finding that the sanction was appropriate.

But the CMC brought a fresh appeal, on the basis that a reasonable tribunal would have found the sanction "unreasonable or plainly unjust". The Commission no longer asked for Sgt Flegg to be dismissed.

On February 20 QCAT appeal tribunal members Justice Alan Wilson and Dr Bridget Cullen said a suspended sentence did not reflect the seriousness of Sgt Flegg's misconduct and it was "surprising". "His failure to pass on critical information as soon as practicable was a very serious omission, particularly when he was a trained search and rescue co-ordinator," Justice Wilson said. "The failure to discharge that duty persisted for some hours, compounding its seriousness."

Justice Wilson said in his view Sgt Flegg should be demoted to Senior Constable for two years from a date to be decided and be allowed to apply for a sergeant's position only after two years, under certain conditions.

Source

Posted by jonjayray at 9:17 AM 2 comments:

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Qld. man on obstructing police charge claims officers bashed him

Timothy William Barker shows his injuries.

A MOUNTAIN Creek man facing one charge of obstructing police says he was savagely bashed by officers during his arrest.

Lawyer Adrian Hawkes alleged that his client, Timothy William Barker, 28, was assaulted while being arrested on Christmas Day.

"My client has been seriously attacked by the two officers," Mr Hawkes told Maroochydore Magistrates Court.

Magistrate Bernadette Callaghan said there were mechanisms in place to respond to such allegations.

"If your client has a complaint against the police, he should take it to the CMC," she said.

"He already has," Mr Hawkes responded.

Ms Callaghan adjourned the matter to February 11 to enable case-conferencing between both parties, a direction Mr Hawkes opposed.

The events leading to Mr Barker's arrest were not clarified in court yesterday.

Mr Hawkes said he took photos of the injuries when Mr Barker was released from Maroochydore watchhouse.

He said his client unsuccessfully asked police on Boxing Day to drop the obstruction charge.

SOURCE

Posted by jonjayray at 12:12 PM 2 comments:

Qld. cop kills another cop over drugs?

I don't know much about this but a man claims that in 1988 he saw Qld. Assistant Police Commissioner Paul Wilson murder a uniformed police officer then leave the scene of the murder (in Airlie Beach North Queensland) looking like a suicide.

Shortly afterwards Wilson and underworld associates allegedly stole 2 tons of confiscated cocaine from Airlie Beach police station. When asked about the missing drugs, the cops simply said, "We can't find it. It's been lost..."

The witness was subsequently savagely beaten in an apparent attempt to shut him up. He has tried various avenues to draw attention to his matters but has hit a brick wall throughout, not very surprisingly.

The claims are in an eBook available on Amazon here ... which see -- JR

The Governor Generals Star Chamber [Kindle Edition]
Matthew Hardy /Banks (Author), Matthew Hardy/Banks (Editor, Preface)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009P68H96

Book Description: October 2012

A shocking true account of crimes perpetrated against the victim of Attempted Murder by Queensland Detective Paul Wilson in Airlie Beach North Queensland Australia in 1988 .
Every thing you thought you knew about Australian Police, the Law, Solicitors, Justice & the Australian Supreme Court is about to change forever.
As your taken step by step through the accounts that left a victim with his Neck Broken in 3 places a Hole torn into his Heart from blunt force trauma whiplash like effect of the blow intended to kill him, & a Horrific %72 Brain stem Injury, in a premeditated unprovoked cowardly attack while he was a Union Member & working.

Covered by Queensland Government Union Workers Compensation Scheme, the attempted murder Eye Witnessed By Australia's Most Senior Government Accredited Work Place Accident & Safety Officer.
The victim intentionally denied a full medical Disability pension by the Queensland Government in 1990 to keep Eye Witness evidence & the Detectives name & the Attempted Murder from court records.
Numerous Doctors of the victim threatened by Queensland Police, one female Doctor girl friend of the victim claimed to have been stopped in the evening on a lonely country road & was forced to enter the Detectives Police car, on arrival at her residence that evening shaken and in shock stated she would be HIV Tested the following morning.
A Queensland Senator Peter Wellington then a lawyer listened to the victims complaint details for more than one hour & responded to the complaint in two words " PROTECT YOURSELVES ".
Today the victim remains uncompensated unable to ever work again since 1990 and the Queensland Detective promoted to Assistant Commissioner uncharged by the Queensland Crime And Misconduct Commission or Queensland Government.

The entire Injustice orchestrated by the President of the Queensland Law Society, Quentin Bryce who when promoted to Queensland Governor used her Powers in charge of the Chief Justice of the Queensland Courts to implement a closed Doors STAR CHAMBER where the victim was forced to attend a Fraudulent, unlawful, Supreme Court action with no Eye Witness, no legal defense, no solicitors, & kept in the Witness stand for Two Days.

Wikileaks describes this written account as Scientific Journalism the first of its kind.
The Story that had Australian ABC journalist sent to the front line in Iraq.
International Investigative Journalist see's parallels between 1975 events & the purportedly Defunct NUGAN HAND BANK &
Australian PM Whitlam removed from office in 1975 by the Australian Governor General Sir John Kerr who was President of CIA funded LawAsia.

Posted by jonjayray at 11:33 AM No comments:

Qld Police Commissioner Stewart‏

An interesting email received:

Commissioner Stewart is currently under investigation by the Anti-discrimination Commission for acts of reprisal against police officer, Senior Constable Lyn Jones for participating in a public interest disclosure.

The public interest disclosure concerned a forensic officer from the Fingerprint Bureau Brisbane stealing from a crime scene. The incident was reported to senior management at the Fingerprint Bureau, Inspector Brendan Keleher and Inspector Tony Carstensen, who then bullied staff not to report the incident as they had both applied for promotion and "didn't want anything interferring in their promotional prospects".

After disclosing the incident to Ethical Standard Command, S/C Jones was advised by Senior Sergeant Blair Webber at the Fingerprint Bureau that the senior officers were "drumming up" complaints against her to "get rid of her". Five (5) months later S/C Jones was managerially transferred from the fingerprint bureau under allegations of complaints made against her. One (1) month later she was suspended without pay in relation to false complaints submitted by Sergeant David Reece, Sergeant Waldo Kowalsky and S/Sgt Blair Webber of the fingerprint bureau.

The complaints were investigated by Inspector Ray Rohweder who is a known associate and mate of S/Sgt Webber. Rohweder was also under investigation, at that time, for threating and bullying staff. After being found guilty of these offences, Rohweder was managerially transferred from Ethical Standard Command, but made sure he took S/C Jones' disciplinary file with him.   Rohweder then continued to "drum up" complaints against her.

Three (3) years later S/C Jones is still suspended without pay on false complaints. To date, her disciplinary file is over 1000 pages as Inspector Rohweder collects statements from "rent a crowd".

CMC advised S/C Jones in March 2012 that "from the documents ESC had provided it was quite obvious that the QPS was trying to get rid of her as she had been labelled a 'trouble maker' for being a whistleblower".

The public should hear not only about the bad cops, but what happens to the good cops who dob them in. Officer who particpate in a public interest disclosures and tell the truth get bastardised by management, receive death threats and labelled "dogs".   If we keep our mouths shut we get dismissed from the service for not dobbing them in. In other words, we're dammed if we do and dammed if we don't.

But S/C Jones is not one for being bullied by the "boys club" and has submitted a complaint to the Anti-Discrimination Commission for the QPS's acts of reprisal.   I wish her luck, but she's more likely to "disappear" like S/Sgt Mike Isles before they'll let her win.

Posted by jonjayray at 11:21 AM 1 comment:

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

CMC says police officer got off lightly after 'forgetting' to act on tip-off

Qld. Police negligence leads to death

THE CMC has accused the police service of failing to appropriately discipline an officer whose inaction may have contributed to the death of a missing man.

Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal documents show that Barry Powell, 64, was still alive and would have been for at least another 24 hours when a local rang police to report sighting an abandoned vehicle at Wyandra in the state's southwest that belonged to Mr Powell on December 6, 2009.

His body was eventually discovered nearby in dense bushland five days later.

The temperature at the time the vehicle was abandoned was about 40C. He had been travelling with his dog, a black labrador, and at the time temperatures soared to more than 40C.

An internal police investigation found officer-in-charge of Augathella station, Sergeant Andrew Ernest Thomas, "failed to take appropriate action" after he was told of an abandoned vehicle.

"At about 8.30am on the 11th of December 2009 the body of Barry Frederick Powell was located in bushland approximately 650m northeast from his vehicle," Deputy Commissioner Ross Barnett said in a notice of formal finding dated November 20, 2012, lodged in QCAT.

"It is estimated Mr Powell was alive until the morning of December 8 2009."

Mr Barnett said Sgt Thomas failed to investigate or consider the likelihood that a person who abandoned the vehicle might need assistance and the consequences of them not receiving any, particularly after being "exposed to such environmental conditions".

Sgt Thomas received a two-year suspended sentence, so if any further acts of misconduct were committed, he would be demoted from sergeant to senior constable.

Sgt Thomas did not report the phone call to Charleville CIB until December 10 and a massive search involving SES and police on foot, horseback and motorcycles followed.

"Subsequent inquiries with the family of Mr Powell indicate that he was travelling from Western Australia to his residence in Hervey Bay following surgery," QCAT documents state.

"It is apparent from the evidence contained in the brief that Mr Powell was taking a considerable amount of medication for a number of pre-existing medical conditions."

In the hearing, Sgt Thomas said he "banged" his head on an airconditioner and forgot as other things "simply overtook" his mind.

He also argued the information he received related only "to a vehicle on the side of a road, not to a missing person" and he did not accept that a "sufficient nexus" existed between his failure to take appropriate action and Mr Powell's death.

"It logically follows that had you taken steps to have the report investigated, Mr Powell would have been located some time on 8th of December 2011," Mr Barnett stated in the disciplinary hearing.

However, due to the cause of death being undetermined and a ruling by the entomologist that the mPMI (minimum post-mortem interval) could not be provided because of "gross deficiencies in the collection of original evidence", Mr Barnett said he was unable to find clear "causal connection" between Sgt Thomas'

Coast cop fined over bikie's death

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2011/11/23/367971_crime-and-court-news.html

Craig Robert Shepherd died in the accident.

CLARIFICATION: THIS story originally said Senior-Constable Stephen Chapman was driving a vehicle involved in a pursuit with a motorcyclist in June, 2006. This is incorrect. Sen-Constable was in fact the senior officer in the car which was driven by Senior-Constable Hilton Buckley.

A GOLD Coast policeman has been fined more than $13,000 for misconduct relating to the death of a bikie during a high-speed police chase.

Senior-Constable Stephen Chapman was originally fined $400 in February by Police Assistant Commissioner Paul Wilson but the Crime and Misconduct Commission stepped in and lodged an appeal.

Yesterday the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal found the original penalty was "manifestly inadequate" and ordered Sen-Const Chapman to pay the fine off at $128 a week for the next two years.

The misconduct relates to a pursuit involving Craig Robert Shepherd, 26, a member of the Odins Warriors motorcycle gang, who died after his bike hit a rock wall on a tight bend at Beechmont Rd on June 16, 2006.

His passenger suffered permanent brain damage when the bike landed on top of her.

A coronial inquest in 2008 found that moments before the crash, Mr Shepherd was being pursued by a police car, in which Sen-Constable Chapman was the senior officer, at speeds of up to 160km/h.

Police Assistant Commissioner Paul Wilson had found Sen-Constable Chapman guilty of being untruthful during follow-up interviews and not complying with policies regard pursuits.

Sen-Constable Chapman, 48, had admitted contravening pursuit policies but contested the untruthfulness charge. He was fined $200 for each breach.

The CMC lodged an appeal with the tribunal on the grounds the penalty was manifestly inadequate and sought Sen Const Chapman's dismissal from the police service.

Sen-Constable Chapman and three other officers on duty the night Mr Shephard died also appealed against Mr Wilson's findings that they were untruthful in interviews by not declaring phone calls made about the incident.

While the officers were cleared of untruthfulness, in their QCAT judgment, Judicial Member James Thomas, QC, and Senior Member Richard Oliver ruled Sen-Constable Chapman's breaches were "serious" and while not serious enough to deserve his dismissal, a $200 fine was manifestly inadequate.

Instead, the tribunal ordered Sen-Constable Chapman's pay be cut for two years.

"He had an exemplary record of service prior to the incident, and pleaded guilty to the only charge upon which he has been subsequently found guilty," the judgment found.

"Notwithstanding this early plea, he has had the stress of five years' delay before determination.

"Taking into account all these factors, including the need to ensure that the police pursuit policy is respected, and attempting to maintain some consistency, we consider the appropriate sanction is the loss of two pay points for a period of two years."

Goldcoast.com.au understands Sen-Constable Chapman will seek leave to appeal against the decision.

Top cop settles into new job

Hayley Sultanie and Melissa Townsend   |  September 27th, 2008

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2008/09/27/16815_gold-coast-news.html

HE may have a North Queensland Cowboys jersey hanging on his wall but new Assistant Police Commissioner Paul Wilson promises he will be watching the Titans with interest next season.

Mr Wilson started his new post as the assistant commissioner for the southeastern region on Monday, the next logical step in an impressive 34 years with the police service after leaving Townsville two weeks ago.

Since starting out as a cadet in 1974, Mr Wilson has served throughout Queensland at both metropolitan and rural criminal investigation branches which have included Mount Isa, Brisbane, Redcliffe, Caboolture, Proserpine, Mackay and the Sunshine Coast.

However, the Gold Coast will serve as home for the foreseeable future and Mr Wilson said he was definitely looking forward to his stint here.

"I've never been stationed in the southeast region but I've done a lot of jobs down here as a detective over the years," he said.

"It's a unique location here in so much as it's an international tourist destination and as a result of that it's probably one of the most unique police environments in the country.

"Policing is the same the world over, it's just a unique environment here."

Mr Wilson has held a number of highly regarded positions over the years including three years as superintendent in charge of the north Brisbane police district and two years as detective chief superintendent on the State Crime Operations Command.

He said it was his time as a detective that had shaped him the most.

"Nothing daunts me in the job because I come from an operational background," he said.

"Being an old detective I have a keen interest in major criminal investigations to ensure, especially with homicides, that my staff get the right resources to ensure they are thorough investigations."

His dedication to his job has meant Mr Wilson and his family have had to travel all over the state -- the Gold Coast is just another notch on an impressive list of postings.

"When my wife and I left Townsville recently in our 30th year of marriage, it was our 15th change of residence in the job," he said.

"We have three adult daughters. This is the second occasion they didn't move with us but that's what it's been, a family journey. In fact, it's been an adventure."

It is this adventure that has helped keep Mr Wilson in the job so long, and perhaps even what has made him so good at it.

"I've lived all across Queensland. We've been a bit of a Leyland Brothers in moving around but I think the great adventure that is available to police officers and moving around this vast state, the life experience you acquire you bring with you," he said.

Mr Wilson has come to the Gold Coast just in time for some of the city's biggest events, which he said would present a new challenge for him.

"It's a good time to come because you see what's happening. I've come at the right time of the year to experience the major events of Indy, Schoolies, Christmas and New Year.

"I've previously been to all those events as a non-local police officer; now I come as the local police chief.

"I've already been to some of the planning events for the Indy event coming up and I look forward to meeting and working in conjunction with our emergency services and community groups in ensuring that public safety is paramount."

Mr Wilson said he looked forward to his time on the Coast and was passionate about policing after his 34 years in the business.

"I've still got a few years left in the job," he said. "I've been at it a long time, I should know what I'm on about."

Fresh corruption claims rock Qld police

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/fresh-corruption-claims-rock-qld-police-20100203-nbq1.html

Date: February 3, 2010

AAP

Claims about police corruption, including drug trafficking, are of deep concern and must be dealt with quickly, says Queensland Police Minister Neil Roberts.

"These are extremely serious allegations which obviously myself, the government and indeed the police service want to be investigated," he told ABC radio on Wednesday.

"We need to get to the bottom of it quickly and if these allegations are proven, these people need to be brought before the courts."

The new allegations centre on claims Gold Coast officers have been involved with organised crime gangs, including outlaw bikies, importing drugs and dealing them through big Gold Coast nightclubs, The Courier-Mail has reported.

The Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) was considering making the inquiry public and more than 20 officers have already been forced to give evidence against colleagues at secret CMC hearings.

Covert techniques including phone taps have also been used in the investigation, the paper says.

CMC officers on Sunday raided a number of premises in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast, including the Surfers Paradise police station and another station on the coast.

One officer has been suspended, pending further investigations.

Earlier this week, the CMC said speculation that criminal proceedings were imminent following the CMC's searches on Sunday were ill founded.

"The evidence gathered (Sunday) will be assessed as part of an ongoing police misconduct investigation that... was being progressed by the CMC in a covert manner," Director of CMC Misconduct Investigations Russell Pearce said.

"A police officer has been suspended on the basis of evidence discovered on Sunday morning, but no consideration has yet been given to bringing any criminal charges."

The fresh allegations follow last year's Operation Capri, which resulted in the CMC report of Dangerous Liaisons.

The report implicated 25 police in misconduct and detailed cases of informants being rewarded with cash, sex and unsupervised leave in return for evidence and confessions.

After the release of Dangerous Liaisons, corruption buster Tony Fitzgerald broke the 20-year silence that followed his own 1989 corruption report to criticise the ethics of Peter Beattie and Anna Bligh's Labor governments, as well as the police service.

"This will make Capri look very small," the police source told The Courier-Mail.

"We're talking about allegations of police involvement in importing drugs into Australia and distributing them through the Gold Coast nightclub scene."

Queensland Opposition Leader John-Paul Langbroek has called for a full investigation of the corruption allegations against Gold Coast police.

Mr Langbroek, the state MP for Surfers Paradise, said he had heard no allegations against police officers from his constituents, but he was interested in the anti-corruption watchdog's findings rather than anecdotes.

Mr Langbroek said drugs were an issue in Surfers Paradise, where there had been problems with bikie gangs involved in the trade.

But police were doing a good job of tackling drug crime, he said.

"They're all working very, very hard, and I have absolute faith in the integrity of the police service overall," Mr Langbroek said.

"But no doubt, amongst over 10,000 police officers in the state, there's always going to be temptation.

"People are human and it's important that we get to the bottom of these allegations."

He said any question marks over the police service were a serious matter.

"We need to make sure there aren't any bad apples there, but that's up to the CMC to work out," he said.

Mr Langbroek said he hoped the investigation would be completed quickly and that a public inquiry would be held if it was deemed necessary by the CMC.

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2008/09/27/16815_gold-coast-news.html

CorruptPolice_BlueMurder

Drug trade behind police corruption by Peter Westmore.. please read down this INL News page for this full story and other storries about Australian Police corruption

NEWS SOURCES

NEWS SOURCES

NEWS SOURCES

BLOGS

COLUMNISTS

ALL THINGS ARIANNA

Fitzgerald Report on police and political corruption in Queensland

Qld The Police State.

QLD Police corruption again?

Uploaded on 14 Oct 2009 Today Tonight story on search warrants executed on the Gold Coast that are now (except for one in particular) under investigation

Transcript

Whistleblowing women disclose the corruption in their workplaces.

Drug trade behind police corruption

Thursday, August 4, 2011

More police suspended over leaks to bikies

CRIME: Drug trade behind police corruption

'Sensitive' police files found at bikie gang premises

Blue Murder: Media Release

Detective Paul Wilson Airlie Beach QLD

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Clip description

Curator’s notes

Related Articles

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'He can only be described as an opportunistic predator'

Story on Detective Paul Wilson QUEENSLAND AUSTRALIA

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

police corruption in Queensland

The crooked Charters Towers cops who escaped the Fitzgerald Inquiry

How has Merv Henry Stevenson escaped investigation all these years?

Renowned bushman

Corruption charges

Friends in high places

Crooked Creek Cattle Company

Missing Person Link

Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame

External links

References

Australian Police Corruption

Ind. man with 47 guns arrested after school threat Associated Press

Drug trade behind police corruption

Scale of police document leak 'enormous'

how corrupt police work with drug dealers

we should focus on the ranks, not the rats

we should focus on the ranks, not the rats

Illegal regulation

It’s all in the game

Draining the swamp

CRIME: Drug trade behind police corruption

Standen: The Inside Man

Court hears former top cop Mark Standen told 'many lies'

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Meet our new Assistant Commissioners

Top cop settles into new job

Related Posts:

Media Statements

Minister for Police and Community Safety The Honourable Jack Dempsey

Thursday, May 09, 2013

New QPS Assistant Commissioners announced

Transcript

Category

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Saturday, January 19, 2013

The Governor Generals Star Chamber [Kindle Edition]

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Fresh corruption claims rock Qld police

QLD Police corruption again?

Coast cop fined over bikie's death

Drug trade behind police corruption
by Peter Westmore..
please read down this INL News page for this full story and other storries about Australian Police corruption

Uploaded on 14 Oct 2009

Today Tonight story on search warrants executed on the Gold Coast that are now (except for one in particular) under investigation

CRIME:
Drug trade behind police corruption

Ind. man with 47 guns arrested after school threat
Associated Press

CRIME:
Drug trade behind police corruption

Minister for Police and Community Safety
The Honourable Jack Dempsey