May 1999 Volume 80 Number 6 "serving the protectors"
Editorial
By Andy Dunn  editor@pasa.asn.au

Protect The Protectors

Attorney-General Trevor Griffin recently refused to compensate a dedicated cop - who suffered extensive eye damage during a Hindley St brawl and has angered the public and the entire police community.

The devotion to duty which Senior Constable Mark Jackman displayed - when he risked and sustained bodily injury - is now on the public record. On his behalf, the Police Association appealed to the Attorney-General not to refuse Jackman compensation - an act which is within the Attorney’s power.

The Attorney-General’s denial of compensation has not only earned him the wrath of some within his own party, but also caused Jackman further, needless anguish.

Perhaps one should never be surprised by the blatant insensitivity of politicians’ decisions. Another police officer - shot during a siege at Whyalla during the mid-’80s - was denied compensation by the then Attorney-General, Chris Sumner.

By every standard of human justice, Jackman should be compensated. This view is held by the public, the police and members of Attorney-General’s own party.

As the State’s top law officer, the Attorney-General has a sworn duty to uphold justice. Is justice being upheld for Jackman?

As Jackman has been quoted as saying: “You...want to know you’re protected.”

Police Association Not Appeased

The Police Journal was encouraged by Police Minister Robert Brokenshire’s announcement that 140 trainees will be recruited into Fort Largs over the coming fiscal year. And, it was indeed impressive - and appropriate - that the minister chose the Police Club to make his announcement.

Police and the public should be pleased that recruiting against attrition for the 1999-2000 year will now occur, but what of the accumulated deficit in police numbers for the years 1993 to 1999?

Mr Brokenshire and his party shouldn’t think that he has appeased the Police Association into silence. It will continue to appropriately lobby the Government to rectify the entire shortfall in police staffing.

No Comment

In my March editorial, I wrote of some police managers’ refusals to speak to the Police Journal. I also wrote that we would await their responses to interview requests post amendments to SAPOL’s general order on media releases.

After reading an article (Police expert dumped) in a recent Saturday newspaper (The Advertiser, 22.05.99), I realized that my wait-and-see approach needn’t continue.

Assistant Commissioner John White provided commentary for the Advertiser article, while a request from the Police Journal for commentary on the same issue was refused.

To the disadvantage of hundreds of police readers, SAPOL seems to be making “no comment” its standard response to the Police Journal.

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