Mar 2001 Volume 82 Number 3 "serving the protectors"

South Australia’s valued police officers: public opinion

The community’s rating of police officers’ honesty and ethical standards is of vital importance. So, how does the South Australian community rate its police?

I can happily report the answer as “very highly”.

The Morgan poll has measured public opinion for more than 50 years. An Australia-wide professional ethics and honesty survey conducted last October showed an overwhelming majority of respondents regard Australian police as having “high” or “very high” ethical standards.

South Australian respondents ranked police at 82 per cent (up 11 per cent) for honesty and ethics.

Australians have, for the seventh consecutive year, ranked nurses highest in respect of honesty and professional ethics.

Car salesmen retained the dubious honour of the lowest ranking for honesty and ethics.

Those professions that experienced the most significant declines were bank managers (26 per cent, down 7 per cent), lawyers (29 per cent, down 5 per cent) and business executives (17 per cent, down 5 per cent).

SAPOL, as part of its core strategy, seeks community respect, trust and confidence. In respect of this strategy, the poll results indicate a high level of achievement.

Police work is, by nature, an arduous occupation. It imposes extreme accountability and responsibility on all those men and women who practice it. In light of this, the poll results reflect the greatest of credit on South Australia’s clearly valued police officers.

Peter Alexander     President  

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