Norman Allan
Encyclopedia
Norman Thomas William Allan (Lithgow, New South Wales
, 3 June 1909 - Sydney
, 28 January 1977) was the Commissioner
of the New South Wales Police
, from 1962 to 1972. The year 1962 was significant in the history of the organisation as it was the 100th anniversary of its formation under the then present organisational structure.
years. While he was Police Commissioner illegal casinos in Sydney flourished in full view of both police and the public and yet very few police raids ever took place. The collective annual turn over of these casinos was estimated in 1974 to be $600 million (or $3.8 billion in today’s dollars). This netted the operators an untaxed profit of 16 million ($95 million today) after all costs and alleged bribes had been paid off.
A close associate of Perc Galea claimed that Police Commissioner Allan and his successor Frederick Hanson
were paid $100,000 a year each in bribes.
One of the greatest challenges of his tenure as commissioner was the Arantz scandal. Detective Sergeant Phillip Arantz
developed a computer program that gave accurate crime data and showed information previously published by the commissioner was misleading or incorrect. NSW Police refused to acknowledge the new data which lead Arantz to leak it to the press in November 1971. Following this he was forcibly admitted into hospital having been declared mentally ill by a police doctor who later claimed he had been coerced in to doing so by senior police, and in 1972 Arantz was sacked from the force.
Allan at first denied the new figures were accurate but later confirmed their validity in a report tabled to parliament in September 1972.
Arantz was finally reinstated back into the police force in 1989 after the NSW parliament brought in new reinstatement legislation.
In July 2008 Penguin published the book Gentle Satan: Abe Saffron, My Father by Alan Saffron, the only son of reputed Sydney crime czar Abe Saffron
. The book contains allegations about Allan's supposed corrupt relationship with Saffron, claiming that Saffron regularly paid both Allan and Askin bribes of between A$5,000 and $10,000 per week each, that Allan was a frequent visitor to Saffron's office and home. Also included in the book is the allegation that Saffron paid for an overseas trip for Allan and an unnamed female companion.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, 3 June 1909 - Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, 28 January 1977) was the Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....
of the New South Wales Police
New South Wales Police
The New South Wales Police Force is the primary law enforcement agency in the State of New South Wales, Australia. It is an agency of the Government of New South Wales within the New South Wales Ministry for Police...
, from 1962 to 1972. The year 1962 was significant in the history of the organisation as it was the 100th anniversary of its formation under the then present organisational structure.
Biography
Known unofficially as "Norman the Foreman", Allan finished his tenure during the Robert AskinRobert Askin
Sir Robert William Askin GCMG, was an Australian politician and the 32nd Premier of New South Wales from 1965 to 1975, the first representing the Liberal Party of Australia. He was born in 1907 as Robin William Askin, but always disliked his first name and changed it by deed poll in 1971...
years. While he was Police Commissioner illegal casinos in Sydney flourished in full view of both police and the public and yet very few police raids ever took place. The collective annual turn over of these casinos was estimated in 1974 to be $600 million (or $3.8 billion in today’s dollars). This netted the operators an untaxed profit of 16 million ($95 million today) after all costs and alleged bribes had been paid off.
A close associate of Perc Galea claimed that Police Commissioner Allan and his successor Frederick Hanson
Frederick Hanson
Frederick John Hanson CBE , was the Commissioner of the New South Wales Police from 15 November 1972 until his retirement in 1976.- Early life & career :...
were paid $100,000 a year each in bribes.
One of the greatest challenges of his tenure as commissioner was the Arantz scandal. Detective Sergeant Phillip Arantz
Phillip Arantz
Philip Arantz was a Detective Sergeant in the New South Wales Police.In the 1970s he was involved in a long-running and highly-publicised battle with the NSW government after his dismissal from the Police Service, and Arantz claimed that he had been victimised for his whistle-blowing actions,...
developed a computer program that gave accurate crime data and showed information previously published by the commissioner was misleading or incorrect. NSW Police refused to acknowledge the new data which lead Arantz to leak it to the press in November 1971. Following this he was forcibly admitted into hospital having been declared mentally ill by a police doctor who later claimed he had been coerced in to doing so by senior police, and in 1972 Arantz was sacked from the force.
Allan at first denied the new figures were accurate but later confirmed their validity in a report tabled to parliament in September 1972.
Arantz was finally reinstated back into the police force in 1989 after the NSW parliament brought in new reinstatement legislation.
In July 2008 Penguin published the book Gentle Satan: Abe Saffron, My Father by Alan Saffron, the only son of reputed Sydney crime czar Abe Saffron
Abe Saffron
Abraham Gilbert "Abe" Saffron was an Australian nightclub owner and property developer who was reputed to have been one of the major figures in Australian organised crime in the latter half of the 20th century....
. The book contains allegations about Allan's supposed corrupt relationship with Saffron, claiming that Saffron regularly paid both Allan and Askin bribes of between A$5,000 and $10,000 per week each, that Allan was a frequent visitor to Saffron's office and home. Also included in the book is the allegation that Saffron paid for an overseas trip for Allan and an unnamed female companion.
Further reading
- Evan Whitton, 'Allan, Norman Thomas William (1909–1977)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 13, Melbourne University Press, 1993, pp 28–29.