Crime, Chaos and Controversy

 Crime, Chaos and Controversy

Reviewed By  Nan van Dissel       November 9, 2026

 

Author  Glen McEwen

Distributor:      Amazon
ISBN:                 9781923720022
Publisher:         Big Sky Publishing
Release Date:   9 November 2026  

Website:    https://www.amazon.com.au/Crime-Chaos-Controversy-syndicates-attacks/dp/1923720023 

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From global crime syndicates to terror attacks

Although Sir Robert Peel’s foundation principles of preventing crime, community involvement and public support are still relevant today, organized crime has become increasingly sophisticated, so the Australian Federal Police has needed to evolve to meet these new challenges.

 Glen McEwen, with thirty-five years of service in the AFP, explores these changes in his memoir ‘Crime, Chaos and Controversy’ and gives the reader insight into the complexities of his role when undertaking modern police work. He concludes that the most dangerous criminals aren’t the ones who carry weapons!

Glen McEwen joined the AFP in 1987 and in the next three and half years he watched organized crime become increasingly sophisticated, terrorism evolve as a global threat and technology reshape the way criminals operated.

In the following thirty plus years policing changed, rather than chasing individual offenders or isolated seizures, the focus shifted to the people directing the criminal enterprise.  His work as Manager Asia AFP involved complex, sensitive and delicate work with intelligence agencies and governments across Australia, Asian and Europe to try to stem the flow of drugs to Australia.

As Australia is notorious for having the highest number of drug users per capita in the world; stopping the flow of drugs was imperative to winding down the Asian operation. Glen’s candid account of how he, as one of the senior operational commanders, intercepted and slowed this flow makes this memoir an engaging and insightful read.

Readers will not only obtain a greater understanding of Australia’s problem with drugs but also of the AFP and Glen’s involvement in other operations, which include the Bali Bombing, Thai cave rescue and the fall of the Northern Territory Police.

I highly recommend this memoir to readers as Glen’s details, often step by step, the process of how the operations were conducted; it gives a wonderful insight into the difficulties of police work. Intense police work doesn’t come without its health and well-being problems; Glen didn’t escape these. Readers who have worked in high stress occupations will empathise with him as he re-establishes his life in retirement.

Biographies, Non Fiction