No. 1 Angas St opens

The Police Journal reported on the opening of the new police building at 1 Angas St, Adelaide. It quoted a retired officer as saying: “I never thought I would live to see the day when the police would be provided with the proper equipment to do their job. When I went through the place I was amazed.”

SAPOL opened the building for “personnel and their wives” to inspect it over two days in March and two in April.

Pension fund

The Police Journal published amendments and regulations to the Police Pension Act. A constable’s pension payment was to be £570 per annum.

Cadets

Course 1 returned to Fort Largs on Monday March 29 for its final phase of training. At the time, a total 350 cadets were attached to SAPOL.

Annual leave increased

After two applications to the Industrial Court, 12 months of negotiations and a change of government, the Police Association won the battle to increase members’ annual leave from 28 to 35 days.

Meeting with new Premier

Association and union secretaries met new Premier Frank Walsh and his cabinet ministers on March 31. The Police Association considered that Mr Walsh had, in opposition, done all he could to “further our aims”.

Police canteen

The police canteen moved into the basement at No. 1 Angas St. Members were able to gain access to it by a ramp on the western side of the building.

Chief Secretary’s visit

Chief Secretary Shard visited the Police Club to meet the Police Association executive committee.

Scholarships

Sixteen SA Police Benevolent Fund education scholarships had been awarded since they were introduced in 1961. Commissioner John McKinna presented Irena Oxley, Stephen Sykes, Margaret Swaine, Carol Morrison, Christopher Johnson and Sandra O’Brien with scholarships on March 23. The recipients were entitled to £25 for the first year and £30 for the second.

Vale

Well known watch house sergeant, Harry Alwyn Goldfinch, died in a private hospital on April 9.

Summer uniform up north

From a Police Association committee meeting came a recommendation for members working north of Port Augusta to wear summer uniforms for 12 months of the year.

Life membership

The Police Association awarded Hector Gollan life membership for his 10 years’ continuous service and his work as president and vice-president.

Committee elections

Police Association committee elections resulted in wins for: Jennings, Walsh, Phillips, Lovegrove, Samuels, Rice, Wohlenberg and Teague.

Vale

First Grade Sergeant Clarence Cyril Fleming died on February 5, 1975. He had joined SAPOL in 1925, worked in uniform and plain clothes, and retired on June 30, 1962.

Police Club emblem

The Police Association opened a design competition to create a Police Club emblem. Members and associate members were invited to submit “a suitable emblem or crest (of a) size...somewhere between a 5 cent and 10 cent coin”.

Office supervisor

The Police Association decided that, to meet member requests and provide a better service, it would employ a part-time office supervisor to “allow the secretary (and) members of committee to visit all country and suburban stations”.

Uniform

The Police Journal reported that the Police Association’s recent delegates’ conference had recommended to committee that it should “negotiate a change to the issue of uniform”.

Field officer

The Commissioner announced his support for the long-term secondment of a suitable member to the position of Police Association field officer.

Retirements

Retiring from SAPOL and therefore resigning from the Police Association in March were:

• Detective Sergeant Ron Thoms.
• Senior Constable KL Fletcher.
• AD Bethune.
• Constable IW Hewett.
• Sergeant JJ Healy.
• Cliff Mitchell.
• Jock G McLeod.
• Senior Constable CR Zadow.
• Chief Superintendent WB Budd.
• Gerald M Dillon.
• Detective Sergeant RD Blight.

38-hour week

The Police Journal reported that, to bring about the introduction of a 38-hour week for SA police officers, negotiations had begun with the government.

Pokies

The Police Club announced that it had installed 12 poker machines.

Sack on suspicion

Police Association president, Peter Alexander, asserted that SAPOL’s submission for amendments to the Police Act and Police Regulations was a “source of grave concern”. The Commissioner had requested the power to dismiss police officers on suspicion of wrongdoing.

Prosecuting cops

Private prosecutions: a new foe was the Police Journal cover story for April. Brett Williams reported on the “capacity of private citizens to prosecute individual police officers...”

Retirements

Retiring from SAPOL and therefore resigning from the Police Association were:

• Major Crime Task Force detective sergeant, James R Munro.
• Water Police senior constable, Max Bell.

Retiring homicide investigator, Senior Sergeant Allen Arthur, told The Advertiser that, in many cases “we know or strongly suspect who committed the crime, but simply do not have enough evidence of the standard necessary (for) the Supreme Court”.

User-pays scheme

The Liberal Government announced its intention to propose a user-pays police scheme for such public events as football matches and concerts.