September 2000 Volume 81 Number 9 "serving the protectors"
Straight to the Point
By Trevor Haskell  PASA Executive Committee Member

Holiday Home Review

The Police Association is a very successful union at an industrial level and in the services it has provided for its members. The association is also involved in what might be classed business or corporate activities. The two main areas for this business activity are the publishing of the Police Journal and the running of the Police Club. There is always a need to review the types of services that are provided. Both the journal and the club have been reviewed in recent years.

Another benefit which falls into both the business and service categories is the Police Association holiday homes. While they are clearly a service they are also a business that requires considerable staff time, management and maintenance to ensure they do not unnecessarily create costs to the wider membership.

In the association’s 1999 survey, there was very clear evidence that those who use the homes are very satisfied with them (87% high satisfaction of those who had used the service). Of those who had used the service, the country-member usage was significantly higher than the metro (50% to 32%). While this service would not be the big-ticket item for most members, about 50% listed it as having some importance.

The committee has recently been debating the holiday home service. There is some frustration about the provision of the service. Some of the behaviour that leads to the frustration includes members booking them for non-members; damage due to misuse; damage not reported; and pets allowed inside homes.

The homes have not traditionally covered their running costs. However, they do capital gain - some significantly so.

Where to from here?

The committee has debated this issue regularly. There is a need to consider the continued provision of this service. Do we continue the status quo and absorb the running costs into the general membership costs? Do we charge more to cover the running costs? Do we free up staff time by putting the running out to a management group - at increased cost to users? Do we keep some and get rid of the least cost-effective houses? If we sell off the less cost-effective, do we purchase new properties and, if so, where? What of the history of the old stations, Blinman and Penneshaw - are they worth anything to us? Do we get unit-style accommodation rather than house-style? Do we get out of the holiday home market altogether?

The issue will be on the annual conference agenda in October. Branches need to discuss the issue and conference delegates need to debate it at the conference.

Information USA

Some time ago the welfare office became part of the mailing list of the USA National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund Inc. Initially, I scanned the quarterly news letters without great interest but, over time, I have pondered the amount of news this group provides. In the spring 2000 edition it looks at the “Century of Sacrifice”, a review of the law enforcement deaths in the United States of America. During the past century 14,000 law enforcement officers were killed. The 1970s was the worst decade with an average of 222 police officers killed each year.

Since that time there has been a steady decline in officer deaths. The Memorial Fund chairman, Craig Floyd, is quoted as putting this down to improved equipment and training, and the increased wearing of bullet-resistant vests. Firearms were the cause of nearly 7,000 deaths, with traffic accidents second at 4,000. The first year in which automobile deaths (47) was higher than firearm deaths (45) was 1999.

National Police Week is an annual event (May) and includes activities such as: church services, candlelight vigils (15,000 attendees), motorcycle rides and a 50km relay.

The memorial is also trying to establish a federally-supported law enforcement museum.

The memorial is situated at 605 E Street, NW, Washington, DC. The web site is www.nleomf.com.

The national focus and database provides useful statistical information, and it is something that we could do as a national focus in Australia.

The July shooting death of a Queensland officer makes me ponder our stats in recent times - are our deaths on the decrease or increase? Where do the risks lie?

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 2000  The Police Association of South Australia sustance