Victoria's longest serving Aboriginal police officer, a key investigator in Australia's biggest counter terrorism case and a forensics expert deployed to disasters like the Black Saturday bushfires are being honoured this Australia Day.
Five Victoria Police officers have been awarded the Australian Police Medal for distinguished service.
One employee has been bestowed the Public Service Medal which recognises excellence, leadership and innovation.
The late Senior Sergeant James Egan, being posthumously recognised, ranks as Victoria Police's longest serving Aboriginal officer having been in the job for 39 years until his death in November last year. A proud Gunditjmara and Bangerang man, the 57-year-old was a pioneer in supporting the force's Aboriginal employees. He led development and delivery of Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Training which is now compulsory for the force's 22,000 employees. The late Senior Sergeant Egan joined Victoria Police in December 1985, working in a range of general duties roles at Frankston, South Melbourne, Morwell and Traralgon. He was officer in charge of the one-member Raywood Police Station near Bendigo for nearly nine years. An inaugural recipient of Victoria Police's Aboriginal Service Medal in October last year, Senior Sergeant Egan worked as a firearms trainer at the police academy later in his career before working in proactive policing and as a training officer in Melbourne's southeast.
Detective Inspector Anthony Wheatfill, a police officer for 34 years, played a crucial role in the resolution of Australia's largest ever counter terrorism investigation. Called Operation Pendennis, the joint agency effort identified extremist terror cells in Sydney and Melbourne, thwarting a large-scale terrorist attack which was in its final phases of implementation. As well as being a lead investigator Detective Inspector Wheatfill supported the entire court process, which included a near year-long jury trial. Currently based with the Joint Counter Terrorism Team comprising Victoria Police, Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Detective Inspector Wheatfill began his career at Glen Waverley before serving at transit police, Doncaster and Knox. He has also worked as a detective at Dandenong and Croydon as well as in the force's state planning unit and in a range of roles training recruits about the law.
Senior Sergeant Rodney Munro worked in operational policing for a decade before in July 2001 moving to the force's forensic services department where he is currently officer in charge of the Major Crime Scene Unit. The 35-year officer's expertise in crime scene examination and victim identification has been called on to lead teams dealing with large-scale disasters including the 2002 Bali bombings, 2009 Black Saturday bushfires and 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Senior Sergeant Munro's focus on quality and attention to detail has been key in securing strong outcomes for serious crimes at court, demonstrated through him being a federally recognised forensics assessor and participating in national forensic committees. Early in his career Senior Sergeant Munro worked at Castlemaine, Flemington, Russell Street and Moonee Ponds police stations as well as the former Force Response Unit which supported local police with public order, emergency and general operational incidents.
Detective Senior Sergeant Tracy Meyer has worked on the frontline for most of her 40-year career and is renowned for her care and compassion towards victims of crime. As officer in charge at Somerville Family Violence Investigation Unit she personally manages a process to ensure perpetrators are held to account. She served in a similar role leading the Dandenong Sexual Offence and Child Abuse Investigation Team. Detective Senior Sergeant Meyer drove meaningful cultural change within the force as a member of Taskforce Salus, established in 2014 to investigate sexual offences and predatory behaviour committed by Victoria Police employees. While at Professional Standards Command she helped develop and deliver face-to-face training to more than 8000 police employees to enhance their ability to conduct investigations into allegations of police misconduct. Detective Senior Sergeant Meyer has shown an enduring commitment to member welfare. Her support, care and guidance has proved crucial in supporting colleagues after numerous traumatic events including the 2017 Bourke Street attack.
Superintendent Kelvin Gale has been a police officer for more than 35 years, working predominantly in frontline roles and in criminal investigation at divisional crime investigation units and the Homicide Squad.
He played an integral role in the program that recruited, trained and deployed 400 police custody officers across Victoria. The initiative delivers more than 59,000 shifts a year into police jails, resulting in more police returning to the frontline, with Superintendent Gale driving multiple tranches of legislative change. Superintendent Gale focuses on ethical culture and the implementation of processes to enhance employee wellbeing. While at Professional Standards Command he led a governance project which significantly reduced investigation timeframes. Superintendent Gale currently oversees the Operations Division at Counter Terrorism Command where he is responsible for counter terrorism investigations and Victoria Police's response to counter terrorism incidents and violent extremism. He is Victoria Police's representative at the Australia-New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee, a pivotal role for the sharing of intelligence and monitoring of national security.
Family Violence Command director Rena De Francesco is receiving the Public Service Medal for her work improving Victoria Police's response to sexual assault, child abuse and family violence as well as supporting gender equality. Her achievements include co-ordinating the establishment of 27 Sexual Offence and Child Abuse Investigation Teams consisting of more than 500 detectives statewide. She was also instrumental in the creation of five multidisciplinary centres which see police, partner agencies and support services working under the one roof to provide a more holistic victim-centric response. A Victoria Police employee for more than 17 years, Ms De Francesco served as founding assistant director at the former Gender Equality and Inclusion Command where she led the development and delivery of Victoria Police's 10-year gender equality strategy, a first for an Australian law enforcement agency.
Quotes attributable to Shane Patton, Chief Commissioner Victoria Police:
"Whether it be protecting the public on the frontline, thwarting those who seek to unleash terror on our community or championing change and the plight of victims, this year's award recipients have done Victoria Police proud.
"The fact they have performed this important work without seeking recognition or accolade makes them all the more deserving of this honour.
"We thank these outstanding Victoria Police employees for their dedication, their professionalism and their commitment to making a difference."
