A detective who committed suicide while on duty was stopped at an international atwo days earlier, the state police chief announced.
The 45-year-old officer died in the early hours of Monday at the homicide squad’s headquarters in Northbridge, in Perth’s CBD.
His death is not being treated as suspicious.
Western Australia Police Chief Colonel Blanch said officers are contacting Australian Border Force personnel to investigate why the officer was stopped at Perth International Airport on Saturday and whether the incident is linked to the tragedy.
“He was arrested and was returning from a family party overseas,” Commissioner Blanch told Perth radio station 6PR on Tuesday.
“We don’t know if that’s related in any way to what happened, but it’s certainly one of the focuses of the investigation at this time.”
Commissioner Blanch said he understood the officer was on duty at the time of his death.
“My priority right now is the well-being of his family. He has family here and abroad and also the officers, certainly the officers that were in the building and also the colleagues from when he was working … our Health and Welfare department is deployed throughout the agency,” Blanch said.
Western Australia Police Chief Colonel Blanch said his officers were in contact with Border Force personnel to find out why the detective was detained at Perth International Airport.
Paul Gale, president of the WA Police Union, told The West Australian the loss was a shock to police.
“All of our members, both here and across Australia, will be affected by this,” Mr Gale said.
Police are still investigating the man’s death but say there are no suspicious circumstances.
The officers prepare a report for the coroner.
Meanwhile, a former detective colleague paid tribute to the late officer, describing him as “a gentle and kind soul who was dedicated to the community of Western Australia”.
Cameron Blaine, a former detective who gained international fame for his role in the rescue of four-year-old Cleo Smith, said the officer was highly respected and popular within the police community.
“He was humble, thorough, thoughtful, and well-liked by his colleagues,” Blaine wrote on LinkedIn.
The detective committed suicide at the homicide squad’s headquarters in Northbridge, on Stirling Street
“His passing is an incredible loss and he will be deeply missed.”
Mr Blaine criticised the Western Australia Police Service for its lack of concern for the mental health of officers.
“The management of mental health by the police (in my opinion) could be better described as a mix of apathy, ignorance, negligence, indifference and tokenism. The time for change is long overdue,” he wrote on LinkedIn.
‘The The sequence resembles the opening scenes of the film ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’.
“Your ‘burn and churn’ policy is not without consequences. The experienced officers who have left the police force are the lucky ones.
‘The culture has to change, starting at the top.’
Sir Blaine became the face of Western Australia police’s heroic effort to find kidnapped Cleo when footage was released of him asking the four-year-old girl her name as she was carried from a house in Carnarvon in November 2021.
“My name is Cleo,” she said in the now-famous video.
However, allegations of misconduct later emerged about Mr Blaine and he was investigated by the Corruption and Crime Commission, leading to his resignation on 25 October.
Last year, Western Australia police revealed that the state’s homicide squad was understaffed and overstretched due to a rise in murder cases.
This led to extra officers being deployed to the Northbridge homicide squad to assist.
For free mental health support call Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14
For support with anxiety and depression, call Beyond Blue: 1300 22 46 36