Mark Morri: Rebuild, reinvigorate and roll out a force to be reckoned with

Veteran crime editor Mark Morri outlines the top 10 tasks NSW’s new Police Commissioner must tackle.

The Telegraph’s veteran crime editor Mark Morri outlines the top 10 tasks NSW’s new Police Commissioner must tackle.

1.MORALE: Rebuilding morale among the ranks will have to be a priority.

Junior officers to senior cops have been feeling increasingly disillusioned with the force. It now needs someone to show strong leadership internally and restore public confidence.

2. NUMBERS: The shortage of police is at a dangerous level.

While the NSW police force and the association say they are 2500 officers understaffed, the number in reality is more like 4000 a day, when taking in sick leave and maternity leave.

It takes nine months to train a police officer and there is some thought an abbreviated version could see boots on streets after three months.

Police Commissioner Karen Webb will end her time as the state’s top cop in September. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

3. YOUTH CRIME: There is no backing away from the fact youth crime is out of control and the commissioner needs to be someone who can work with government and eliminate loopholes in the laws that allow for constant reoffending.

Make sure doli incapax (incapable of evil) is enhanced, not diluted, to make sure repeat offenders are dealt with.

4. RURAL CRIME: The bush is the new battleground for street crime, with many country communities under siege — not only from out-of-control teenagers but organised crime setting up drug labs and distributing in a major way.

Attracting cops to these areas needs to be addressed with incentives and improvements in housing conditions for remote officers.

Three of the leading contenders to be the next NSW Police Commissioner: David Hudson (l to r), Mal Lanyon and Mick Willing.

5. ROAD TOLL: Already this year there have been 131 fatalities, compared with 112 last year. The NRMA has argued police visibility on our roads is diminishing and there is an over-reliance on speed cameras, which are not as effective as seeing a cop car in your rearview mirror.

6. OTHER JOBS: Local police work is being dragged down by the weight of doing other agencies’ jobs, such as mental health, prison transportations and even truancy.

7. DV AND CHILD SEXUAL ASSAULT: There has been an increase in reports of domestic violence and child sex assaults. Lack of staffing is contributing to problems around compliance checks for offenders.

8. CULTURE: A lot of work has gone into changing the culture of NSW police to bring it in line with other workplaces. There is a zero tolerance to sexual harassment, gender bias – and racial and religious discrimination.

Many still call say there is a boys club mentality that operates throughout the ranks, but that culture is changing, and Karen Webb was a driving force behind that.

9. PROMOTIONS: The current panel system, which still allows “captain’s picks’’ of commanders, is flawed and leads to claims of nepotism.

10. THE FEDS: Information sharing with the AFP needs to be addressed because drug importations into Sydney are constantly being seized by the AFP and the Australian Border Force without the details being shared in real time with the NSW Police Force.