Police clean out

By Shaun Inguanzo
SPRINGVALE Crime Investigation Unit’s ugly past will be “dead and buried” when its remaining detectives move to Dandenong police station early next year.
The news comes as three of its detectives, arrested last November, prepare to face Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 19 September on charges including theft, possessing weapons and dangerous goods, and handling stolen goods.
Paul Evans, the Victoria Police region five assistant commissioner, said all detectives would move to Dandenong station and the new Springvale police station to be opened in late October would be taken over by traffic units.
He said media reports claiming that the Springvale CIU had a “blokey nature” were more a reflection of the station’s past.
One newspaper said Springvale CIU had a culture of “porn and booze”. But Mr Evans said a new wave of officers had brought about a culture change at Springvale, particularly since the arrests.
“I think there is a new culture pushing the old one out,” Mr Evans said. “It is something that people don’t tolerate these days and that is clear in a lot of stations I visit.
“Unfortunately, Springvale CIU has been caught in a time warp.”
Mr Evans said the station was largely male-dominated until recently. “They hadn’t had a lot of women through the office,” he said.
Victoria Police would now drive the final nail into the coffin of the unit by merging it with Dandenong’s CIU.
The super-unit of detectives would be known as the Greater Dandenong CIU and officers would handle cases based on their specialty, Mr Evans said.
“The old culture of Springvale CIU will be dead and buried, that’s the point,” he said.
“We will be starting afresh with a new name, and I guess the tarnish that has been caused will go with the old Springvale CIU name.”
The Greater Dandenong Traffic Management Unit will move from the Dandenong station to the new Springvale station while its old office is renovated and prepared for the influx of detectives from Springvale.
The Office of Police Integrity has confirmed it has charged the three Springvale detectives it arrested last year.
Detective Senior Constable Mark Ziemann will face two counts of theft and one count unlawful possession.
Detective Senior Constable Ross Colley will face five counts of theft, six of handling stolen goods and others of possessing weapons and dangerous goods.
Detective Senior Constable Kenneth Taylor will face two counts of theft.
The officers have been suspended with pay since last November.
Mr Evans said officers who were convicted of criminal charges normally had two options – resign or be sacked. “If officers are convicted – you can’t have thieves in the police force,” he said.