Alan Leek is a retired member of the New South Wales Police Service, in which he served for 34 years.
In the early 1990s, Alan was rewarded for his excellence in management. When he was made the head police officer in Cabramatta, it was at the time the largest heroin distribution point in the country, a growing political flashpoint and spiraling ever faster, out of control.
The unique set of challenges that beset Cabramatta from the late 1980s created a criminal and cultural misery unlike anything else Australia had seen at the time. And it was up to Alan to rally his troops and to pull the divided and traumatized community together behind them.
Alan is now the author of several books, with his latest being "Rendezvous with Death". All of his titles can be found at Big Sky Publishing.
For Support:
Lifeline on 13 11 14
13 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)
1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732
CREDITS:
Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram
Guest: Alan Leek. His books can be found at Big Sky Publishing
Executive Producer/Editor: Matthew Tankard
This episode contains extra content from ABC Four Corners and Once Upon a Time in Cabramatta
GET IN TOUCH:
Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook
Email the show at [email protected]
Become a subscriber to Australian True Crime Plus here: https://plus.acast.com/s/australiantruecrime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Australia and true crime is probably independent, podcast produced by us with no corporate or network overlords policing our content. Unfortunately, that means we get none of their cash either. If ongoing payments out for you, you can now make a one off contribution of any amount. You wish simply by clicking the link in the shine odds, you'll know which one this is a true crime podcast, as the title suggests. So please consider this you'll warning that it's not suitable for children and probably will contain content that may be triggering to some people. Also, it's an australian, true crime, podcast. So a striking aboriginal and tar strike islander listeners should be aware. It may contain the voices of disabled people that producers of fish pond cash
recognized that your day should alone the land on which it recorded pay, respect to the aboriginal elders, past present and those emerging.
was unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable that crime could get to the lake
What did in the area?
Nobody really seem to care.
at two restaurants in these sort of compromise that were
having heroin begins
food was always heroin.
the overdose levels on the streets increase more more more more sovereigns of ambulances coming to treat uses
the dosing
this on the street as well becoming commonplace to have bodies around the town
No one was really there to champion the cause for the community nebulous it's a sailor. Snack, I we understand will do something about it.
Alan lake is a
I had member of the new south wales police service, in which he saved
as four years like most members,
he's generation Allen. Did
complete high school, but he's not
Ro curiosity has led him to a lifetime of study and writing in the field of criminology, including a student at the
the eyes academy in quantico Virginia
one awards for service, including the prestigious Peter Mitchell award for outstanding performance in a motor investigation and public,
several books, which you can find more information about in the show notes to this episode. In the early nineties nineties Alan lake was rewarded for his excellency management when he was made the head, copper in cabra matter. It was at the time the largest
when distribution point in the country, a growing political flashpoint and spiralling
ever faster out of control. The unique set of challenges that
he said, capra matter in seed me from the light nineteen eighties created a cripple
and cultural misery. Unlike anything else, australia had seen at the time, and it was
to alan to rally his troops and to pull the
find and traumatized community together behind them,
as you'll learn, he was
Finally, and inspired choice for the job, because if there are two things, Ellen lake takes joy in thy a policing and learning about you
cultures
add a skill or fifteen. I earned a lot of picking up to do and I didn't have confidence in myself. I know I knew I wanted to do such considered lower, neither nine I can't do that. I can't do that and I met up
and who was a teacher to private school and his hair is dotted house had been broken into,
and I talked to him about it and he said you can do it and how do you know that? And he said I can tell you, can do it and he said do matter of fact, I'm going up to bathurst where it was
The campus was, he said, the going up to therefore wedding next week
get your application and I'll drop an invoice geese, and he did- and I was accepted so
They are started and I went there meant or went different orientation weekend.
with just mine, blindly beautiful it was a beautiful weather and I stood out there in the sun, and I thought this is what it's about. This is what education is about. The island
This you know because it wasn't wrote, lotta guys went through and did it
it didn't matter whether you went through with seas of arise. If you did it you've done. It said, therefore, you've got a a bit of credential, isn't operating foi, but I applied it to my working day.
and that was the difference at what you learn. You learn I tried so that you can go and do the job properly. What you did you
arriving cabra in permanently
went there in ninety one. It was part of my area
When I worked at the district, it covered it and other stations as well. So I was there is our staff officer, intelligence and I said,
very aware it thus inspector at dead the district offices.
The staff officer and then I was promoted into that job that Khabar marijuana one that job actually at interview
and that was that carried another rank. Achieve inspectors rank what you say. It was sort of early days in the cabra matter. I call it a crisis. What developed into a crisis in ninety ninety nine,
one sort of early dies: wasn't it depleted?
they now challenging area before that for a long while before that, but it was not
get some violent crime well before
My time there- and I was very fortunate to now about that because of where I worked in the do in headquarters-
I knew of the people there, and I knew that I had a very, very good detective office, a very good big police office and there was a terrific team of people and I would go in inherit. But it was sir right from.
start, it was under resource that when I went there, for instance, I think I had sixty one people.
to cover in that area, which was a motion
Hence heroin distribution area in Australia, already
by that time. Annoying that sixty one would probationary constable felicity service, because the point has been
very many times a very clearly in retrospect that, when Malcolm Fraser made the decision to accept rifts
He's from vietnam to australia strategy that was a revolution. It was a political revolution, but they wasn't a lot of really sort of grass roots work, after that
putting to the communities that these people moved into there wasn't a lot of assistance in helping those people learn the language. For example, there wasn't a lot,
distance given to the state governments and local councils in the fundamentals of
assisting those people to move into Austria near were left stranded a bit and there were efforts made, but they were there could have been better but could have been a lot better when you took either
nation was that your job did. You become the boss of copper meditation. Ninety ninety one, yes, the petroleum outer was cold. You son
responsibility and, if not before, the media was certainly becoming aware of and becoming variant,
stood in an idea that asians, in inverted commas, were becoming problematic in sydney and that they were crime, gay.
It was a heroine hob that they weren't a similarity. It was a problem, so
if you are under a lot of pressure- and I think people forget a lot of the time too- that you're in a very political position in in that sort of job, because you yeah
you answer to a politician who wants to be re: elected
in answer to him, but he was sir, the by local.
member. He thought I did, but I didn't, and I wouldn't they, the political problem
bout. I wasn't too concerned about what I was concerned about was the racist attacks on the community and the focus on viet nam
yes, it is a lot of yet the most people here. There's a lot of chinese people from vietnam. There's a lot of lay our cambodian hormone norm in south of shout the american people, all sorts of nationalities and if new groupings
So the first thing I had a battle was a doormat police had to go online vietnamese, but you also have a problem in that they,
It community had a very different attitudes, and this is common with refugee communities. They had a very different relationship with police in their home country. We,
police in our society by consent, we done we'll the big stick. We gain the consent of the public, to police them and
vietnamese that scene, the their police shooting prevaricating payment straight gas at that
the question. I would ask a lot of not just vietnamese, but a
in the english speaking class english language classes. The when my country
to go there and talk that they be rigged up, full, uniform, a gun,
the first question was often: what can you be shot for that rigged me?
you think, will rod I hadn't had the discretion is as an officer not to wear firearm
and I chose on most occasions, not to wear a firearm, and particularly when I was going to the functions, then there were many of them, though there were several week every week.
and or even just a walk in the street, but didn't where far as the gangs did
gangs had a lot of firearms in cabra metre. In those days there were shootings in the street yeah, oh and machetes, and things yeah, but the the funny thing is that they respected police and respected teachers. It's no coincidence.
Is it that the major gang, or maybe the first gang, that sort of grew out of the area of copper matter
five t gang. I read the translations roughly translated what five tea was. It stood for five words side of a tea. I think, but they said it. It basically meant missing love. There is a lot of different things that people would say to five teammates, but the forty actually means doing your tilton to it. That actually means young urge missing news
I love listening to love or missing. Love from the family could be anything but with a name like that, you can understand that everybody who doesn't, who feels like they're not loved, would actually be running towards this five te.
Yeah. I was a token too, with a bond young people who would disenfranchised and coordinate a cultural bond. There were often rejected by
but because they wouldn t alone without cultural, more open, and I certainly went feeling a lot of love from the broader community lets me
last year, and there was the same with previous in tax since the second war. You know the italians,
Gregson, whatever they all had similar problems with their kids coming to a new culture and because they became a ready acolytes for drug distribution. They
the unemployment right. I can't remember the figures nabob another in the twenty percent. Well, that's it!
Can you bring that up, because I remember when the african gang story was huge. Melvin people would make the point that-
hang on a minute. These snatching grubs and things that are happening at a jewelry shops that the accusation
Is it the younger african main were actually working for more organised crime gangs that would certainly went of african
origin, and so it was that idea that these disenfranchised youth become united fertile.
Let us use it. I thought oh yeah yeah, that's right
right and an I cringe to him and have in a long while out of it, but I cringed when I saw that african discourse in victoria in one another to god, I've been down this road before and we had a very high level of from homeless.
in the area are unnecessary,
unemployment and not young people was very high and I'd been separated from them.
Sometimes I hadn't come out with family
remember, the youth workers in the area had distributed sleeping bags to the shopkeepers, to put in the back of their shops
you don't like me in my mind, annex of something in the back of the shops are that they had somewhat asleep. I think in the level
but area. Think for memory was something like six hundred people sleepy rough, sir. It was a terribly disadvantaged. We set ups pay with a crystal delphin church was set up
a breakfast at the local skills for kids to feed the kids breakfast, because I didn't get breakfast because it per family went off early to work in a switch option other so the kids wouldn't be fed. Despite all of that
was a wonderful community mind. The focus was always on the sea by day and when
doings around there, but the king.
It itself
always a wonderful community, because they they they lived cheek by jowl and night,
how habited the area we in but
at the most of the people they were. They would, and I had out,
anglo australians living in the area who loved them there
having them as neighbours, particularly elderly, because the people,
is this the asian people used to look after them and I've had them.
the media, come out and try
does stir up you that at that interview
all time as easy lived in the area and try to get them. The drawn us
questions again and lead to a nasty answer they involved, but that that by men I went
Why should, I believe? I suppose I just very blatantly
they were out there. That is my neighbour but mamma next door, neighbours of the major traffic block.
one that always remember was that there is very little graffiti in the place very little.
Wishes damage the respected property, and yet they go out and rick.
Kinds of people gul change. Generally. There are not enough. There wouldn't touch white people that they, but that was a victim disenfranchise kids.
Whoever was running the the drug trade knew that that was the place
People going to come and get it, and it was certainly the case and then the men.
Maybe I could ask me: what are you
worrying about it, and I said well, I've got dozens of
it's coming into the row by coming in I've got dozens of raj coming in. I don't have a port, I don't have any airport. How do I stop it? We we we, we addressed it in another way and
I know this is a bit of discussion about the slightly better enforcement.
striven by not in ids study, dunbar
across debts and research show the cosy indulgences and somebody else
buying and selling heroin, and I focused on the street sellers
levels that what that's all we will resolve to do anyway, yeah and very
Do we go to the next level, but we concentrate on the street lebanon. We we clog the court's clog deed.
detention centres with with detainees.
And I would say to me why you'd d attacking at this level- and I said well, look you in the media. If, if I've put play
in front of every news agency in the local government area and stop them selling rupert murdoch's papers. How long before I get a complaint from the top
By attacking there you are attacking the distribution. That's all we can do than the kaiser get up a little bit further, but that was all we could do.
and it was so.
Nothing's going to be successful, but it was, it had kept the streets reasonably calm in there. Wasn't it wasn't a punish the kids, but it was to make an impact and the
Juvenile detention centre, the bursting of the same, not what we wanted, but a maniac.
We had got out there be backed dealing again, so he had to make an impact. We did that now,
for any moralistic reason, less integration, we did it to attack them.
income level where they were getting their income, and I complained bitterly about it.
I remember you telling me that you had people we say been a stir
dealers. I mean they would dealing on the literal straight, but also out of these agents. When I
Restaurants out of shops turns out I but up to go into the back of a shop and start to do yeah railway station peopled by white. For the trip
The coming people a poor, ought to try and come in school.
Natural I'm gonna do that they go to get someone to get it and because what they were doing that was
The study that where he directed in but never seem to be pursued, the dim that polly drug use was a big problem,
not that not the purity of heroin shuddered white around a bit the pie.
that have a few sure, that's not the maybe bit of smoke. I was something else and
when the gear in I reject that bang. They did all
matters, and nor can it be administered the jump up, but they wouldn't jump up fit and healthy though they had organ damage, they had limb damaged and whatever
was an unknown
number two us, but the deaths were and we were getting
around twenty young people dying behind shop shinto blocks
and I used to say of them. If I had
many motor vehicle accident deaths in a year? They beheld a pie, but never to give the stuff they just junkies.
no sooner did not junkies somebody's kid somebody's partner, somebody
Why? If somebody's husband, somebody's father and it just can't get through to pay
I mean still still let attitude now doesn't matter you are there. Any junkies by miss over
popular boy suggest.
That we have a needle exchange programme there and
like the heading, the cross and specific to the needs of the
community than the other language, wise and culturally
and I mean that the community itself were happy about it and
because the media were happy about me shining well, it's the constant argument that it will attract more junkies. But are you
What is this, which has been proven to be around? Yes? Yes, that the chair,
it just started to come with them
The realisation of the one size fits all model at headquarters were imposing on us all: wasn't suitable
Had I never realized, I got my tossed, it was you know,
Thou talking to me about my costs. If brightened government was very low militias,
major incidents but almost non existent, but MR report on them.
but when it came to heroin distribution that wasn't one of the criteria that we had a report on the crime stats feeling,
quarterly cry is at. I show you that everything here is connected heroin. Everything
yours connected to heroin
and then didn't get through some foggy brien's. Yet there,
and in those people with moved on
was eventually whereby in court
So when I gave evidence to the parliamentary inquiry into the placing of government
after retired saw a swedish blake thing shines
after that,
But the funding for that that commission of inquiry.
The.
Coming up on us
right in true crime, another terrible first fibromyalgia with the cosy season upon us, it's the perfect time to treat your skin and
care for the crisp cool days ahead. O c is underway. Ex foliated glowed duo is just what you need to nourish and revitalize your skin. This far, it's also the perfect way to treat to of
see as best sellers at an incredible value, be undone
cleansing body polish is an easy one step ix, foliated cleansing and waste rising shower essential for the undying algae body. Oil is clinically proven to improve electricity and deeply moisturize without feeling greasy
She has been making sea weed infuse products that are safe for your skin and the planet for close to thirty years. Everything they make is clean, begin cruelty, free and climate neutral certified. So you never have to choose between your values and your best skin give your skin a glow up. This fall with clean vigo, skin care for most see I get
percent off your first order site wide with could fall. I don't see a malibu dot com, that's oh! As ie eight malibu dot com code fall.
John newman, who was actually labour politician who sounded a lot like a coalition politician to the payments, the live, a man at the time
saying things like, I think they should be deported and sent back to the jungle of vietnam where they belong. If they criminals,
These gangs of spot around the community with the local member calling for the deportation of asians convicted of serious crimes, the asian gangs involved. I fear that this one thing, but I do fear and its possible deportation back to the jungles alarm, because that's where presently ride along sight for the media, there's a lot of juice.
you couldn't tell them that he died. A conviction is a juvenile himself and he wasn't sent back to where serbia night
know, and it was just so hypocritical of him to do that and he was a populace at it, but he wasn't the populist in the sense that he became popular. He was. He was popular because cpz politics in that
In particular, it was a very strong labour area. It wasn't helping
many of the issues any of the problems that were actually happening. We climbed up you eat. We wanted to highlight the gangs for political advantage and and talk about them,
at the same time, he was trying to get of tourism body going and even bother me under the under the committee, and he kept this man
we're up about the the crime and the young people and you know what they were doing and whatever I should look. This doesn't help tourism. What are you here? How are we going to
with this app? We are going to have to tone it down JANET. She can't expect people to come out if they think they're going to get the jewelry ripped off or knocked over and
without any vote without any the embedded agenda. Without any minutes that I was dismissed from the anna, I was glad I was glad the guy, but the that's, how he operated and
so he was, he was clumsy and he looked for the he was
to be in the newspaper le Thomas, what politicians they do and but get good if they can use it for a good purpose sooner. They take very strange characters. You ve got operating at once
I ve got newman, and then you ve got awful know. Who is the the look
guy who's sort of challenging trying to challenge newman what were he's kind of platforms? What was his political position?
he was the self nominated representative body of the local vietnamese community each stood.
He was a councillor fulfil council and he he stood
independent, I think, against newman at an end,
There was animosity between. There was there. They were. They were sworn enemies politically on job
party hated form and for
was slippery character and assembly.
What sort of squabbling for the affections of of the community of the vietnamese can
They would that be fatal. Amazed community didn't trust form. They didn't like him at all. Even the people to come
The boat with no. I didn't. I wouldn't talk to me about him, but you knew that it was problem there, but here he put the fear
in the vietnamese community members that didn't trust him at all. Unless feeding son yemen
his sir beef with him was his personal more than enough to him too
take the seat and so on. What do you remember it?
humans, meda, in ninety four,
the it was nine thirty pm on Monday, the fifth of September nineteen. Ninety four and new south wales mp, had just arrived home from a labour party branch meeting. The happening already called triple a number. He added union Mk Vi within minutes, John hammond, a member of the new south wales, parliament, was dead. The I've read a really interesting fact about that period of time. Within days of the murder, I think the leader of the f t gang twenty one year old, tri main trend became the process.
baked and he'd been the leader of the gang since he was fourteen years old, but he was also assassinated on the seven.
bogus ninety ninety five, such just short of twelve months after newman, was killed and that on the afternoon of his funeral cabernets shop,
as closed? They shops as a sign of respect, which is an honour that they had chosen not to give to John newman. Did you see
coming to say you know, I've been did ever imagine they bathed put it. That way, would get to that level.
John offers had been shot up from the street. You know just two story: place of honor,
corner and had bullet holes in the window. He circled been damaged, but there was so much
thanks to you about him, but no one
Why should I want to pay back to what
damn eventually
what surveillance cameras on his property and
I was eventually shot, but just before that or not
long before or recovery. We approached him and said: look we need that equipment for another job
Things happened in that period and the kind that is all right with that, and we took that equipment. Output,
somewhere else, and it wasn't too much after that
the term? He was shot in the driver rubbish every time,
splash paid on the car that sort of table it doesn't indicate too much, but I think that you caught pinpoint what those incidents were about
maybe because you was so so then
no was pretty immediately suspected of gossip spread around the neighbourhood. Is IRAN
certainly not as a shoot up, but that he was involved somewhere.
Well, maybe- was put forward as a possible suspect, but so many were lot. We had lots and lots of suspects
I didn't get into that because I wasn't doing investigation, it was sir Nicholas. Actually who did it?
he did the investigation it an amazing job with it and got to the bottom of it
I the emperor, feel council level arrive too, was gravely question before being charged
so intent on willingness, cecil, stipe parliament know it's claimed- was willing to kill
no man is three hundred thousand dollars vile on the condition to report daily to police, not guide me any more contacts. Any witnesses to say the council is accused of murdering have met in geneva in september.
A lot of people regard him as the leader of the vietnamese community in Australia, but they are, there would modem, is about it, but murmurs, don't convict people. You know
you need evidence in that wasn't forthcoming and, I suppose, looking backwards its. It is hard to remember and hard to sort of recognised that they were so many people on the list. So many people to look at that it was an it started out as a really brought investigation and watch, and I think that the figure was about four hundred people with paypal,
double suspects at the beginning because of you know that it was just so many people to cross swords with him. Given the challenges that we talked about, that way, you had to start with them by the time you left did you feel like
You made some ground, I mean. I know that, certainly after that, the murder of of John newman,
they were conversations around. Look how hard it is to get the community to open up to police. Even then that the community tended to look in wood to solve its problems.
Other than to go to police with problems was that changing by the time you left. I think right from the start. That was overblown okay,
all community sinister earlier at the sign that outward
be involved, but don't dobbin their neighbors Adona dobbin. They might and a positive about
because our eyes- and although there are their island, alas, therefore they do this- that we don't do in its rubbish, because that's pretty watch bread. We had interaction.
with the those communities, and we had a secret line that people could ring
and intelligence officers shit that up and we had we had good flowering.
motion coming in and that so you gotta sort the floor
from the paper, you know sire to change commands at that point, and certainly
Long life for the job being done
the feelings and in a moment like that, you you ve, been doing a great job, which is why you were promoted to a different
job. No, I don't think so. I think what happened there,
to be change after the royal commission. Woodward commission given evidence to that
and as a result of that, we had a place.
But at the time they sent me up to uneven.
Why a position to run a district as a chief superintendent on us as a statutory appointment? I never did take up that move that they wanted to put me too, because
you're sure an opportunity to apply for another job at a nick at a higher level is a superintendent which I won. Rights
I took over the command of beauty in a city, knew tat, I think, is expected
remember the blow up in the royal commission and it didn't it. Didn't it absolute
didn't and it was shown to be squeaky.
This was done to underline,
and we came out with flying colours, not that anyone appreciated, but it would but that's the way it was. Our terrific team of people at a great team of people did they expect dumb cover mounted a pile up, because drugs got so often day. Do you think
well. We were the drugstore, but we know that what was so in that the highest drug distribution,
in the case of the other than we had. So we had a huge drug problem. We had
institution, not not not only a couple of a brothel say but run by gangsters
We had a we had gambling dens at massive opportunities for offices to guy rag if they wanted to well that this has all the opportunity for corruption if you want to. If there were that way inclined, but they weren't. So
expectations and was once they started to delve into it? They found that we were. We did some extraordinary things we had,
nothing. I started called first floor where I got
restaurant. On the first floor, restaurants were being extorted, I got them.
together, and I said that this is what I want to do. I'm going to ask my people I baked place too,
what your restaurant on an ad hoc basis to
they may live.
Pay them a male amounts. You'll have to make up.
french because I'm a little out of pretty lousy, but I want to
the formal sitting in your restaurant, fantastic. They knew evening when these people dont know which restaurant they're gonna be in, and you know we had
robberies on robberies and extortion in
for restaurants and dreadful johnny's. Restaurants. Vietnam is restaurants from banks ten fulfil.
Two other areas around sidney. We never had one
long period? We did we had any. This is what intrigues me about the way that copper matter
Work is a station under so much pressure,
Under such
challenging circumstances. If we can put it that way and to go through
while commission to come out so claim, is that I know that your management style was rather hands. All factually you, certainly not a micro manager. Now,
I had not ain't probationary constables to run with that push
a lot of went under two promotion, because what I'd let their, though without good operators, but I believe that you give them their head, provided they do
promptly and allow them to work to be what they were sworn debate. They place officer and
but there is always the understanding that it had to be done properly and reward people for logistics.
solving comment! You no great work yet objective. We forget to do that, but
and people around ten appalling sheikh rick
and they were deeper problems with appalling should record. You know people, I do it willingly this simony offices who end up leaving early on sickness here some of their people.
Do what I mean secular, very real together, but I mean there's, got to be a way to prevent that
they so many officers who leave great careers leave jobs. I love because it's not until the pisa study is reach, that level of crisis isn't at its
noticed it's not it's full on ermine. If you look at the military, they got in
for a period. I might do civil tools and that's the eyeballs libel duty
in a dangerous situation place. Do it every day.
thirty years, and you don't know, what's there, please do face aggression
every day, basically politically domestic situation, domestic violence and mental illness, s becoming a big issue. I don't know whether
do with myths are even,
mental illness that place confronted with on on the job, confronted with him, because so many
years ago were people who will confine, because some real, not not imprison, but they will confine assisted. You mean award there for you,
communication here? We're not supporting em and mentally ill? That's for sure we put him on the street. We put him out on the street
in their own excrement to save the state money
happening and, of course, who picks up the pieces of salvation army in the place, the places
to understand that and understand at a tradable you cop,
facing them a new most gun battles take place within a very short distance,
a knife attack and again, very short distance. It's up done, it
over the hillside, indochina beyond abrupt, but a brick wall at searched. I and I sat down with a lot of time,
I am to assess. Is it not a lot of time to say exactly what is in that hand what kind of knife that is? Well, we had wondered where people getting needle sticks in the day with the with the age of caution them ahead
Incidentally, the cab matter. Remember where phil I was approached him did he had broken bottle and use backing the place back there
I'm back as far as I could any slashed his arms and said
I shall very positive come and get me and he kept at them and kept going at them and they resolved, but I said to them
I would support you in that circumstance. If you had a shooting, yes as an unexpected and get a good blundell ibm, you know
It's a decision, they gonna make an average, but second- and that's not so
Naturally, you gonna get that sort of pressure constantly hidden
hitting hitting you're gonna get to people leaving early undamaged. It's an incredibly differ.
Job. What what is the most challenging, then you along korea. Do you remember? Is there an event- and I know that
ptsd, certainly in those things that don't sort of work that way often times it's, not the big events that stick with you, your a lot, but did you ever have to take a break? Did you ever have to take a little couple of days off after anything, no typical
detectives. Venosa detective was sir. When I got ill but marketing
I went off on sick report was the second time in thirty years. I've been sick and
I had to use accrued sick leave gods, but that's the way it was with particular with detective said they had to be. They had to do
front up that's what always amazes me is when you talk to a place and an old copies without tell you like, oh hey, I had this job and was back at work. That afternoon aspect next day like to us. The rest of us that's mind blowing. We, like, we can't believe they didn't say to you,
the week off. You ve just had a partner seriously injured or you ve just been to a terrible, even accident, or these really incredible jobs that you just front up the next day.
And nasty stuff to end durham? I had that
Didn't couple had been murdered in their home by neighbour the husband was shot
with the machete shop, the boy, cannibalism,
and she was shot a couple times killed, and I had to get the kids, the three kids and said
man in the bedroom until their parents had been killed. They got off the boston for sat down, and
gently had to tell other parents what did inside than those to me. My ass, you I would do they didn't see it, of course, but to
the little one in all in it
it's just shipped asked to have the dogwoods and then I said, sweetie the dog's been shot to dog. The dog was shot.
And the goat had been shot in the water tanks had been shot at,
and very very hard
It is very moving thing to do with that, one that want to fix me a bit, I'm not not dramatically by them
something I remember, because it was a difficult thing to do. You know it was a very sad thing.
The strange thing is that all the blood and got said I've seen, doesn't really affect me. It sam and I'm not immune to it. It's not.
something that I am plaza about. You know which one
What did you do that? You respected
Will you always okay with the blood and guts or was something that you got more used to
yeah, I think. Well, I used the blood you would like to you soon, as you were sworn in. They'd. Take you down to the morgue and you can show you
Bodies lying all of us should be disgusting in the old days it was, it was down there
auctions sidney and it was near the mining museum and it wishes and a very all building, but was small and
There was not enough space for themselves stacked on top of one another on the floor, and
two or three high. You know and main forensically. That's! No! No! You don't do that, but there is no other,
option. You know when I did build a new more, which is now the aalborg
that use at anymore. But it was they built that with the
passing to hold the three huh
sixty five bodies and it was built for disaster. It was better because it was clean and it was received.
fallen? So you never do? Justice tries opening a like a big story?
Erin you go in an. I went, winning need one occasion with
grandma trying desertion took families into the dignified. We had to take hold,
slide every one of those eighty bodies in there?
From the normal intake, so what happened?
those two hundred bodies- I guess- and
pull them all out, but that wasn't dramatic, dramatic watching people having to
identify, look at all and then find there
and you know so. You know you get those those sort of things they don't they don't torment me, but you do remember them.
ooh
Thank you.
I guess today Alan lake and don't forget to check
out, the show knights and our social
for more information about his books. His most recent is cold,
rendezvous with death, Austria
police slain on duty in the early twentieth century? If you need support after listening to these podcast, you can call lifeline
Thirteen eleven fourteen or contact one eight hundred respect.
On one, eight hundred, seven, three, seven, seven, three, two or one eyed.
respect, not old dog. I, u indigenous, australians, concur
in those hain yon on thirteen. Ninety two, seventy six or thirteen yard
not all day you thank you for downloading this episode of us.
Ensure crime we'll be back next week,
It's time to recognise you. U sausage, loving genius, for without you. How would we know that a great smoke sausage can be even thrice in one day and that you can take your lunch break before noon? Here's to you, Edward Snowden, sausage! You do you
there I'm sleeping with my boss, so I can slack off at my job. I stole a dog from
horrible neighbours and gave it to a nice family. I know
I'm hiding, my massive credit card did from my fiance until we're married secrets, we ve all got them
I want yours place, you can remain calm
slightly anonymous and I'll put a filter over all of them. So no one will recognize your voice. They can be dark secrets, wild secrets, sexy secrets, jaw dropping mind blowing to your life, a party if they ever get out secrets, but they must be your secrets. Don't tell us any one else's secrets or right click on the
and can the show knights to these poor cost or go to the austrian, true crime, facebook page or to my michel, lorry facebook page. There are links there to where you can record your sacred paper. I've! Let it out! You know you want to tell me your secrets,
Transcript generated on 2023-10-10.