Simon Overland

Simon Overland (born ca. 1962-1963) is a high-profile police officer in Australia who has worked with the Australian Federal Police and then Victoria Police, focusing on Melbourne's gangland wars.

Career in law enforcement

With an honours degree in law and arts, he began his career in the Australian Federal Police, where he was the Canberra-based force's top recruit of 1984, and where he worked in the taskforce that investigated the murder of A.F.P. Assistant Commissioner Colin Winchester. He served about 19 years with the A.F.P.; during this time he was selected by Australia's Police Commissioners to lead the Implementation Team that created the Australian Crime Commission in January, 2003. [http://www.dpv.org.au/html/s02_article/article_view.asp?id=540&nav_cat_id=168&nav_top_id=55 Simon Overland: an expert on calm]

Late in 2002 or early in 2003 (reports vary on this) [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/04/02/1080544691762.html Overland versus underworld: the police chief in the middle] [http://www.dpv.org.au/html/s02_article/article_view.asp?id=540&nav_cat_id=168&nav_top_id=55 Simon Overland: an expert on calm] , he took the position of Assistant Commissioner (Crime) with Victoria Police, and led the Purana Taskforce on organized crime, which is credited with a prominent role in bringing an end to the Melbourne gangland wars in the world of organized crime, which resulted in convictions and lengthy jail terms for underworld figures Carl Williams and Tony Mokbel.

He has been the public face of Victoria Police's campaign against organized crime in Victoria, and has often appeared in the media speaking about the issue. He has lamented that the gangland wars have appeared to desensitize the public to violence, and was critical of people in the general public who took the view that we were well rid of criminals murdered in the ongoing feuds, and insisted that criminal figures are still human beings with the right to a fair trial, who should not be murdered any more than should general members of the public. [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/04/02/1080544691762.html Overland versus underworld: the police chief in the middle]

In mid-2006 he took the position of Deputy Commissioner in Victoria Police. [http://www.dpv.org.au/html/s02_article/article_view.asp?id=540&nav_cat_id=168&nav_top_id=55 Simon Overland: an expert on calm]

Possible future career directions

As his career has risen, there have been apparently unsubstantiated rumours that the New South Wales Police may wish to recruit him to take the position of Chief Commissioner. He has so far refused to either confirm or deny this. [http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21506133-2862,00.html Simon Overland may head overland]

However, other media speculations have suggested that he may become the successor to Victoria Police's Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon when her second contract expires early in 2009, especially in the wake of conflict within the upper echelons of the police force that saw the resignation of Assistant Commissioner Noel Ashby, his main rival to succeed Chief Commissioner Nixon. [http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/fallen-rivals-barbs-fail-to-scar-deputy-commissioner/2007/11/10/1194329568807.html Fallen rival's barbs fail to scar deputy commissioner]

Qualifications and other achievements

Simon Overland has Bachelors' degrees in Arts in Administration, Laws with first-degree honours, and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Studies, and is also a Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration in Australia, a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He was awarded the Australian Police Medal in the Australia Day honours in 2008.

References