Today was the opportunity to engage with your delegates on important issues including retention and recruitment and staffing numbers, workload analysis and workload allocation.
Delegates received a presentation from Deputy Commissioner Dean Smith, Assistant Commissioner Conroy and Assistant Commissioner Greentree about current works and early progress.
Retention and Recruitment
NSW Police Force is currently thousands of officers under staffed. The past five years the average annual loss of officers is 1200 and the average number of officers now joining is 915.
That represents a net loss every year. We need to change that balance to recruiting 1600 every year and only losing 500.
Assistant Commissioner Brett Greentree indicated retention is improving but recruitment progress needs to accelerate significantly. The PANSW maintains that retention and recruitment must be considered urgent issues for the NSWPF and NSW Government.
Workload Analysis and Workforce Allocation
Deputy Commissioner Dean Smith APM, and Assistant Commissioner Brett Greentree reported to Conference on the work they are doing to analyse workload and job demand, and develop a formula to allocate resources to meet that workload.
What does a true workforce allocation model look like?
It is a way of making data driven decisions about how to deploy officer numbers.
But we can’t allocate our way out of a crisis caused by understaffing. We all agree with the principle that we want to use data to put the right person in the right place at the right time, but that’s not possible when you don’t have concept.
There are two key challenges to make sure a solution works.
The reliability of the inputs – the time taken to perform a task, the volume of jobs that have to be performed. It all has to be accurate, and reflect the work you do.
It also has to have “sustainability baked in” – it has to be fair, it can’t set impossible workload standards on officers, it has to alleviate the current workload pressures, not bake in the level to which you are currently overworked.
It’s on this question that we sought direction from your Delegates.
PANSW Legal Report
Critical incidents have been increasing in frequency and severity. At the moment, there is a critical incident every 6 days.
Critical incidents have a huge impact on officers;
• These incidents may involve an officer suffering harm or injury,
• They may cause stress, trauma, anxiety or other psychological affects,
• Extensive, time consuming, stressful accountability processes trigger from a critical incident, including investigations and coronial proceedings.
The PANSW supports officers affected by Critical Incidents, in the form of:
• Organisers supporting members through every step of the process
• Legal assistance when required, and
• Welfare assistance when a member is affected by factors like trauma or stress
Reducing the burden – new Level 3 Critical Incidents
PANSW advocacy has led to the creation of a new Level 3 Critical Incident category.
This will mostly apply to suicide of a member of the public, where police involvement has been minimal.
The categorisation of a CI as Level 3 means all officers are treated as witness officers, rather than involved officers.
This triggers a streamlined critical incident investigation, meaning the process is less onerous and stressful for officers, and saving a huge amount of time for investigating officers.
The PANSW has designed a new objection for officers being investigated under Level 3. That will be provided when PANSW are supporting you in a CI, and will be published in a new edition of the PANSW “Know Your Rights and Obligations” as soon as possible.
Bondi terror attack and the legal processes that will impact members
The PANSW Legal team reminded Conference that, while the terror attack occurred 6 months ago, the legal procedures and their impacts are far from over for those officers that responded to the Bondi Terror Attack, and those officers who perform duties relevant to the detection or response to terror incidents.
The Royal Commission has made its interim report, but investigations and hearings continue until its final report is issued on 14 December 2026. The PANSW has achieved significant legal protections for police officers directed to give evidence regarding the Bondi Terror Attack, ensuring that police officers enjoy the same legal protections as other witnesses. This was achieved through the PANSWs advocacy to the Royal Commission.
A criminal prosecution of the offender is also in process, as is the coronial inquiry into the deaths.
The PANSW will support all members who are impacted by these procedures.
Increase in LECC activity
The PANSW Legal team has seen a significant increase in activity from the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC). We urge all police officers that have received contact from LECC to get in touch with the Police Association, even if LECC allege you are not allowed to. You need legal support and the PANSW will help you.
Health, Safety and Wellbeing
Deputy Commissioner Dean Smith and Assistant Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner Raschelle Conroy outlined all of the services the NSWPF offers to police officers, designed to keep them healthy and at work.
The NSW Government and Police Force have invested in wellbeing programs and strategies, with $79 million in PULSE funding and the creation of the new HSW Strategy (2026–2030) currently in development.
With that sort of investment it is important that NSWPF have concrete outcomes that demonstrate improvements to the health and wellbeing of police officers.
In 2026, it appears we are starting to see those concrete outcomes.
AC Conroy reported that injury notifications are falling 50%, and workers compensations claims are falling 60%.
It is important these promising signs are sustained.
The PANSW will continue to hold the NSWPF to account to ensure that we see a reduction in injuries and improvements in return to work and reduction of medical discharges sustained over the long term.
Police Pursuits - Safe Driver review
The Commissioner of Police confirmed to Delegates – we will not ban pursuits.
That is a good thing.
But members should also keep in mind that one of the loneliest place in the world is the box in a Coroner’s Court, trying to explain the how and why of a pursuit resulting in a death.
The PANSW has been working to ensure the Safe Driver Policy is simplified, so any officer can more easily understand, comply with, and explain, the procedures and decision making surrounding police pursuits.
The PANSW has been working to ensure that the current policy is made simpler, the provisions are re-ordered consistently with the order in which it applies to officers implementing it, clearly outline the Command and Control of the pursuit, including a provision for when there is a delay/absence of Command.
Changes that we have opposed include: changing “should not” to “will not” – that would be to prescriptive and not accommodate the dynamic and unique situations that officers find themselves in. Automatic termination of pursuits that reach 5 minutes in duration. And banning pursuits of vehicles with less than 4 wheels.
Police Legacy
The work that Police Legacy does is so important.
If a police officer dies, if someone in the police family suffers loss, it is Police Legacy that will be there to help them try to cope with that loss.
The people police love most: their partners, children, parents. They are the people Police Legacy are here to help.
How can you help police Legacy?
You can donate – click here
You can support a Police Legacy event, like the Remembrance Bike Ride or the Blue Ribbon Ball.
You can volunteer: Police Legacy volunteers help with Social Connection Lunches, children’s adventure camps, empowerment programs, and major events. You can apply to become a Legacy Volunteer – click here.