The perfect crime desk

By Lia Bichel
IN THE last 18 months, Casey-Cardinia Crime Desk members have monitored 8294 reports, attended 1696 burglaries and 1697 thefts from vehicles, and completed 652 other tasks.
The police unit’s 12 officers have been flat out, since the desk’s inauguration in 2004.
“We are one of the top three busiest crime desks in Victoria,” Acting Senior Sergent Sheree Moore said.
Last week, desk members attended 28 burglaries, 25 thefts from motor cars, and 16 other tasks, Acting Sergeant Peter Carroll said.
“Obviously these figures do not include our normal patrol duties,” he said. “We attend hot jobs, assist other units and issue fines.”
Crime desk members use forensic and intelligence-based investigative techniques at each job they attend.
Before the new system was introduced, there were often significant delays in dealing with criminal reports. The process used to take several days as uniformed members without in-depth training attended the scene, the Criminal Investigation Unit dusted for fingerprints, and specialists were needed to attend the scene to lift the prints.
“It may have taken us three days to collect information this way. But (with the new system) the crime desk can collect this information within two hours, as we have permission to lift the fingerprints, and the skills and training to know where to find them,” Snr Sgt Moore said.
“This new system is a great; it is very victim-focused. It is about an intelligent way of working, which is what we are all about.”
The evidence gathered by crime desk investigators could lead to an arrest a few days after the offence, or a few years later, depending on the circumstance.
“Fingerprints don’t get shelved,” she said. “Sometimes we can’t take fingerprints of the youth if we don’t have the guardian’s permission. So if they re-offend when they are older, and we take their fingerprints, they can be matched up with prints taken from a previous offence.
“It just proves that there is no such thing as the perfect crime – it will always catch up with you.”