True Crime & Trail Runs Looks A Little Different for Mark James

Ever imagined solving the crimes on your podcast whilst you trail run through the countryside? For Detective Sergeant Mark James of Victoria Police, that’s just another day in the world of rural policing.

 

Mark has served with Victoria Police for over 30 years, with the past 15 spent in picturesque Hamilton, in south-west Victoria. His patch stretches for hundreds of kilometres in every direction, including the Grampians, home to some of the best trail running on the planet.

We hit the trail with Mark to chat about everything from whether cows really are as dangerous as they seem (spoiler: they are) to what life looks like when you swap city lights for starlit skies and take your detective work outdoors.

 

 

Brooke: What do you do, and how long have you been doing it?

Mark: I’ve been with Victoria Police since 1994, and I’m currently a Detective Sergeant based in Hamilton, about three and a half hours from Melbourne. I’ve been working as a detective for around 10 years, mainly focusing on farm and rural crime. Most of what I deal with is property-related. Think stock theft, theft from farms, and increasingly, online scams. Country people can be a bit more trusting, so we also do a lot of community education to help people spot the signs and protect themselves.

 

 

What does your day-to-day look like?

Being a detective is a really proactive role – I’m not just responding to emergencies. One day I might be running a drug investigation, and the next I’m out on farms talking to landowners about crime prevention. Today, for example, I was walking around a property with the owner, pointing out areas of vulnerability. We talk about how to make themselves a harder target, especially being out of town where people can move around unnoticed. A lot of farmers don’t realise how valuable the stuff on their property is.

 

 

Why did you choose rural policing?

I grew up in the country and always loved the lifestyle. I went to the city chasing the bright lights for a while, but as you get older, especially when you’ve got a family, you start thinking there’s more to life than that. I wanted my kids to have the same kind of upbringing I had. So we made the move here and haven’t looked back since. 

What makes this part of Victoria such a great place to live?

We’ve got rivers, national parks, mountains, and we’re not far from the sea. People travel from all over the world to see what’s in our backyard. And we get to live it every day. It’s a pretty special part of the world.

 

 

What do you enjoy most about rural policing?

With rural policing it’s all about the relationships. You’re genuinely part of the community, and you can see the impact of your work, whether that’s arresting the right person or helping someone through a tough time. Unlike the city, where it’s more reactive and you rarely see the same person twice, rural policing lets you be proactive and more deliberate. You build trust. Yes, it’s challenging, but the rewards far outweigh that.  

 

 

What do you get up to when you’re not working?

I got back into running about seven years ago and really enjoy it. I started with parkrun in Hamilton, and now I’m out on the local trails most weekends. We’re lucky here. It’s beautiful country. The Grampians are right on our doorstep, and Portland’s coastal cliffs aren’t far either.

 

 

I spend a lot of time outdoors. Cutting firewood for the wood heater, helping mates on their farms, things like that. Not much fishing though, more drowning worms than catching anything!

I also love camping, 4WDing, even just lighting a fire and cooking a sausage out bush for the afternoon. You’re out in it a lot here, and I think sometimes you’ve just got to stop and appreciate where you are.

Sounds like trail running is your first love when it comes to the outdoors. What makes this such a great place for it?

I’m literally 20 minutes from some of the best trail running in the world. As well as recreational running and parkruns, there’s lots of organised events too. I’ve got Peaks & Trails next, which starts in Dunkeld. People come from all over the world for it. Then we’ve also got the Grampians Peak Trail 160km and 100-miler events right here in our backyard. 

I’m not fit enough for those big distances, but there are so many ways to get involved, like volunteering, helping at checkpoints, all of that. On the June long weekend, there’s The Serra Terror, which is an 80km team event run over two days. That’s another great local one.

 

How does your job fit in with that outdoorsy lifestyle?

It’s pretty flexible. I still do shift work, but because of the nature of my role and the size of the team, there’s a bit more give in the roster.

That said, when things kick off, it’s often just me and a couple of others handling it, so it can get busy, and you’re definitely under the pump at times. People sometimes think it’s quiet in the country, but that’s not the case. There’s plenty of work on.

What’s something about regional policing that might surprise people?

People often think country policing is just cows on the road, which, to be fair, we do get, and it is dangerous. But it’s far more involved than that. You become much more self-reliant, especially the general duties members working the van. They’re making decisions that city police wouldn’t have to make on their own. Their supervisor might be 100km away, so they’ve got to back themselves.

 

 

I’ve never trained someone out here, particularly in detective work, who hasn’t been able to hold their own in the city. If anything, they’ve often had more experience than the people they’re working alongside.

What would you say to someone considering policing in somewhere like Hamilton?

Do it. You’ll learn more, grow faster, and actually see the difference you’re making. Plus, the lifestyle’s unbeatable. Houses are cheaper, you’re not spending your life sitting in traffic, you finish your shift and the rest of the day is yours. And the scenery is unbeatable. I often look around and think, how good’s this?

 

 

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