Adam has left the force, and Mt. Thomas, and Probationary Constable Jack Lawson has barely arrived in Mt. Thomas before he is in trouble with the police. Jack's misdemeanours are small ones and quickly forgiven as his unassuming charm disarms Maggie and Dash. Even Tom can't find fault with the new recruit, whose initiative and enthusiasm for menial tasks prove an immediate asset. But Jack's sunny welcome to Mt. Thomas is clouded by a report of sexual assault at the local retirement home. This one requires a woman's touch. Maggie and Dash visit the home to discover the alleged victim is in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. She claims her assailant is the devil. Maggie is not prepared to dismiss the report and neither is Dash, who finds the devil alive and well in the Mt. Thomas video store in the form of a plastic mask. As the new kid on the beat, Jack is ready for some action. PJ and Ben aren't about to let him shine all day long and dispatch him on a wild goose chase around the

After her attack, Maggie refuses to play victim as PJ and Ben battle to unmask the devil. Maggie recovers from the assault by the devil who has the women of Mt. Thomas terrified. Always the copper, Maggie refuses to be treated like a victim but she's got her work cut out for her with PJ and Ben fighting to protect this reluctant damsel in distress. PJ and Ben's theory on a prime suspect collapses when a witness leads them to the local reverend who runs a group for troubled men. They are certain he is protecting one of them. But when Maggie receives a threatening tape and pornographic magazines are found in the reverend's car, the Heelers drag in the man of the cloth to air his dirty laundry. Media reports whip the town into a frenzy. Anxiety turns to anger when the Heelers release their prime suspect, then the mother of the young victim takes matters into her own hands and shadows the Heelers, looking for clues to nail the suspect. Tom decides to hold a public meeting to calm things do

Jack is the only competition for Dash and her athletic brother, Alec, in the Heritage Day Races, and the McKinleys aren't about to let a boy from the bush swallow their odds. The Heelers lay their bets on Jack, which only spurs Dash on. Alec has returned to Mt. Thomas as the new physical education teacher with high hopes of coaching the girls' hockey team and his two best players to stardom. For Alec the game is to win, at any cost. Dash is proud of her big brother but at a loss to defend him when she sees his star hockey player slap him hard across the face. What could he have done to deserve that? A rejected schoolgirl crush? Maggie discovers Alec was accused of sexual interference with a student at his last school, then catches him hugging another student. Dash, protective in her disbelief, goes on the defensive. Maggie seems determined to nab her brother and Dash is none too pleased about it. Two young hockey players claim Alec coaches them in more than hockey, and when Alec gets c

Maggie and PJ are caught in the crossfire of a jealous husband spying on his wife and her lover at Govet's Leap. Determined to expose the philandering louse, the husband takes a video tape of them before settling the score with his fists. PJ springs to the defence—but who's going to defend him, when the tape submitted for evidence exposes Maggie and PJ canoodling? The Boss won't have a bar of this. Their jobs and their relationship are on the line. Dash is having her own clandestine affair on the Internet with a knight called Lancelot whose romantic handle masks a more deviant agenda. Jack reckons she should get a life. Romance on the Internet seems safe, until it seeps into the real world and Dash's virtual buddy becomes a living nightmare. When a young girl with a reputation as the town bikey is found drugged and raped after an evening at the nightclub, Dash has a hard time finding sympathy. Letting her personal opinion of a victim get in the way of her job is unprofessional, but thi

While checking out a routine disturbance, Dash and Jack witness a freak double fatality involving two popular young locals. Dash's upset turns to anger when she discovers the car accident was caused by a boy with a crush on one of the victims. Between Dash's fury and the victim's distraught brother, he'll be lucky to walk away with just his crash injuries. Jack sees a different side to the culprit, who is a country boy like himself and appears genuinely distressed. The only way Jack can deal with this senseless waste of young life is to understand what went wrong. Is this guy really capable of a twisted lover's revenge or was the vehicle somehow responsible? The bereaved families aren't asking questions. They want a head on a stake—an eye for an eye. With the council election just days away, Chris's campaign manager jumps onto the tragedy as a fine platform for youth issues and government spending. If kids had something better to do, proper entertainment facilities, they wouldn't be ho

Cupid comes to Mt. Thomas in the form of Ben's mischievous daughter, Emma. Dressed in a fairy costume and armed with magic dust, Emma's wish on this visit is to find her dad a new wife… and Maggie is the fairy godmother of her dreams. Police work and parenting without a babysitter are an impossible combination in the busy Mt. Thomas station. While Emma schemes and tiny Josh adds to his vocabulary of naughty words, Maddy watches silently and sullenly. That's one troubled little girl. Jack is also troubled after his routine roadworthy check of a semi-trailer puts its owner/driver off the road and out of a job. Where's he going to find $20,000 to fix his rig by the morning? If only Jack had the answer. But when two new tractors are reported stolen and carted off in a semi, Jack's dilemma appears resolved. If only the solution hadn't dropped from the back of a truck. It is only when the luckless truckie becomes the victim of a hit and run that the Heelers detect a frame gone wrong… and tha

After a vicious attack on an elderly woman, Jack runs down a prime suspect near the crime scene and he's one nasty piece of work. Cocky, confident and preying on vulnerable women, Troy is the kind of gutless crim who enjoys the sport of making a cop's blood boil. He is an antagonist who intends to wind PJ up like a taut guitar string. With scant evidence and Sally Downie as his legal advisor, the Heelers are going to have a hard time nabbing Troy. Their only hope of an ally is his hapless girlfriend, who is intimidated into silence. When a terrified victim dies of a heart attack and a brazen Troy threatens Maggie, PJ's frustration reaches breaking point. He would give anything to lose his badge, just for a moment. Tom lets Sally know he's more than a little concerned about her defending a man with a record of violence against women, but she will not be cowed by Tom Croydon! This is the not the first time she and Tom have clashed over ethical obligations but it could be their last. Afte

Seeds of a greener lifestyle are planted in Mt. Thomas. Councillor Chris Riley has concerns about a proposal for an abattoire by the river but the locals won't hear of any opposition. They need jobs for their kids—forget environmental concerns! The Heelers can't ignore the matter when the pub's beer delivery is smashed by some dangerous stunt driving that nearly takes Jack out as well. When Tom's ex-army and retired policeman buddy, Bob, decides to grow organic herbs, his crop-spraying neighbour is furious. He reckons Bob is growing weeds, but if he sprays his own land Bob's patch will be contaminated. Tom finds himself planted firmly in the middle of two men who have a right to their livelihood, but at grave cost to each other. Loyalties to an old mate must be put aside. This becomes far easier when Bob hires Tom's sweetheart, Sally Downie, to sort things out and begins to romance her after hours. Tom is confounded when cannabis plants are found on his mate's property. He's an ex-copp

Out alone on a routine call, Jack confronts a dangerous driver who threatens him with what Jack thinks is a sawn-off shotgun. Jack panics and shoots. No one is hurt; however, the driver—a local troublemaker—plans to play the situation for all it is worth. He cries attempted murder, and claims Jack has also stolen some money from his glove box. He doesn't like the ""pigs""—""always harrasin' somebody"". Inspector Falcon Price arrives to conduct a full investigation and is greeted by a fine melee. Darren Dawson, the troublemaker, is whipping up a protest in the station for the benefit of anyone who will listen. When a young graffiti artist brought in for questioning accuses Jack of beating him, Dawson takes up his case—it's police harassment and it's all ""Shooter's"" fault! Falcon Price is most unimpressed. Tom comes under pressure to prove he has a handle on his newest member and that the police's reputation in Mt. Thomas remains upstanding. After Falcon Price's car is stolen from outside th

Out alone on a routine call, Jack confronts a dangerous driver who threatens him with what Jack thinks is a sawn-off shotgun. Jack panics and shoots. No one is hurt; however, the driver—a local troublemaker—plans to play the situation for all it is worth. He cries attempted murder, and claims Jack has also stolen some money from his glove box. He doesn't like the ""pigs""—""always harrasin' somebody"". Inspector Falcon Price arrives to conduct a full investigation and is greeted by a fine melee. Darren Dawson, the troublemaker, is whipping up a protest in the station for the benefit of anyone who will listen. When a young graffiti artist brought in for questioning accuses Jack of beating him, Dawson takes up his case—it's police harassment and it's all ""Shooter's"" fault! Falcon Price is most unimpressed. Tom comes under pressure to prove he has a handle on his newest member and that the police's reputation in Mt. Thomas remains upstanding. After Falcon Price's car is stolen from outside th

Ben becomes the knight in shining armour for a victim of domestic violence after she misconstrues his offers of support for affection. While Ben is blind to Vanessa's growing attraction, Dash and Tom try to warn him of the danger of caring beyond the call of duty. As Vanessa preys on Ben's responsiveness to her calls for help, Ben's professional boundaries invade his private life. His wife, Rachel, arrives in town unexpectedly, seeking a reconciliation. She quickly finds that little has changed: Ben is still married to the job, except that now she has another rival for his affections—and it is not the abused woman. Both women can sense there's something special between Ben and ""that blonde policewoman"", and he becomes the apex of an impossible emotional triangle involving Rachel, Vanessa and Maggie. Maggie is angry at PJ's unwillingness to help clear her father's name in a murder investigation and pressures Ben for some useful contacts. With an irate PJ on his back to keep her out of t

The Heelers call a full-scale investigation when Maggie goes missing after delving into the drug ring that killed her brother Robbie. Warned against trying to break the syndicate, Maggie refused to listen. Now she is in real danger. PJ's fears for Maggie's safety escalate when the body of a young boy is found. They learn he had hoped to become the syndicate's local dealer and had made contact with Maggie. Overwrought, PJ blames Ben for giving Maggie the leads to investigate the ring. The tension between them mounts as they struggle to find her. When St. Davids sends reinforcements, Inspector Draper and Detective Sergeant Craig, PJ is suspended from the case. It is all too apparent to the Heelers and his district superiors that PJ's relationship with Maggie goes far beyond the professional. Even Tom can hide his knowledge no longer. Unable to pursue her trail officially, PJ teams with up with her father Pat to find Maggie. Pat is way ahead on his own enquiries and tells PJ that the forc

Jack scores a place on the Mudlarks football team when its star player is killed in a suspicious road accident. It's not quite the way he planned to earn his guernsey. PJ recalls the dead boy was a troublemaker and suspects he was drunk at the time. However, Senior Constable Robyn Taylor from Melbourne's accident investigation squad has sharper ideas and gives PJ a run for his money on the investigation. He's feeling pretty poorly without Maggie around. Whether PJ likes it or not, Robyn will be his partner in crime until Maggie returns from the witness protection program. She's just moved to Mt. Thomas with her husband, Jeff, and baby daughter, Lucy. After a quiet wake for the Mudlarks' star player, Jack and a few of the team head off to enjoy a more appropriate celebration. The drinking gets out of control and Jack's new mate, Matt, entertains the group with some dangerous driving. Afraid someone will get hurt, Jack brings them into line, but pulling rank on mates only earns him their

Dash's career prospects look bright when Inspector Monica Draper arrives for the monthly inspection and recommends she undertake the CIB training program. A McKinley as a detective? Tom has his doubts, and PJ takes Dash on board with reluctant good grace. Dash's first case presses her to overlook good character when $10,000 goes missing from the local Catholic school's safe. The only suspects are the school's new principal, Deborah Williams, and Father Brian. As Dash and PJ investigate, it becomes clear that both principal and priest have opportunity, means and motive to steal the money. Dash's faith in authority figures waivers as she pressures suspects with unshakeable profiles within the Mt. Thomas community. The scales tip in Father Brian's favour when the Heelers learn that the financially strapped Deborah is also being blackmailed—ten grand or her career is over. How would St. Brigid's Catholic School like to know it has a lesbian as its principal? Trapped and looking guilty, Deb

When Jack and Dash are called out to the local high school, Jack becomes the victim of a schoolgirl prank. It seems that some of the girls have a large crush on Mt. Thomas's most handsome constable. Determined to make more than his professional acquaintance, the girls misconstrue Jack's awkward attempts to fend them off as the shy response of a sincere copper. Unluckily for Jack, he's even more adorable than they imagined. While PJ and Ben enjoy ribbing the new ""Don Juan"" of Mt. Thomas, the Boss sees trouble brewing. As a father, Tom knows how unchecked fantasies can turn the minds of teenage girls, and Lawson must learn to wear the uniform without his heart on his sleeve. With Tom's disapproval apparent, Jack turns to the newly arrived recruit, Constable Greg Mason, for advice. Mason is a former teacher with a degree in schoolyard psychology, and he warns Jack to stay well clear of schoolgirl affections. The advice comes too late for Jack, who has unwittingly become the man to lean

Written by Jenny Lewis, Directed by Grant Brown Seven a.m. The phone rings. One by one the Heelers receive a devastating wake-up call. One of their own lies shot dead on a country road. Half an hour earlier, Constable Greg Mason took a bullet through the head. By the looks of the crime scene, he never had a chance. It is a crisp day and Jack enjoys an early morning horse ride until he finds Greg sprawled across the front seat of his vehicle, gun safely in its holster and the letters P.E. penned on his blood-spattered clipboard. The scene is enough to make the young constable sick to his heart and to his stomach. PJ and Robyn Taylor arrive to relieve a shaken Jack but Robyn cannot hide her emotion… This was supposed to be her shift. She pressured Greg into a swap the night before. Guilt overwhelms Robyn as the Boss tries to piece her back together. PJ handles initial enquiries with purpose and directs a willing but sombre team. A robbery of $20,000 reported the same morning and a loca

Jack's deer hunting plans go happily awry when his girlfriend arrives unexpectedly in Mt. Thomas with his cousin. Jack and Craig have made plans to go hunting but Molly has come as a surprise. Since Jack left Molly behind in Swift's Creek, the long-distance relationship has taken its toll on her. Jack doesn't realise this yet, but he's about to find out. As deer season arrives, the Heelers go on alert. The blood sport always brings a squadron of men to town with an armoury of weapons. It seems inevitable that trouble is nigh. When two deer go missing from a hobby farm, the urbane owner claims he's become an easy target for unsuccessful hunters seeking trophies. One of the animals is a prize stag worth $25,000. While the Heelers' evidence points to a nearby farmer, town prejudice prefers to prey on stray hunters. In particular, Dash can't bear the high-spirited machismo that follows a day's deer stalking. The Imperial seems to be full of men with more bravado than brains as Jack collars

The Heelers provide protection for the local vet, who orders inspections of all sheep properties after an outbreak of a highly infectious disease. Johne's disease threatens to kill every sheep in Mt. Thomas, and ""Dr Death""—as the vet becomes known—is not popular. Farmers demand a scapegoat as they succumb to the inspections. Somebody must be responsible for carrying this blight to the district, and the only new sheep in town belong to Senior Constable Robyn Taylor. Robyn, with her husband Jeff, escaped the city to reap the good life in Mt. Thomas. Jeff decides a few sheep might supplement their income while they establish a vineyard. The local farmers have little respect for these dabblers and immediately suspect the Taylors are responsible for the Johne's outbreak. When one of Robyn's sheep dies, the town's worst fears are confirmed. Ben and PJ investigate and find that Jeff has forged a deed of sale and that he bought the sheep via the Internet. How could he be so gullible? the

Paternal instincts and police work conflict for Ben when he is drawn to a sick girl and a hardworking father in trouble. Rosie needs a new kidney and time is running out. When George's car is stolen, Ben offers them a lift to hospital for her weekly treatment. The problem is, George's car was used in an armed robbery. Ben hopes, for Rosie's sake, that her father was not involved. PJ is distracted from the investigation when Maggie returns from six weeks in the safety house program. After the rushed and fractured parting, PJ is desperate to know whether they still have a relationship. With Dash busily organising welcome home drinks and dinners, PJ can barely find a second with his golden girl. And when he does, it is clear that Maggie has doubts about their future together. The Heelers begin to suspect Rosie's father when his ex-wife, Carol, shows up in town and displays some mysterious hold over him. Carol skips the pub without paying her bill and demands that George settle the mat

Tom and Sally's relationship goes on trial when Sally defends a drunk driver responsible for killing Tom's friend.

Tom's day brightens when he learns his favourite actress is in town visiting relatives. A woman to be reckoned with, Audrey Roper wastes no time in introducing herself to Mt. Thomas's most senior police member. Tom is chuffed to make Audrey's acquaintance as she as she demands he reprimand and punish her 17-year-old grand-daughter for buying cigarettes. The Heelers are policing a crackdown on under-age smoking in conjunction with the council. Dissatisfied with their progress, the militant Audrey intends to supervise their operation personally. Maggie learns that Audrey is on a crusade to save her grand-daughter—and all who come in contact with her—from the ills of smoking. Tom and Maggie wonder whether her end justifies her means. The law presents no boundaries to this woman whose protests keep the Heelers and cigarette retailers of Mt. Thomas on their toes. Maggie takes a liking to the feisty older woman and offers counsel to Audrey's grand-daughter. In spite of Maggie's attempts

Dash treads a thin line when social worker Tim Ryan convinces her the overloaded welfare system can no longer protect abused children. The Heelers and Department of Human Services take a dim view of Tim's attitude. His obvious frustration in applying band-aid solutions to violent domestic situations is bound to lead to trouble. Trouble begins when Dash arrives to break up a violent argument between old family friends. The father appears to be strangling his son, who retaliates by stabbing him. While in hospital, the boy confides that his father regularly bashes him. Soon after he returns home, the boy disappears and the Heelers struggle to find a lead. Dash suspects Tim knows more about the boy's disappearance than he is willing to divulge when two missing children are found in his care. Tim passionately defends his actions. Someone's got to look after these kids when the system fails them! Dash admires Tim's determination to put their welfare before his own, even if it does mean b

For months Dash has shadowed PJ on the job to prove she is worthy detective material, and her efforts are rewarded when she makes the short list for a job in Criminal Investigation in Melbourne. Dash is hurt to learn that, while Tom supports her endeavours, he does not believe she is ready for the job. PJ certainly never took her seriously. At least her mother, Beth, believes in her and accompanies Dash to Melbourne for the final interview and a spot of shopping. They have a close relationship and Dash's promotion is a proud moment for her hard-working mother. The moment is all too brief, however. When Dash returns to Mt. Thomas, she and Ben are called out to a hit and run accident. On the road nearby is a clutch of shopping bags belonging to the victim. Dash recognises them, and in one afternoon her dreams of a new start are shattered. The victim is Beth. The Heelers close ranks around their distraught mate, but Dash shifts into auto and works maniacally to ward off the grief th

An overnight trip to Melbourne turns stormy for Maggie and Chris when they stumble into an armed holdup at a service station. Prison escapees, the McKenzie brothers, are on the run when they confront Chris paying for petrol with Maggie's purse. Maggie returns from the bathroom and manages to raise the alarm but receives a bashing for her trouble. Tyrone starts to squeeze the trigger as the Heelers arrive, raised by the alarm. Maggie is overwhelmed with guilt and blames herself for the incident as she watches Chris breakdown, unable to cope. Maggie attempts to overcome her own trauma by throwing herself into the investigation. Under the watchful eye of Tom and PJ, she struggles to maintain her facade and stubbornly refuses to take time off in spite of a bad head injury. The only person privy to Maggie's distress is her father Pat who arrives as soon as he hears the news. Pat loves his daughter above all else but offers more cause for concern when Maggie realises he has a drinking pr

Maddie's school fees are due, she needs a new flute and Ben's pay cheque falls short. As Ben's ex-wife begins her new life with another man, Ben feels doubly under pressure to fulfil his duties as a father and provider for his children. Aware of his financial problems, the Heelers become concerned when Ben shows interest in a pyramid game that has surfaced in Mt. Thomas. Leila Clegg has won $16,000 on the Angel Cruise and the citizens of Mt. Thomas are keen to clamber aboard the next ship to set sail. Before Tom has a chance to make inquiries, the assertive organiser of the game, Natalie Roberts, pays him a visit. Mt. Thomas has nothing to fear from Angel Cruise, a forthright Natalie explains. The game is perfectly legal and has been vetted by a Queen's Counsel. Tom can lay his fears to rest, she insists. Ben tries to keep an open mind about Angel Cruise. What's wrong with taking the gamble if it is legal? Sure, some people lose, but some people win and that's the name of any game,

Tom can't believe his eyes when his old mate Max Arnold arrives at the bank with a hefty cheque written on the side of a cow. It's legal tender, snorts Max, and if the bank is so determined to milk him for mortgage payments, well let them learn how—milk this! Country life has changed. There was a time when a bank manager would cut some slack to catch up on a missed payment. Not any more. Tom goes to see bank manager Kevin Sutton to discuss Max's difficulty but Sutton remains steadfast. Tom returns to find the station empty and the phone ringing. It is a struggle coping one member down and no replacement for Dash in sight. When the Heelers learn from St David's that staffing levels are under review, tempers become short. Are they really expected to continue like this? More bad news when Chris arrives to see Tom. Has he heard that the Vic Bank is closing down? What are they to do without a bank? Tom wonders whether his beloved Mt. Thomas is about to suffer the same downward spiral

Ben becomes the victim of anti-gay slurs when his hairdresser friend, Tony, arrives in town. Prejudice builds however, when Tony's popularity wilts the opposition and happy clients confide their closest secrets to him. Someone it seems, confided too much, and Ben finds Tony dead in the salon stabbed in the neck with a pair of scissors.

Trouble magnet, Constable Jo Parrish, lands in Mt. Thomas, provoking both a civil suit and a stalker.

Jo oversteps the line when she protects a charming gypsy who operates on the wrong side of the law.

Maggie threatens her career when she charges a pro-police politician with assault.

The Heelers are drawn into a hostile domestic situation when a distraught man arrives in Mt. Thomas to find his missing lover, who is terminally ill. Robert is sure his long-time partner, Peter Jones, has returned to make amends with his parents, whom he hasn't seen for 8 years. As Peter is not officially missing, Jack can do nothing to help him and is assaulted by an overwrought Robert. Behind the station counter, emotions are on a short leash as Ben and Maggie struggle to come to terms with their impassioned kiss at Ben's birthday bash. A few drinks, some silly games, a fine time had by all and then, somehow, it just happened. What now? Ben longs to pursue the matter with Maggie, who avoids him, unable to admit her true feelings. Although he seems genuine, Robert skirts some incriminating details of his relationship with Peter. The Heelers learn that theirs was a tumultuous household and that Peter has a history of prostitution. Could Peter be hiding from a violent domestic situa

Tom joins Chris on a board of upstanding citizens preparing to set up the new community bank. His position is compromised, however, when both he and Pat Doyle are named in a parliamentary committee investigating bent coppers. The Heelers rally round to support Tom but Jo finds herself on the outer when she suggests Tom might well have been on the take. Small gratuities, a little cash on the side—it was the way things were done back then. Though concerned for Tom, Maggie breathes a small sigh of relief. At least her father is retired and unlikely to suffer any fallout from the inquiry. At first, Tom refuses to worry—his conscience is clear. But word spreads throughout the town and the bank board requests his immediate resignation. The citizens of Mt. Thomas have lost confidence in their Senior Sergeant. After her contrary attitude to Tom's dilemma, Jo is left grappling for allies when her own friend, school teacher Selina Harvey, is accused of supplying dope to, and having a sexual

A mystery unfolds on night patrol when Jack and Jo stumble across a troubled stranger who carries a message for the Heelers that they won't forget. When Jack and Jo draw the short straw, night patrol finds them embroiled in a case that involves an abandoned suitcase and a mysterious stranger. Throughout the night, each of the Heelers stumble across the stranger at different times, but when dawn arrives, he reveals a reason for his visit that deeply affects them all.

Maggie takes Ben's daughter Emma off his hands for a day on a mushrooming expedition, but the event has nasty repercussions for Emma when they come across a tourist who dies from eating field mushrooms. Ben and Maggie head out to inform the local community of the potential danger of mushrooming and come across an idyll commune called Paradise. The inhabitants—three women, a cluster of kids and a charismatic, gentle man called Rod Cathcart—present an alternative lifestyle that appeals to them both. Enchanted by the mood of the place, Ben and Maggie find themselves drawn to each other once again. Rod invites Maggie and Ben to return for lunch the following day, but their rapturous account of Paradise makes PJ resentful of their common fondness for a country lifestyle, PJ is also wary of Emma's open scheming to bring Ben and Maggie together. Conscious of PJ's annoyance, Ben tries to placate PJ by pulling out of the lunch date. Tom detects the growing tension between PJ, Ben and Ma

It's Grand Final week in Mt. Thomas and the money is on Awesome Lawson to win the cup—and the town's honour—from the St. Davids football team. Jack finds it hard to focus on work with footy fever upon him, until Marnie Sommers yanks him to attention with yet another incident of petty crime. Jack is tiring of Marnie's brushes with the law and her open antagonism toward him. Marnie resents the blind worship the town affords footy players like Jack and her husband, Harro, who is serving time for armed robbery. As far as Marnie's concerned, footy heroes are all the same—good for nothing. When Marnie's husband returns to town, she demands an intervention order against him, claiming he is violent, but her troublesome reputation makes the Heelers wonder if Harro is a threat at all. He seems a nice enough bloke to Jack. Besides, he's a fellow footy player! Harro's done his time, now he just wants his wife and his kids back. When a report of stolen CD players comes in, Jack suspects Marni

Tom pursues a local troublemaker in a high-speed chase when the boy's car veers off the road, crashing into Rabbit Creek. It's a devastating scene for Tom who has known Tim Sullivan all his life. As he watches the boy slip away, Tom prays to God to absolve Tim of his sins. Ten minutes later, the ambulance arrives to take the body away. But before Tom can cover the boy's face, Tim coughs and sits bolt upright; he's alive! At first, the Heelers enjoy a few jokes at Tom's expense, but for Catholics, Tom and Maggie, the event inspires a deep questioning of their faith and is a cause for spiritual upheaval. They deal with life and death every day, but this time it is Tom who has been God's servant. John's declaration that Tom has performed a miracle has the town's faithful out in search of answers and the sacred site. Is their Senior Sergeant blessed? Falcon Price, would certainly like to know. Young Tim has had a hard time coping with his second chance. It feels more like a sentence

Jo's blossoming romance with out-of-towner Travis Williams is cut short when PJ reveals Travis is a dangerous criminal put way for murdering his girlfriends. The vicious crime haunts PJ who arrested Travis and is immediately suspicious of his return to Mt. Thomas. Tom warns Jo to dump the romance before she becomes too involved and jeopardises her job. He can't have a constable going out with a criminal, even if he is reformed. When a spate of vicious armed robberies against women are reported, PJ believes Travis is involved. Mindful of Jo's broken heart, Maggie provides a shoulder but counsels Jo to leave him. The promise of a new love never felt so lonely. PJ keeps tabs on Travis who seems contrite and is certainly cooperative. He has returned to Mt. Thomas to start afresh and find work but PJ makes it clear—he expects Travis to leave town. Tom becomes uneasy with PJ's relentless pursuit of Travis and warns him to go by the book. Jo struggles with her decision. She wants to bel

The prospect of the Racing Club Carnival dance has the Heelers in a frenzy to find partners.There is little to celebrate when an armed robbery of the race takings leaves a security guard seriously wounded. The only clues, a Mudlark's Grand Final Pin is found at the scene of the crime. Could one of Jack's fellow football team be responsible? The Heelers call in football coach, Ian Waldron, to find out which Mudlarks's players have pins but the carnival atmosphere fades for all when Ian tells them that his son Matt, Jack's good friend, is dying from a brain tumour. Ian has spent his company's fortune trying trying to find a cure for Matt in Brazil and must close his factory. There is little chance Matt will survive to see his wife deliver their first child. Jack finds it difficult to confirm the alibis of his football buddies for the time of the robbery and is puzzled by the behaviour of his mate Scott who has been acting strangely since Matt returned from Brazil. Jack is certain som

Jack receives unsettling news when his ex-girlfriend Molly calls with plans to visit Mt. Thomas to try and repair their broken relationship. Jack is not sure whether he is ready or willing to recover his shredded emotions after Molly's infidelity. The Heelers investigate the death of a drug dealer whose burnt body is found in the ashen remains of a house used for the manufacture of amphetamines. They believe a man called Graeme Palmer is involved and when Maggie and Ben spy Palmer's car on the road they give chase. Ben reports to Tom via radio that the pursuit is reaching dangerous speeds and they are about to terminate, when Ben yells a warning to Maggie and the radio cuts dead. The Heelers are left hanging until a shaken Maggie calls to say both vehicles are trashed and a passenger bus that swerved to avoid collision has crashed on its side. The situation is serious. The Heelers and emergency services arrive to a scene of confusion and devastation. They break into the bus to fi

Ben is troubled to learn that his daughter's tutor, Amy Fordham, is struggling through the maelstrom of her parents' marriage breakdown. Concerned for her welfare, Ben drops Amy off at home, arriving in the middle of an explosive fight during which Amy gets hurt. Unwilling to leave Amy to deal with the aftermath of their anger, Ben brings her back to the Watchhouse, determined to alert the department of Human Services to Amy's plight. Tom cautions him to attempt a reconciliation with the parents fist. The Fordhams agree to behave themselves and though Ben is not convinced, he sends Amy home and promises her that she can depend on him at all times. Ben's troubles multiply when Maggie returns shaken from an internal enquiry into a bus crash. Although the enquiry clears her of reckless driving, it leaves her overwhelmed with remorse for those killed. She finds comfort in Ben's arms... and PJ walks in on the moment. PJ's patience for their intimate friendship is waning but both he and

Ben's divorce finally comes through, but it's hard news for his daughter Emma who must return to her mother in Melbourne. In anger and frustration, Emma trashes the station. Tom has patiently watched Ben struggle with single parenthood and his duties as a cop but warns him that this interference with work must stop. The Heelers discover $20.00 missing from petty cash and Emma seems the likely suspect, but Ben's troubles boil over when he learns Emma has run away and a teacher confides that she frequently skips school with a friend. Ben finds Emma at her friend's grandmother's house. They seem to be in good hands and after reassurance from Nanny Nora, Ben realises his daughter has found comfort he has been unable to provide. Back at the station, the Heelers puzzle over a series of house burglaries in which odd trinkets of valuable electrical goods are stolen. The crimes seem unrelated but are taking place in the same area. Jo and Ben attend a report at an older woman's home and fi

With the turn of the millennium just weeks away, Inspector Falcon Price pulls an impromptu blackout at the station to test the Heelers' preparedness for potential Year 2000 problems. There can be no cause for alarm if the police force and emergency services are ready for every situation. Jack finds Gary Scully dangling in a net up a tree on the Janssen property, the victim of a crude but effective man trap and saves him. Ben's daughter Emma returns to the Watchhouse after a stint in hospital but her presence is a painful reminder for PJ of Ben and Maggie's vigil over Emma's sickbed. They make a picture perfect family. PJ tells Ben he can no longer stand in the way of Maggie's happiness and asks her to consider Ben as her future partner. Now Maggie must choose between her troublesome love for PJ and growing intimacy with Ben. The Heelers talk to the Jenssens about the mantrap and learn the family has been zealous in their Y2K preparations. The family expects the worst case scenari

As Maggie gets closer to cracking the drug ring that killed her brother, her life is put in real danger. She fronts the trial of bent copper Barry Craig on tenterhooks her testimony is crucial to win a conviction. Fearing for his life, Craig offers Maggie a deal she can't refuse the names of each player for his safe incarceration. Maggie soon realises that she may have gone too far, but it's too late. The calling card they've been dreading is delivered and Maggie and PJ are trapped inside her home as it explodes into flames.

The Heelers are shocked to learn that Maggie has called off her engagement to PJ and is leaving Mt. Thomas for a new job in Melbourne. After the torching of her house, she seeks safety elsewhere and knows that it can only be through the witness protection program. But when her pick-up arrives, Maggie learns that her father has been abducted and her plans to reach safety are in jeopardy. When Maggie is shot by a mysterious assailant, PJ collapses in shock

PJ's frustration mounts when all the evidence of Maggie's murder points to him. He throws himself into the investigation but there is confusion over his recall of events. PJ believes it was a contract hit but his theories don't tally with the evidence. When the murder weapon isn't found and the Heelers discover PJ's gun is missing from the safe, Homicide turns to PJ for answers.

PJ is arrested for Maggie's murder but the case begins to crumble when their prize witness is found dead. PJ's only way out is an unreliable witness with vital information on the murder weapon. Will PJ's fate be freedom or life behind bars?

Jack's great grandfather turns up in Mt. Thomas where he gets involved with some unsavoury characters, not altogether unconnected with a recent spate of house burglaries. The Heelers expose some startling community attitudes to the aged during an investigation of burglaries with elderly victims.

When two transient bikies are brought into the station on a report of shoplifting, Tom discovers one of the to be Bull, an old mate from Vietnam. Bull's taken the other route after Vietnam, he chose the open road and a different sort of uniform and code. The lifestyle certainly looks seductive for Tom as he takes a spin on the back of Bull's bike. But Bull's not the carefree easyrider he seems. He is in town for a reason, he's been on a man hunt for seven years. He's looking for the man who killed his daughter. It seems the local video repair man, Peter Ross, is particularly twitchy since the gang came to town. In fact he's assaulted Jack, seemingly to get into jail and off the street. What is he afraid off? It becomes clear he is the source of Bull's vendetta—Ross, his daughter's bitter ex, is the ""one that caved her head in that night."" Tom and Bull test each other's mettle in a 'custody battle' over the desperate Ross. It's a stand-off—the gang aren't leaving till they get Ros

When Tom is introduced to the joys of life-drawing, he is shocked to see the model is a girl he knows and who is under-aged. A flurry of finger pointing begins—Erin is clearly in moral danger but who is the corrupter? The boyfriend? The art teacher? The girl is protecting someone and Jo is determined to unveil her deep, dark secret.

When a man really disappears during a magic trick, the blame is first put onto the magician who did it. But then some other strange financial evidence occurs and the Heelers must decide if he planned it, or if it was someone else.

PJ's quest to solve the mystery of Maggie's murder leads him to the bass guitarist in a recently re-formed rock band. When the muso refuses to give him the answers he wants, PJ decides to apply the pressure by applying for a warrant to search for drugs. Heroin is found, but PJ's plans are soon thwarted because the leader of the band, a faded rock star, takes responsibility for the drugs. Meanwhile, Jack strikes up a friendship with the band's spunky back-up vocalist, who turns out to be the daughter of the band's promoter, Bryce McLeod. PJ investigates Bryce and discovers he was not only named in a top secret drug trafficking inquiry, but was also a close friend of Barry Craig's. Perhaps this is the missing link he is looking for. With PJ applying pressure on Bryce he pulls the plug on the band, bringing about tragic consequences for one of its members. When Jack rescues the daughter from a drug overdose she realises the truth about her father, and decides to help PJ.

PJ's quest to identify Maggie's killer accelerates when a mysterious man is pulled, alive, from a car wreck. He is missing from hospital when PJ and Ben discover a Mt Thomas man has been professionally killed. Is this the hitman who killed Maggie, and has come to finish off PJ, the man who won't let it rest? Against Tom's wishes, PJ offers himself as bait to lure the killer out of hiding. But his every move is predicted. It seems the killer is always one step ahead. But when the killer himself is gunned down in front of PJ, the evidence swings around to implicate an insider, another cop. In an unimaginable act of betrayal PJ finally comes face to face with his nemesis—Maggie's killer and her own brother, Mick Doyle. When the smoke has cleared, PJ and Pat Doyle can finally scatter Maggie's ashes over the land she loved.

Who is stalking Jo's popular dance instructor? The doting student, the possessive boyfriend or the lovelorn character from her past who just won't go away? Jo and Ben team up to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Ben's response to a state of graffiti attacks on Mt Thomas signs and icons is to suggest a policy of zero tolerance of all minor offences. Ben and Jo certainly do not see eye to eye on zero tolerance and its effectiveness, and when they become involved with a group of young street kids squatting in a house, their differing approaches are put to the test, and their working relationship becomes strained. Jo seems to be proven right when first the squat the kids live in is bulldozed, and then one of them narrowly escapes injury in a charity bin fire, but Ben stands his ground. Ben and Jo must put aside their personal differences to discover that the most useful part of zero tolerance is tolerance itself.

Jack and Jo combine their detecting skills with some old fashioned fishing expertise to investigate an allegation of cheating during the annual Mt. Thomas fishing competition. Compo Hayes, known well to the police as a highly seasoned scam merchant, just happens to win the competition which is worth a cool $10,000 gold ingot, and an incensed fellow angler makes an official protest. But a dispute over a fish rapidly escalates into something far more serious when the gold ingot prize is stolen. Was there a fish switch? And who would viciously bash the security guard to get the ingot? Although it is Jack's angling experience which puts them on track to solve the case, Jo has a surprise for him up her sleeve.

A much loved elderly woman dies while under the care of Doc Bourke, an old style country doctor who makes house calls, sets broken legs in paddocks and accepts cuts of meat in lieu of payment. At the reading of the will it is discovered that the elderly women left her considerable estate to Doc Bourke. The disinherited relatives call foul and accuse him of murder. Tom was delivered by Doc Bourke and has regarded him as a hero all his life. PJ has a natural distrust of doctors, especially those who seem to be playing God. Tom and PJ clash as PJ investigate the increasing numbers of claims that the Doc has stepped over the line. For PJ, a copper is someone who swears to uphold the law, no ifs, no buts. Doctors swear to preserve life—there should be no difference between the two. But is there? When does relieving a terminal patient in extreme pain cross the line into a shortening of the patient's life? And who has the right to decide?

Jo gets herself into trouble with Tom when she accuses his accountant of being a drink driver. Her problems escalate when a young driver she has previously cautioned is involved in a serious accident. If Jo hadn't been so easy on the girl for the first offence, would the accident still have happened? Ben, meanwhile, has his hands full with cramming for the Sergeant's exam in St. David's. Regaining his stripes and being Sergeant in Mt.Thomas will put his career back on track, but does he really know who he's competing against?

The new sergeant, Tess Gallagher, starts work in Mt. Thomas. Ben, in particular, doesn't find it easy dealing with her presence as she took the job that he feels should be his. When a newborn goes missing, Ben and Tess are thrown together to investigate and the race to find the child only serves to highlight their difficulties.

The Heelers are settling down into their new way of life with Sergeant Tess Gallagher in charge. Accepting the new system is not so easy. Tess has brought with her the new style of policing , and this doesn't sit comfortably with the old fashioned country way of doing things. A suspected greyhound ring-in puts pressure on the new and old ways. No one will cooperate with Ben and Jo in their investigation except for the track steward, who is, perhaps a little too keen to be of assistance. Tess, too, seems uncooperative at first. To her mind Ben and Jo are barking up the wrong tree. Is policing only about catching the crim and finding the evidence, or is there a place for compassion and discretion? As the bid to solve the case becomes a race against the clock, Ben and Jo, as well as Tess, learn that nothing is ever black and white.

The local timber workers are besieged by a group of environmental protestors. Spiking logs is a potentially lethal deed, and Jack, the son of a timber man, needs no evidence to convince him that the protestors are to blame. When Tess discovers that an old university foe is one of the protestors, she is as certain as Jack of their culpability in the spiking. But log spiking is not for amateurs—knowledge of timber and milling equipment is a necessity. Although Jack refuses to believe that any timber man would have anything to do with spiking, the two brothers who run the mill have their own dark secrets to hide, and they're not willing to cope with anyone. PJ retains his approach of suspecting everyone, but it is Jack's knowledge of timber which will lead him to solve the crime—but not before he is forced to reassess his prejudices and confront a family worthy of a Greek tragedy.

Mt. Thomas's resident witch, Siobhan Kennedy is back in town. Her arrival coincides with rumours that someone is taking money for lifting curses on people in Mt. Thomas. Ben is horrified to discover that a pregnant women is paying someone so that she will bear a healthy child. At first he is convinced that Siobhan is dealing in the evil eye, but soon realises that she is worried as he is. But a prerequisite of faith is not to be questioned, so those who believe they are cursed will not help Ben in his enquiries. And if no-one lays a complaint, the police cannot proceed any further. Frustrated at every turn in his attempt to uncover what he believes to be a scam on women in highly stressed, emotional states, Ben must find alternative paths to the truth. In his quest, Ben must not only question his own belief systems, he must be prepared to welcome assistance from someone who throws those beliefs into further doubts. But the life of an unborn child is at stake, and Ben learns that blind

A young Chilean backpacker goes missing, and PJ is called in to investigate. Another young female back packer went missing a few weeks ago from Mildura, and there is fear that they may both have met the same unpleasant fate. But PJ has more than just a missing girl to deal with. A gung-ho private investigator, Archie Garrett, has been engaged by her parents to find the girl, and is all too keen to join forces with PJ. At first Archie seems to do nothing but get in PJ's way and complain about the coffee they serve at the station. But as the case progresses, he continually happens to be in just the right place at just the right time, especially whenever a new piece of evidence is discovered. Is he lucky or does he know more than he is letting on? As an experienced detective, PJ knows that trust is something which must be earned but Archie is doing nothing by earn himself a reputation for interfering in police matters. Or is Archie genuinely sharing all the information he uncovers? Who to

Accompanying each of her workmates as they go about their work, Tess quickly finds her attention drawn to a girl who keeps stealing to feed her brothers. Police intervention escalates the volatile situation, and Tess is forced to reveal her difficult past to save the lives of the kids.

A night of innocent fun at the Mount Thomas Blue Light Disco goes horribly wrong when two of the participants are found dead soon after in a horrific car smash. Jo is immediately under pressure from her superiors to find the truth about the driver. Everyone seems to be protecting everyone else, but Jo must fight to save her own neck as she chooses to pursue the case over her own best interests.

Relations between Tess and Jo are becoming more and more strained. Tom decides to give Jo a case of her own to run to prove herself and when a theft at a local factory is reported, it seems the perfect opportunity for Jo to save her skin and her career. But a straight forward theft turns into a professional nightmare and she finds herself possibly facing criminal charges

Jo is hauled out of bed to join Ben in attending a burglary in the middle of the night. The victims are a badly shaken elderly couple, the man horrifically pistol whipped. One of the suspects gets away by car. Jo goes after the other, chasing him through backyards and over fences until he falls whilst jumping a fence, hits his head, and is caught. At the station the suspect complains of headaches, and insists on medical attention. PJ and Ben are sure that he is faking it, but are obliged to have him attended to. The hospital is severely understaffed. Jo is still not going to catch up on her sleep as the suspect needs to be kept overnight, and she draws the short straw as his guard. The only thing which keeps her going is thinking of the overtime entitlements she is clocking up. PJ and Ben continue the hunt for the second burglary suspect—a hunt which becomes all the more urgent when the injured victim dies. The burglary has become a homicide. When they discover their most likely

Ben is being worn down by nightmares after attending the scene of a Gothic teenage boy's death. It appears the teenager, Elliot, killed himself by jumping into the path of a logging truck. No one has an answer for why this boy would take such desperate action, as he showed none of the classic signs of suicide. But in Ben's dream, it's his own teenage daughter standing on the country road waiting for the logging truck to hit her. Elliot's father, Jim, sees his son as a coward for taking his life and wants to rid himself of all reminders of the boy. He organises a garage sale to sell Elliot's favourite possessions. Elliot's new girlfriend Tina comes across the garage sale and tries to take Elliot's favourite coat. Ben and Jack are called to stop the fight but neither father nor girlfriend is prepared to talk about Elliot and why he may have taken his own life. When the Elliot's grave is vandalised, Ben is determined to find the culprit. He goes to the cemetery but instead of findin

Tess is working hard at managing the workload in Mt Thomas but it isn't easy when the station is under staffed and under equipped. Tess doesn't take kindly to PJ being critical of her when she uses his car in an emergency. The situation doesn't improve when PJ and Tess are forced to work together investigating a mysterious bank robbery. As PJ and Tess uncover the details of the robbery, the two bank employees give them different stories. Tess thinks one of the employees is behind the hold-up, but PJ is convinced it's the other. The confusion adds to the tension between them. PJ even attempts to cut Tess out of the investigation. Tess and PJ work separately, digging deeper for evidence and discover they may be looking for two suspects instead of one. Jo is worried about Jack, who has a fast developing friendship with local girl Letty Waldron—a young mother who lost her husband in tragic circumstances. The situation may get complicated because Letty also happens to be the only r

Jo becomes involved in the plight of a struggling cosmetics rep whose car has been stolen. The culprit turns out to be an angry teenager from a broken family. Not only has the car been written off, but $2,000 worth of cosmetics in the boot has been destroyed and a family's livelihood is gone. The resulting financial crisis is too much for the victim's husband, who leaves home hot on the heels of the repo men. The Heelers' attempts to get the boy to apologise and pay restitution fall on deaf ears. Tom and Jo are angry at the boy's unrepentant attitude, but the victim doesn't help her case when she meets him at the station and punches him in the stomach. The teenager insists on pressing assault charges, which only hardens the attitudes of Jo and most of the other Heelers against him. But Ben refuses to give up on the kid. If he likes cars perhaps the challenge of fixing one up can keep him out of trouble. The boy's father runs a successful automotive workshop and agrees to help by pro

Tess hears about the Running of the Rams, an event involving naked men and four rams running down the main street of Mount Thomas. It is being organised by two well-known con artists; Compo and Richo, supposedly to raise much needed funds for the CFA. Tess handles the situation the only way she knows how—by the book. She warns that anyone running naked will be arrested for indecent exposure. Tensions increase as, with Tom away, Tess runs a tight ship, much to the displeasure of Jo. Tom returns to a barrage of complaints from the locals about his new Sergeant. Tom advises Tess that a hands off approach is sometimes necessary when policing a country town. His attempts to find a creative solution go wrong when the rams earmarked for the event are stolen. The Heelers suspect the farmer of 'stealing' his own livestock and come up with a clever plan to catch him. But when they follow him to a farm shed expecting to find the 'missing' rams, they find the beasts have actually been stolen

Ben is concerned when a boy he coaches throws a tantrum during a basketball game, kicking his mother in the shins. The next day the same boy, Jay Holbrook, is reported for an assault at school and Ben starts to worry about where he is learning this aggressive behaviour. Ben is fond of Jay's mother, Jeannette, and suspects they may be victims of domestic violence. Tess dismisses Ben's fears but he defiantly confronts the woman's husband, Peter, at the pub about Jay's behaviour. Meanwhile, fresh from their intimate encounter, Jack proposes to Letty during a stroll in the park. Taken by surprise, Letty asks to think about it. But the moment is broken when Jack spies some kids sneaking into a shed. He confronts them and discovers they are Jay and Jessie Holbrook—hiding from their violent father who has just been fighting with their mother. Jack calls in the info, and Ben rushes to the Holbrook home to discover upturned furniture, broken plates and blood—but the house is deserted. Tha

The Blue Heelers are stumped as to who is stealing mail from the neighbourhood letterboxes, so they try patrolling the streets on bikes. Jack seems to be settling in happily with Letty and her baby son—until an old flame of hers turns up and Jack doesn't know where he stands. Tom and PJ head off for a fishing weekend—leaving Tess in charge for the first time. All seems to be going smoothly until some prisoners prove they are a violent, unruly group which takes Tess to the edge. The bashing of one of the inmates uncovers a web of deceit and proves a vital clue to the identity of a murderer.

Jack tries to find out if Letty and he are going anywhere and the web of deceit gets larger until Tess discovers the bashing may lead to a vital clue as to the identity of a murderer.

After a stakeout fails to intercept a drug shipment into Mt. Thomas, Jack's involvement is questioned. Anxious to put an end to the allegations against him, Jack comes up with his own theory. But things take a dangerous turn when the body of a murdered girl is found and the Heelers start a full-scale search for her murderer. Jack's secret plan to prove his innocence inadvertently puts the Heelers in life-threatening danger

After a stakeout fails to intercept a drug shipment into Mt. Thomas, Jack's involvement is questioned. Anxious to put an end to the allegations against him, Jack comes up with his own theory. But things take a dangerous turn when the body of a murdered girl is found and the Heelers start a full-scale search for her murderer. Jack's secret plan to prove his innocence inadvertently puts the Heelers in life-threatening danger and Jack is shot and left for dead

In the aftermath of the shooting, life at Mount Thomas is changed forever when they must band together to convince Jack he will live and walk again.

After the shooting of Jack, the Heelers pull together to get through the tough times ahead. Meanwhile, life in Mt. Thomas must go on and a mentally disabled man wants to be the town's new school crossing supervisor. The local council and parents aren't so keen but they decide to give him a go. When a hit and run occurs on the school crossing, the Heelers have to figure out who was really the intended victim.

The Blue Heelers think a theft of some stationary is a minor offence—until they discover the thief has struck many businesses in the area. The young student helping out at the real estate office seems like the perfect suspect until they learn that her father is the town's supplier and she could get supplies easily from home. The truth unfolds as one of the Heelers recognises the thief's shoes!

A parent arrives at the station with his bruised son claiming that he was attacked by his female teacher. As the Heelers investigate, they discover a different side to the story and Jack loses his cool with the bullying.

When rodeo clown Shane Denovan rides into town with his sick horse Lulubelle, Jo plays the good samaritan and finds him a job and accommodation. Sadly, the local vet believes Lulubelle should be put down so Jack lets Shane ride his horse, Matilda, to chase the thieves of horse semen into the bush. In an awkward moment, Jack makes a decision about his beloved Matilda and his future as a cop

Cup Day is on in Mount Thomas and it seems all will be quiet until a businessman arrives at the station with a bizarre message on his mobile phone—he has inadvertently recorded someone's conversation planning an armed robbery. After hours of checking phone numbers, Jack finally discovers the owner when he is only meters of the perpetrator. Will the robbers take Jack and Chris hostage when they realise their plan is unveiled?

When a theft occurs at the local community centre, Jack refuses to believe that the main suspect could be Sam, a wheelchair basketballer whom he befriends. Meanwhile, Tom has been notified that Jack is to be transferred to St. Davids so the Heelers band together to show headquarters that Jack is a vital member of their team. In desperation, Jack makes a brash demand - a risky operation that may cure him. As the Heelers watch, Jack is wheeled into surgery...

Nothing is what it seems when a woman rushes into the Mt. Thomas police station claiming a man has kidnapped her children. As a custody battle unfolds between the feuding parents, Ben's work eerily starts to mirror his private life. Shattered by the news that his ex-wife plans on taking his kids to Perth, he is determined to go to any lengths to keep them in Victoria.

The custody battle gets out of hand when the father of the two children reappears in court with a time bomb strapped to his body and threatens to blow himself and everyone else in the courtroom. He abducts Ben and flees into the bush. Will the Heelers find them in time and can they set the children free from their irrational father?

A famous crime-fiction writer is asking a lot of questions about the death of a baby 25 years ago. When he discovers the body of a missing child, Tess wonders if he is capable of committing the very acts of violence he writes about. Tom confronts the author, who reveals his intimate connection to the long-closed case of the baby's death. How can Tess and Tom separate fact from fiction?

Tess and Tom must choose a new policeman for nearby Widgeree. Tom thinks old fashion policing is the way to go and suggests Senior Constable Ian ""Gossie"" Goss but Tess disagrees. She picks a different candidate—a modern by-the-book policeman Simon Barclay. Inspector Falcon-Price backs up Tess, driving a wedge between Tom and Tess, and Senior Constable Barclay gets the job. But Tom is soon proven right as Barclay gets the locals offside from day one.

When a brash pair of city detectives arrive in Mount Thomas, PJ is faced with the opportunity to move back to homicide in the big smoke and have an affair. But a limbless corpse leads to another dilemma—has a spurned lover gone mad with a chain saw or could it be a brilliant set-up by a criminal mind?

Sgt Tess Gallagher takes on more than her job demands when she tries to help the three children of a local woman whom she believes are being abused by the latest de facto. Even when Sen Sgt Tom Croydon tells her there are no grounds for suspecting abuse, a stubborn Tess refuses to drop it. Something from her past, perhaps personal experience, tells her to persevere. When she discovers the three children; Hayley, 10, Darien, 8, and Frasier, six, have broken into her car and slept there overnight, Tess knows her instincts were right. But she is at a loss with what to do with them. She takes the kids back inside her house, feeds them breakfast and plans to take them to DHS to be placed in a safe house. But the kids get wind of her plans and flee in fear to the nearby mines. Things go from bad to worse as Tess has to confess to Tom what has occurred—the children have disappeared while they were in her careÅ  and their mother Tina doesn¹t know they are missing. At the old mines, Tess a

PJ's mother comes to stay and trouble follows. Forcing him to go to a ""get rich quick"" seminar. A car smashes into the venue with the driver claiming the financial adviser is a con man who preys on the elderly. Can PJ keep his professional distance, while allowing his mother to play a vital role in solving a case?

Jo is under pressure when her parents arrive in Mt Thomas with one aim—to find their ""princess"" another career. Meanwhile Jo and Jack are on the case when a valuable vat of red wine is mysteriously unplugged and drained into a creek. Things get worse when Mr Parrish takes on one of the suspects and is consequently charged with assault. Emotions run high between Jo and Tess as Jo's loyalty to family clashes with professional duty.

PJ's long held plans for a raid on an illegal tobacco dealer is blown when a bushwalker goes missing. An emergency search must take precedence. Meanwhile, the tobacco dealer has got wind of the cancelled raid, and is determined to make someone pay. Jack and Tess follow a hunch on the whereabouts of the illegal tobacco and find themselves in a high-risk situation, leading Tess to admit to her true feelings for Jack—an action she later regrets.

A rough-looking man loitering around the local high school turns out to be a convicted cop killer—Mick Boyce—who's just finished doing time. But he just isn't the perving type. So what is he up to? And why is he in Mount Thomas? The situation becomes volatile when Jack decides to make him feel unwelcome. Tess tires of Jack's apologies and begins to doubt him as an objective member of the team. Meanwhile Ben and Jo are looking into several car thefts which appear to be youths joy riding. The investigation leads them to the home of Heath Flemming, a wild and confused teenager who believes his parents are dead and lives with his grandmother. But when the grandmother meets up with Mick Boyce in the Mt Thomas police station, the truth about Heath's lineage is revealed. In a heated exchange with Heath, Jack tells the boy the truth about his father—with tragic results. Tess witnesses a side of Jack she'd rather not have to deal with, and runs out of patience with his headstrong behaviour.

When Tom's old school friend, Robert, turns up in Mt. Thomas, dripping with money and big city success, Tom reassesses his own life and the choices he has made. When Robert disappears in suspicious circumstances, Tom investigates and discovers that there is more to success than material things.

Tom's nostalgic support for Mt Thomas's only cinema, ""The Bughouse"", cannot stop it being demolished, but an unsolved mystery from the past can—at least temporarily. Jo takes on the case, delving back over thirty years, and discovers that old style heroes and villains are alive and well in Mt Thomas

Notorious armed robber Arnie Briggs is a local boy and, having just escaped from prison, the last place the Heelers expect him to be is back on his old turf. But Jack suspects otherwise, going maverick in his search for Briggs, and in the process drags Tess into a highly volatile situation.

When Tom attends a scene of vandalism at a Vietnam War Memorial garden, he discovers the culprit is an escaped prize-winning bantam pullet called Hannah. When the hen is later found with a broken neck, her frantic owner suspects the neighbour, who is a rival poultry breeder. With several other likely suspects to choose from, Jo seizes the opportunity to escape pressing paperwork, and takes up the case with all the enthusiasm of a comical amateur sleuth. But the situation intensifies when a young homeless boy is rushed to hospital suffering from a deadly virus directly linked to free roaming birds. With the population of Mt Thomas under threat, the disposal of all local chickens is urgent

Still reeling from being separated from his family, Ben is on a downhill spiral—hell bent on living for the moment. In the process he becomes entangled with a woman on a similar path—and inadvertently makes a discovery that leads directly to a murder suspect with tragic results

A plane crashes into a farmhouse, killing three people. Ben takes the a case too personally and oversteps the mark in his investigation efforts, causing havoc for the victims' families in the process, and giving Tom more cause to doubt Ben's attitude to the job.

Constables Jo Parrish and Jack Lawson answer a call to attend a gang of youths drinking in a park. When the duo arrives, they find two girls involved in an altercation. Jo decides it would be best to let the kids go, but when one of the girls is reported missing the next day, Jo's leniency is called into question.

PJ plays cupid in helping Jack form a bond with Tess. Jack is determined something is on the nose when Tess accidentally hits a young man, knocking him unconscious. While Tess puts herself up for scrutiny by the ESD, Jack sets about proving her innocence, and discovers the real blame might lie with the victim's connections to illegal bare knuckle boxing.

Brad Eckhardt killed a high school student with a bad batch of ecstasy. Having served his time, Brad is back in town to nurse his sick mother.

Urged on in his vengeful mission by the death of a schoolgirl from a bad dose of ecstacy, Jack becomes desperate to prove Brad is guilty. Tess can only watch in horror as he oversteps the line. Jack finally wears down a student found dealing, and gets the statement he's been waiting for—one that puts the blame firmly on Brad. But his maverick actions lead Jack to a decision that will change his life forever - he kills Brad and is arrested for murder, to Tess' dismay

Tess' preoccupation with Jack's murder charge has to take a back seat when a young boy goes missing. His parents recently won the lottery and kidnapping is suspected. PJ and Tess question the boy's uncle and the uncle's mate to no avail. PJ becomes suspicious when a video tape is delivered with a recording of the boy reciting the ransom demand. The amount demanded is exactly half of what was won by the boy's parents. PJ believes the boy knows his kidnappers. On the trail of the missing boy, Tess is held captive in an airless trucking container. Will the Heelers find Tess in time?

PJ and Jo stumble upon a young naked man wandering the highway. Through their investigations they discover he is a Kosovo refugee desperately trying to avoid deportation. He is accused of fleeing his country wanted for black marketeering and murder. PJ and Jo are divided over how to handle the issue and PJ finds him self at odds with public sentiment as he investigates the young man. PJ's suspicions are challenged as he learns more about the escaped refugee's life. He faces a tough choice: does he follow the letter of the law or the voice in his heart?

Tess narrowly escapes being knocked down by a speeding car the same day the new Constable, Evan ""Jonesy"" Jones, arrives in town. Jonesy is rebellious and charismatic and under Tess' skin from the moment he arrives. They couldn't be more different, but together they investigate a young drag racing gang. Tess is determined to put a stop to it before someone gets hurt. Tess and Jonesy discover a link between members of the gang and a separate case involving stolen car engines. Jonesy is concerned when a lead suspect threatens to get revenge on Tess, but Tess is dismissive. Jonesy fights to rescue Tess when her life is endangered. Will he get there in time and will Tess be able to accept his help?

Jonesy's preconceptions about the sanctity of parenthood are challenged when he befriends a young mother in trouble. When Jonesy and Tess discover an abandoned new born baby their investigations lead to a local schoolgirl who is in denial and swears there is no baby. Jonesy earns her trust and she confides in him that she was raped. When questioning reveals one suspect's violent tendencies, Jonesy convinces the young girl to make a statement and also urges her to reconsider giving up the baby.

What do an alleged Peeping Tom, a trip wire in the National Park, a break and enter and a bashed truck driver have in common? When Inspector Falcon-Price joins the team for the day in a publicity stunt, he sets out partnering Jo for the day. After a series of incidents, he goes missing and it is Jo's responsibility to lead the others into combat...

Tom is caught between a rock and a hard place when two old friends and colleague are suspected of stealing a large marijuana crop. One is a rule breaker, the other has always played by the book. Tom disobeys orders when he is told to step back from the case. Determined to uncover the truth, Tom embarks on an investigation of his own. The truth, discovered, is not easy to take. Clearing one friend will ruin the other. Can Tom prove what he knows? and is he prepared to?

Ben is shocked when he discovers a group of young girls practicing witchcraft under the guidance of an older man. Are they in danger? Ben battles to keep his protective instincts in check as his investigations reveal more than he was prepared for. Can he save the girls, or are they already deep under the man's spell?

A well respected local politician is found dead and the autopsy reveals that he was moved after death and had ecstasy in his system.

After the death of his father, Jonesy will risk everything to avenge him. An investigation into a poisoning leads to a man who Jonesy believes killed his father.Commander Jones, Evan's adoptive father, stops the investigation much to the Heelers' dismay. While they are torn as what to do next, none of them are going to let the issue go.

After the death of his father, Jonesy will risk everything to avenge him. An investigation leads to a man who Jonesy believes killed his father.Commander Jones, Evan's adoptive father, stops the investigation and Evan is torn as to what to do next.

Jonesy discovers a cover up as he fights to reveal Les Anderson as the murderer of his natural father. His adoptive father, the Commander Reg Jones, withheld information from the inquest into the death. Why? Was he trying to protect Jonesy or did he conspire with Les Anderson to cover up a murder? As Jonesy fights to discover the truth, the Commander's reputation is placed against the wall. Have his protective instincts allowed a murderer to walk free? Can Jonesy stop another man's life from being ruined at the hands of Les Anderson?

After Inspector Falcon-Price's new PR Campaign luanches Jo into a favourable position with the media, her view of a recent challenging case is altered. Now Jo and PJ must each prove they are right, despite how Jo's celebrity status has gone to her head.

Ben and Jonesy's essential differences complicate their search for a young child responsible for throwing rocks at passing cars. They disagree when their investigation leads them to an assaulted teenage boy who refuses to name his attacker. Ben and Jonesy discover that the stone throwing child is the stepbrother of the assault victim and is medicated for A.D.D. Family complications are exposed when his medication is stolen. Who is responsible? Ben and Jonesy realise that they are both searching for the same solution from opposite points of view.

Tess and Jonesy investigate a domestic disturbance and Tess is reacquainted with Hayley, a troubled young girl from her past. An unpopular neighbour's portrait is discovered riddled with bullets and he is adamant that Hayley is responsible but Tess defends her. An elderly woman's dog is found shot dead and PJ discovers that the bullets from both crimes match. When the weapon is found, Hayley is implicated. Tess' faith in Hayley's innocence leads them to the truth but places Hayley's future in jeopardy. Will Tess challenge the stability of her own world for the sake of Hayley's?

Tom tries to keep his mind on the job after becoming interested in a mysterious woman. When two houses are broken into and large sums of money are left on both kitchen tables, the Heelers are left wondering. Were they gifts or proceeds from a robbery? They find the man responsible and he claims he is seeking atonement by doing God's work. He says he is honest but PJ suspects he's been guilty of fraud. The man's request for spiritual advice leads Tom to a surprise - the new Anglican Minister Grace Curtis is Tom's mystery woman. The man with the mission disappears and his car is set on fire. Was it an act of revenge or a desperate act by someone close to him? Can Tom and the Reverend help him before his determined acts of generosity cost him his life and the happiness of his family?

Jonesy's lack of experience complicates an investigation, when he lets a man go after breaking up a fight, only to discover the man is wanted for drug trafficking and burglary. Is he the same man recently seen troubling the local bank manager and his family? Jonesy's concern for the family and his desire to redeem himself places him on the back foot with Tess. His concerns seem justified when the bank is robbed and the bank manager and his family are discovered missing. Would he rob his own bank .. and who else is involved? Jonesy is determined to find out. Can Tess convince him to play by the rules or will Jonesy's good intentions place the bank manager's family at even greater risk?

What do you do when lives are in danger and you have only seconds to make a decision? Tess is off duty when she and Hayley, the girl she plans to adopt (last seen in ""Strays""), discover a serious car accident on the edge of town. The female driver is trapped and the gas run car catches fire. Is there enough time to extinguish the fire and get away safely? Tess decides there isn't and the woman is killed when the car explodes. Her husband blames Tess and she is also scrutinised by the Ethical Standards Department and even begins to doubt her decision. Was she responsible for the death of the woman? Tess' application to foster Hayley is threatened. Is she capable of keeping Hayley safe from harm? Jo and Jonesy question the victim's family and fight to clear Tess' name. Even if Tess' decision was justified, has her chance to foster Hayley been lost?

Things are going much better now for Tess and Hayley, until an incident at school provides Tess with something to worry about while Tom and Reverend Grace grow closer.

Meanwhile Tom suspects a retired thief guilty of burglary until he is questioned and the old man claims he was set up. The Heelers have a lead on another suspect and their hunt leads them to two teenage boys. One is the estranged son of the retired thief. Is he following in his father's footsteps? When a second robbery occurs involving a serious assault, the old man defends his son's innocence. He might not be the world's greatest father, but he's positive his son is not violent. When the Heelers locate their original suspect they discover has a watertight alibi. Does he have a hold over the retired thief's son? Tom worries for the old man's safety when he is discovered assaulted and his son cannot be found. Can the desire to protect and impress go too far?

The Heelers suspect a local horse trainer of assaulting and robbing a bookie. Jo becomes intrigued when she discovers a page torn from a diary after questioning the trainer's strapper, stable hand and assistant jockey. The writing is troubled and Jo is concerned that it is a cry for help. Jo discovers the diary belongs to the young stable hand. Has someone been hurting him and why won't he say? When the trainer is found bashed and the stable hand is missing, Jo worries he has finally fought back. The trainer dies and the stable hand is convinced he is responsible. Jo is determined to prove his innocence. Were the bookie and the trainer assaulted by the same person? Can Jo help the young stable hand find the strength to speak out?

Tom is dragged to see a touring faith healer but his scepticism turns to concern when the healer is attacked by a man accusing him of killing his wife. Is the healer a fraud? Jo questions him and is surprised to find that he is far from shrewd. His manager, once healed by him herself, is incredibly protective of him and takes care of the business with the help of a roadie. The manager is beside herself when Jo finds the healer violently assaulted. Is this the revenge of the grieving man? Did he and the roadie engineer this together? As Jo witnesses the darker side of faith she marvels at the healer's capacity for forgiveness

Jonesy's failure to follow instructions has him on the back foot with Tess and leads her to conceal the fact that Les Anderson, the man Jonesy believes murdered his father, may be implicated in a death at a building site. Murder is suspected when the building's scaffolding is discovered tampered with. Did the victim's mate and his widow conspire to kill him? The victim's widow further implicates Anderson, but questions arise in regard to her integrity when his alibi proves watertight. Is the widow trying to protect her husband's best mate? Or did Jonesy pressure her to lie about Anderson? Jonesy's dogged determination to clear the widow's name leads him to the truth, but has he further damaged Tess' trust in him in the process?

When Jonesy and Tess find Les Anderson's car parked on the roadside they don't expect to find him almost dead in his boot - the victim of a brutal bashing. Tom and Tess must reluctantly put Jonesy on the suspect list - along with Wendy Reiner, Jason Rose, Nipper Brown and his brother Mitch.

While Jonesy is cleared, the other suspects all have too much evidence against them and Les is in a coma so he can't have his say. When Les wakes, Nipper confesses to the crime and Les confesses privately to Jonesy that he did kill Sam Bridges, Jonesy's father.

The Heelers must confront all the others to prove it because no-one else was in the room when the confession occured. When they finally get their proof it is too late. Les Anderson has just been pronounced dead.

Now Jonesy must decide whether to stay despite the fact that the quest that drew him into the Police Force has at last come to an end.

Ben is desperate to spend Christmas with his children provided he wins the lottery in order to pay their airfare. Tom wins the church raffle but the prize is stolen. The cast of Grace's nativity pageant are suspects. Tom is far from impressed when the sponsor of the pageant forces Clancy, an intellectually disabled man, out of the lead role so his own son can take it. Everyone is thrilled when Clancy is revealed as the owner of the winning lottery ticket, but the pageant sponsor accuses him of theft. As the truth is pieced together, Ben revaluates the demands he has placed on his children. Is Ben's dogged pursuit of the perfect Christmas risking the happiness of those he loves?

For a cop, Christmas can be the hardest time of the year. Jo can't wait to eat, drink and be merry with her nearest and dearest. Tess is determined that Hayley has her best Christmas ever.