Guest Speaker extraordinaire: Assistant Police Commissioner Brian Codd APM
Posted by Franz Huber on Jan 26, 2017
“Coming to an event like this is cathartic” Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd exclaimed on opening his address. Cathartic? Your Editor made a mental note to look up the proper meaning: according to Wikipedia, it indeed means ‘the purification and purgation of emotions—especially pity and fear—through art or any extreme change in emotion that results in renewal and restoration’. Thank you, Commissioner! Perhaps we should invite more Policemen and women to join us for a Surfers Sunrise breakfast – one of the best stress relievers – we now have the Commissioner’s endorsement! ☺Joining the Queensland Police Force over 30 years ago (remember the Fitzgerald Enquiry?), one can rightfully expect that there isn’t much to do with crime that Brian has not seen and experienced. The audience would be forgiven to expect lots of content relating to terrorism, shoot-outs, drug arrests, coward-punch attacks, and with Melbourne’s Burke Street tragedy still fresh in our mind, nut cases driving cars. “On the Gold Coast”, he asked, “where do you think is the most dangerous place to be?” Yes, it is the home. Domestic Violence, assaults, paedophilia. “50% of assaults are Domestic Violence” Brian explained. The officers loathe being called to a DV incident: Not only is it always a very tricky situation, but it can well be that both the perpetrator as well as the victim will turn against the officers.
On the Gold Coast, a new approach is being trialled with considerable success. Officers wear Body Cameras, thus recording every second of what happened, who said what. “There has been a 48% increase in DV cases reported” Brian elaborated. But he doesn’t believe that this is an actual increase. The incidents were always there, they just did not get reported in earlier days.
It has a severe effect on staff morale and even the officer’s mental health. Which brings us to his next most important topic. What would you think is the leading cause for violent death in the age group of 15 – 44 years old? Judging by the daily news, it would have to be Bicycle / Motorbike / Car crashes? Sorry, no. It’s Suicide. “In Australia, we have over 3,000 suicide victims every year. On average 8 every day. That is double the road toll. And, for every ‘successful’ suicide, there are 30 attempts.
So, next time you are annoyed when you get pulled up, just keep in mind that the guy outside your car window may have just come back from attending a domestic, or worse.
Picture above: President Simon Brook gets a brief demonstration how one deals with miscreants... ☺