Cop ‘crisis’: Push to fill 7000 jobs

Police union chiefs are demanding changes to tax and health benefits to help address the shortage of police officers.

EXCLUSIVE

Police union chiefs are demanding a boost to tax incentives and health supports for cops to improve conditions and address the “nationwide crisis” in recruitment numbers.

With more than 7,000 unfilled police positions around the country, state and territory representatives have joined forces to target marginal electorates with their message as they call on Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton for assistance.

The unions want fringe benefit tax concessions reforms of up to $17,000 — in line with public hospital and ambulance workers — as well as giving cops access to superannuation at the age of 55 to reflect the “significant physical and mental impacts from long careers in policing”.

They also want the federal government to introduce a “blue card” covering medical and allied health services for police, matching the concessions available to people in the Australian Defence Forces.

Police union chiefs are demanding a boost to tax incentives and health supports for cops to improve conditions and address the “nationwide crisis” in recruitment numbers. Picture: NewsWire / Glenn Campbell

Police Federation of Australia president Scott Webber said the union leaders were travelling to Canberra on Wednesday to tell political leaders the “thin blue line of policing can’t be stretched any thinner”.

“These benefits would be proof that the federal government is serious about supporting law enforcement in a time of increasing crime rates across the country, and the troubling upsurge in anti-Semitic violence we are seeing in our community,” he said.

Mr Weber said both the Prime Minister and Opposition leader had agreed to meet with the police delegation in separate meetings.

Police Association of NSW president Kevin Morton said the state currently had more than 2000 vacancies in the police force, which reflected ”low recruitment and retention rates, as well as officers on sick leave”.

Unions want fringe benefit tax concessions reforms of up to $17,000 as well as giving cops access to superannuation at the age of 55 to reflect the “significant physical and mental impacts from long careers in policing”. Picture: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

Mr Morton said while policing was generally the responsibility of state governments, issues like superannuation, health and tax benefits were areas where the federal government intervene to boost conditions, as it has with frontline public health workers and defence personnel.

“We’ve all heard our politicians talk about the importance of Australians feeling safe at home and in their communities, but the simple fact is that you can’t improve community safety without improving police recruitment and retention numbers,” he said.

“And you can’t improve police retention and recruitment without improving police working conditions.”

“In short, for the community to feel safer, we need our police to be better supported to do their jobs – and our campaign identifies three things our federal government can do that would make a big difference towards that goal.”

The unions will launch mobile billboards in key seats around the country calling on MPs and candidates to back their push for improved health and tax conditions for cops.