Union unveils eight-point plan to solve police resourcing crisis

Eight bold measures will solve SA police’s resourcing crisis, which is largely a result of its “disastrous” policies, the union says. See their plan.

Funding should be continued for almost 200 police security officers to free-up frontline officers, a new operational policing model introduced, and a new recruiting campaign launched, the state’s police union says.

The Police Association’s final submission to the Premier’s Taskforce on police numbers also recommends urgent measures to stem alarming attrition rates and a review of recruitment practices and policies to ensure the current applicant-to-employee ratio doubles.

The submission also recommends a new formula be agreed to ensure the number of police officers, police security officers and civilians needed to be recruited in the next decade matches population growth.

The Premier’s Taskforce was formed last year by Premier Peter Malinauskas to examine escalating police resource shortages and the causes, future police number requirements, and recommend solutions.

In a strongly worded covering letter to taskforce chairman Damien Walker – chief executive of the Department of Premier and Cabinet – PASA president Mark Carroll says, “SAPOL is a department in free fall’’ and the issues confronting it are “well documented.’’

Department of Premier and Cabinet chief executive Damien Walker. Photo: Supplied

It says the issues include chronic staff shortages, record levels of resignations, low morale among members, an inability to recruit against attrition and the failed District Policing Model.

“A police force with these problems would be considered a department in crisis anywhere in the world,’’ Mr Carroll says in the letter.

“The reality is that this crisis – including the ensuing resignations and chronically low morale – is largely a result of SAPOL’s disastrous policies.

“I urge the SA government to take serious note of these issues and consider making significant investment in reviewing the appropriate functioning of SA’s police force and ultimately acting on the association’s proposed solutions.’’

The submission, which was provided to PASA members late Wednesday, makes eight recommendations covering the key issues confronting SA Police – with the major recommendations being funding of an expanded police security officers (PSO) functions model, the total revamp of recruiting, and scrapping the troubled District Policing Model (DPM).

In its place it recommends a new policing model be developed that redistributes police resources to growing demand areas including domestic and family violence, child abuse and mental health.

Mark Carroll, president of the Police Association of South Australia. Picture: Supplied

“None of the assumptions that the DPM was based on have been realised. To continue to maintain this policing model in light of the critical staffing shortages that will take years to recover from requires urgent reassessment of the model,’’ the submission states.

Other recommendations to address growing attrition rates are for the government to fast-track negotiations for a new enterprise agreement, and that SA Police allow any former employee who has resigned in the past five years to re-enter the workforce at their former rank.

The submission states the current trend that has seen 159 officers leave since June last year “is dire’’ and that “disruptive intervention must take place immediately.’’

“Government could fast-track negotiations on a new enterprise agreement that offers greater incentives for length of service and provides other incentives as are offered to ADF personnel or other state public sector agencies,’’ it states.