Moonlighting: Federal police officers taking up second job to make ends meet

More and more of Australia’s only national police force are moonlighting to make ends meet because they are among the lowest paid cops in the country.

From reality TV shows to modelling, snake catching, teaching, ghost busting and even packing shelves at Woolworths, more and more of Australia’s only national police force are moonlighting in second jobs.

Among the most famous have been federal agents Sam Royce, who shot to fame on The Bachelor, Alex Middlemass from House Rules, Rebecca (Bec) Goddard a championship-winning women’s AFL and basketball coach, and Australia’s strongest man, Grant Edwards, who set a world record pulling a 189-tonne aircraft.

Bachelor star Sam Royce also works for the AFP. Picture: Instagram.

Of 7,700 Australian Federal Police employees, 2131 or more than one quarter are moonlighting in second jobs, while others are in the Defence Reserves, taking on education and training jobs and volunteering with emergency services.

In the past 21 months, 65 AFP employees have applied for secondary employment approvals just for media work alone including modelling, photography, and advertising. Of these 43 were approved.

Alex Middlemass and his wife Katie competed in House Rules. Picture: Instagram

AFLW Hawthorn coach and AFP officer Bec Goddard. Picture: Gary Ramage

But many officers are seeking outside work to make ends meet because the AFP is now the lowest paid police force in Australia according to the AFP Association (AFPA).

Importantly many employees are also doing it for mental health reasons – to get respite from the stressful and often dangerous policing environment.

Former AFP Commander of the Americas and elite athlete Grant Edwards said it is a great benefit to allow first responders like police to pursue outside interests.

AFP commander Cmdr. Grant Edwards, Australia’s strongest man, pulling an aircraft. Picture: Alamy

Mr Edwards, who overcame work-related PTSD, believes being in a space where you are not thinking about work all the time, you are helping others, and becoming social connected to the wider community is of great benefit.

He said during his time as an AFP Commander he encouraged outside interests if suitable.

“There was one officer who worked in covert surveillance, and who wanted to be on reality show.” Mr Edwards said. Clearly something had to give there.

Another officer who had a fun “Ghost Busters” type business on the side, Mr Edwards gave the go ahead.

“I said to him as long as it is not destroying buildings like they do in the movies or anything like that it, I’ll approve it.”

Strongman Grant Edwards pulls a truck.

But most employees working second jobs are doing it to make ends meet because according to AFPA they are now so poorly paid.

And the restrictions on secondary employment are so complicated and so tight, one AFP employee who was volunteering with the elderly and a charity, was put through the wringer about not applying for secondary employment approval and almost lost his job.

Police employees door knocking for the Red Cross charity need secondary approval, so do those wanting to act as a linesman at their kid’s football matches.

AFPA president Alex Caruana said many members are moonlighting for financial reasons because their maximum wage increases have been lapped by inflation.

“We are going to see more and more because we are the lowest paid police force in Australia,” Mr Caruana said.

He said the AFP has been trapped by the Public Sector Workplace Relations Policy which has “destroyed enterprise bargaining” and driven down wage growth. The AFPA want the AFP exempted from the policy.

“How can the AFP recruit, retain and reward its employees when remuneration is at an all-time low?

“Tying the AFP to the same policy as the general public service fails to recognise the unique nature of policing.

“Whoever forms government after the election can fix this with the stroke of a pen. If the government is serious about national security, they should prove it by looking after the officers who protect Australia.”

Originally published as Moonlighting: Federal police officers taking up second job to make ends meet