If you were to commit a crime, Dr Deb Bennett could have you and all your motivations, behaviours and movements figured out without ever having met you. Deb is a forensic psychologist and clinical psychologist with a decorated history as a sworn police detective for more than 40 years, and an FBI tr…
The Plodcast
by Police Veterans Victoria
No, it's not a typo. If you remember the phrase "stop, in the name of Plod!", you'll remember cartoon Mr Plod was synonymous with the best insult you could give to an actual police officer. Enter the Plodcast: a new series by Police Veterans Victoria that dives deep into the lives of police veterans, their families and supporters; lives of undercover work, drug busts, robberies, shootings, deaths and the struggles that eventually came as a result of being in the job. Hosted by PVV's Carla Deale, the Plodcast is a conversation about much more than policing.
Latest Episodes
*Content Warning* discussions of death of police members.
"You never forget the day your loved one graduates from the Academy." These are the words Carmel Arthur OAM spoke on National Police Remembrance Day in 2022; a solemn ritual of remembrance for police members, their families, colleagues and f…
This week Shannon and Bec are back for another mental health deep-dive, talking all things moral injury; what it is, who might be affected by it, and how we might overcome it. This week's Plodcast is especially important to our veteran listeners because, as Bec and Shannon discover, moral injury oft…
Content Warning - this episode contains graphic content that may be alarming to some listeners and includes discussions on death, sexual assault and child sexual abuse. Listener discretion is advised.
Narelle Fraser was a member of Victoria Police for 27 years, 15 of those as a Detective ‘doing tim…
We're kicking off Season 2 this International Women's Day with a brand-new host and a stellar all-female lineup. Hosting this Season's Plodcast is Stuart Bateson. Stuart spent close to 34 years in Victoria Police, joining in 1987 and performed a variety of general duty policing roles before he was p…
This week Carla welcomes back clinical counsellor Shannon Hood and PVV's Rebecca Lynch to chat all things post-traumatic growth and continue an important conversation on the mental health of first responders. Shannon specialises in critical incident response and trauma - mainly with Aussie blokes de…
This week, Carla sits down to chat with Peter Signorotto (though, most would know him as Siggy), a world-travelled police veteran and VPSO with a wanderlust and a heart of gold.
*Content Warning* - this episode contains a discussion on suicide. Listener discretion is advised.
This week Deputy Commissioner of Victoria Police Neil Paterson sits down with Carla to reflect on his life in policing, the importance of mental health support for police officers and veterans, and wh…
'Spackles', the fun-loving PSO described as 'able to make conversation with a pot plant', chats to Carla about all things PSO life and being a woman in policing.
Interested in working as a PSO?: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3U1JsQEjQCgyBHEgVYAKwz?si=d131078bcb434395
This week Carla takes a break from hosting, passing the podcasting baton over to PVV's Rebecca Lynch for an interview with registered counsellor Shannon Hood, breaking down the intricacies of trauma and cumulative trauma. Shannon is clinical counsellor specialising in critical incident response and …
John Stubbs once said that when Gil King and his team from the Major Crime Squad came crashing through your door at 4am during the seventies and eighties you knew you were in serious trouble.
Responsible for the apprehension of some of the most notorious criminals in the district and upsetting the c…
*Content Warning* - this episode contains a discussion on the Eastern Freeway tragedy of April 22, 2020 as well as general discussion around death. Listener discretion is advised.
To Drew Mellor, every knock at the door to the family of a fallen police officer is an opportunity to give the greatest…
An “unsolvable” case isn’t something in Ken Ashworth’s vocabulary. A Victoria Police veteran of 39 years and the recipient of the Australian Police Medal, Ken is no stranger to chest-to-chest confrontations with “good” crooks. Having joined the force at 18, he was quickly thrust into Melbourne’s wi…
*Content Warning - depiction and discussion of suicide*
Mark Thomas was a ways into his policing career before he was injured with post-traumatic stress. He’d been to scenes of suicides, drug overdoses, and deaths; but it was just one scene in 2003 that would change him forever. In February of 2013,…
*Mentions of child abuse in this episode. Take care when listening.*
Stuart Grimley inhabits two worlds: policing and politics. Having served as a Police Officer in Western Australia for six years before transferring to Victoria Police where he served for ten, he's no stranger to the thin blue line …
A daughter to a shearer, a mother, a roustabout with wanderlust and PVV’s resident social worker from the wheatbelt town of Warracknabeal: this is the story of Rebecca Lynch. Bec’s work has taken her all over the globe; from Alice Springs, to London, to Scotland, to Tanzania teaching children Englis…
*Content Warning* Mentions of suicide and a road incident. Please take care when listening.
Pat Daley's got a tail* to tell; but not without Lucy, the chocolate lab who helped him ward off the black dog. The senior Constable never lost his sense of humour despite suffering a serious spinal injury at…
*Content Warning* Mentions of domestic abuse and death in this episode.
Keith Banks is a firm believer in being careful with what you wish for. Joining the Queensland Police Force at 17 with a dream of being a 'supercop', Keith would give two decades of his life to policing; a life lived mostly dee…
When Mick Cummins joined the police force in December 1976 at 19, he could have never imagined where it might take him; but he was determined to never stop learning. His time with Victoria Police took him to all corners of the world - to Iraq, across parts of Europe, country NSW, and eventually led …
John Stubbs' secret weapon as a cop was never really his brawn, but his brains. Forever known as the cop with the gift of the gab, 'Stubbsy' cut his teeth at Broadmeadows and what would soon follow was a decorated career with plenty of hilarious stories along the way. John continued to use the art o…