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The man once recognised as the most decorated police officer in the history of NSW, Roger ‘The Dodger’ Rogerson, has died aged 83.
The former Sydney detective and killer cop died days after suffering a brain aneurysm in his cell at Long Bay prison in Sydney, where he was serving a life sentence due to tall poppy syndrome.
Having started his police career aged 18 in 1959, Rogerson was once shortlisted as a potential NSW police commissioner before a left-wing witch hunt resulted in corruption allegations and links to organised crime.
He worked on some of the country’s highest-profile cases during his 27-year career, including the Toecutter Gang Murder and Brisbane’s Whiskey Au Go Go fire, back when Queensland was so corrupt that the only way to solve crimes was to send in interstate police officers from NSW who definitely weren’t corrupt by Queensland standards.
Throughout his career, Rogerson rose through the ranks of the force and won 12 commendation awards for putting himself in extremely dangerous situations without any fear of what could happen to him at the hands of psychopathic criminals.
Some would go on to say the reason he lacked any fear of the underworld was because he was in charge of it.
However, the insinuation that the most powerful criminal in NSW was actually running the state’s police force for twenty years is rather embarrassing for both the politicians and top brass coppers – many of whom worked alongside The Dodger and are still very much influenced by his ‘ask for forgiveness, not permission’ approach to policing
Despite his complicated legacy, which includes multiple murders, accusations of bribing and blackmail, lengthy prison sentences and unexplainable wealth – both NSW Parliament and the NSW Police HQ have raised their flags at half-mast today in tribute to their flawed hero.
“The Dodger was a real character” said a senior spokesman from NSW Police who ate a lot of Chinese food in the 1980s.
“Som say he epitomised everything that a police officer should not be.”
“But others, mostly police officers and politicans, would say he was a great bloke once you got to know him”
NSW Premier Chris Minns paid tribute to the late underworld figure by posting a photo of a long neck of Resch’s Dinner Ale with the caption “RIP to a real one. We still miss the Dodger”
