August 1999 Volume 80 Number 8 "serving the protectors"
INAPPROPRIATE REGULATION

The Police Regulations - made pursuant to the new Police Act - are being debated by the South Australian Parliament.

Members would remember that, last year, the Police Association lobbied parliamentarians over certain aspects of the act, including:

• Contract employment.
• The loss of promotion appeals.
• Discipline procedures.

The association convinced the Opposition, Australian Democrats and independent members of the Legislative Council that the proposed act was not in the public interest. Appropriate amendments were subsequently made.

Now, the association holds a number of concerns about the proposed regulations. Of special concern is a regulation which would prohibit disclosure of any information by police officers to anyone outside the police force, except in the execution of police duty.

If allowed, this regulation would stop disclosure by police officers to any person outside of statutory office holders entitled to such disclosure. This would, in effect, build a wall around the South Australia Police.

The regulation would prohibit any interaction with members of Parliament relative to concerns about the police force. It would stop the normal industrial process and the expression of legitimate grievances relative to the SA Police. It could not be justified as being in the public interest.

Further, it would leave any police officer who expressed a legitimate grievance about management practices or policies liable to internal disciplinary action. Members expressing grievances to the association is a proper exercise of free speech.

This right to public discussion of industrial issues must be protected and should be reflected in the regulation.

The regulation includes information of any type. It is not restricted to information that would normally be confidential.

The regulation could be amended to allow for reasonable disclosure without jeopardizing appropriate police confidentiality.

The Police Association will continue lobbying to ensure that police officers do not become victims of this restrictive regulation; a regulation which would strip them of their right to discuss important matters in respect of the police force.

Peter Alexander    President  

PASAweb   Index & Search   Top of Page   Comments   Em ail to Editor

The Police Journal Online is an official publication of the Police Association of South Australia and is published monthly. Editors of kindred publications can seek permission from the Editor to re-publish any Police Journal Online article. Copyright 1999  The Police Association of South Australia sustance