Former Detective Sergeant, Deb Wallace on policing the heroin hotspot of Cabramatta in the 1990s and how Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War' gave her new ideas for clamping down on illegal gang activity.

When Deb joined the NSW Police Force in 1983, there were very few women on the front line.

She quickly discovered she had the cool-headed resilience ideal for police work, and she was determined to make a career of it.

In the mid-1990s Deb was a junior Detective when she was given a tough assignment — breaking up the gangs who ruled the streets of the Sydney suburb of Cabramatta.

At the time, Cabramatta was a vibrant place full of migrant families trying to carve out a new life in Australia, but crime was surging, and the train station was the centre of a thriving heroin trade.

After reading Sun Tzu's "The Art of War", Deb met up with the gang members in person to ask them about their lives.

They told her that they were lost to the world crime, but she should focus on the next generation, so she helped set up a street school with Father Chris Riley.

Some years later Deb was given a new challenge — leading Strike Force Raptor, a squad charged with breaking up bikie gangs.

Deb retired after 36 years on the force and now volunteers at Grace’s Place, a site of healing and restoration for young people affected by homicide.

Further information

Originally broadcast May 2023.

Read more about Graces's Place.

Michael Murphy, one of the men convicted for the murder of Anita Cobby, died from cancer at Long Bay Jail in 2019.

This episode was produced by Nicola Harrison. The Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney.

It explores gang violence, drugs, toxic masculinity, Vietnamese community, improving the next generation, street school, bikies, outlaw motorcycle gangs, culottes, female cop, bar brawls, DV, domestic violence, happy childhood, legislation, cops, Anita Cobby, murder, how policing has changed, beat, partner, colleague.

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Encore: Catching killers and breaking up bikie gangs

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Encore: Catching killers and breaking up bikie gangs