Learning and Teaching Unit
McCullock, Jude 1998, Blue army: paramilitary policing in Victoria, PhD thesis, University of Melbourne, Faculty of Arts.
Problem/issue: The transfer of military style ‘counter terrorist’ training and its accompanying ethos to domestic policing in Australia since the 1970s, as exemplified in the Police Special Operations Group (SOG), has occurred without public debate. A close ideological and operational alliance between the police and the military is associated with militaristic policing and repressive governments.
Field/s of literature: Paramilitary policing, counter-terrorism studies
'Gap' in the literature: The literature on counter terrorism is more developed overseas than in Australia. Australian research focuses purely on the ideological relationship between police and military, or uncritically accepts official definitions of terrorism/counter terrorism. In-depth analyses of counter terrorist strategies have not been conducted in Australia.
Argument: The SOG has been the harbinger of more military styles of policing involving high levels of confrontation, more lethal weapons and a greater range of weapons, and more frequent recourse to deadly force. The establishment of groups like the SOG has also undermined Australia's democratic traditions by blurring the boundaries between police and military weakening safeguards that prevent the use of military force against citizens.
The thesis analyses documents on and around counter terrorist squads in Australia to contrast ‘official’ accounts and silenced everyday experiences of people who have come into contact with them. Empirical base of research:
A comparison of police and military in western democracies highlights the significance of a consolidation in the roles of the two organisations (chapter 2). An examination of policing in Victoria from 1836 highlights the paramilitary nature of early policing and the important role police played in overcoming challenges to privilege (chapter 3). Social, political and constitutional traditions have, until relatively recently, severely restricted the use of the military for law enforcement and precluded the States from raising their own armies (chapter 4). Connections between SOG and military re weaponry, training, tactics and culture suggest a conflict with the police mandate to protect life and use minimum force (chapter 5). The involvement of the SOG in fatal shootings in Victoria, and firearms tactics and training have led to a shift in the routine arming of police, and the progressive introduction of more lethal firearms and ammunition (chapter 6). The SOG’s approach to firearms is linked to fatal police shootings (chapter 7). The SOG’s approach to firearms is being introduced into mainstream policing (chapter 8).Less-than-lethal weapons, particularly capsicum gas, are being introduced into mainstream policing via counter terrorist quads like the SOG (ch 9). Counter insurgency theory justifies use f extreme force against political and industrial activists (ch 10).
Repeats argument … Closing sentence … ‘In an important sense the “military” is no longer under the complete control of an elected government.
