March 1999 Volume 80 Number 3 "serving the protectors"
The right way to achieve Police Professional Registration
By By Terry Collins, CEO Police Federation of Australia

The Police Federation of Australia has taken a national approach to the professional development of police by establishing the Police Professional Registration Project which will be a vehicle for consultation across Australia and hopefully avoid the problems currently occurring with teachers in New South Wales.

The PFA is attempting to prevent the development of the police profession from becoming a government-controlled disciplinary system. The problems with the professional registration of teachers in New South Wales are an example of the wrong way to establish a professional body.

That is why the PFA took the initiative and has obtained federal government funding of $110,000 to employ a team of consultants. This team will work with the PFA and police jurisdictions across Australia to establish a model for adoption by state or federal territory governments, which will be based on independent professional co-operation and control by all stakeholders in the police profession.

Articles in the Daily Telegraph (Sydney) and the Sydney Morning Herald in November 1998 highlighted the need for consultation and co-operation before any legislation is introduced.

The New South Wales Teachers’ Federation supports professional registration yet they oppose this legislation because of apparent bias in its structure.

In 1996 the PFA adopted a blueprint for the professional development of policing (see below) which includes a professional registration board. The PFA is the employee representative body responsible for the development of the police profession in Australia.

The PFA is a member of the Australian Police Education Standards Council and the Public Safety-Industry Training Advisory Board. Through these organizations we have made considerable progress toward the attainment of full professional status for police.

The PFA will play a vital role in the development of a police profession that members can have confidence in and will accept as an improvement in their working lives rather than reject as just another disciplinary body.

ACN 003 099 125 Next close of enrolment 12 April 1999 See the current issue of PASA Journal for more details or contact Meg at UNE Partnerships Pty Ltd. PO Box U199. University of New England NSW 2351. Australia Tel: (02) 6771 1097 Facsimile: (02) 6772 5230 Email: megganm@unep.northnet.com.au The Education & Training Company of the University of New England