August 2000 Volume 81 Number 8 "serving the protectors"
By John Ballantyne

Long-Serving Police
HONOURED

hirty-seven retiring police officers and their spouses attended a dinner held in their honour in the Adelaide Hilton’s banquet room on June 30.

The dinner - which was sponsored by the Police Credit Union - is part of a PASA tradition which goes back more than 50 years.

The evening started with the internationally-acclaimed SA Police Band striking up a rousing rendition of Waltzing Matilda and then performing a medley of famous band classics. (During August the band will be heading off overseas to perform at the prestigious millennium Edinburgh Military Tattoo.)

Master of ceremonies, PASA secretary, Andy Dunn, then opened the formal part of the evening. He said that the high attendance of the annual dinner was an indication of the high esteem and affection in which the retiring police officers were held.

PASA president, Peter Alexander, then spoke on what he called the “police family”, and commended the unique ways in which police look after each other, through such practices as the sharing of sick-leave.

The so-called “police culture”, said Alexander, was a much misunderstood term. In SA, he said, the police enjoyed an especially close relationship with the community and, in turn, had a level of credibility which he believed was the best in the country.

PASA deputy president, Nick Pippos, then introduced as a special guest speaker, Police Minister Robert Brokenshire.

Brokenshire praised the retiring members, as well as police generally. He spoke of the enormous sacrifices police routinely make, such as having to work irregular and unusual hours, and thus often not being able to attend family events such as school sports days. Brokenshire spoke particularly highly of police spouses and of the sacrifices they too have to share.

Proposing a toast to the retiring members, Commissioner Mal Hyde compared police to the Salvation Army. Like the Salvation Army, he said, “police are always there at the worst moments in people’s lives... for victims of crimes, such as robbery, rape, domestic violence, and accidents.”

He quoted Major-General Peter Cosgrove’s recent praise for the role of ordinary people in the Australian army during the recent East Timor crisis. In a similar vein, Hyde praised those ordinary people in the ranks of the SA police who had given the force such credibility.

Retiring senior sergeant, Ken Garvie - who had completed 37 years in SAPOL - responded on behalf of retiring members to Hyde’s toast.

He recalled his own country origins and the career change which brought him to the city in 1963. “What a culture shock that was!” he said. “They promised they’d make me thin. They promised they’d make me fit. They promised they’d make a copper out of me.”

In those days, when Garvie was assigned to various country postings, police resources were very primitive. He recalled attending a head-on accident in the state’s south east, with no equipment to speak of. Garvie felt that in those days the SA police, with their need to improvise, were genuine pioneers.

One thing that Garvie regretted about modern policing was the danger of the Police Complaints Authority demanding too great a degree of accountability from police. Inevitably, said Garvie, police will tend to be wary about getting too involved in difficult situations. Garvie offered some advice to younger police: “Beware of what you do, good or bad, because whatever you do is a headline.”

2,000 Years’ Experience

The Police Credit Union chairman, Peter Graham, spoke about the history of the PCU, which was started in 1970, and is owned by PASA members. Thirty years later, it is now the fourth biggest credit union in the state, and the 19th biggest in Australia, and in a very healthy position financially. “Not bad for a bunch of cops!” said Graham.

Looking around the Hilton banquet room at the assembled guests, Graham estimated that a total of 2000 years’ police experience was represented by the 65 members retiring this past financial year.

To help senior members, the PCU has developed special courses on how to use ATMs and Internet banking. The demand for these courses has been overwhelming.

Graham concluded: “When you retire and want financial advice, by all means shop around. But don’t forget to look in your own backyard.”

The evening concluded with Peter Alexander and Andy Dunn presenting the retiring members with special Police Association plaques to commemorate their years of service.

Each of the retiring members, on receiving a plaque, said a few words.

One especially moving highlight of the evening was the recognition of services to PASA by its former vice-president, the late Senior Sergeant David Neale, who died last October after a year-long battle with cancer.

Alexander recalled how Neale had stood at the forefront of every major PASA campaign of the last decade. He had been a strong debater, Alexander said, but with the capacity to listen to other people’s views.

In the mid-’90s Neale, with his gift for long-term strategic planning, saw the importance of national representation for police, and campaigned for the Police Federation of Australia’s federal registration. “All PASA members have benefited from this,” said Alexander.

A week before his death on October 28, Snr Sgt Neale was presented with Police Association life membership at a bedside ceremony in the Daw House Hospice. Only 20 members had received the award since 1911. A week after the ceremony, Neale died.

The public presentation of life membership, which could not be performed while Neale was alive, was performed posthumously at the Hilton dinner. On hand to receive the award from Peter Alexander and Andy Dunn were David Neale’s widow, Avis, his son, Clint, and daughter, Lorey, who had graduated from Fort Largs only a few days previously.

Life membership was also awarded to retiring Snr Sgt Ken Garvie for his many years of service to PASA.

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