Media releases

Oversight Body for NSW Crime Commission

The Police Association calls on the NSW Government to establish a standing oversight body for the state’s Crime Commission. Police are entrusted with special powers to enable us to do the job of protecting the community. With that comes proper oversight in the form of the Police Integrity Commission (as well as the Ombudsman) so the community can have faith that those powers are used properly.

The Crime Commission have been granted extraordinary powers which are critical to their role in investigating organised crime. These powers go far beyond those entrusted to police and accordingly it is even more critical that the Crime Commission should, as a matter of public policy, be subject to a standing oversight body to ensure those powers are not abused and they too are held accountable for their actions.

Peter Remfrey
Secretary

Association president responds to comments from Dr Wodak

Letter to the editor:
This week Dr Alex Wodak from St Vincent’s Hospital asserted that corrupt police are running around profiting from illegal cannabis trade in Australia – what a load of rubbish.

He also suggested that cannabis should instead by dispensed via post offices – again, what a load of rubbish.

The 15,000 hardworking police this Association represents deserves better than cheap shots and unfounded accusations. No one in our communities does more to protect people from exposure to illicit drugs than the men and women in the NSW Police force.

Dr Wodak: produce evidence of these claims now or withdraw your attacks immediately. And show a bit of respect, thanks, mate.

Bob Pritchard
President
Police Association of NSW

NSW Police urge doctor to present evidence

6 May 2008: NSW Police have called on the Director of Alcohol and Drug Services at St Vincent’s Hospital Doctor Alex Wodak to provide any information he has concerning corrupt police who might be working with criminals in the illegal trade of marijuana.
Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said Dr Wodak, as a respected and responsible physician, had an obligation to bring any knowledge he had of this activity to the relevant authorities.
“I am deeply concerned Dr Wodak’s comments have unfairly smeared all police who work hard to uphold the law. That is not right,” said Mr Scipione.
“Police have an obligation to crack down on illegal drugs, which is evidenced by the recent Bureau of Crime Research and Statistics report showing in 2007 there were 12,250 charges of possessing or using cannabis, 441 charges of dealing or trafficking in cannabis and 1,082 charges of cultivating cannabis,” said Mr Scipione.
“As Commissioner of Police I am determined to tackle head-on any suggestion of police corruption that might exist in this area.
“I have directed the NSWPF Professional Standards Command to contact the doctor and follow up the allegations he has made. I look forward to his on-going support in this most important area,” said Mr Scipione.
The Director General of Health, Professor Debora Picone has discussed the matter with the Police Commissioner. Professor Picone has also urged Dr Wodak to assist police and come forward with any evidence he may have.
Anyone who has knowledge of police corruption, especially in the area of supplying or selling drugs is urged to bring it to the attention of the Commissioner of Police or the Police Integrity Commission as a matter of urgency.

The editorial of the Sydney Morning Herald of 11 February contained another ill-informed attack on the Police Association and its support for the flexible rostering system. The following letter was forwarded to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Your editorial on Mon Feb 11 (May the Force Be With Us) takes your newspapers obsession with police rostering to an offensive place by forming some bizarre link to the allegations of corruption in the Victorian police union.

The NSW Police Association has consistently attempted to correct your papers errors in reporting this issue for more than 12 months. The facts are that flexible rostering is regarded as the best way of managing police resources by the vast majority of commanders, officers and experts in the filed.

The latest salvo implies that flexible rostering is a rort akin to corruption. The recent NSW AuditorGenerals report reached no such conclusion, and in fact cited a flexible roster system at Brisbane Waters Local Area Command, consisting predominantly of 12-hour shifts, as an example of best practice.

It is worth noting at a time of looming shortages of officers that flexible rostering is also an important retention tool nearly a third of our officers would consider leaving the force if the system was scrapped.

Contrary to your editorial, the Association has led reform on a wide range of issues including fatigue management, return to work outcomes for injured officers and management of domestic violence incidents.

As for the link to corruption, I call on you to repudiate the comments that are an insult to every police officer in this state.

It is about time your newspaper began dealing with the facts rather than trotting out discredited arguments to put the boot into the hard-working police officers of New South Wales.

The NSW Police Association will lodge a formal complaint with the Inspector of the Police Integrity Commission regarding its conduct during investigations into Operations Mallard and Rani.

"A number of covertly recorded telephone conversations were played during open hearings in the Commission's investigation into Operation Mallard.

"Transcripts and electronic recordings of these conversations were subsequently released to the media.

"These recorded conversations had little or no relevance to the inquiry and we believe they should not have been released publicly.

"As stated in our formal complaint, the playing of these conversations served no other purposed than to administer to the lasciviousness of the public."

The Police Association is also calling for more timely resolution to matters brought before the PIC, particularly with regards to the investigation into Operation Rani.

"Operation Rani first commenced public hearings at Orange Court House on 10 June 2006 and its taken over 18 months for the PIC to publish its report in this matter.

"Our members are severely disadvantaged by having had their reputations besmirched in public hearings with formal findings subject to unacceptable delays."

The Police Association will also call on the inspector to examine legislative amendments that would ensure innocent police officers are not branded guilty by association in the public eye.

"The damage to the reputations of innocent officers referred for consideration of prosecution but later found to be innocent is irreparable."

17 Dec: NSW police officers will today launch a state-wide campaign for a full review of the states plea bargaining laws by the NSW State Government.

The campaign comes as anger grows around a series of plea bargains that have drastically reduced the penalties against perpetrators of attacks on police officers.

In the most recent case, John and Motekai Taufehema were sentenced to just seven years over the killing of Glen McEnallay under a backroom deal between lawyers that saw a reduced plea of manslaughter accepted by the DPP. This was after juries had found them guilty of murder and the convictions were overturned on a technicality.

NSW police officers are demanding a full review of the plea bargaining system with a view to fundamental reform to end the culture of backroom deals between lawyers at the expense of victims and their families, NSW Police Association president Bob Pritchard said today.

It is not just the treatment of those who attacked or killed police officers that concerns us.

It is that hundreds of hours of preparation and investigative work by officers in a range of other cases that is being traded away in sleazy backroom deals.

Police around the state will, from Monday, be asked to convene workplace meetings to discuss the issue; lobby their local MPs and fly a blue ribbon from their police vehicle.

Other action being considered includes police prosecutors refusing to assist the DPP in mention matters and prosecuting more cases in the local court themselves, rather than referring them to the DPP.

December 5, 2007: The Auditor Generals report released today supports the continuation of the flexible rostering system, said the Police Association today.
The Auditor Generals report tabled in parliament today finds no fundamental problems with twelve-hour shifts or flexible rostering, said Peter Remfrey, secretary of the Police Association of NSW.
On the contrary the report praises the 12 hour rosters at the Brisbane Waters Command as an example of good rostering practice.
This well managed roster meets the needs of the local community and the work life balance of frontline police.
The report does however point out examples of poor roster management in isolated commands. The Auditor General has visited four Local Area Commands out of 80 and found examples of best and worst practice.
The challenge for management and the state government is to extend the models used in well-managed commands across the state and review the guidelines to reflect good management practices.
The Auditor General recognises flexible rostering is popular with NSW Police it gives police valuable down time to recover from the intensity of the job and spend time with family.
Independent research conducted in April found that the removal of flexible rostering would see one third of all police officers consider leaving the force.
Retaining experienced Police and attracting the best possible recruits to the NSW Police is a serious challenge in a tight labour market.
In light of this, Police Commissioner Scipiones endorsement of the flexible rostering system is welcomed and will help ensure NSW Police remains an employer of choice.
The report supports our view that local communities are best served by well managed Flexible Rosters combined with First Response Policing Agreements designed to ensure that police can provide a timely response to calls for service from the public, said Mr Remfrey.
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31 Aug: The Police Association of NSW has joined Senior Constable Glenn McEnallay's family in condemning the court and Director of Public Prosecution for failing to hand down justice on cop killer Motekai Taufehema.
"The court's decision to sentence this cop killer to only seven years is an insult to the memory of Glenn McEnallay, his family and to all police officers who put their lives on the line to protect the NSW community," said Bob Pritchard, President of the NSW Police Association today.
"Anyone who murders a police officer in the line of duty should be sentenced to life in prison.
"It is disgraceful that Motekai Taufahema's original murder conviction was quashed on a mere technicality, that a manslaughter plea was ever accepted and now we have the final insult - a sentence of just seven years.
"Glenn McEnallay faced four armed men in a stolen car and lost his life on that night in March 2002. Let's not forget he was murdered doing his job and protecting the people of NSW.
"Today's decision ensures Mr McEnallay's family will never receive justice."
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Minister gets it wrong on Tasers
6 Aug: Police Minister Campbell has gone against the advice of the NSW Police Firearms Committee today, allocating senior officers in the Public Order and Riot Squad with Taser devices, said the Police Association of NSW today.

"Tasers are inappropriate for use in protest or riot situations given they are known to escalate violence and antagonise the relationship between police and protesters," said Police Association acting Secretary Greg Black.

"Police Minister Campbell made the wrong call last month when he cancelled the proposed trial of Tasers for general duties officers in select commands.

"It is unclear why the minister has diverted this resource away from general duties officers, especially given that PORS (Public Order and Riot Squad) officers are generally not first responders at incidents where Taser devices could be deployed.

"The Police Association has been lobbying for more than a year for all first response police vehicles in NSW to be fitted with Taser X26 units.

"Tasers should be used as a non-lethal alternative to firearms to help officers manage violent drug affected individuals or whilst attending serious domestic disputes and when dealing with mentally ill persons who pose an immediate threat to public safety -- not protesters or groups of individuals.

"Used correctly by trained officers, Taser devices allow police to save lives. Ice addicts in a state of drug induced psychosis can be immobilised, preventing serious injury to themselves, the public and police officers.

"The minister should reconsider his position on this issue, reschedule trials of Tasers for general duties officers and listen to the advice from the experts," said Mr Black.
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28 May: The NSW Police Association said it was appalled at the decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions to downgrade charges against one of the killers of Constable Glenn McEnallay.

NSW Police Association President, Bob Pritchard, said the family and colleagues of Constable McEnallay shared the Associations view that the DPP should now urgently review the decision.

On behalf of Glenn McEnallay, his family and all the members of the NSW Police Force I wish to condemn the decision of the DPP to accept a plea of manslaughter in this case, Mr Pritchard said.

A brave police officer has been murdered and if four persons on parole, armed with guns, who are in a stolen car are not able to be tried for his murder then we need some urgent law reform.

The DPP needs to show the sort of courage displayed by Glenn and the 15,500 police officers in this state and take the matter to trial.

The show of support for Glenn and his family by the community was unprecedented at the time of his murder. Society will be outraged should a back room deal prevent justice from being seen to be done in this case.

10 May 2007: An independent inquiry into police stress issues is urgently needed to find solutions and treatment options for officers suffering from psychological injuries, the Police Association of NSW said today.

Since June last year, 418 officers have left the NSW Police Force due to medical reasons including 262 who have left for psychological reasons. This represents more than 60% of medical exits.

"Police work has inherent risks and stresses and officers know this but there is a clear need for new or improved ways to support, treat and prevent psychological injuries," NSW Police Association Vice President Scott Weber said.

Mr Weber said the inquiry should examine the causes of stress, prevention and early intervention strategies and treatment options for injured police officers.

"It is critical that this inquiry establishes new or improved ways to reduce stress levels, the number of officer deaths and psychological injuries, and the number of medical exists as a result of psychological injury.

"Implementing recommendations from the inquiry must be seen as a priority and the Association will work with the NSW Police Force and the government to ensure swift action occurs once the inquiry reports back."