HOMICIDE squad detective Ron Iddles has been announced as the next secretary of the Victorian Police Association.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Detective Senior Sergeant Iddles will resign from the squad and replace Senior Sergeant Greg Davies on April 7.
Senior Sergeant Iddles, who is on annual leave, was unavailable for comment.
Association president Phil Pearson said the executive committee was confident Senior Sergeant Iddles was the right choice to serve the association's 13,500 members.
“Ron's extensive credentials, wealth of policing experience, integrity and leadership qualities require little introduction to our members and, indeed, to the Victorian community at large," Mr Pearson said.
Senior Sergeant Iddles will serve on a five-year contract.
Fairfax Media reported last month that Senior Sergeant Iddles had been asked to consider his options outside the homicide squad during a meeting with crime command superintendent Tess Walsh. He said after the report that he intended to stay with homicide.
The move outraged senior police.
"This is a bloke who has given everything [to the job]. For them to turn around and do this is an absolute disgrace," said a senior figure from the crime department.
It is believed Senior Sergeant Iddles was offered alternative roles in the crime department, or a senior position at the Police Academy's detective training school in Glen Waverley.
Command confirmed a “welfare” meeting had taken place, but denied Senior Sergeant Iddles had been asked to leave.
“There is and never has been any intention to move Detective Senior Sergeant Ron Iddles out of the homicide squad," a police spokeswoman said at the time.
Senior Sergeant Iddles had come under fire for showing crime scene photographs of murder victim Jill Meagher during several public events. However, the Meagher family supported his actions and extensive record as an advocate for the victims of crime.
He will become the 18th secretary in the Police Association's 97-year history.
A member of the association executive, Senior Constable Dean Anderson, abandoned court action on Monday that would have prevented the association from voting on a replacement for Senior Sergeant Davies.
Senior Constable Anderson was suspended from the executive pending the outcome of assault allegations against him, and was therefore unable to vote.
He had lodged Federal Court action against the executive voting. Senior Sergeant Iddles was also unable to vote, as he was a member of the executive.
Fairfax reported on Monday that former secretary Paul Mullett had allegedly been the architect of the legal challenge, according to a complaint prepared for the royal commission into union misconduct.
The complaint was drafted by a senior police officer who has alleged that Mr Mullett was behind a last-minute legal challenge launched earlier this month aimed at stopping the appointment of Senior Sergeant Iddles as the new secretary.
The complaint alleges that Mr Mullett has maintained a "persistent" campaign to control the police union's affairs and accuses the United Firefighters Union - which employs Mr Mullett as an industrial officer - of meddling in the police union's operations.
Related coverage:
