Police Commissioner Grant Stevens supports release of secret government report

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens says the release of a secret government report into police numbers and resourcing is “in the public interest”.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens says it is “in the public interest” to release a secret state government report into police numbers and resourcing, as he revealed the force is likely to fall short of its goal to be fully staffed by June 30 this year.

A special taskforce was created in July 2022 to make recommendations on police resourcing and numbers over the next 10 to 15 years, with SA Police lodging its final submission in May 2023.

And yet the Premier’s Taskforce’s final report, which was expected to take into consideration crime rates, community safety issues, population projections and demand on police, has been kept under wraps by State Cabinet despite calls for the document to be made public.

Mr Stevens has now told a parliamentary committee that he too believes the report should be released.

“I think it would be in the public interest for it to be released,” he said.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens. Picture: Dean Martin

Mr Stevens said SA Police, as an organisation, also supported the release of the report.

The Premier’s Taskforce included representatives from the state government, SA Police and the Police Association of South Australia.

SA Police has long been struggling to fill existing vacancies, let alone increase its workforce to keep up with growing demand.

Government funding has only allowed for about 4500 sworn police officers in SA since 2018, despite the state’s population rising by about 100,000 people over the past seven years.

In 2023/24, the force increased its numbers by just 23 officers, with 262 cadets graduating from the academy and 239 officers quitting or retiring.

SA Police has long struggled with recruitment. Picture: Brett Hartwig

Mr Stevens told the committee the force was currently trying to fill 134 police vacancies and had set a goal of being fully staffed by June 30 this year.

“The forecast at this stage, based on the current number of applications we are receiving, indicates that we are likely to be 40 or 50 below establishment by 30 June 2025 but that is a variable that we can’t control,” he said.

“We are aiming to be back to establishment (fully staffed) sometime during the second half of this financial year.”

The Opposition in May last year called for the government to immediately release the taskforce’s final report.

Opposition police spokesman Jack Batty questioned why the government would not make the report public given the police commissioner and SA Police supported the release.

A Government spokesperson said the government “will not be releasing the report”.

“It was prepared for consideration by cabinet and has informed the allocation of $334m in extra funding to SA Police over the last three years, and will continue to inform decisions about funding in the coming state budget,” they said.

“The additional funding allocated is getting more sworn officers into frontline roles, delivering new equipment and facilities, and is helping keep South Australians safe.”

The spokesperson said SA had the highest per capita rate of frontline officers compared to all other states in Australia.

The Police Association of SA declined to comment.

Originally published as Police Commissioner Grant Stevens supports release of secret government report