The Crime Couch with Rochelle Jackson

”An enquiring mind - part 1’

Valentine "Val" Smith spent 45 years in police and military service specialising in investigations. He worked in a number of CIB's, the Dealers Squad, was the Operational Manager of Crimestoppers and in the State Intelligence Division.

After leaving VicPol, Val continues to be a consultant for Stopline; he's also worked with the Victorian Department of Justice and Crime Stoppers International. 

Val's created an international company; "Missing Persons Network" focusing on missing persons cold cases. More recently, you'd have spotted Val on Nine's "Under Investigation".

Contains Snappy @2021 performed Jonathan Boyle with music written by Jonathan Boyle, courtesy of Premium Beat.

Post-production by Pete Dillon @www.fearlesscollective.com.au 

Thanks for listening. Please take the time to rate & review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. We'd love to hear your thoughts and it makes it easier for the rest of the podcast world to find The Crime Couch.

”The Crime Couch compilation 2022 - the end of Season 2”

Well, it's the end of Season 2 on The Crime Couch. This is a compilation of some of the 40 episodes during 2022.  Every interview has been an extraordinary glimpse and insight into the lives of men and women "in the job". All of these interviews have made a real impact on us and on you, our listeners. I want to thank everyone who took a leap of faith and sat with me this year on The Crime Couch. It continues to be a real pleasure and privilege to listen and hear your personal stories.  

Contains Snappy @2021 performed Jonathan Boyle with music written by Jonathan Boyle, courtesy of Premium Beat.

Post-production by Pete Dillon @www.fearlesscollective.com.au and acknowledgement to Stephen Peters for his assistance and support. 

Thanks for listening. Please take the time to rate & review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. We'd love to hear your thoughts and it makes it easier for the rest of the podcast world to find The Crime Couch.

”A long way from architecture - part 2”

Just because you're a good operational police officer doesn't mean you'll be a good leader. Leadership in policing has never been more important, more challenging and under more scrutiny. After working for 36 years in Victoria Police and the AFP, Phil Shepherd is making a difference in this space. The former Inspector has worked with the FBI, Royal Canadian Mounties and the Met helping develop leadership in the counter-terrorism program before establishing his own consultancy. Phil now works extensively with Victoria Police and the emergency services sector. He talks about his work in the final episode of a two-part interview on The Crime Couch. 

Contains Snappy @2021 performed Jonathan Boyle with music written by Jonathan Boyle, courtesy of Premium Beat.

Post-production by Pete Dillon @www.fearlesscollective.com.au and acknowledgement to Stephen Peters for his assistance and support. 

Thanks for listening. Please take the time to rate & review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. We'd love to hear your thoughts and it makes it easier for the rest of the podcast world to find The Crime Couch.

”A long way from architecture - part 1”

Phil Shepherd initially wanted to be an architect, but his career took a different design. 

The former Victoria Police Inspector worked special duties in a "Bag-A-Thief" team, and the Homicide Squad before helping set up the Airlie Leadership Centre under Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon.

Phil was seconded to the AFP and the Australian Institute of Police Management before returning to Vic Pol to head up the Media Unit and set up his own consultancy.  He reflects on the cases that have stuck with him on The Crime Couch. 

Contains Snappy @2021 performed Jonathan Boyle with music written by Jonathan Boyle, courtesy of Premium Beat.

Post-production by Pete Dillon @www.fearlesscollective.com.au and acknowledgement to Stephen Peters for his assistance and support. 

Thanks for listening. Please take the time to rate & review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. We'd love to hear your thoughts and it makes it easier for the rest of the podcast world to find The Crime Couch.

”On the road to recovery”

The Victorian Coroner criticised Victoria Police this week for not banning one-up patrols after Senior Constable Tony Hogarth-Clarke's murder in 2005.

This horrendous incident changed Dave Clarke's life. The former Detective Leading Senior Constable was a dear friend and colleague and arrived on the scene minutes after he'd been killed.  Dave suffered ill-health and wrestled with PTSD before leaving the job and joining the AFP on secondment to the Solomon Islands.

Dave was awarded a Victoria Police Star Medal for serious injuries sustained whilst on duty and well on his way back to leading a happy life.

Trigger warning: this podcast may contain triggers related to PTSD and suicide and could cause distress.

Contains Snappy @2021 performed Jonathan Boyle with music written by Jonathan Boyle, courtesy of Premium Beat.

Post-production by Pete Dillon @www.fearlesscollective.com.au and acknowledgement to Stephen Peters for his assistance and support. 

Thanks for listening. Please take the time to rate & review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. We'd love to hear your thoughts and it makes it easier for the rest of the podcast world to find The Crime Couch.

” Cyber-crime time”

The Crime Couch returns! 

Cyber-crime cost us $33 billion dollars last year. Recently, we've seen Optus and Medibank get hacked by cyber criminals. Chris McNaughton says cyber criminals are the new form of organised crime. He claims they have helpdesks and operate as highly sophisticated, big businesses. 

The former Victoria Police Detective Leading Senior Constable worked in the Tactical Investigations Group, Sex Crimes and Cyber-Crime Squads. He joined the corporate world before forming his company, SECMON1 and now specialises in fraud, corruption and cyber-crime.

Contains Snappy @2021 performed Jonathan Boyle with music written by Jonathan Boyle, courtesy of Premium Beat.

Post-production by Pete Dillon @www.fearlesscollective.com.au and acknowledgement to Stephen Peters for his assistance and support. 

Thanks for listening. Please take the time to rate & review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. We'd love to hear your thoughts and it makes it easier for the rest of the podcast world to find The Crime Couch. 

”Painting is just another way of keeping a diary” - Pablo Picasso

Former Detective Sergeant Mark Bagally is like many of the "D's" I've interviewed on The Crime Couch. He did his time as a tough, hard-nosed  Detective in the Rape, Armed Robbery, Drug and Homicide Squads before leading special duties teams and regional CIU's. 

Then one day, the Victoria Police officer put down his gun and handcuffs and picked up a paint brush. After leaving the job in 2016, Mark is now a renown Impressionist painter. He specialises in landscapes, seascapes and street scenes in both oil and watercolour. 

The Crime Couch will be taking a month's break after this episode and returning on November 17, 2022. 

Contains Snappy @2021 performed Jonathan Boyle with music written by Jonathan Boyle, courtesy of Premium Beat.

Post-production by Pete Dillon @www.fearlesscollective.com.au and acknowledgement to Stephen Peters for his assistance and support. 

Thanks for listening. Please take the time to rate & review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. We'd love to hear your thoughts and it makes it easier for the rest of the podcast world to find The Crime Couch. 

”Deeds not words” - part 2

Legendary Wayne "Snapper" Rotherham returns to The Crime Couch to talk about his life in and out of the job.

The former Vic Pol Detective Inspector's resume reads like a boy's own adventure. He worked in the Major Crime Squad on some of the biggest crooks in the country. Snapper wrangled with a dangerous crim who broke into his house threatening his family, was in charge of the search for the missing Minister Tim Holding, managed the fires in the state's northeast during Black Saturday and trekked the Kokoda Track fourteen times including several accompanied by his precious daughter and son.  

Contains Snappy @2021 performed Jonathan Boyle with music written by Jonathan Boyle, courtesy of Premium Beat.

Post-production by Pete Dillon @www.fearlesscollective.com.au and acknowledgement to Stephen Peters for his assistance and support. 

Thanks for listening. Please take the time to rate & review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. We'd love to hear your thoughts and it makes it easier for the rest of the podcast world to find The Crime Couch. 

”Deeds not words” - part 1

Wayne "Snapper" Rotherham is a legend in the job. The former Detective Inspector's resume reads like a boy's own adventure. 

Snapper worked in the Major Crime Squad and has been in more stoushes than he can recall. He's also had multiple threats on his family. Snapper went to London on an extradition, worked on the Russell Street and Turkish Consulate bombings and the infamous "Mad Max". 

The ex- Victoria Police officer did a stint in the Solomon Islands, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Samoa. Currently, he's now leading people through the rigors of the Kokoda Track.

Contains Snappy @2021 performed Jonathan Boyle with music written by Jonathan Boyle, courtesy of Premium Beat.

Post-production by Pete Dillon @www.fearlesscollective.com.au and acknowledgement to Stephen Peters for his assistance and support. 

Thanks for listening. Please take the time to rate & review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. We'd love to hear your thoughts and it makes it easier for the rest of the podcast world to find The Crime Couch. 

”I realised I wasn’t in Kansas anymore”

Chris McNaughton was a Detective Leading Senior Constable experienced in dealing with crims. The former Victoria Police officer worked at the Tactical Investigations Group, Sex Crimes and Cyber-Crime Squads and involved in the arrest of Victor Pearce, Christopher Dean Binse, Peter Gibb and prison officer girlfriend Heather Parker. 

Chris joined the corporate world and ran global investigations with GE before forming his own company, SECMON1. He now specialises in fraud, corruption and integrity-type investigations - for a price. 

Contains Snappy @2021 performed Jonathan Boyle with music written by Jonathan Boyle, courtesy of Premium Beat.

Post-production by Pete Dillon @www.fearlesscollective.com.au and acknowledgement to Stephen Peters for his assistance and support. 

Thanks for listening. Please take the time to rate & review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. We'd love to hear your thoughts and it makes it easier for the rest of the podcast world to find The Crime Couch.