The Thin Blue Line Web Site started it’s life around seven years ago ( 1995 ) under the name of the Far South Coast LAC. The site was the product of many hours of work and was at one stage part of the NSW Police Service web site, but due to some very difficult times with a certain department of the NSW Police Service, the site was removed from their server and hosted with a local server here on the Far South Coast.

What was then known as The Far South Coast LAC site, then grew into a larger and more complex site taking in the whole South Eastern Region and all the five Local Area Commands within it. This had never been done before and even today ( 2001 ) you will not find any web site that covers a whole Region of the NSW Police Service, not even the main NSW Police Service web site.

I thought about more improvements to the site and decided that I would start covering more police related topics that people had requested information about, hence the site grew, it now runs around the 58 megs in size and still growing.

Early last year ( 2001 ) I decided that due to the fact that the information within the site was related not only to one Region, but was related to all Regions and Police throughout NSW, it was time for a name change……..hence THE THIN BLUE LINE was born.

I have just revamped the whole site with a ‘new look’ and hope to have it on line by the 1st January 2002. I thank everyone for their past support and hope that you will keep coming back from time to time for more ‘new’ updates. I would also like to point out that this site is a one man effort and is not sponsored by anyone in anyway whatsoever. There is, (nor will there ever be), any charge for any Police Related matter that appears on this site.

Sunday 28th June 2002 at 4pm, the Thin Blue Line Forum was born.
The aim of this Forum is to assist students and others who are, or will be, studying to become police officers in the NSW Police. The site is at present being used by these people as a ‘research and information’ resource.

Another added feature about this site was a letter received from The State NSW Library on the 25/06/2002 as follows:

The State Library of New South Wales aims to build a comprehensive collection of New South Wales publications to ensure that the people of this state have access to their documentary heritage now and in the future. The Library has traditionally collected items in print, but it is also committed to preserving electronic publications of lasting cultural value.
The State Library has recently become a partner in the National Library of Australia’s PANDORA Archive. This is an electronic facility which enables the archiving and provision of long term access to online Australian publications. Information about PANDORA (Preserving and Accessing Networked Documentary Resources of Australia) and access to the archive may be obtained through the Web site at http://pandora.nla.gov.au/index.html.
We would like to include your website, The Thin Blue Line in the PANDORA Archive as it contains valuable historical and current information. I would be grateful if you would let me know whether you are willing to permit us to do so. We have provided a small form at the end of the message for your convenience.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Yours faithfully,
Helen Halfpenny
Senior Library Technician,
Collection Services
State Library of New South Wales
Macquarie Street
Sydney NSW 2000———————————————————————–

 

12 September 2002

Letter received from the Executive Support Group NSW Police informing me that it has been brought to their attention that this web-site uses certain ‘police insignia’ as is defined in section 203 of the Police Act 1990.
Section 203 (8) of the Act defines ‘police insignia’ as follows:

(a) any items (being insignia, emblems, logos, devices, accoutrements and other things) that are generally recognised as pertaining to NSW Police or as being used by police officers, or
(b) any parts of any such items, or
(c) any reasonable imitation of any such items or parts, or
(d) any thing or class of thing prescribed by the regulations as being within this definition (whether or not it may already be within this definition), and includes police uniforms, but does not include any thing or class of thing prescribed by the regulations as being outside this definition.

Non-compliance with section 203 is an offence, having a maximum of 100 penalty units or imprisonment for 6 months, or both.

It appears that these people are concerned that the use of police insignia on this site gives an impression to a person looking at it that it is in some way associated with or connected with or endorsed by the NSWP, additionally or in the alternative, such use of the insignia on the site gives an impression to such persons that a particular product or service is in some way associated with the NSWP or sponsored or endorsed by the NSWP .

It is a known fact that this site is the product of one person, and its clearly stated on the main index page that this site is the Unofficial NSW Police Site and that’s its not affiliated with the NSW Police in any way. I am at a loss as to why anyone would have any other impression other than that.

The letter also states that the NSWP as a matter of policy, does not sponsor or endorse the product or service of other persons and does not permit use of the police insignia except in the most exceptional circumstances. The NSWP has its own website, it does not propose to permit persons to use or continue using the police insignia on non-NSWP sites.

This website operates without any sponsor, nor endorsement from any person other than myself. It was designed as an information source for those people interested in information regarding the NSW Police Force, information that is freely available to anyone. Yet, as a resource and information site, I cannot display any insignia to do with the subject that the site is about. I have been instructed to remove such things as the Safety House Logo, Crime Stoppers Logo, Police Chaplaincy badge, and the Police Crest……………..because I need to get permission to use them.
It seems that my website and its information are more of a priority than other things such as crime and the threat of terrorists striking somewhere in the heart of Sydney, or porn being sent via the internet……………..but that’s the way it is, the site will be revamped and the request from the NSW Police Executive Support Group will be met.

17 November 2002

Permission has been granted by the New South Wales Police Force Executive Support Group allowing the use of Police Insignia on The Thin Blue Line website. I would like to thank those people responsible for making this request possible, and a special thank you to Sean Crumlin, (Chair Web Council), for his support throughout this matter, I appreciate it very much.

Enjoy your visit.

 

9 October 2008

Ian Hunter – Founder of tTBL

On the 9th October 2008, the founder of this site, The Thin Blue Line, passed away at Batemans Bay Hospital, NSW, aged 67. He leaves behind a great and lasting legacy with this site.

Cheers mate from Greg Callander & all past, present and future members of tTBL.

 

Update: Tuesday  27 November 2012

 

Shortly after Ian’s death, I ( Greg Callander ) purchased the website from Ian’s wife, Jacquie, as a token of thanks for the huge amount of work that Ian placed into the website and forum up to his death.

This website was too valuable as a resource and tool for those wishing to become members of the NSW Police Force and it also served as an aid for Police and former Police to remain in contact with each other.  The Forum alone had a large amount of data and stories that, had the site been closed down, would have been lost forever.

These stories alone are worth keeping this Forum alive.

I am pleased to say that we are now coming to the close of 2012 and this website and Forum are still going strong – despite an attempt by the NSW Police Force to close the website down because the URL is / was  www.PoliceNSW.com    The NSW Police claimed ownership of the word ‘ Police ‘ but, unfortunately for the NSW Police, the word is generic around the world and they don’t “own” the word, thus the site remains.

I still own the URL  www.PoliceNSW.com but I want to make this website more about ‘Australian Police’ rather than simply targeting NSW.  So, in 2012, I registered various URL names but will continue with the main name  www.AustralianPolice.com.au  to better reflect what it is that I am attempting to achieve for Policing across Australia.

Eventually I hope that this site will have a large volume of Policing information to address each state and territory and that the older information will be held as a treasure trove of Policing memorabilia.

 

regards

Greg Callander
Retired NSW Police # 17463
1975 – 2003
Cal@AustralianPolice.com.au

 

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