Policing has come a long way since Northern Beaches Superintendent John Duncan joined the force 37 years ago
When Northern Beaches Police Area Command Superintendent John Duncan started his career 37 years ago, there were no portable radios or body-worn cameras. “It was very much about your notebook, police car and attending jobs. And we used typewriters. I suppose (most) constables wouldn’t even be aware of how to use a typewriter these days!” he laughs.
While the technology has come a long way, with fingerprint identification in the field and cameras recording all interactions so spoken evidence can never be disputed in court, most issues police deal with remain the same – domestic disputes, wayward youth, drugs and alcohol and theft. “In some ways, the role of policing is still very similar. It’s about problem solving, gathering evidence, and then putting that before the court.”
The amicable Spt Duncan is in charge of 250 police and 20 administrative staff across four stations on the Northern Beaches. He describes the Beaches population as ‘very informed.’ “They’ve got a good social conscience. It tends to be a more mature community. They’re quite astute about what happens on the Northern Beaches.” The local was once an inspector at Manly, moving around quite a bit in his career, and 18 months ago took up the superintendent post in Dee Why. “I’ve gone full circle!”
Crimes over the years have changed somewhat, Spt Duncan says, with the once highly sought after car radios and CDs now almost obsolete with the rise of music streaming services. Robberies on the Northern Beaches on average have dropped from 100 some 20 years ago to around 25 in recent years. The super puts it down to ‘good policing.’ “We have a good detection rate because people have good CCTV, we have good forensics. Some of our criminals do us a big favour and get tattoos, which helps us greatly,” he smiles.
What has risen are online fraud offences – “And that probably causes me greater concern because it is targeting vulnerable people. It’s like a fishing net. It’s sent out far and wide.”
The command does a lot of community awareness to try and prevent such crimes, which often result in the victim transferring money, potentially losing hundreds of thousands of dollars. Staying ahead of the criminals can be difficult, with the perpetrators now coaching their victims on what to say to the bank. “What we find with policing is as we change our tact, other people change their tact.”
In terms of priorities for the Beaches, shoplifting of alcohol by young people used to be ‘prolific,’ but it is one area the police have worked on successfully with bottle shop owners to cut down crime. Installation of cabinetry, improved CCTV, and exit doors which take a bit longer to open have all helped to drive down theft.
Spt Duncan with his Police graduation photo
“For us, alcohol theft, especially by young people, not only is it a crime, but also leads to them being vulnerable. Young blokes tend to do stupid things that can have a propensity for violence. So, I think that’s been a success.”
As for the increasingly controversial e-bikes, Spt Duncan says riders must follow the law, otherwise police will take action for breaches. There was more public outcry recently when a group of young people rode through the fairways at Long Reef Golf Course, disrupting games and causing damage.
“We’ve got more than 20,000 kids here on the Northern Beaches. I would say many have e-bikes and ride them responsibly. There are a small number that seem to be quite intent on causing grief to the community. And some of them may be repeat offenders.”
Community education is an important part of policing, and youth officers at the command have spoken to more than 6,500 children in 18 months about e-bike rules. “So we can’t say that they don’t know (the rules),” states Spt Duncan. “I think what it comes down to, is largely a lack of respect. It’s when they go racing past people and causing fear and concern, or doing dangerous things, or damaging the (Long Reef) golf course that then raises the ire of the community and results in us having to investigate.”
Reflecting on his career, Spt Duncan says policing is a ‘really interesting job’ with many different roles and opportunities. “You get to help people. No two days are the same.”
He recounts a rescue just the previous night, where a woman had left a letter saying that she was going to end her life. “Our young supervisor went out in the dark with his torch, located her on the beach and saved her life.
“We do need some good people from the Northern Beaches (to join). You can change people’s lives.”
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