From High-Risk Policing to Personal Healing

Australian True Crime

Meshel Laurie

True Crime

4.6 • 979 Ratings

🗓️ 7 September 2025

⏱️ 78 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Craig Semple is a former New South Wales police officer with 25 years’ experience in high-risk law enforcement.

He shares his journey through stress, burnout and, ultimately, recovery, as detailed in his books The Cop Who Fell to Earth and Getting Back Up Again.

You can click here to purchase your copy of The Cop Who Fell to Earth, and Getting Back Up Again.

You can learn more about Craig's business, Mentality Plus here.

Click here to subscribe to ATC Plus on Apple Podcasts and access all ATC episodes early and ad-free, as well as exclusive bonus episodes.

Join our Facebook Group here.

Do you have information regarding any of the cases discussed on this podcast? Please report it on the Crime Stoppers website or by calling 1800 333 000.

For Support:

Lifeline on 13 11 14

13 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)

1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732

Blue Knot Helpline: 1300 657 380

CREDITS:

Host: Meshel Laurie

Guest: Craig Semple

Executive Producer/Editor: Matthew Tankard

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Our guest today is former New South Wales police member Craig Semple.
0:04.3	Craig was a copper for 25 years, during which he carved out a stellar career, specialising
0:09.4	in high-risk law enforcement.
0:11.7	Among other things, he investigated high-profile homicides, organised crime and outlaw motorcycle
0:17.6	gangs.
0:18.8	Craig was exposed to high levels of stress, huge workloads, and a culture
0:23.3	that encouraged alcohol use as a coping strategy. Eventually, Craig suffered irreversible burnout,
0:29.6	which he describes in his book, The Cop Who Fell to Earth. Craig's second book, Getting Back Up
0:34.8	Again, focuses on his ongoing recovery work.
0:38.4	Craig joins us on Australian True Crime to talk about where he's been and where he finds
0:42.7	himself now.
0:44.6	This is Australian True Crime.
0:46.6	We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which this podcast is created,
0:51.2	the Wurundri Woi Warang people of the Koolan Nation.
0:54.8	And a warning, this episode of the podcast contains graphic descriptions of violence.
1:04.4	This is an ad by BetterHelp.
1:06.7	Did I talk too much?
1:07.8	I should have handled that better.
1:09.1	Why can't I just let it go?
1:10.4	Why did I do that? I wish I would stop overth I just let it go? Why did I do that?
1:11.5	I wish I would stop overthinking so much.
1:13.3	Oh, why did I do that?
	...

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