National Police Remembrance Day
Tuesday, 29 September 2015
It's 30 years next April since Squad 7/86 moved in to the former Corpus Christi Monastery at Glen Waverley, home to the Victoria Police Academy.
Angela Taylor had not long graduated from the Academy when she was murdered in the 1986 Russell Street bomb planted by police-hating armed robbers. Angela was brought back to the Academy for her funeral held in this beautiful chapel.
A few years later Steve Tynan and Damian Eyre would return in caskets to the Chapel where they were sworn-in.
Steve and Damian were at the Academy during our time, Steve graduating while we were training while Damien arrived just before we graduated.
I was only in the police for a few years - here are the Victoria Police members killed on duty during that short time.
|
Date |
Name |
Rank |
Reg. No. |
Age |
Summary |
|
|
|||||
|
20 April 1986 |
Angela Rose Taylor |
Constable |
24274 |
21 |
Car bomb detonated in front of Russell Street Police complex |
|
27 Sep 1986 |
Maurice Daniel Moore |
Senior Constable |
22471 |
34 |
Shot by offender |
|
5 Apr 1987 |
Neil Francis Clinch |
Constable |
24654 |
22 |
Shot whilst tackling an offender |
|
14 May 1987 |
Peter Ross Smith |
Senior Constable |
19373 |
32 |
Motorcycle ran off road and hit tree |
|
9 Sep 1987 |
Russell James Thompson |
Sergeant |
14833 |
44 |
Struck by vehicle whilst conducting routine vehicle check |
|
12 Oct 1988 |
Damien Jeffrey Eyre |
Probationary Constable |
26483 |
20 |
Ambushed and shot by offenders who had deliberately lured police to abandoned car for pre-meditated murders |
|
12 Oct 1988 |
Steven John Tynan |
Constable |
25080 |
22 |
Ambushed and shot by offenders who had deliberately lured police to abandoned car for pre-meditated murders |
|
17 Nov 1988 |
Christopher Cameron Malone |
Senior Constable |
21999 |
29 |
Police vehicle hit by train at railway level crossing |
|
9 Apr 1989 |
Richard Noel Dufty |
Senior Constable |
14392 |
55 |
Hit by motor vehicle whilst directing traffic |
|
5 Aug 1989 |
Alan Geoffrey Dickens |
Inspector |
15108 |
45 |
Died in head-on collision between his police vehicle and another vehicle |
|
12 Nov 1989 |
Trevor John Given |
Constable |
26577 |
25 |
Collision whilst transporting donor heart for life-saving operation |
|
|
I would also like to pay tribute to two great blokes, Gary Silk who I had the privilege of working with at Port Melbourne and Rod Miller who was good mates with a lot of our squad, killed by Bandali Debs and his armed robbery apprentice son in law while they were doing stick-ups on Chinese restaurants. Gary and Rod went to work that night so people could go out to dinner without having shotguns stuck in their face.
I RememberThe 29th of September is National Police Remembrance Day. We remember those officers who have died in the line of duty.
Posted by Victoria Police on Monday, September 28, 2015
|
16 Aug 1998 |
Rodney James Miller |
Senior Constable |
29276 |
35 |
Shot by offenders whilst investigating series of armed robberies |
|
16 Aug 1998 |
Gary Michael Silk |
Sergeant |
24685 |
34 |
Shot by offenders whilst investigating series of armed robberies |
I've spent a lot of time on the phone today, to one good mate in particular. Thank you J - and to D who had to live in the witness protection safe house with a recanting Wendy Pierce and T in the bomb truck around the corner that morning in South Yarra - always think of you today and 12 October.
To the members who visited Jed Houghton and Gary Abdallah and came home, thank you from a community that will never know what you did.
Never forget Steve Tynan and Damien Eyre.
Victoria's Coroner delivered this Ruling on the killings a little while back.
The police radio transmissions from that night tell the story of the job police do.
Thank you for your service.