May 2001 Volume 82 Number 5 "serving the protectors"

Post-shooting support

Dear Andy

Recently my team was involved in the fatal shooting of a person at Para Hills. Prior to this incident, I had read many articles and heard stories regarding the lack of concern shown by the hierarchy of our department when these types of instances occur. From first-hand experience, I now know this is not true. Immediately after the incident and continuing thereafter, senior personnel were supportive, comforting and compassionate.

Through the SA Police Journal, I would like to pass on my thanks to a number of people who provided support to us through this traumatic time. Firstly, I have nothing but praise for Deputy Commissioner McKenzie (thanks for the donation towards the beer and pizza – it was appreciated), Assistant Commissioner Brown, Superintendent Clark and Chief Inspector Pit, who all came to the Salisbury Police Station and spoke to all members and showed genuine concern for their welfare and general wellbeing.

This contact and concern has continued since the incident. I know this support from the senior staff has been greatly appreciated by all of us and assisted everybody during the healing process. Our thanks to you, Andy, for your support on the night and to Welfare Section, which has been magnificent.

I would also like to thank all of the members who attended the address on the night and assisted me with the running of the incident. I could not have done it without you. Lastly, I would thank all of the members who contacted us and offered their support. To name all of you would take the rest of this journal.

On behalf of the whole team, thanks again.

Peter Watson
Salisbury Patrols

Policing East Timor

The editor

I have just completed my fourth month of a six-month deployment to East Timor as part of South Australia's commitment to the fifth detachment, AustCivPol, UNTAET (United Nations Transitional Administration East Timor) for peacekeeping duties.

At home, I am a senior constable at Henley Beach police station, however, over here I am the only Australian among seven police officers, who include one Kenyan superintendent, two Sri Lankan inspectors, two Jordanian captains and one Vanuatu corporal. I perform the duties of officer-in-charge of the station, administration officer, community police officer, investigator, computer teacher, interpreter, mechanic, doctor, ambulance driver (using the police vehicle), surveyor, road builder, police station renovator and English teacher.

I am posted to the town of Vemasse on the northern side of the island and three hours east of Dili (39km west of Baucau). Vemasse is a burnt out village of similar size to Tailem Bend and straddling the main road to Baucau. The buildings fronting the road are concrete, with the remainder of the village wooden huts with palm leaf roofs. Vemasse is one of the hottest areas on the island. The temperature is about 38 degrees and 90 per cent humidity, with the night-time being hotter and more humid than the day.

Vemasse has no power or running water, except from irrigation ditches. There is no mobile telephone system outside landline or e-mail in my area, which prevents us calling home regularly. We have light from kerosene lanterns and bathe in irrigation water. We are supplied bottled water for drinking only. We have no control over our postings with most state police officers being posted to remote areas. UNTAET also has no qualms about re-deploying personnel on short notice and against their wishes.

I live in a concrete, corrugated iron and wood hut with a dirt floor and no window glass with two Sri Lankan inspectors. Food is scarce so we often cook local food over kerosene or open fires. Food packages from home often arrive months after being sent. We have no privacy with the local people watching us when we bathe or use our toilet. The toilet is a ceramic hole in the ground.

We live among water buffalo, chickens, rats, dogs, pigs, goats, monkeys, snakes, lizards, scorpions, spiders, mosquitoes, and with fleas, tinea and diarrhoea being regular problems. Our clothes are washed in the irrigation ditch with the water buffalo.

We perform normal taskings, including investigations into disturbances, assaults, thefts and the occasional unusual death.

There is daily violence towards police in Dili, with riots commonplace. Injuries among police are common, with rock throwing at members being the "national sport". Most local males carry machetes. In smaller towns, this violence towards police is less frequent.

We work a 12-hour day with six days off every 30 we work. This frequently extends to more than 30 days due to difficulties in maintaining manpower levels.

As the community police officer, I am involved in "village law", which is similar to Aboriginal law within South Australia's remote areas. I have been required to deliver babies, treat serious wounds from farming implements and settle village disputes as "preventative policing". The result of an unsettled dispute occasionally results in the killing of a person. Village meetings generally involve sitting for multiple days listening to an unfamiliar language and, if a solution is found, feasting afterwards on local cuisine. This cuisine includes dog and water buffalo and refusal to partake can be offensive.

I am responsible for six sub-villages to which access is gained in four-wheel-drive vehicle along rugged, muddy mountain tracks. We are often required to stand knee-deep in leech-infested mud winching our vehicles free. Many times, we are only able to determine our location by compass.

In my 19 years of policing, I have never experienced a more rewarding posting.

Many people have applied for this deployment, and those who have been lucky enough to be selected have all agreed that, "going for the money only", is not worth it. One must have some other motivation for deploying here, as six months under often trying conditions can be an extremely long time if money is the sole factor for applying.

The United Nations has recently reduced the daily living allowance with a further 25 per cent reduction rumoured after the August election. There is also talk in East Timor of a tax being levied on peacekeepers' wages by the new East Timorese government. The price of living is increasing, particularly in Dili. Taking these considerations into account, the "extra" money earned here will soon be much less.

However, if living under filthy conditions and working in unusual circumstances, with limited food and water, no privacy an absence of other Australians and a diminishing financial reward does not sound that bad, then I can only recommend this posting.

I am being re-deployed to Dili next week for the duration of my mission in anticipation of pre-election demonstrations and riots.

David Chamberlain
Senior Constable, 1631/7
Henley Beach police station
Senior Sergeant, CP 2148
AustCivPol
United Nations Transitional Administration East Timor

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