The Police Association Journal november 2009

12
Cover Story – Mick Miller Exclusive Part 2
Mick Miller
‘The Incorruptible’
I am going to form a secret striking squad in almost Commando style… Now, can you suggest
a man capable of leading such a squad? He must be above ordinary intelligence and have
imagination. He must be young and fearless, have sound perception and wits and a high sense
of duty. Last, but not least, his integrity and security must be impeccable. Where do we find this
dedicated, able and incorruptible man?
‘Try Miller’, I replied. ‘Sinclair Imrie Miller – never known as anything but “Mick”.’
(Alan Dower, Deadline, page 131).
After a brief stint at Russell
Street Mick Miller officially
transferred on 22 July 1948
to the Richmond Police Station
for ‘beat duty’. Eager to gain
experience, it was his request that
he be transferred to ‘a tough inner
suburban station’. He was posted
to Richmond ahead of his actual
transfer date and soon made his
mark: his ‘first arrest for a criminal
offence’ involved the arrest of two
offenders ‘charged with robbery
with violence … just ten weeks
after my graduation from the
Police Depot.’
Although he served at Richmond
for less than a year it was a posting
that was instrumental in shaping
his future career. ‘In my short
time at Richmond, I had been
nominated by the sergeant in
charge to undertake compilation
of the jury roll, to collect annual
agricultural statistics and to collate
all relevant material for the annual
report. These were tedious, time
consuming tasks and hardly front
line police work. On the other hand,
the detectives were helpful and
encouraging to young constables
who could catch thieves, of various
kinds, and hand them over to the
CIB for interview. I decided to make
the CIB my immediate goal’.
And Mick moved swiftly to
achieve his goal. In May 1949 he
was selected for plainclothes duty
with the Special Patrol (CIB) and
in November the same year he was
appointed as a detective. Reflecting
later on his rapid rise, he wryly
observed, ‘Yes, it was possible to
obtain appointment to the CIB on
two years police service! My first
station was Brunswick CIB’.
Mick spent a year at Brunswick CIB
before being selected for duty with
the Homicide Squad in November
1950. It was a much sought after
appointment but one that ended
another aspect of Mick’s life.
In 1948 he had assumed the
position of Drum Major with
the Victoria Police Highland
Pipe Band. It was a challenging
role that generated ‘a great
feeling of pride … my family
was delighted’. His appointment
to the Homicide Squad made
continued involvement with the
band impossible and after his
‘transfer to the Homicide Squad
was confirmed on 1 March 1951’
he resigned from the band.
On 17 May 1952, Mick married
Beverley Smith, who was an
Auxiliary Policewoman at the
Transport Branch and, when
Mick was not otherwise occupied,
they worked together designing
and building their own home at
Mount Waverley.
Mick spent four years with the
Homicide Squad, during which
time he was commended five times.
In the cryptic jargon of the police
personnel record system, Mick was
described by his superintendent in
1954 as ‘Well conducted, reliable,
sober, efficient, trustworthy,
painstaking investigator who has
done remarkable work whilst a
member of this Branch particularly
whilst performing Homicide duties’.
Mick left the Homicide Squad
on promotion to Senior Constable
in July 1954 and was transferred
to his old hunting grounds at
Richmond for ‘section duty’. A
period of service at Richmond again
prove propitious for Mick, when
in 1956, whilst still stationed at
Richmond, he was chosen to head
a new squad named the Gaming
(Special Duties) Branch.
Early in his career he had
‘displayed a propensity to chase
street bookmakers’ although his
efforts were sometimes thwarted
‘by sub officers who wouldn’t let
me and others like me out of the
station on race days’.
In 1956 there were no such
impediments to his efforts to
curb illegal betting on horse
racing. He was allowed to
select his own team of ten men:
dubbed by Alan Dower, Chief
Police Reporter at the Herald,
‘The Incorruptibles’ they were
subsequently ‘highly commended
for the very able manner in which
they suppressed illegal gaming
in the metropolitan area’.
Following his extremely successful
period of special gaming duties,
Mick served as a detective subofficer
at Prahran CIB and as
officer-in-charge of the Vice
Squad, before being appointed on
1 January 1966 as officer-in-charge
of the Detective Training School.
In addition to his Homicide Squad
commendations Mick received a
further five commendatory entries
and a Chief Commissioner’s
Certificate for his work in these
other areas.
Awarded a Churchill Fellowship
in 1966, Mick spent five months
overseas in 1967 undertaking
an extensive study of detective
training and criminal investigation
techniques in the United States
of America, the United Kingdom,
France, Hong Kong and the
Philippines. He was the first
November 2009 The Police Association Journal
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