June 2000 Volume 81 Number 6 "serving the protectors"

Medal Issue

Dear Andy

I was very interested to read the letter (Long-Service Medal, Police Journal, April 2000) from Brian Brealy of Nuriootpa regarding what was then called the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.

I joined the police force in May, 1953, and I believed (and still do) that after 22 years’ continuous service I was entitled to receive my medal in May, 1975. I believe that it was after that date that the medal was discontiued and replaced by the 15-year medal which was also issued to members of the fire brigade and others.

Like Brian, I would like to know if anything has been done to rectify this matter.

Kind regards
WL Burns
Ex-sergeant

National Library Seeks Police Officers

The Editor

The Australian Government has asked the National Library to conduct a rounded history of the separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families. The library has completed a one-year feasibility study and is now engaged in a three-year programme to record interviews with both indigenous and non-indigenous persons concerned with this important period in our history.

The National Library would like to record the experiences and opinions of retired or serving police officers in all states and territories who could contribute to this important national record.

We would also like to hear from persons who may know of retired or serving police officers who should be invited to take part in this project.

All persons who agree to be interviewed will receive a copy of their recording and a printed transcript, and will have the right to determine conditions of access to their interview.

Please contact the project manager, Ms Doreen Mellor, at the National Library in Canberra on 1-800 353 907, fax 02 6273 5081, e-mail dmellor@nla.gov.au.

Postal address: Ms Doreen Mellor, Project Manager, Bringing Them Home Oral History Project, National Library of Australia, Canberra ACT 2600.

Regards
Doreen Mellor
Project Manager

Country Sergeants Under-Resourced

The aim of this letter is primarily to make the Police Association aware of the inequities in sergeant rank in the country areas in comparison to patrol sergeant positions in metropolitan LSAs.

I hope this information will be used in any future enterprise bargaining discussions and make the association aware of the problems that country LSAs are having due to their not being resourced, as are the metropolitan LSAs.

I will describe the list of duties carried out by team sergeants, of which there are five at Whyalla - currently there are only four due to the recent selection to another position of one of the incumbents:

Sergeant 1 Traffic policing co-ordinator, drug exhibit manager, prisoner register audits, Sea Rescue Squadron liaison/co-ordinator.

Sergeant 2 Fleet management, government property audits, station roster manager, assets management.

Sergeant 3 (vacant, performed by a senior constable) Coroner’s files management, information technology, disaster planning/manager.

Sergeant 4 General exhibits/found property manager.

Sergeant 5 APs/PIR audits, performance appraisal co-ordinator, information/technology lecturer/co-ordinator.

As you can see, we all have plenty to do, with managing a patrol team of seven members, on average, two on each team being probationary constables, managing the cells, as there is no station sergeant, and also being involved in supervision of the front office. Don’t think for one minute that the situation at Whyalla is unique. Any country LSA headquarters station would be similar.

Now that the performance of each member is being closely scrutinized, don’t be surprised if the bean counters suddenly discover that, out there in the “bush”, there are plenty of sergeants and senior constables “doing nothing” - no RBT, traffic duties, not issuing ENs, not submitting PIRs or APs. Well, I’ll tell you why. It’s because we are doing the work of three and sometimes four people - and, yes, we have to represent the Commissioner at family conferences because, in many instances, the senior sergeants who are supposed to be youth officers really don’t give a toss about it.

You will see that those extra duties that we perform are really not part of our function unless you start looking at the new generic PIDs which, I admit, do include some of them - but tell me how many patrols sergeants in the metropolitan area go to work but spend most of their time in the cells, the property room, the front office, attending conferences, and all in the same day, and have to leave any vetting until the next day, hoping that it will be quieter and maybe they’ll do some real police work? Most of us are working under the older PIDs anyway, and they don’t really include the above additional duties, do they?

The real issue here is that, with country housing no longer attractive, who is really going to want to come to these places where you have to be really multi-skilled and prepared to be criticized if and when the bean counter says: “What have you been doing for the past three months?”

And will there be equity in the financial reimbursement of country team sergeants who find themselves having more “non-core” work dumped on them because there just isn’t anybody else to charge prisoners, field the questions from station staff, return the found bicycle or take the prisoner to court?

We’ll have to wait and see, I guess, but my warning to all country-based persons that read this and nod their heads is: go and discuss you current range of duties with your boss and impress upon him or her that you should really be concentrating on “core functions” only.

Oh, and wait and see how the taxation office treats your subsidized housing rental when you get your group certificate in a few months.

See you in the bush
Mick Richards

Effective Applications

Most within policing aspire to promotion at some time in their careers. Some pursue promotion relentlessly while others seemingly throw their caps in the ring and keep their fingers crossed. Two things are for certain: there appears to be no consistent manner of completing applications and very little instruction on how best to answer the requirements of each of the key selection criteria (KSC). As food for thought, I offer the following.

Whatever you do, don’t make claims you can’t substantiate. And, if you are going to name someone as a referee for verification of a claim, use serving police officers whenever possible, as they are easier for the selection advisory committee (SAC) to contact and add weight to your claim. It is probably not the wisest decision to nominate dead people as referees, as I am aware some applicants have.

Every application has, as its first KSC, a requirement for the applicant to be of good conduct and display integrity. Short-listed applicants have mandatory “integrity” checks completed on them anyway, but your application should give examples of how you display your good conduct and integrity in your every-day life. I would argue that all police have integrity or they shouldn’t be in the job. Applicants shouldn’t get carried away with examples of how many times they haven’t been tempted to steal something at the scene of a break.

KSC2 is the vision, mission, leadership charter blurb and would be best demonstrated by those who have actually read these statements. Trust me, if you haven’t even read these statements, you are pushing it uphill to try and prove that you have a commitment to the principles contained therein. Provide examples as to how you work toward presenting SAPOL as a modern, motivated, progressive and professional organization. The leadership charter has eight key points, each of which is worthy of individual comment by way of example.

KSC3 is the occupational health, safety and welfare area. Are you an OHSW representative? Have you undertaken any study in this area? Have you submitted PD77s? What were the results? Do you participate in your workplace consultative committee meetings? Is occupational health, safety and welfare addressed at these meetings? How pro-active are you in your workplace on this matter?

What do you actually do apart from every-day OHSW requirements?

KSC4 requires you to provide evidence of your knowledge and commitment to equal opportunity. Equity and Diversity Unit manager, Supt Fred Trueman, has commented on how to demonstrate this KSC. If you haven’t seen his January 2000 report regarding equity and diversity, use your problem-solving skills, do a bit of lateral thinking and get hold of a copy. Guys, don’t rely on the fact that you might be married to a woman, have daughters, or have worked with women police to attempt to prove that you are committed to EO. You don’t get a tick against EO for such a trite response.

Most positions also have a requirement to demonstrate a commitment to community policing programmes. Study the Police Gazette of December 15, 1999, for what constitutes a community policing programme. Make sure you can verify your claims as it is very easy to check with the Blue Light state co-ordinator or the Neighbourhood Watch administrator to find out who’s stretching the truth about helping on discos or camps, or being a “deputy” NW co-ordinator.

I invite applicants to use these suggestions as they please. No matter how they prepare applications, however, they should be aware that they can’t rely on getting an interview in which they hope to dazzle the SAC with their brilliance. Applicants should sell their abilities and potential for the particular position, without exaggerating their capabilities. They should ensure they have done more than make wide, non-specific, generalized claims, such as: “I have a proven, demonstrated knowledge, understanding and commitment of...” without any examples or depth to such claims.

Applications should be easy for the SAC to read (small type tires the eyes). Applicants should always have someone proof-read their applications. No points are won for misspelt words or sentences that don’t tell the reader anything, especially when claims of excellent written communication skills are made. Proof-readers should be asked to be brutally honest as to whether applications:

• Make sense.
• Adequately answer exactly what the KSC is asking.
• Raise more questions than they answer.

They should also be asked whether they consider applicants suited to the positions applied for.

Karen Robinson

The Individual Vote

Dear Andy

I am taking up Kevin Lawton’s challenge (Police Journal, The Readout, May 2000) to discuss the subject of proportional representation within PASA. I see the introduction of proportional representation as leading our association down the path of entrenched factionalism and the election of powerful branch interest groups.

The current system of election for the executive committee and executive positions is the “first-past-the-post” system. Some would criticize this as being nothing more than a popularity contest and reading between the lines I think this is the thrust of Lawton’s argument.

I see the current system as being a better system than what Lawton is proposing. As it stands the election of a member to the executive committee is influenced by some very loose organizational ties. In explaining this - a person who nominates from the investigation branch is going to know the industrial issues which affect the members within this structure and will receive a high number of votes from within this area. This voting pattern is carried on within areas such as traffic, patrols, country, administration, etc. I want to emphasize the “loose-ties” aspect of this. These are not binding and by no means influential on any member’s vote. The member retains the individuality of his or her vote exclusive of any association or faction.

The introduction of proportional representation would see the end of this individuality and the division of unity within our association. Ross McMullin, in his book The Light On The Hill - which is a history of the Australian Labor Party - puts proportional representation as the starting point of entrenched factionalism within the ALP: “The adoption of proportional representation to determine the composition of the party’s most important decision-making bodies accelerated the development of factionalism.”

“The ALP is one thing but our association is another,” I can hear you say. If proportional representation was adopted it would see the development of powerful branches and factions. I argue it has no other option considering the process of election that proportional representation creates. For example, if you wanted to stand for a position within the executive you need to get the numbers for election. This means canvassing votes, currying favour with factional power brokers, showing your worth by putting you hand up on their command and toeing the branch’s line.

If the northern branch is more organized and factionally stronger than the southern branch it will organize more votes and win the seat at the executive table. The development of dual-ticket candidates and elections fought on individual branch issues will occur. This is guaranteed to lead to internal brawls or sweetheart deals between branches. The individual is dead and the branch puppet is created.

I have painted a gloomy picture of proportional representation but I believe the membership needs to hear the other side of the argument as posited by Lawton. Don’t be fooled into believing this is a better system and fairer to the membership. It puts the election of members in the hands of branch heads and organized factional deal makers.

Furthermore I find it repugnant that if I don’t agree with proportional representation that I am “motivated by self-interest”. This petulant attitude smacks of the very argument I have raised on power brokers and factional interests. Long live the individual vote and the solidarity of the Police Association. Beware of the branch puppet.

Jason Squire
Constable, 3640/9
Adelaide Enquiries

PASAweb   Index & Search   Top of Page   Comments   Email to Editor

The Police Journal Online is an official publication of the Police Association of South Australia and is published monthly. Editors of kindred publications can seek permission from the Editor to re-publish any Police Journal Online article. Copyright 1999  The Police Association of South Australia sustance