While unofficial ‘bugs’ may have been used in then Queensland Police Force, it was not until 1971 when the first official one was made and used. (‘Bug’ is my term for a listening device placed on a telephone or on a person so that conversations can be recorded for evidentiary purposes.)

The use of this device occurred soon after the Crime Intelligence Unit was formed in 1971.  It had been disclosed that a certain detective sergeant met a prostitute regularly in New Farm Park where she gave him money in return for non-prosecution of her activities and it was decided to record the ensuing conversation during one of these meetings.

Inspector Tom Noonan, who was then in charge of the Radio and Electronics Section, was entrusted with the task of producing a so-named bug which could be placed on the prostitute. He did this after much effort and it was contained in a match box. It could have been a Bryant and May box but it was definitely a match box. A couple of wires came out of the box and that was 'it'.

The CIU did not have a battery operated tape-recorder and used one owned by the late Detective Senior Sergeant (later Chief Superintendent) Jim Voigt. It was resolved to use his father’s caravan which had to be towed by Jim’s vehicle (An EH-Holden station wagon) because the CIU vehicles did not have a tow bar and would have been easily recognised anyway. Probably in 1971 no QPF vehicle had a tow bar on it anyway.)

On the morning when the meeting was arranged for New Farm Park, I received a telephone call at my home to get ready for a quick pick up by Jim Voigt. We then went to New Farm Park where the late Superintendent (later Assistant Commissioner) Norm Gulbransen, Inspector Noonan, Detective Sergeants Jack Vaudin and Norm Sprenger entered the caravan. Later Detective Senior Sergeant Voigt and I joined them in the van when it was positioned on the driveway in the park near the river. (It was known which seat the prostitute usually occupied prior to the detective sergeant’s arrival and the caravan and vehicle were parked near that seat. (The bug had been taped to the upper body of the prostitute by Detective Sergeant Basil Hicks.)

The target detective sergeant duly arrived and parked his vehicle near the caravan. He was observed going to the seat and sitting beside the prostitute. At about this time it was noticed that the Council had decided to mow the lawn with a tractor towing several mowers. The racket these made was clearly detectable by us inside the van. It was known that the prostitute would be giving the detective sergeant sixty dollars but I cannot recall if that transaction was seen from the van.

When the sergeant got up and commenced to return to his vehicle, Superintendent Gulbransen and I got out of the van and intercepted him very close to his car. Superintendent Gulbransen recovered the sixty-dollars from the sergeant and my task was to record in shorthand the conversation between the two police officers.

The detective sergeant was duly arrested that day for official corruption (the first ever in the Queensland Police Force) and subsequently appeared in court. He was also suspended from duty and later appeared for a summary trial. The case was later withdrawn, however, and his resignation took effect at about the same time. He has since died.

When the tape-recording was played, its content was not very clear. As expected, much interference was caused by the mowing operations which took place at the same time and it was soon realised that the batteries in the tape-recorder were not one hundred percent. The police force never had any officer able to enhance the tape, so with the assistance of a television station, a method to slow down or speed up the motor was devised as a way of enhancing its content. I did this for hours with a screw driver in a hole made in the casing so that a transcript of the conversation between the prostitute and the officer could be made.

No doubt the Queensland Police Force, and of late Service, acquired more sophisticated bugs after the one I have described was used in 1971. I am certain they would not have been contained in a matchbox.