Frederick Hanson

Frederick John Hanson CBE (26 May 1914 at Orange, New South Wales – 26 October 1980 at Terrigal, New South Wales), was the Commissioner of the New South Wales Police from 15 November 1972 until his retirement in 1976.

Early life and career

Frederick Hanson was born the eldest of four children to Ernest Frederick Hanson and Vera Marie Hanson. He did not remain in Orange for long before moving to Burwood where he was educated at the Christian Brother's Saint Mary's Boy's School. He became a jeweller's assistant before being hired as a porter with the New South Wales Government Railways. Hanson joined the New South Wales Police on 7 September 1936 at the age of 22 and the next year was posted to Broken Hill where, in the Sacred Heart Cathedral, he married Carole Louise Whitehall with Catholic rites on 9 November 1938. In 1940 Hanson was transferred to plain clothes duties.^[1]

Military service

Hanson served in the Citizen Air Force from 1932 to 1936 and obtained a private pilot licence in 1939. On 31 January 1942 he was transferred to the Royal Australian Air Force. Commissioned on 14 January 1943, Hanson served as a pilot in Britain, the Middle East and Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and was mentioned in despatches. On 30 January 1946 he was demobilized as acting squadron leader and returned to the police.^[1]

Policing career

Hanson was promoted to the rank of Constable (first class) while on active service and briefly posted to the vice squad before being transferred to the police air wing as Sergeant (third class). Such rapid advancement in an organization which was committed to seniority based promotion resulted in a number of appeals. The first appeal was rejected and the remainder were withdrawn which allowed Hanson to overtake more than a thousand other police on the seniority list. After this he became known as 'Slippery'. The air wing was disbanded in 1950 and Hanson then moved to the new Number 21 Mobile Division. He returned to Broken Hill in 1953 and was promoted to Sergeant (first class) in 1955. Hanson served as an Inspector (third class) and also officer in charge at Bega (1959–62) and Wollongong (1962–64) before moving to the Metropolitan Police District as a Superintendent (third class). After attendance at the Australian Police College in 1963, Hanson rose to Superintendent (first class) and Assistant Metropolitan Superintendent in 1967.^[1]

Hanson was appointed Assistant Commissioner in 1968, Deputy Commissioner on 14 January 1972 and Commissioner on 15 November 1972. That year he also attended the general assembly of the International Criminal Police Organization at Frankfurt, Germany. In 1974 he visited the Australian police contingent at Cyprus. While Commissioner Hanson introduced merit rating, abolished seniority in executive promotions and also established the crime intelligence unit. By objecting to New South Wales Police Association attempts to gain greater access to the Industrial Commission of New South Wales he sparked contention. Hanson gained widespread support in 1975 when he initiated aggressive street patrols to counter hoodlum activity, however he failed to control illegal gambling which was to become a major public issue. In 1976 Hanson sued the then Australian Broadcasting Commission for defamation when it had been suggested that he had a financial interest in an illegal casino situated at Gosford; the case was later settled out of court.^[1]

Retirement

Pressured to resign after adverse publicity, he delayed doing so until he was replaced in 1976 by his preferred successor and air wing colleague Mervyn Wood. Further allegations of corruption were made against Hanson in the 1980s. Hanson was a modest however humorous man, he kept his family life extremely private. He was a noted practical joker and esteemed by his subordinates for his genuine interest in their welfare, his readiness to delegate responsibility and his unwillingness to be hindered by red tape. Survived by his wife, Hanson died from carbon monoxide poisoning by inhalation on the night of 25 to 26 October 1980 at his Terrigal home; the Coroner dispensed with an inquest and Hanson was cremated.^[1]

Corruption allegations

There were persistent allegations about Hanson's involvement in organised crime, and was repeatedly claimed that he corruptly received payments from criminals and that he was the part-owner of an illegal casino at Gosford, in which former detective Ray "Gunner" Kelly is also alleged to have had an interest. Hanson featured prominently in The Prince and the Premier, the 1985 book by investigative journalist David Hickie, which canvassed allegations of corruption against senior NSW government officials, including Premier Robert Askin and senior police including Norman Allan, Hanson and Merv Wood.

Hickie specifically named both Allan and Hanson as corrupt, stating that they knowingly allowed illegal casinos and illegal SP (off-track) betting to flourish in NSW. Citing an "impeccable" and highly placed source within the illegal gaming empire established by Perc Galea, Hickie alleged that that Askin and his police commissioners, Allan and Hanson, were paid bribes amounting to A$100,000 per year from 1967 until Askin's retirement.^[2] Another of Hickie's informants, a former croupier at Galea's Double Bay Bridge Club, claimed that A$5000 per week from the club was paid in bribes to Hanson and Askin.^[3] Hickie also notes that Hanson was among the mourners at Galea's funeral in 1976.^[4]

In 1979 John Hatton, an independent politician claimed in the New South Wales Parliament that Askin and Hanson knew of and may have even encouraged the penetration of Australian crime by "overseas mobsters, gangsters and the Mafia".

References

1. 1 2 3 4 5 Swanton, Bruce. "Hanson, Frederick John (1914–1980)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 15 January 2012. 
2. ↑ Hickie, David (1985). The Prince and the Premier: The story of Perce Galea, Bob Askin and the others who gave organised crime its start in Australia. Sydney: Angus & Robertson. p. 59. ISBN 978-0207151538. 
3. ↑ Hickie, p. 30
4. ↑ Hickie, p. 45