Alan Mcdonald joined the Victorian Police Force in 1961 and after an interesting and varied career in the Force he ended up as the OC of "D24" in Russell street Melbourne.

The name "D24" for the major police communications center in Melbourne during the 1980s originated from its physical location within the Russell Street Police Headquarters. Specifically, it referred to the Victoria Police Information Bureau, which was housed in Corridor D, Room 24 of the headquarters. This designation became the callsign for the central radio dispatch center, which managed all emergency calls (via 000, 11444, or from police stations) and coordinated communications with police units across Victoria. The D24 center was staffed by experienced serving police officers and used a dedicated "Batphone" speed-dial system to contact stations, with all communications and calls being tape-recorded. The name "D24" stuck as a shorthand for this critical hub of police operations, which was also featured in a popular radio drama series in the 1950s and later in the TV series Homicide.