August 2000 Volume 81 Number 8 "serving the protectors"
The Last Shift

Dear Peter

I wish to cancel my membership with the Police Association due to my resignation from the police force, last day of service June 30, 2000.

I thank the police department for giving me the opportunity of being a police officer for the past 14 years, but I have chosen to leave and be a full-time mother to my three young children.

Thank you and goodbye to everyone I have worked with, I will cherish the memories.

Sonia Nankivell (nee Murch)
Constable 5208/7
Mount Gambier

Dear Peter

I hereby tender my resignation from the Police Association from July 5, 2000. Thanks for your support over the years and may I wish you all the best for the future.

Yours sincerely
JD Litster
Assistant Commissioner
Operations Support Service

Dear Andy

Please accept my resignation from the Police Association of South Australia due to my retirement from the South Australia Police, effective July 5, 2000.

After 39 years I leave the job and wish all members who I have worked with all the best for the future.

Yours sincerely
Greg Bailey
Mounted

Dear Andy

I hereby tender my resignation due to my retirement from SAPOL effective July 6, 2000. I wish all the members with whom I have had contact over the last 34 years the best for their remaining time in SAPOL, especially those with whom I’ve had contact at Tea Tree Gully, my last posting.

Of all the experiences I’ve had over these years it has been hard to forget April 1, 1969, when a particular cadet at the time rang the fire bells at an early hour of the morning at the police academy. He was informing us that we had to get up and round up the police horses that had got out during the night. Being April Fool’s Day nobody believed him and told him so.

It was a short time later that then Superintendent Meldrum was heard to roar, “Get up.” To everyone’s amazement the police horses were running around everywhere having left the evidence of their frolicking in the newly planted lawns around the classroom blocks. Some enjoyed their freedom in the surrounding streets.

As I continue my daily activities I’m sure I will see many of you in the future.

Allan Wylie
Ex-Sergeant
Tea Tree Gully

Dear Andy

Please accept my resignation from the Police Association effective July 12, 2000, following my retirement from SAPOL.

I, like many others, have looked forward to the day when I could write this letter and tell those at the top what I really thought, but now the time has come I just can’t be bothered. Suffice to say that I hope those who decided the Focus 21 issues get what they deserve. I can’t get over the feeling that I have been “pushed” when what I really wanted to do, when the time arrived, was “jump”.

I have spent the majority of my 37-plus years in the job in the Accident Investigation area - a total of 31 years. I thank the people remaining in that area for their friendship and camaraderie. May they continue to do the fine work that they are known for, but which has gone relatively unappreciated.

I intend to continue working by operating my accident investigation/reconstruction consultancy for a few years yet and, as a result, may run into one or two of you in the future.

May I wish you and all members all the best for the future.

Yours sincerely
Andy Mitton
Senior Sergeant 883/3

Dear Andy

Having retired from SAPOL on July 12, 2000, I hereby tender my resignation from the Police Association effective the same date.

I wish all members well for the future.

Regards
Peter Antoney
Elizabeth LSA

Andy

I hereby tender my resignation from the Police Association of SA effective July 12, 2000, that by being my last day of service with the South Australia Police. I have often sat and pondered what masterpiece of literature I could submit in The Last Shift. My initial gut feeling is to submit a story full of vitriol and vehemence directed towards those who I feel are deserving of it. However, due to current South Australian libel laws and not wishing to give the ignorant the pleasure, I have decided to be objective and constructive with my comments on this auspicious occasion.

So where do I go from here - I have promised numerous of my comrades that I would write a letter worthy of reading. I have been encouraged by many to give the organization a spray, however, I believe that the organization is not a problem within itself. I believe it is fundamentally flawed individuals who are specifically the problem.

There are two crucial issues to address:

Morale - There is an enormous problem with morale within this organization. The rank and file operational police officer has never felt more alienated from management at any other time that I have been aware of in the last two decades. I recently received e-mail from approximately 120 police officers with comments about my resignation. The most senior rank was senior sergeant and the most junior was a second-year constable. Every e-mail had either expressed or underlying issues about the way the organization is going and a desire to move onto some other venture. If I were to conduct a straw pole of an organization numbering 3,500 and received these comments from 120, I would consider that there are serious problems about how police perceive their worth to this organization.

Leadership - In my days lecturing in justice delivery, I commended students to the reading of Australian Policing, Contemporary Issues by Chappell and Wilson. One chapter in this book was written by Jim Munro, Managing Police Agencies in the 1980s and Beyond. In this article Munro identifies traits of the entrepreneurial police leader:

• An intense communicator.
• Have a substantial bias towards action.
• An openness to experimentation.
• Tolerance of failure.
• Be people rather than systems orientated.

This book was first published in 1989. Now, in 2000, we can identify that the perceived roles have changed. Most decisions by leaders are based on how that decision will affect their own future prospects. There is little communication and appointments are made based on who knows what criteria. The bullies are out in force, and to quote WAG Morris: “We are in the ‘60s with some issues.”

Comments attributed to senior officers to those who choose to have a differing opinion are:

• “Shut up and just do as you are told.”
• “Be thankful you have got a job.”
• “If you don’t like it then leave.”
• “Have you thought about resigning.”
• “That is a pretty negative perspective.”

Whether managers like it or not, they are not ordained in their position. There are contrary views and people subordinate to them with superior specialist knowledge. Wake up and smell the roses. Some of you in this organization are destroying it by your individual blind ambition. Consider this comment on leadership by Baron von Stueben at Valley Forge during the US War of Independence:

The first object of the leader should be to gain the love of his men by treating them with every possible kindness and humanity, inquiring into their complaints, and, when well founded, seeing them redressed. He should know every man in his company by name and character. He should often visit those who are sick, speak tenderly to them, see that the public provision, whether of medicine or diet, is duly administered, and procure them besides such comforts and conveniences as are in his power.

Dated perhaps, but food for thought for those who profess to be leaders.

To all the police officers who I have worked with in some positive fashion during my time as a police officer, I thank you and wish you well. I am off to a new and exciting venture to which I will commit myself 200 per cent.

Those of you who were my friends will know where to get in touch and are always welcome to drop in. To the others, whom I have specifically chosen not to write about, I will forget about you at the stroke of midnight on Wednesday, July 12, 2000. Fear not comrades - the dark clouds will eventually roll away and things will get better.

Finally, I have had the opportunity to serve under four different commissioners in my time and wish to publicly acknowledge and thank Mr David Hunt for the impact he had on policing in this state and my career in particular.

To the Police Association, continue to fight the good fight. You have become the thin blue line.

Goodbye and good luck
Chris Jones
Elizabeth Traffic

Dear Andy

Please accept my resignation from the Police Association due to retirement. My last day of service is July 14, 2000.

I thank all those with whom I have served and wish everyone the best for the future.

Yours sincerely
Peter R Marshall
Detective Senior Sergeant

Dear Peter

Due to my early retirement on July 19, 2000, I advise you of my resignation from the Police Association of SA, which will be effective on that date.

I thank you and committee members for all your efforts over the years with regard to our wage and award conditions.

Reduced police numbers, coupled with continuous changes and uncertainty has caused much stress and low moral within the rank and file. I wish you every success as you continue your efforts to improve this totally unacceptable situation.

Until the last few years I have enjoyed my career in SAPOL and I extend my best wishes and regards to all members who I have been privileged to work with.

(Ernie) Roy Parkyn
Sergeant 1876/2

Dear Andy

I tender my resignation from the Police Association of South Australia effective July 21, 2000, this being my last day of service.

To the many friends and associates whom I have known throughout my career, I say thank you for the privilege and a very special thank you to those who have supported my decision to embark on a new career. The training, experience and skills acquired throughout my 23 years of service have placed me in a unique position where I have had the fortune to take up an offer within the private sector. This new position offers far greater personal reward and provides the opportunity to control my own decision-making and destiny. It is my intention to keep in contact with the many good people I have worked with.

Iain Davidson
Inspector 2141/2

Dear Andy

I wish to tender my resignation from the Police Association effective on Wednesday July 26, 2000 due to my retirement from SAPOL.

I acknowledge the many friends I have made over my 38 years with SAPOL, in particular my hard-working and dedicated team who formed the Traffic Safety and Promotion team until the end of 1999 and the people who supported us with sponsorship and friendship over the years.

My years of involvement with traffic have brought many rewards and certainly many friends and I leave the job feeling very satisfied with what I achieved.

Best wishes to all.

David Hearn
Sergeant 515/1

Dear Sir

Please accept my resignation from the Police Association due to my retirement on July 26, 2000.

After 41 years it is time to move over for the younger people.

My entire service since 1964 has been in rural, remote and regional areas of the State and the time has been most enjoyable.

I will be pursuing a career full-time in local government in my role as Mayor of Whyalla and I can assure you that you will hear me more frequently than you have in the last three years.

Let me also assure you that with my association with government and the powerful local government network behind me I will be a passionate advocate for law and order and the rights of country people to enjoy the same level of policing that is experienced by people in the metropolitan area. The working conditions of all members and the maintenance of the present numbers of country police stations will also be at the top of my agenda.

Retirement to me will be taking on a more demanding role but it is something far more challenging than I have been doing for the last five or six years and being recognized for the commitment one makes to the community by that community is far more rewarding than the recognition one receives from SAPOL.

Keep up the good work with your excellent representations on behalf of the members and to all those coming along behind me, don’t despair, keep up the dedication and, above all, maintain your pride and belief in yourselves.

John Smith
Whyalla

Dear Andy

Please accept my resignation from the Police Association effective August 1, 2000, this being my last day of service due to my retirement.

After 36 years there was just one too many organizational changes (Focus 21) and I decided it was time for me to depart for greener pastures, namely retirement. I am not going to whinge about what is right or wrong with the department as there have been more eloquent writers than me who have had their say on the matter, and I don’t think that what I have to say will matter much.

I say thanks to all those members with whom I have had contact during this time and wish all those who are just starting their careers all the best in the future.

I pass on my thanks to you and all the association committee who have put in a lot of work and effort for the members, some of whom don’t always realize just how much work you do put in on their behalf.

My special thanks and appreciation to all the members of the Port Adelaide Traffic Section with whom I have worked over the past 11 years. They made life very interesting, never dull or boring, and without their humour and good will it would have been difficult to last as long as I have in this job.

Yours truly
AJ Headon

Dear Peter

After having enjoyed a diverse police career that has spanned 42-plus years, I have decided to retire. My separation date will be August 12, 2000. Please accept my resignation from the Police Association, effective that date. I wish you well in your future endeavours.

Regards
FG (Geoff) Edwards
948/7
Commander
Strategic Development Branch

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