Police Journal April 2021 by Police Journal

APRIL 2021

Remember Ink? “He knew when it was ‘game on’ but, when it wasn’t, he was a lovable, beautiful dog. He was a people dog, very approachable.”

A S S O CI A

I CE

T H AU S T R

Frozen take-away meals

Take-away menu: Monday – Friday 11am – 2pm

Curry meals with rice: Butter Chicken Chef’s Vegetable Curry Spaghetti Bolognese with parmesan cheese $10 each or 6x for $50 Lamb lasagne with parmesan cheese

single serve $10

Please remember to adhere to social distancing rules between dining groups. Hand sanitizer is available for use by all patrons. OPENING HOURS

Monday – Friday 11am – 2pm Friday dinner 5:30pm – 8:30pm 27 Carrington Street, Adelaide (08) 8212 2924

Vegetable Curry with rice

$18

Butter Chicken with rice

$18

Spaghetti Bolognese with parmesan

$18

Police Burger with chips

$18

Chicken Salad

$18

Vegetable Wrap

$11.90

Chicken Wrap

$11.90

Lamb Wrap

$11.90

Combo Chicken and Lamb Wrap

$14.90

Fisherman's Basket with crumbed fish, crumbed calamari & crumbed prawns

$18

Schnitzel with chips and your choice of sauce (gravy, dianne, pepper or mushroom) Chicken $18 Beef $18 Add parmigiana topping $3 Chef’s famous beer battered chips served with gravy or garlic aioli Small $4 Large $7 Garlic bread

$4.50

BIG SAVINGS! Police Association Members’ Buying Guide Facebook Group

A S S O CI A

I CE

By joining the group, you will be the first to know about seasonal and exclusive specials, specifically designed to save you money.

See the full list of offers on the Members’ Buying Guide on PASAweb (pasa.asn.au) or the Police Association app.

The Police Association has created a new Facebook group to advise you more effectively and efficiently of savings and special offers for you and your family. This is a closed group for members only.

T H AU S T R

POLICE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

A S S O CI A

ICE

T H AU S T R

Police Association

E EDITOR

It might look as if the relationship between cops and their police dogs is all business, and nothing else. But that perception is a long way from accurate. As many of our stories have shown, a loving, personal connection exists between all Dog Ops handlers and their dogs. The perfect illustration of that fact was the partnership of Senior Constable 1C Tony Potter and his now late retired German shepherd, Ink. SC1C Potter told us the story of that partnership. And he was not embarrassed to reveal that he shed a river of tears when Ink’s life was in the balance after an on-duty attack. Ink had it all: good looks, a strong work ethic, and a lovable personality. Whenever his time was to come, it was always going to be crushing for SC1C Potter – and others. In these days of the pandemic and other diseases, front-line cops could well do without offenders who deliberately spit and bite. Two officers tell us how they became the victims of biters, and what that imposed on their private lives. Dr Rod Pearce examines just how much immunity the COVID-19 vaccines will deliver and explains exactly how researchers undertake trials. Police Association president Mark Carroll outlines important measures designed to address staffing issues. And, as our new last-page feature (Jobs you never forget) continues, we find out what Detective Sergeant David Hirlam remembers most. Brett Williams brettwilliams@pj.asn.au

Publisher: Police Association of South Australia Level 2, 27 Carrington St, Adelaide SA 5000 T (08) 8212 3055 F (08) 8212 2002 www.pasa.asn.au Editor: Brett Williams (08) 8212 3055 Design: Sam Kleidon 0417 839 300 Advertising: Police Association of South Australia (08) 8212 3055 Printing: Finsbury Green (08) 8234 8000 The Police Journal is published by the Police Association of South Australia, 27 Carrington St, Adelaide, SA 5000, (ABN 73 802 822 770). Contents of the Police Journal are subject to copyright. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the Police Association of South Australia is prohibited. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the editor. The Police Association accepts no responsibility for statements made by advertisers. Editorial contributions should be sent to the editor (brettwilliams@pj.asn.au). 4

Police Journal

President 10

Ratified EA to address staffing issues Letters 24

Backing Police Association on APY Lands Industrial 26

The curse of restricted leave allocations Health 29

COVID-19 vaccines – will the immunity last?

Motoring 30

Kia Sorento SUV Ford Escape Banking 33

The meteoric rise: property sales and prices Legal 35

AFL players getting away with assault?

Books 36

Cinema 38

Wine 41

The Last Shift 44

Jobs you never forget 46

22 12 18

April 2021 12

Remember Ink?

Watching his dog struggle to survive after a vicious attack was excruciating but there was worse to endure when luck ran out for Ink.

18 Offender bites Two cops among the many who, in arrest situations, have wound up with offenders’ teeth sunk deep into their flesh.

22 Virtual running race honours the fallen It’s another important annual event set up three years ago to “support Police Legacy which, in turn, supports the families of fallen police officers”.

COVER: Senior Constable First Class Tony Potter and Labrador police drug dog Elly. Photography by Steve McCawley.

April 2021

COMMITTEE Julian Snowden

A S S O CI A

ICE

Chris Walkley

Darren Mead

T H AU S T R

Michael Kent

Samantha Strange Deputy President

Bernadette Zimmermann Secretary

Police Journal

Leonie Schulz

Police Association of South Australia Level 2, 27 Carrington St, Adelaide SA 5000 www.pasa.asn.au

Daryl Mundy Vice-President

P: (08) 8212 3055 (all hours) E: pasa@pasa.asn.au Membership enquiries: (08) 8112 7988

Trevor Milne

Samanda Attard

Brett Gibbons

POLICE JOURNAL

MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS

Brett Williams Editor

Nicholas Damiani

EXECUTIVE SECRETARIES Sarah Stephens

Anne Hehner

Jan Welsby

PRESIDENT Mark Carroll

FINANCE Tegan Clifford Assistant Finance Officer

Wendy Kellett Finance Officer

INDUSTRIAL Andrew Heffernan Member Liaison Officer

Nadia Goslino Grievance Officer

Steven Whetton Assistant Secretary

OFFICE

POLICE CLUB

Shelley Furbow Caitlin Brown Reception Executive Assistant

Bronwyn Hunter Manager

April 2021

A S S O CI A

ICE

T H AU S T R

Police Association of South Australia

REPRESENTATIVES Superannuation Police Dependants Fund Leave Bank Country housing Commissioner’s Office Health Safety & Welfare Advisory Committee Legacy Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity & Intersex members

Mark Carroll and Michael Kent Bernadette Zimmermann Andrew Heffernan Andrew Heffernan Steven Whetton Julian Snowden Nadia Goslino and Andrew Heffernan

DELEGATES & WORKPLACE REPRESENTATIVES Metro North Branch Elizabeth Gawler Golden Grove Holden Hill Northern Prosecution Parks Salisbury

Shane Dragon Andrew Wearn Darren Quirk Matthew McCarthy Tim Pfeiffer Matthew Sampson Stuart Smith

Country North Branch Coober Pedy Kadina Nuriootpa Peterborough Port Augusta Port Lincoln Port Pirie Whyalla

Glenn Batty Gavin Moore John Tonkin Nathan Paskett Peter Hore Mark Heading Gavin Mildrum Paul Velthuizen

Crime Command Branch Adelaide DOCIB Forensic Services Fraud Intelligence Support Major Crime Port Adelaide South Coast

Alex Grimaldi Jason Tank Adam Gates Sam Agostino Stephen Foenander Alex McLean Scott Mitchell Scott Milich

Metro South Branch Adelaide Hindley Street

Police Journal

James Cochrane Dick Hern

Metro South Branch continued Netley South Coast Southern Prosecution Southern Traffic Sturt

Paul Clark Andrew Bradley Sallie McArdell Joshua O’Dwyer David Handberg

Country South Branch Adelaide Hills Berri Millicent Mount Gambier Murray Bridge Naracoorte Renmark

Joe McDonald John Gardner Nicholas Patterson Robert Martin Stephen Angove Michael Hutchinson James Bentley

Operations Support Branch Dog Ops Academy Comcen Comcen Human Resources Mounted Ops STAR State Tac/Op Mandrake Traffic

Bryan Whitehorn (chair) Melanie Smith Allan Dalgleish Ian Mitchell Eugene Wasilenia Sonia Wellings Andrew Suter Duncan Gerrie David Kuchenmeister

Officers Branch

Les Buckley

Women’s Branch

Kayt Howe (chair) (no delegates)

ATSI Branch

Brendan White (chair) (no delegates)

Critical Incident Response Industrial staff on call 24/7 and ready to support you

A S S O CI A

ICE

T H AU S T R

POLICE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Working for you P: (08) 8212 3055 (all hours) www.pasa.asn.au

P PRESIDENT Mark Carroll

Ratified EA to address staffing issues T

he Police Association continues to receive member complaints about staffing. The impact of COVID-19 continues to impose extra burdens on all police officers across a range of functions. I have raised issues with Commissioner Grant Stevens about areas such as Southern District Response, district policing teams, Riverland CIB, Hindley St patrols and the broader eastern district. A long-running industrial dispute also exists about staffing issues on Kangaroo Island. Then there’s the APY Lands staffing model. The association is at odds with SAPOL over the model, as well as the overall continual vacancies in country locations. However, the newly ratified enterprise agreement provides for implementation of a raft of measures to address staffing concerns.

Voluntary return to service A system enabling employees to voluntarily access ad hoc shifts across districts and functions in areas of high demand will soon be trialled. The principles that underpin the system include: • Utilizing the workforce in a different way. • Being voluntary for appropriately qualified (IMOST) full-time and part-time members. • Payments attracting relevant penalty rates for the ad hoc shift worked. • Operating outside of prescriptive award conditions so as not to incur overtime unless the shift extends beyond the designated ad hoc shift time. 10

Police Journal

A system enabling employees to voluntarily access ad hoc shifts across districts and functions in areas of high demand will soon be trialled.

Participating members will only be eligible while they are on rostered or programmed days off, or approved leave (including annual, long-service or parental leave or leave without pay). SAPOL will soon provide full details regarding voluntary return to service. The system will be applied to COVID-19 duties as the first priority.

Employment of protective security officers The Statutes Amendment and Repeal (Budget Measures) Bill 2020 establishes a legislative framework for the new role of “police security officer” within the Police Act 1998. The existing Protective Security Act 2007 will be repealed, and protective security officers will be renamed police security officers. Their duties will be expanded to include functions traditionally performed by police. These roles will include cell guard duties, summons delivery and warrant enquiries, hospital guard duties, crowd management at major events, prisoner transport and 000 call-taking. The implementation of PSOs into these roles might adjust the sworn establishment range. This new initiative will not change the need for sworn establishment numbers to grow over time.

SAPOL renewal programme A renewal programme/early retirement scheme (which meets ATO requirements) will be developed to support cessation of a role or position that is no longer required to be performed by a police officer. The programme will be voluntary. Details are still to follow, but discussions will begin now that formal ratification of the enterprise agreement has taken place.

User-pay system for police resources SAPOL has finalized a user-pay for police resources model that would have utilized sworn officers to access user-pay shifts outside of their normal roster or function. Owing to the impact of COVID-19, this model has been placed on hold for the foreseeable future.

Workplace stress and work intensification owing to a lack of staff Oppressive workloads are potential occupational health and safety hazards. Such hazards might cause unnecessary workplace stress, anxiety, mental ill health or physical fatigue. All members should report risks or hazards pursuant to general order 8540. First, notify your supervisor (and keep a personal record of that notification) about the lack of staff allocated to a shift (or series of shifts) and its potential to create a risk or workplace hazard. Enquire about what action your supervisor will take to address your concern. Detail any warning indicators. Outline injuries you might have suffered owing to the hazard. Your supervisor should act in accordance with the Work Health and Safety Act 2012, the SAPOL Staffing Needs on a Shift Basis general order, and general order 8540 and/or clause 45 of the SAPOL Enterprise Agreement 2021. If you are not satisfied with your supervisor’s response, immediately notify your local health and safety representative. The HSR should raise the issue with local management. If this does not resolve your concern, submit a hazard and incident report. The HSR is responsible for representing the workgroup after submitting an HIR. If the matter is not resolved, the HSR should issue a provisional improvement notice in accordance with the Work Health and Safety Act 2012. Members should provide the association with a PDF copy of the HIR (e-mail to staffing@pasa.asn.au) and notify the local workplace delegate. The association will assess the outcome of the hazard and, if it is not resolved, raise the issue with SAPOL. If the hazard has created a workplace injury, submit a Workcover notification.

How will the Police Association of SA respond? Successful resolution of workplace issues depends on adherence to formal legislative framework and procedures. Members must adhere to the requirement to follow SAPOL procedures in notifying hazards, risks

Ultimately, successful resolution of systemic issues requires member-wide engagement.

and workplace injuries. Everyone has a duty to maintain a safe workplace. Hazard incident reports are paramount in giving the employer the opportunity to remedy the situation or prevent a likely contravention. Following these procedures enables the Police Association to advocate on behalf of members and, if necessary, seek industrial recourse. The association process insofar as workplace hazards includes: that legislative • E nsur ing requirements and reporting procedures have been met. • Assisting members to report hazards. • Raising the hazard with appropriate SAPOL managers. • Ensuring SAPOL has made an appropriate, immediate response to remedy the hazard and monitor this response. • Ensuring SAPOL employee assistance protocols are enacted. • Assisting members with workers compensation matters owing to any injuries sustained. • Commencing, if required, formal dispute procedures.

What if the hazard is systemic? Some members might be reluctant to report a hazard they consider to be systemic in nature. For example, there might be insufficient staff in response teams because of resources allocated to meet other district requirements. Or a particular workgroup or function might not have sufficient resources to respond adequately to ever-increasing workloads. Members should not hesitate to notify their managers in these instances. This could be via a workplace consultative committee or daily tactical co-ordination group. Members should also submit a HIR and notify the Police Association (staffing@pasa.asn.au) and the workplace delegate. The association will advocate on the member’s behalf and hold meetings with affected members to discuss the facts surrounding each case. Ultimately, successful resolution of systemic issues requires member-wide engagement. April 2021

Police Journal

Remember Ink?

Dog Ops handler Senior Constable First Class Tony Potter never could describe his relationship with his

By Brett Williams

dog, Ink. It was that special; and 10 months later, he still feels the pain of losing his old mate.

Left: Police dog Ink with handler Tony Potter.

og Ops handler Tony Potter jumped clear as the two would-be ATM thieves drove straight at him in their getaway car. Luckily uninjured, he immediately looked for his partner, German shepherd police dog Ink, and spotted him “curled up in a ball on the ground”. Potter did not yet know it, but Ink had taken a savage beating from the now fleeing criminals. They had broken four of his ribs and ruptured a disc in his spine. But his attackers were about to crash their car. Karma, some would call it. Police would catch one at the crash scene and the other a few days later. Ink, meanwhile, strained to get himself up off the ground. He managed it but, once he was upright, Potter could see an arch in his back and his body literally bent out of shape. “Buckled”, he called it. And with all his then unknown injuries, Ink tried to walk but got only a few steps before he simply collapsed. Says Potter: “I thought: ‘Shit, we’re in trouble here! He’s in a pretty bad way.’ ” That trouble had started just a few minutes earlier,

around 2 o’clock on a dark June morning in 2014. The police communications centre called for a patrol to respond to an alarm at O’Halloran Hill. It was on the Hilltop Shopping Centre and Potter and Ink were close by, just on Majors Road. Potter, when he heard the call, thought: “We’re on here, big time!” and headed for the complex. He pulled up in front of the ATMs but could see no one around them, or inside the building as he peered through its glass frontage. So, Potter got Ink out his patrol car and set about checking the entire perimeter of the building. Once around the back, he spotted the two offenders, both wearing balaclavas. Startled by Potter and Ink, the pair bolted. “So,” Potter says, “I yelled out my challenge: ‘Police with a dog! Stop where you are!’ But they took a run for it.” The challenge was in line Dog Ops training and, once issued, gave Potter every justification to release Ink to chase the offenders. So, Ink bolted, and Potter followed but, within just 100 metres, lost sight of the dog in the darkness. April 2021

And, unknown to Potter, was that the offenders were headed for their getaway car. They had left it parked behind a retaining wall adjacent to the shopping centre car park. Ink was right behind them as they charged around the corner of the wall and toward their car. Potter, breathless from the chase, turned the corner a few moments later. “By that time,” he says, “the headlights (of the getaway car) just came on, and I had no perspective of where my dog was at that point. The car just started to drive straight towards me. I jumped out of the way because they actually tried to hit me and then took off.” That was when Potter looked for, and spotted, Ink curled up on the ground before the creature struggled o his feet but then collapsed. It would later emerge that one offender, the first Ink had tried to grab, had belted him with a metal case for oxyacetylene nozzles. The other offender had repeatedly slammed one of the car doors on Ink as the dog tried to stop him getting away. But now, an extremely worried Potter called for back-up. “My dog’s down!” he exclaimed. “I need urgent help!” But the help he needed – as Ink lay motionless in a corner of the shopping centre car park – was not from patrols but rather a vet. “Everyone jumped on board,” Potter says. “Bosses even came up on air and said: ‘We’ll find an emergency vet. Use lights and sirens, whatever you need to do.’ ” But what Potter first had to do was somehow lift Ink, a seriously injured 40kg dog, into his patrol car. He rightly feared that by picking him up he could cause him more damage. “I just thought: ‘I’ve got to get him to medical help,’ ” Potter recalls. “So, I scooped him up as best I could and as gently as I could. I then had to manipulate him into one of the pods and lay him down as gently as possible. “The emergency vet was down on Anzac Highway. I went there as fast as I could, thinking: ‘I hope he’s all right back there (in the pod).’ ” 14

Police Journal

“… he was barely a year into the job. But he was just such a wonderful dog, so there was that fear of losing him.” 1: Ink after surgery to repair his punctured lung and broken ribs. 2: Ink receiving treatment at the animal hospital after the attack. 3: Potter paying Ink a visit a few days after his surgery. 4: Ink on his graduation day with Potter (right) and fellow handler SC1C Bryan Whitehorn with Ink’s brother, Ike.

Soon after 2am, Ink was

in the veterinary surgery getting medication to relieve his pain, calm him, and steady his breathing. He underwent X-rays, too, to shed light on the extent of his broken bones. For around the next 24 hours, vets kept Ink under observation until he was stable. Surgery staff then transported him to his regular vet at AdelaideVet animal hospital. The extensive damage Ink had suffered, and the uncertainty that hung over his recovery, left Potter gutted. He even came to feel, wrongly, as if he had caused Ink’s injuries by sending the dog after the offenders. So, for the first 48 hours after the attack, he faced an overwhelming struggle with emotion. Some of it came to the surface back at the Dog Operations office the next day. “I saw my OC and we were just talking about a few things and I lost it in front of him,” Potter says. “I couldn’t control the emotion. “He (Ink) hadn’t proven himself operationally at that point – he was barely a year into the job. But he was just such a wonderful dog, so there was that fear of losing him.”

After a few days in the animal hospital, Ink had begun to breathe more easily. But the fuller his breaths became, and the further his lungs expanded, the more risk he faced. The possibility was that one of his broken ribs might puncture his lung. And that was exactly what happened. Potter got a call about the development and charged straight into the hospital. There, veterinary surgeon Dr David Mason explained that Ink would not survive without emergency surgery. For Potter to okay the surgery, he would himself need the okay from his superiors, as SAPOL would have to cover the costs. He immediately sought, and secured, the necessary approval, so Mason was able to get the surgery underway. But he encouraged Potter not to hang around and swore to keep him informed of Ink’s progress. So, Potter and his wife, Trish, went to kill some time over a bite to eat at a restaurant. “I couldn’t eat,” Potter says. “I was worried senseless. I said to Trish: ‘I’ve got to go back there (to the hospital).’ So we went, and Ink was still on the operating table.”

Potter watched the remainder of the surgery from a viewing area. He could see his beloved Ink with his chest cut wide open as Mason continued to operate. The scene struck him as “horrific”. But a moment eventually came when Mason directed a thumbs-up gesture at Potter. That gave the worried handler at least some comfort. The Potters hung around until the operation was over and, when Mason emerged from theatre, he assured them that the surgery had gone particularly well. He expected Ink to make a full recovery. “But he had to stay in hospital for a while,” Potter recalls. “It ended up being 11 or 12 days, and then we took him home.” And it took Ink three months to make that full recovery and be fit enough to return to work. Once there, he got through a skills audit and back on the road with Potter, who was never to find him gun-shy. “He was fine,” Potter says. “He didn’t shirk anything. I even went back to the scene of the attack and recreated it at night to see if anything spooked him. But, to him, it was just a location. It meant nothing. “As far as giving him the command to go forth and engage, hunting crooks, and following the scent, he was back to being a police dog.”

“I even went back to the scene of the attack and recreated it at night to see if anything spooked him.”

Indeed, over the next three years, Ink proved himself entirely up to the task. He wound up deployed 826 times and apprehended 56 offenders. One of his most memorable finds was a murder suspect who had fled from the scene of his crime at a Port Adelaide residence. Not long into their search for him, Potter and Ink came to the edge of the Port River. Ink appeared “just up and staring, like an alert”, leading Potter to think: “We’re on!” “I was looking and could see no disturbance in the water,” he says, “but the dog was on scent. I thought: ‘Is he (the offender) in here somewhere, or has he come this way?’ ” The track seemed lost, so Potter headed back to the forward command post. And, while there, a local resident, whose house fronted the river, reported seeing a man emerge from the water and enter his front yard. April 2021

Potter, Ink and another police officer sprinted off toward the resident’s house. Ink regained the scent back at the river’s edge and followed it across several house fronts. He found the suspect hiding at the side of a house behind some bins. His efforts helped bring about a murder conviction. In another case, as Ink went about tracking a rape suspect in the western suburbs, he found a bandanna on the street. The victim identified the item as belonging to the suspect, and a later DNA test linked it to him as well. That evidence led to the suspect’s arrest. Ink excelled in tracking the suspects of less serious offences as well. There were the two men who had undertaken their graffiti art in a four-storey city building under renovation. Ink had found nothing in his search of all the floors and scaffolding. But, on the rooftop, he came to a low wall, stood on his hindlegs, and indicated toward the neighbouring rooftop. “Nothing was clearly visible,” Potter says. “But police on cordons made their way to the other rooftop and found two offenders hiding behind air conditioning units.” Of course, Ink had his off-duty life as well, at home with the Potters, and it went on just as it had before the attack. “He knew when it was ‘game on’,” Potter says, “but, when it wasn’t, he was a lovable, beautiful dog. He was a people dog, very approachable.”

The 2014 attack

seemed not to have left Ink in any way incapable of work or play. But the veterinary advice had always been that he was likely to suffer spinal arthritis (degenerative joint disease). And, during some routine training in 2016, Potter and his colleagues could see that Ink was “having some issues”. Subsequent X-rays confirmed the presence of arthritis. The consensus was to give Ink another 12 months of active duty and then transition him into retirement. Before that time came, however, Potter had taken on his next German shepherd partner, Jax. And, once he had graduated, it was time for five-and-ahalf-year-old Ink to step down. He served his last day in policing on November 5, 2017. But there was never a thought that he would live out his days anywhere but with the Potter family. SAPOL released him from its employ and signed him over to Potter.

“They loved him to death; and he got stimuli and attention while I wasn’t there.”

David and Jo Green who spent time with Ink in his retirement. 16

Police Journal

That suited Ink perfectly, but he was still to face some heartbreak: the sight of the new Potter-Jax partnership going off to work without him. He would watch as the patrol car backed out of the driveway and the gates closed. “And there’s Ink standing there,” Potter says. “The head would drop, and you’d think: ‘Oh shit, sorry, mate,’ because that’s all he’s known.” But Ink was not to suffer total boredom in his new stay-at-home life. Neighbour and firefighter David Green offered to take Ink on walks on the days when both Potter and Trish were working. He had himself owned German shepherds and not long lost his last one. “That worked really well,” Potter says. “He almost had a second family. They loved him to death; and he got stimuli and attention while I wasn’t there.” Daily life, at home and at work, had fallen pretty well into place. Potter and Jax had bonded well; Ink and Jax got along fine at home; and Ink had that second family for company. He still got the pleasure of walks with his master, too. But it was on those walks in 2020 when Potter noticed a certain lethargy about him. And it got worse. Potter suspected it was a case of the arthritis worsening and so took Ink to the vet. “And, within seconds,” he says, “they knew something was dramatically wrong. They pulled his lip up and there was no colour in his gum. Then they said: ‘We need to get oxygen into him quickly,’ and that’s when my heart sunk.” Ink was not producing red blood cells. He was suffering from leukaemia. “I called my wife,” Potter says, “and, at that stage, I was out in the car losing it, and pacing around the block. I said: ‘You better get here because I don’t know if we’ll be taking Ink home.’ And she freaked out.” After Trish got to the vet surgery, Dr Simon Craig confirmed that Ink was producing no red blood cells and would soon die without treatment. But that treatment would involve multiple blood transfusions, for days in a row, and massive doses of steroids.

“It was just to reassure him and to make sure we had physical contact with him, that he felt us there.”

5 6

Trish, out of her deep love for Ink, backed that option and insisted that it proceed – at any cost. The equally anguished Potter, however, found the strength to consider the alternative both he and Trish dreaded. He simply asked: “With all he’s been through, do we want to put him through anymore?” Then came a brief exchange between Potter and Craig. Potter: “What’s the go, mate?” Craig: “I’ve been doing this for 20-odd years, and I’ve never seen a dog recover from this.” Potter: “That’s enough. I can’t put him through anymore.” “So, we made the decision,” Potter says, “to put him to sleep. I said to Simon: ‘I’ve never done this before. What do we do?’ “He said: ‘It’s very quick. It’s just an injection. The dog won’t be in any pain.’ “I just gave him (Simon) the sign, and he said: ‘Now?’ And I just said: ‘Yeah.’ ” The Potters moved to a consult room in which they were to have their last moments, agonizing as they would be, with Ink. They sat on the floor and cuddled him, as Potter whispered the words “good boy” to him. “It was just to reassure him,” Potter says, “and to make sure we had physical contact with him, that he felt us there.

5: Ink in the parklands after some training. 6: Potter reunited with Ink on the day of his release from the animal hospital. 7: Ink’s ID photo from time he spent visiting Immanuel College.

“I was crying like a baby. I couldn’t control it. I just could not physically control it. And, because it was killing me, I said to Trish: ‘We’ve got to do this.’ So, I signalled to Simon: ‘Let’s do it.’ ” Craig quickly restated the procedure he was about to follow and then gave Ink the injection. “He was gone in less than 60 seconds,” Potter recalls, “but it was gentle. I saw his eyes going out and we were holding him as he died. “Simon knew him well and just kept saying: ‘I'm so sorry.’ I said: ‘Mate, you’ve got nothing to be sorry about. I wanted someone who knew Ink to do it.’ “We got up to exit by a side door and I said to Simon: ‘Will you look after Ink for me? Treat him well.’

“We got his ashes and took them home about a week later.” Today, Potter works with Labrador drug dog Elly, but Ink is never far from his thoughts and, of course, remains in his heart. Their relationship was, to him, so special that he finds it impossible to put into words, impossible to define. But, after he took his mate’s ashes home, he knew just the place for them. It was a spot at his back gate where Ink used to sit and “watch the world go by”. And the indoor tribute to him was, and still is, his photo in the TV room at the back of the house. “He has pride of place off to the side there,” Potter says. “So, we look at his smiling face often.” PJ

The attack on Ink came after the SA parliament had increased to five years the penalty for the offence of causing death or serious harm to working animals. Parliament amended the legislation after the stabbing of police dog Koda in 2013. The sentences handed down for the two offenders’ attack on Ink, and other offences, were five-and-a-half years with a two-and-a-half-year non-parole period, and four years with a two-year non-parole period – suspended. April 2021

Offender bites

Constable Kent Derwent 18

Police Journal

Biting a police officer is a first rather than a last option for some offenders. And not in all cases are authorities taking blood samples from biters to check for communicable diseases. By Brett Williams

Constable Kent Derwent spotted

the suspect he and his Norwood patrol partner had been searching for in Felixstow around 7:30am. Ibsen (not his real name) had positioned himself on the roof of a garden shed beneath a bough at the back of a Kapoola Avenue property. The officers’ information was that an offender, armed with a knife or other edged weapon, had attacked a member of the public in the street. Derwent could see that Ibsen matched the description witnesses had supplied on that March morning in 2019 and approached him. The two exchanged words before Derwent told his seemingly drug-affected suspect he was under arrest. That drew an instantly combative response from Ibsen. “No, no, I’m fine,” he insisted. He made no move to turn around or position his hands behind his back, as Derwent had instructed. Although alone with Ibsen, Derwent knew other officers were nearby on cordons and that a police dog and his handler were close by as well. So, he launched himself onto the shed roof and set about taking Ibsen in his grasp. “Because I didn’t want him to run off,” Derwent says. “That was my thinking: ‘I need to be on this guy.’ “I’ve gone hands-on with him and, in the process of trying to arrest him, we’ve wrestled and, somehow, I’ve ended up on top of him, restraining him.” Both men were at risk of tumbling off the shed roof as Ibsen moved to intensify rather than cease his resistance. He sunk his teeth deep into Derwent’s ring finger! Derwent, then 43, felt “great force” in the painful, seconds-long bite, which penetrated his flesh despite the sturdy Mechanix glove he was wearing. “(Then) he’s let go and I’ve withdrawn my finger, which he’s ripped open,” Derwent says.

But, still resistant, Ibsen lashed out with forceful kicks, which Derwent copped in the ribs. “He was still being combative,” Derwent says, “so I’ve deployed OC spray. Then I’ve alighted from the roof and fence area and he’s come down to fight me again. “So, I’ve drawn my baton and that’s when he complied. I then arrested him, and my colleagues arrived on scene.” Now free to check the damage to his finger, Derwent pulled the glove off his left hand and found “blood everywhere”. The bite had almost torn his fingernail clean off the quick. Says Derwent: “It wasn’t until I had him in custody, took the glove off, saw the bite, the blood and the nail, that I thought: ‘This isn’t good!’ ” But of some comfort to Derwent was that Ibsen’s teeth had not pierced the glove. That likely meant that no mouth-to-skin contact had occurred. The other officers who had arrived on the scene bandaged Derwent’s wound after treating it with antiseptic. Ibsen, soon after his attack on Derwent, underwent formal charging at the City Watch House. There, addressing the CWH sergeant, he claimed to have AIDS. “And then,” Derwent says, “he turned to me and said: ‘I’ve got AIDS.’ That comment was purely to instil fear into me. And he added: ‘You’re screwed,’ or words to that effect. “Initially, I dismissed it because crooks say that. They throw these terms around loosely. I had known from checks that he did have communicable diseases confirmed, but AIDS wasn’t listed as one of them.” With the charging process complete, Derwent went to Calvary Wakefield Hospital where he received further treatment to his finger. He also supplied a blood sample in line with protocol in cases of exposure to blood and other bodily fluids. April 2021

“It changes how you interact at home with everything. And there were times when I thought: ‘This could go another way. And what would that mean for our family life, my life? Would it mean medication for the rest of my life?’ ” Taking blood from Ibsen, as legislation allowed, never came to fruition. The reason came to light in a letter from SAPOL to Police Association president Mark Carroll. It explained that SAPOL medical staff had assessed the bite as a no-risk exposure and that “no benefit (was) to be obtained from blood testing of the suspect”. That assessment, according to the letter, along with the non-compliant, violent behaviour of Ibsen, was the reason medical staff took no blood sample from him. Derwent, to some extent, holds a similar view. “No one wants to put an RN at risk in terms of drawing blood from an aggressive offender,” he says. The more frustrating issue to Derwent was the six-month wait he would have to undertake to find out if he had contracted any diseases. In those months, he could not enjoy physical contact in his private life, not even a simple embrace with his wife or children. “It changes how you interact at home with everything,” he says. “And there were times when I thought: ‘This could go another way. And what would that mean for our family life, my life? Would it mean medication for the rest of my life?’ ” Ultimately, however, Derwent emerged from the six-month wait clear of any diseases. And, today, his view on bite assaults is clear. “The spitting and biting I just don’t think you ever get used to,” he says. “It’s a terrible human trait and no one should be subjected to that behaviour.” 20

Police Journal

Brevet Sergeant Nathan Ross

“So, she stopped that connection between my daughter and me, and I’d only just got it back. That definitely took a toll on me.” Off-duty brevet sergeant Nathan Ross sprang into action after

he saw a woman taking a savage, unprovoked beating on a city street. She was of mature age, supported by a walking frame, and bothering no one. Before the attack on that hot January day last year, she had been waiting quietly at a Grenfell St bus stop. Now, she was defenceless under the barrage of punches her younger, female attacker was raining down on her. And Ross, then 31, was not prepared to just drive on and leave it to an untrained bystander to defend the woman. He had seen her attacker moments before, as he was driving his car over King William St into Grenfell St. She had charged across to the southern side of Grenfell St right in front of him. Ross had had to slam on his brakes to avoid hitting her. In his car with Ross, who pulled over around 15 metres into Grenfell St, was his wife and baby daughter. Intending to move in and stop the beating, he asked his wife, as he stepped out of the car, to drive a lap of the block. “At that point,” he says, “the offender stopped the attack and walked back to where I first saw her, on the northern side of the road.” Ross followed her around the corner to the eastern side of King William St, where she lay on the ground yelling obscenities. He identified himself to her as a police officer and asked her why she had assaulted the other woman at the bus stop. She responded with: “F--k off, dog.” Ross took out his phone, dialled 000, identified himself to the operator, and asked for a patrol to assist him. The attacker then stood up and walked across to the western side of King William St as she continued to hurl abuse at Ross. He followed her and, at the same time, stayed on the line and kept police communications updated as the attacker headed toward Hindley St.

“Then,” Ross recalls, “she just stopped and screamed, turned, and ran straight at me.” Mindful of the rich potential for a false allegation of excessive force, Ross decided to absorb rather than defend against the ramming tackle he expected. But rather than simply charge at him, the attacker lashed out with a punch to his face. “That knocked my hat and sunglasses clean off my head,” he says. “I still had my phone in my hand but dropped it and just went about trying to restrain her. “She was still landing quite a few punches as I tried to get her onto the ground and restrained.” Once Ross gained control and was indeed taking his attacker to ground, he felt something like a pinch to his left little finger. “It lasted barely a second, but I had that distinct feeling that she’d bitten me,” he says. “My immediate reaction was to pull my arm straight out. She was then on the ground and I had her pinned.” Ross was right: his attacker had indeed bitten him, and she had broken his skin and instantly drawn blood. But then came the first of multiple Hindley St patrols charging along King William St toward Ross, as did a cage car seconds later. One of the patrols arrested the offender for the assaults and took her to the City Watch House. Ross wound up at Calvary Adelaide Hospital where he got his wound cleaned up, a tetanus shot, and a sample of his blood taken. That was after a patrol had informed him that his attacker was positive for hepatitis C. “SAPOL tried to organize a blood sample from her the next day,” Ross says. “Although they tried and tried, it was just never going to happen because of previous damage to her veins.” So, for three months, Ross then had to keep himself distanced from his wife, daughter and others in his private life. Physical contact with them was simply unsafe until a later blood test showed that he had not contracted any diseases. The inability to hug his daughter came as a second agonizing blow to Ross. She had just a week earlier come out of a hip brace she had had to wear for three months from the age of six weeks. In that time, her father had not been able to cuddle her. “So, she (the offender) stopped that connection between my daughter and me, and I’d only just got it back,” he says. “That definitely took a toll on me.” Also disappointing to Ross was the freedom afforded his bite offender, whom he saw the next day as he rode to work. She was sitting on the footpath at the same King William St intersection at the centre of the attacks. PJ April 2021

Virtual running race honours the fallen By Nicholas Damiani

Police Journal

hen Police Association member Brigitte Brooker saw Run4Blue appear on her social media pages, she knew it was an event in which she had to be involved. The senior constable took on the role of promoting the virtual running race to SA cops — including on social media — after realizing it provided critical support to Police Legacy. “I lost a family member when I was young, so I can understand how Legacy can change a person’s or family’s life for the better,” she said. Run4Blue is a “virtual race” held annually in May to support Police Legacy which, in turn, supports the families of fallen police officers. It encourages people to walk or run any distance — anywhere, any time — throughout the entire month of May.

“We know the money we raise goes to support our legatees. So just knowing that we are doing our bit gives us the drive to keep going.” 1 2

The event appeals to both police officers and the broader community. And Snr Const Brooker’s efforts have helped Run4Blue grow significantly since its humble beginnings. “In 2019, the first year of the event, it basically came down to word-ofmouth to spread the word in SA,” she reflected. “But last year, it was promoted well, and supported fully by our leaders, and the registrations flourished.” With the world in an uncertain state for most of 2020, Run4Blue wound up being the perfect foil to raise much needed funds for the Legacy outlets in each state. “This event was well suited for COVID-19 restrictions,” Snr Const Brooker said.

1: Run4Blue co-founders Senior Constable Natalie Cunningham (WA) and Senior Constable First Class Tammy Watson (NT). 2: Senior constables Brigitte Brooker and Corrina Hibbert.

“There was a total of 144 SA registrations in 2020, with $108,770 raised for Police Legacy Australia-wide.” The race’s “virtual” nature makes Snr Const Brooker’s management of the online engagement a critical aspect of the promotion. “A lot of participants post as they go on the Run4Blue pages and this keeps everyone connected and motivated,” she said. “Some people also run in groups and post it online, which is great to see.” Snr Const Brooker said the event is a good opportunity for the community to experience positive interactions with cops. “Absolutely anyone is welcome to join,” she said. “And I think that the community love the fact that they can join in with police officers to participate in the event and can see all the event updates online. “Last year we did little stories on social media with police officers, explaining why they got involved. “I think this also made the community feel involved and part of a team. It also humanizes police officers, to bring positive interactions with us and the community.” The fledgling charity’s creation stems from an incredible chance meeting. Co-founder and Northern Territory cop Tammy Watson told the Police Journal how a happy coincidence at the 2018 Australasian Police and Emergency

Services Games in Mandurah led to the charity’s eventual start-up. “That’s where I met (co-founder and WA cop) Natalee Cunningham,” she said. The two cops’ mutual love of running sparked some conversations about virtual runs and Police Legacy, eventually leading to the creation of Run4Blue. “We know the money we raise goes to support our legatees,” Senior Constable 1C Watson said. “So just knowing that we are doing our bit gives us the drive to keep going.” SC1C Watson said that participants choose which Police Legacy (state) they would like to support and how far they would like to walk or run. “They have all of May (2021) to complete their goal,” she said. “This year each participant gets their own fundraising page. They can also share it and raise additional funds.” Members can register at Run4Blue.net or visit the Run4Blue Facebook or Instagram page. People unable to physically participate in Run4Blue can still donate any amount, which goes directly to Police Legacy. PJ

April 2021

Letters to the editor can be sent by: Regular mail Police Journal, PO Box 6032, Halifax St, Adelaide SA 5000 Email editor@pasa.asn.au Internal dispatch Police Journal 168

L LETTERS

Backing Police Association on APY Lands Being a past member, from some 20 years back, I took some interest in the president’s editorial Abandon the model, not the APY Lands (Police Journal, February 2021). I was a selected member to participate in the beginning of the police aide scheme at the end of 1986. Other members were Linc Gore, Mark Weaver and David Butt (deceased). If my memory serves me correctly, the organizer/selector was Sergeant “Twiggy” Phillips. My position in the scheme was to man Fregon (Aprawattaja) police station and my aide was Munti Smith, a very capable, initiated gentleman. My wife, Julie, and our two young daughters occupied a police-supplied home, which was near the site of a yet-to-be-constructed police station and cell. Any, or all, of the members on that first experience would be willing to back up and even add to the argument on the position that the association is taking. It has been a long time, but it was one of the most cherished positions I held, and the view is also that of my wife, who was employed in the community, and my now-grown-up daughters. The memory of Munti and his family are still very precious in our minds and tears come easily when I remember Munti, a dear family friend, and our times together. Munti passed away several years after I was transferred out, as were the other members. We met with the hierarchy of the police department to try to convince them that the scheme should go on and that we were all prepared to stay on. But the response was that “we have run out of money” and that was the dominating factor in closing the scheme as it was. A very bad move for everybody. If I can assist in your endeavour, please contact me. Yours faithfully Reimer “Bruno” Andt

Police Journal

P PRESIDENT Mark Carroll

Hindley Street

Abandon the model, not the APY Lands T

he proposed SAPOL APY Lands model is a lose-lose for police and the remote indigenous communities with which they have worked hard to build significant relationships. The model relies on State Tactical Response Group members flying in and out to police communities on the lands. It is a proposal which not only disadvantages the indigenous communities on the lands but will also become an industrial issue for Police Association members. It situates these Adelaide-based members away from their homes and families for around 60 per cent of their total shifts. By occupying permanent positions on the lands, police have always been able to gain critical knowledge of local communities, such as their family structures and the welfare issues indigenous people face in the area. It is a system which has worked for many years and is critical for gaining trust with the local community members. It is folly to underestimate the relationships police form with local communities. They provide the necessary trust for victims of crime to come forward and make reports. 10

The proposed FIFO model simply facilitates the abandonment of longestablished customs of community policing. In fact, the Australian Law Reform Commission Inquiry into Indigenous Incarceration Rates highlighted that: “… poor relations influence how often Aboriginal and Torres Straight Island people interact with police… poor police relations can contribute to disproportionate arrest, police custody and incarceration rates.” The association is firm in its position that SAPOL should: • Maintain permanent officers on the APY Lands. • Undertake meaningful discussions with the association regarding any difficulties with the current model. • Actively work to fill long-standing vacant community constable positions. • Create permanent relief positions and train appropriate voluntary discrete personnel to relieve permanent members when absent from the APY Lands. SAPOL should not proceed with its new model. I have written to Commissioner Grant Stevens and informed the government of our position.

The SAPOL district policing model has not only abandoned Hindley St police officers but also put the community at risk. The area has a colourful history and a reputation for trouble. But one thing partygoers in the precinct could count on was permanent foot patrols in Hindley St, Rundle St, Rundle Mall and the surrounding areas. That kept these highly charged areas safe, especially during the peak periods on Friday and Saturday nights. And the sight of uniformed officers on foot patrol provided a strong deterrent for those who sought to create trouble. But under the district policing model, this staple of Adelaide policing is now a thing of the past. Eastern District members, who service the area, tell me that at times there is not a single officer on foot patrol in Hindley St or the surrounding areas. Under the current model, Hindley St Particularly members can actually be called to jobs anywhere in the district. That meansimportant they might have to respond to jobs as far is that we away as Unley or Parkside. It’s hard to believe that SAPOL could have not sold implement a policing model devoid of off any of permanent foot patrols in Hindley St. The result is that the area and its our existing surrounds are now an unsafe, out-of-control conditions and haven for anti-social behaviour, criminal activity and alcohol-fuelled violence. entitlements SAPOL must take responsibility, and be held accountable, for the abject failure to of achieve its model insofar as it relates to the the outcome. entertainment precinct. It must: • Review the DPM model as it pertains to the Eastern District. • Provide permanent foot patrols in these high-risk city areas — across the full spectrum of shifts. • Increase the size of response patrol teams in the Eastern District and return them to the staffing levels that existed before the Stage 2 DPM rollout in March 2020.

Police Journal

The public will simply not continue to accept the extreme Hindley St violence

we see on our nightly news bulletins. SAPOL must act in the interests of frontline police and the public they serve.

Enterprise Agreeem ent

Police Association member s recently voted to accept the new enterprise agreement. It was an overwhelming endorsement — a 94 per cent “yes” vote — which confirmed my view that this was a strong agreement for our member s. We obviously negotiate d the agreement in an extremely challeng ing economic climate. Despite this, we have emerged with a package that benefits our members financially and provides them with improved working condition s. Particularly importa nt is that we have not sold off any of our existing conditions and entitlem ents to achieve the outcome. This is actually a very significant — and often overlooked — aspect of enterprise bargaining. Amid the difficul t econom ic circumstances, the government also negotiated in good faith and offered a package that provides greater flexibility arrangements for member s. I acknowledge the signific ant contributions of associat ion delegates and the committee of management in achieving this outcome . And, during the entire enterprise bargain ing process, the efforts of Police Association assistant secretar y Steve Whetton were outstanding.

EDITOR’S NOTE: At press time, SAPOL informed Police Associat ion president Mark Carroll that it intends to provide a “permanent foot patrol presence” in Hindley and Rundle streets, Rundle Mall and “surrounding environs ”.

February 2021

APY Lands model wrong for prosecution service I share Police Association president Mark Carroll’s concerns around the proposed APY Lands operational model and respectfully add that prosecutorial aspects, such as the ability to provide timely, satisfactory PD90 responses and witness contact, should be considered. The Lands FVIS does a wonderful job but I can envisage work outside of its crucial role being asked of it in the absence of in situ investigating officers. APY prosecutions are presently being managed from PHQ. While proofing in person is preferable, the ability to consult and proof victims via AVL will be compromised without permanent operational positions on the Lands. Should this model be implemented on the Lands and locations like Coober Pedy, Ceduna and Yalata, I believe our prosecution service delivery to these communities will be adversely affected. Kind regards Liz Corbett Whyalla Prosecution Unit

Shared experiences

Recruited 60 years ago Thirty-eight young men joined the SA police department on Monday, February 20, 1961, followed by many others during that year. Sadly, six of our number have passed away. We had an enjoyable reunion on Friday, February 19, 2021 to celebrate the passage of 60 years since joining. For our training back in 1961, many did not commence straight away. We were in reserve and did odd jobs around the barracks as well as PT and drill. The older guys commenced N Troop around April. Others then commenced cadet training in O, P and Q troops during the remainder of 1961. Original cadet courses were of nine months’ duration which was then reduced to about seven-anda-half months. The latter troops were the first trainees at Fort Largs. A couple of years after cadet training, we returned to barracks

to take our place in what was known as the adult course in which we were joined by adult recruits aged up to 29. This was only four-and-a-half months’ duration. Our group would have trained in adult courses 89, 90, 91 or 92. At the completion of the adult course, any members aged 20 or above were sworn in as probationary constables. The younger cadet members then waited until they turned 20 before being sworn in. Many adults transitioned from civilian to trained police officer in four-and-a-half months. On-the-job training obviously played a major role. The three-year cadet scheme was then established at Fort Largs. We referred to those in the scheme as “the new breed”.

Course 75 started at the now old police academy, Fort Largs, on January 8, 1981. Ten men and 10 women started a two-year cadet course. Eight men and 10 women graduated two years later, on December 8, 1982. On January 8, 2021, the remaining seven members of course 75 who are still working in SAPOL got together to celebrate 40 years in the job. The veterans got the chance to talk about the 40 years of shared experiences. Bryan Whitehorn Senior Constable First Class Dog Operations Unit

Kind regards Peter “Perc” White Senior Sergeant (ret)

April 2021

Steve Whetton Assistant Secretary Police Association

I INDUSTRIAL

The curse of restricted leave allocations A

nnual leave allocations right throughout SAPOL have been a constant source of concern to Police Association members. The Police Officers Award stipulates that: “… the employee shall no later than the first day of October in each year forward to the manager dates they desire to have annual leave for the next financial year. Management no later than the first day of November in each year forward to the Commissioner of Police a roster of the proposed annual leave for the next ensuing financial year.” General order 8420, Human resource management, Leave, Leave (Police) restricts leave allocation. It stipulates that: “As a general rule during the period of the end of November in one year and the end of March in the following year, no more than 12 per cent of members (similar percentage for supervisory members) should be absent from the workplace on leave. Districts/LSA/branch managers may exceed this general rule provided that:

A S S O CI A

I CE

T H AU S T R

• all forecast local and corporate operational obligations will be met. • there are exceptional or special circumstances.” Allocations become further restricted when two or more seemingly separate workplaces within an LSA or district are measured against each other when trying to determine who gets leave as the 12 per cent quota is applied across the LSA and district. Leave allocations were immediately affected by the COVID-19 emergency declared in South Australia on March 22, 2020. Police officers then had to manage border restrictions, process overseas and interstate traveller arrivals, check that people were complying with the requirement to quarantine or self-isolate, and police medi-hotels. These responsibilities came in addition to the administrative duties which officers had to carry out in respect of the pandemic. Members have, at short notice, had to change shifts, rosters and locations, and work overtime to meet the demands of emergency management. Naturally, this has greatly impacted on their family lives.

Police Journal

The greatest upheaval for members and their families has been the requirement, when necessary, to selfisolate and submit to testing for COVID-19. In their family lives, police officers have faced the same challenges everyone else has. Some live with “vulnerable persons” such as family members who are elderly or afflicted with life-threatening medical conditions. Many have partners and children who look forward to holidays and recreation – simple pursuits which create meaningful memories and bring respite. Thrust upon police officers, however, was the cancellation, and then further restriction, of recreation, long-service, retention, police-service and purchased leave across their entire workforce. • March 27, 2020 – all leave cancelled from April 9 to June 30, 2020 for the entire SAPOL workforce to fulfill obligations under the Emergency Management Act. (This included recreation, long-service, retention, police-service, and purchased leave.) • May 13, 2020 – variation of cancellation-of-leave direction for

Got something to say? Got a comment about a story you’ve read? Do you have strong views on a police issue? Is there someone you want to acknowledge? Know of an upcoming social or sports event? Whatever the subject, put it in a letter to the editor.

In their family lives, police officers have faced the same challenges everyone else has. Some live with “vulnerable persons” such as family members who are elderly or afflicted with life-threatening medical conditions.

Regular mail Police Journal, PO Box 6032, Halifax St, Adelaide SA 5000 Email editor@pasa.asn.au Fax (08) 8212 2002 Internal dispatch Police Journal 168

leave until June 30, 2020, excluding officers of police. (Leave could then be approved for annual, policeservice, purchased, and retention leave but not long-service leave. No more than 10 per cent were to be absent from the workplace on leave until June 30, 2020.) • June 19, 2020 – leave cancellation rescinded with the caveat that “managers should allocate leave in accordance with their usual operational planning requirements, taking into account that SAPOL continues to have a number of staff diverted to COVID-19-related duties”. • July 17, 2020 – voluntary payment in lieu of annual leave. (Commissioner Grant Stevens made a special order under the Police Act allowing consideration for payment in lieu of annual leave outstanding as of June 30, 2020 and/or a maximum of 10 working days of one’s current 2020-21 annual-leave entitlement.) • August 6, 2020 – new leave direction effective from September 1, 2020. (Effective from September 1, 2020, taking annual, police-service and long-service leave for sworn employees was restricted to a total

Members regularly indicate their preference for taking their leave rather than having it paid out. This issue is fast becoming a work health and safety concern. The payment in lieu of leave is only an option to line up with an administrative reporting requirement and budget allocation. It fails to address members’ mental and physical health and well-being. Organizational leave percentage is only a guide and, where exceptional circumstances exist, members should submit a report to their managers to seek approval and consult the Police Association.

Group Life Insurance Beneficiary Nomination Forms

A S S O CI A

Members regularly indicate their preference for taking their leave rather than having it paid out. This issue is fast becoming a work health and safety concern.

I CE

of 8 per cent of each workplace and officers of police were restricted to taking a maximum total of two weeks’ leave.) • November 24, 2020 – leave cancellation rescinded. (On November 18, 2020, future planned leave for all employees was cancelled. Commissioner Stevens then rescinded the leave cancellation and determined that taking annual, police-service and long-service leave for sworn employees was restricted to a total of 8 per cent of each workplace. Officers of police were restricted to taking a maximum total of two weeks’ leave.) • December 11, 2020 – Deputy Commissioner Linda Williams approved, with immediate effect, raising the sworn leave cap – for annual, long-service and police-service leave – to 10 per cent of each workplace. • February 17, 2021 – the sworn leave cap increased from 10 per cent to 14 per cent to be on leave where service delivery allowed. Officers of police remained restricted. Confusion now exists as to whether the annual leave can again be carried over into the next financial year or payment in lieu applies.

T H AU S T R

Owing to a Supreme Court decision, the Police Association no longer uses the GLI beneficiary forms. Existing forms held at the association have been destroyed. Now, in the case of the death of a member, the GLI benefit (currently $300,000) will be paid to his or her estate. Accordingly, the association’s strong advice is that you ensure that your estate is well-administered. This is best achieved by having a valid will.

Tindall Gask Bentley Lawyers provides a free legal advice service to Police Association members and their families, and retired members. To make an appointment to receive free preliminary legal advice covering all areas of law, particularly families and wills, members should contact the Police Association (08 8212 3055).

April 2021

We’re the #1 health fund for member satisfaction* Marking 15 consecutive years maintaining a score of 98% or higher!*

The evidence is clear – and we can prove it! Call it in – 1800 603 603 Or use the QR code to request a no-obligation quote.

Police Health Limited ABN 86 135 221 519 A restricted access not-for-profit Private Health Insurer © 02/03/2021 * Customer Satisfaction Survey Discovery Research 2006 - 2021

Dr Rod Pearce

HEALTH

COVID-19 vaccines – will the immunity last? C

OVID-19 vaccines available in Australia are going to provide us with good protection. Overseas supply of the AstraZeneca (AZ) and Pfizer vaccines is limited but an Australian factory is making 1 million doses of AZ a week from late March 2021. Everyone in Australia will be able to get a vaccination over the next six months. After the first dose of any infection or vaccine, you will develop some immunity. Most times the body needs a reminder to develop long-term protection, and a second dose would normally be used to lock in that long-term immunity. What we don’t know is how long that immunity will last, and we don’t know how long natural immunity lasts. COVID-19 vaccines are some of the most studied vaccines ever produced. This is because of the number of people on whom we can test them. Other vaccines are developed at the same speed, but the testing process takes time because recruiting patients for trials normally takes years. The first two vaccines for COVID-19 used in Australia have: • Had the proper research done on development. • Been tested on small numbers of healthy volunteers and then tested on healthy patients. • Had double-blind placebo-controlled trials. Double-blind means the person administering the vaccine doesn’t know what he or she is giving (trial vaccine, placebo or another vaccine) and the recipient doesn’t know what he or she is receiving.

We might need yearly vaccinations for a few years until we all have immunity, and the strains get under control.

Anything that goes wrong in the next few weeks is recorded to see if there are more things happening to those getting the vaccine than those getting saline. These are known as adverse events following immunization (AEFI) and are closely followed in Australia and around the world. An example is someone having a car accident the day after an immunization. If it appeared that a vaccine was causing drowsiness, it might be that it was causing accidents. If a signal occurs during a trial, the trial is stopped, the “blind” injection is decoded and, if it is found that all the accidents occurred in the placebo group, the trial will continue. This happened with the AZ vaccine when a case of transverse myelitis (spinal cord problem and paralysis) halted the trial temporarily. But a review did not indicate that the vaccine had caused the problem. Post-vaccination deaths reported in Norway in January were related to pre-existing illness and poor health and clotting and bleeding concerns have been shown to be coincidental to the time the vaccine(s) were given. It has taken a while to work out how far apart the vaccine doses need to be to get maximum effect. The Pfizer vaccine is achieving good results with doses three weeks apart. We get the same benefit from the AZ vaccine if the doses are 12 weeks apart. In the real world (real-world evidence – RWE) both the vaccines available in Australia are showing they can reduce

the severity of disease, reduce deaths and reduce transmission (both around 80 per cent). We have not done routine testing and trials with pregnant women or children. About 20,000 women who had a COVID-19 vaccine found out later they were pregnant. There has been no problem, and pregnant women can have the vaccine if they want to after discussing it with their doctors. AZ has been tested on 18-year-olds and older. Pfizer is registered in Australia for 16 and older and we are waiting for specific testing on children before recommending vaccination. About a third of people will have side effects from the vaccine, usually a sore arm. Some people get an immune reaction looking like a red arm with an infection. Tiredness seems to happen as the immune system kicks in, slightly worse with the second injection. It is important to report all side effects and anything that happens after the vaccination so we can monitor AEFI to see if: • Thousands of other people are getting the same problem. • The effects are the same as predicted in the trial(s). • There is something new happening with the Australian vaccine (AZ). At this stage, the AZ and Pfizer vaccines will stop any spread in Australia. There is not enough of the “variant mutation” strains to cause problems here and shutting down any disease means less mutations and less risk. We might need yearly vaccinations for a few years until we all have immunity, and the strains get under control. It is expected that in about three to four years it will be less severe as a combination of natural immunity and vaccines make it a disease with which we can all live.

April 2021

M MOTORING Jim Barnett

Safety Seven airbags including front centre airbag, around-view monitor, blind-spot camera view when indicating left or right, a full suite of crash-avoidance and driver-assistance technologies. Tech Twelve-speaker Bose audio, seven USB ports, mood lighting, wireless smartphone charging, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Economy Combined test 9.7 litres/100km (V6), 6.1 litres/100km (diesel). Warranty servicing Seven-year unlimited-kilometre warranty, seven-year capped servicing and seven-year roadside assistance.

Kia Sorento SUV DESIGN AND FUNCTION The fourth-generation seven-seat Kia Sorento SUV scores a bigger body sitting on a new platform with a longer wheelbase. The result is sharper looks, increased passenger comfort, easier access to third-row seats and more cargo space. Four spec levels (S, Sport, Sport+ and GT-Line) come with a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine, FWD and eight-speed automatic, priced between $48,290 and $63,290 (drive away). Choosing the new 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel, with eightspeed dual-clutch auto and AWD, adds just $3,000. A bold new grille with larger lower air intake, new “tiger-eye” LED daytime running lights, roof rails and shark-fin antenna add to Sorento’s external appeal. Seating for seven in three rows is 30

Police Journal

comfortable. Second-row 60/40 seats slide, recline and drop flat individually. Third-row seats are best suited to kids but provide sufficient room for adults with the second row slid forward. Cargo space varies between 187 litres (all seven seats in use) and 2,011 litres (rows two and three folded). A tray features under the rear floor where the cargo blind is stored, and all models have a full-size spare wheel.

DRIVING Top-spec GT-Line diesel is an absolute pleasure to drive. Its level of standard equipment and fit-out is so comprehensive that it’s hard to imagine anything better for the price. Drivers get a power-operated seat trimmed in quilted Nappa leather (as is the rest of the cabin). It’s heated and cooled and offers adjustable lumbar and thigh support. The steering wheel is heated, has a range of function buttons, and

gently vibrates for several driverassistance warnings. GT-Line’s 12.3-inch digital display replaces the standard gauge layout and offers a myriad of information, including left and right blind-spot camera views when indicating. A central 10.25-inch touchscreen features sat nav, a good reversing camera and a surround-view monitor. A handy head-up display provides drivers essential information. The four-cylinder diesel is one of the quietest the Police Journal has ever tested. It‘s 148kW of power and impressive 440Nm of torque provide smooth, effortless power in any situation. The engine works seamlessly with the smooth, fast-changing dual-clutch auto. The longer wheelbase and fully independent suspension provide good ride comfort levels. One of GT-Line’s coolest features is the ability, using the key fob, to drive the car autonomously (forward or backward) out of a tight park – without anyone on board.

Nothing better for the price?

Ford Escape

Pricing Escape (FWD) $35,990, ST-Line $37,990, ST-Line PHEV $52,940, Vignale $46,590. (AWD option adds $3,000 to ST-Line and Vignale. All prices plus ORC). Safety Five-star ANCAP, six airbags, comprehensive suite of driver-assistance and crash-avoidance technology, reverse camera, front and rear parking sensors. Best options Technology pack adds adaptive LED headlights and configurable head-up display to Escape FWD for $1,000. (These, plus power tailgate and heated front seats, add $2,800 to ST-Line.) Economy Combined testing 8.6 litres/100km all models except PHEV, which is claimed to be 1.5 litres/100km. Cargo space Between 412 and 1,478 litres. (Emergency spare under the floor.)

DESIGN AND FUNCTION Cargo space varies between 412 and 526 litres, depending on where second-row seats are positioned, and up to 1,478 with rear seats folded.

DRIVING

Effortless up hills, on highway

The revamped Ford Escape introduces new flagship and plug-in variants along with a bigger interior and a suite of driver-assistance and safety technologies across the entire range. Entry Escape comes with FWD only while ST-Line and Vignale come with FWD or AWD (adds $3,000). All, except ST-Line PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) feature a powerful 2.0-litre EcoBoost four-cylinder turbo petrol engine coupled to an eight-speed automatic transmission. ST-Line PHEV (FWD only) gets a 2.5-litre petrol four combined with an electric motor/generator and 14.4kWh lithium-ion battery to produce 167kW (combined power). Ford claims Escape PHEV can travel more than 50 kilometres on battery power before the petrol engine kicks in. In addition to its driver-assistance and safety technologies, entry Escape features traffic-sign recognition, adaptive cruise control with speed limiter, push-button start, wireless phone charging and DAB+ radio. Central in the dash is an eight-inch touchscreen with voice-activated satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard across all models. Interior space abounds. Front seats provide good support and plenty of adjustment. Rear seats provide ample room for adults and feature slide and recline functions which improve cargo flexibility.

Escape’s powerful 2.0-litre EcoBoost turbo four is an impressively smooth engine belting out 183kw of power and 387Nm of torque. This provides Escape with a substantial power advantage over many rivals but torque steer under harsh acceleration might, according to some, be an issue with FWD variants. There are two ways to solve that: don’t floor it off the line or spend $3,000 more for the AWD system on ST-Line and Vignale. ST-Line AWD offers effortless power on the steepest of Adelaide’s hills, effortless highway cruising and quick, safe overtaking. The eight-speed auto, operated from a rotary dial on the console, works in perfect harmony with this slick engine as its paddle shifters provide ultimate manual control. With ST-Line, the sport variant, ride quality is on the firm side but not uncomfortable. It remains flat and corners with confidence. ST-Line and Vignale feature a driverprogrammable 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster behind the small flat-bottom steering wheel. All models feature five programmable driving modes (Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery and Snow/Sand). April 2021

Tame your home loan

with a Platinum Member special NO PACKAGE FEE Saving you $420 Lock in our lowest ever 3 Year Fixed Rate, it’s easy to apply and you could save thousands! Call 1300 131 844, email us at platinum@policecu.com.au, head online to policecu.com.au/platinum or visit a branch. Police Credit Union Ltd (PCU) ABN 30 087 651 205 AFSL/Australian Credit Licence 238991. Terms, conditions, fees, charges and lending criteria apply. Full details upon request. Interest rates current as at 23/11/2020 and subject to change. Maximum Loan to Valuation Ratio is 90%. Owner Occupied and New lending only with a minimum amount of $150,000. Interest Rate reverts to the Discount Variable Rate after the fixed rate period. Excludes Business Banking &/or Commercial loans and loans to a Trust or Self Managed Super Fund. *This rate includes a 0.10% discount off the regular rate – No further discounts apply. Comparison rate is based on a secured $150,000 loan over 25 years. WARNING: This comparison rate is true only for the examples given and may not include all fees and charges. Different terms, fees and other loan amount might result in different comparison rate. PCU reserves the right to withdraw or amend product features at any time. Please consider if the product is right for you.

Paul Modra Executive Manager Member Value and Distribution Police Credit Union

B BANKING

The meteoric rise: property sales and prices I

t goes without saying that 2020 was an unpredictable year. With harsh lockdowns across the country, border closures, and uncertainty as to how the pandemic would affect Australia, it was difficult to predict the performance of the property market. In South Australia, however, there has been a meteoric rise in property sales and prices, as people return from living interstate, overseas travel has been postponed, and people are looking to purchase their first home or upgrade their current properties. According to CoreLogic data, last year, property prices in Adelaide rose 5.3% to a median of $460,000. But Adelaide and, indeed, South Australia continue to offer great value compared to other major cities. Consider the property trends we are seeing in South Australia as we move through 2021.

Hot suburbs There are always some suburbs that outperform others, and the real estate experts have named their picks they think will outdo the rest this year. Prospect continues to be named as a suburb to watch. With the upgrade of Prospect Road creating a real buzz, this suburb has many properties full of potential. Also, north of the city, keep your eye on North Adelaide, Sefton Park, Windsor Gardens and Parafield Gardens. As for the east, Glenunga was top of the list thanks to the planned expansion of Burnside Village and for sitting in the

highly sought-after zone for Glenunga International High School. Magill, Norwood, Rose Park and Dulwich also got a mention. Elsewhere around Adelaide, Aldinga, St Marys, Millswood, Parkside, Henley Beach and Stirling all made the list of suburbs to watch.

Invest, invest, invest It’s not only the property market that is going gangbusters. The rental market is also proving extremely popular. In SA is a big increase in rental demand – the highest in more than a decade. With demand at a high, now might be a good time to purchase an investment property for the rental market. This demand could mean that your return on investment is higher, with the price of rentals increasing as much as 5% or more in some council areas such as Burnside, Holdfast Bay, Mitcham, Onkaparinga, Tea Tree Gully, Charles Sturt and Unley. With residential investment rates hitting an all-time low (under 2% if you consider the Better Fixed Residential Investment Loan at Police Credit Union), now is a great time to consider an investment property. “Rentvesting” – a new trend in which new property owners purchase a property while living at home or themselves renting – could be an option to get your foot into the market. Plus, high rental returns and possible tax deductions often balance out-ofpocket costs.

With record low interest rates on offer, purchasing or building your first home or upgrading from your current home and refinancing has never looked better.

Holiday at home With overseas travel continuing to be off the cards, people are looking to do more in their own backyard. That includes purchasing land to build a holiday home or purchasing an existing holiday home in their area of choice. Use it for your leisure, rent it out and reap the benefits, or do both. Airbnb is just one business that has allowed many property owners to convert their holiday home into regular income.

Record low interest rates plus grants With record low interest rates on offer, purchasing or building your first home or upgrading from your current home and refinancing has never looked better. As further incentive, there is a grant available to assist new homeowners with purchasing or constructing a new home. You might be eligible, as a first-home buyer, for a First Home Owner Grant of up to $15,000 on the purchase or construction of a new residential home in South Australia. The grant is valid if you are purchasing a new home (market value of $575,000 or less) that has not been previously occupied or sold as a place of residence. This includes a substantially renovated home. There are several conditions and requirements that apply (refer to www. revenuesa.sa.gov.au for further information and to apply). If building is of interest, many of Police Credit Union’s leading home loans can be used for construction purposes with progressive draw downs and interest-only payments applicable during the project as well as $0 monthly and $0 annual fees.

Continued page 40 April 2021

Free Legal Service for Police Association Members, Their Families & Retired Members. Leading Adelaide law firm, Tindall Gask Bentley is the preferred legal service provider of the Police Association, offering 30 minutes of free initial advice and a 10% fee discount.

To arrange a preliminary in-person or phone appointment contact PASA on (08) 8212 3055

DISCIPLINARY & ADMINISTRATIVE LAW • ICAC

• Police Complaints

• Coroner's Court

• Equity & diversity

• Criminal Law

Sam Joyce

Luke Officer

Gary Allison

Amber Sprague

Wendy Barry

Dina Paspaliaris

John Caruso

Giles Kahl

Rosemary Caruso

Michael Arras

INJURY COMPENSATION • Motor accident injury compensation

• Public liability

• Workers compensation

• Superannuation claims (TPD)

FAMILY & DIVORCE Matrimonial, De Facto & Same Sex Relationships • Children’s Issues

• Property Settlements

• Child Support matters

• “Pre Nuptial” style Agreements

BUSINESS & PROPERTY • General business advice

• Business transactions

• Real estate & property advice

• Commercial disputes & dispute resolution

WILLS & ESTATES • Wills & Testamentary Trusts

• Advice to executors of deceased estates

• Enduring Powers of Attorney

• Obtaining Grants of Probate

• Advance Care Directive

• Estate disputes

Adelaide • Reynella • Salisbury • Mt Barker • Murray Bridge Gawler • Pt Lincoln • Whyalla • Perth (WA) • Darwin (NT)

tgb.com.au • (08) 8212 1077

Sam Joyce Partner Tindall Gask Bentley Lawyers

L LEGAL

AFL players getting away with assault?

hank God footy is back. And thank God this season isn’t going to be like the shell of a game that was forced on us by COVID-19 last year. But the common ground between the 2020 COVID-19 season and the current and past seasons is players intentionally making aggressive physical contact with one another, in some cases causing harm, and in other cases causing serious harm. Why isn’t that a criminal offence? In round one, the tribunal suspended Patrick “Danger” Dangerfield (Geelong) for three games for causing Jake Kelly (from my beloved Adelaide Crows) concussion and a broken nose. Danger intentionally collided with Kelly. In most circumstances that would be an intentional act causing serious harm. If, on a Friday night in Hindley St, a bloke intentionally or recklessly collided with me and caused me to be concussed and to have a broken nose, you would probably charge him with recklessly causing harm or serious harm under the Criminal Law Consolidation Act (maximum penalty of between five and 15 years’ imprisonment) or assault causing harm (which doesn’t require proof of a particular mental state attaching to causing harm) with a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment. So why does Danger get three games and no criminal charges? The answer lies in how the law of consent, and the mental element as it applies to the result of the physical act of the offence, applies to contact sports.

The acceptance of, and agreement to abide by, the rules of the game operate as a kind of contract between all players: the players consent to engage in physical contact with each other which, absent that consent and the rules, would in ordinary life amount to an assault.

Consent involves both the physical act (did the victim consent to the contact?) and the mental element (did the accused know the victim was consenting or was he or she reckless as to whether he or she was consenting?) of the crime. For harm-based offences, another question arises: if there was consent, did the accused intend to cause the type of harm that resulted, or was he or she reckless as to whether that harm would result? Obviously, if it can be proved that an accused player intentionally caused harm or serious harm to another player, that is game over for the accused. But it’s almost never that simple. When a player agrees to play a contact sport, he or she agrees to abide by the rules of the game. The acceptance of, and agreement to abide by, the rules of the game operate as a kind of contract between all players: the players consent to engage in physical contact with each other which, absent that consent and the rules, would in ordinary life amount to an assault. Consent is a physical element of the offences we are talking about and the prosecution has to prove beyond reasonable doubt that there was no consent for the contact. And that the accused knew or was reckless as to whether the complainant consented. If your conduct is within the rules, no problem. You can be as rough as you like, as long as you are playing within the rules. But what about when, like Danger, a tribunal finds your conduct was outside of the rules and you get disciplined as a result?

In R v Stanley, Mr Stanley was a rugby player. The victim was turning to his left to pass the ball. Stanley struck the victim with his right elbow to the victim’s jaw, in a manoeuvre which, if performed properly, was within the rules. The strike, breaking the victim’s jaw, did GBH to the victim (GBH in SA is now “serious harm”). The court accepted Stanley didn’t intentionally cause that serious harm. But he was reckless as to causing it. The victim didn’t consent to being subjected to a manoeuvre that was outside the rules, even if Stanley was trying to perform it in a manner within the rules. Stanley intended to act in the way he did, despite not doing it in a way that was authorized. He didn’t have consent to do so because what he did was outside the rules. But did Stanley have the requisite mental state? He did, because he was reckless in the legal sense in that he realized that there was a probability that some injury might result if he acted as he did, but he nevertheless proceeded to act as he did, and an injury resulted. That is, there was no consent to act has he did, and he was reckless as to causing the result. The trial judge sentenced Mr Stanley to nine months’ imprisonment. Playing by the rules and being reckless as to the result of not complying with them is everything in sports law. No consent is given by a participant for contact not condoned by the rules.

Continued page 40 April 2021

B E BOOKS

Dead Letters Michael Brissenden Hachette Australia, $32.99

A dead politician. A decades-old unsolved murder. A hornet’s nest is about to be stirred. Counterterrorism expert Sid Allen knows nothing good ever comes from a phone call at 5am. Politician and chairman of the Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security Dan LeRoi has been shot. Four bullets to the head. The crime scene is chaotic. Homicide. Counterterrorism. Media. And, for Sid, hunting the killer is going to get complicated. Journalist Zephyr Wilde is complicated. She’s tenacious and she’s got Sid’s number. Sid knows the gossip: how Zephyr’s mother was murdered when Zephyr was a kid. He doesn’t know that Zephyr is still getting letters from her long-dead mother. But when he learns that Dan LeRoi was helping Zephyr look into her mother’s death, he realizes that lines are going to be crossed. A cop should not be talking to a journalist. As they both ask too many questions, Sid and Zephyr stir up a hornet’s nest of corruption. Knowing who to trust is going to mean the difference between solving a crime and being a victim.

Win a book or in-season movie pass! For your chance to win one of the books or an in-season pass to one of these films (courtesy of Wallis Cinemas) featured in this issue, send your name, location, phone number and despatch code, along with the book and/or film of your choice to giveaways@pj.asn.au

Police Journal

What Could Be Saved

Liese O’Halloran Schwarz Allen & Unwin, $29.99

Rich with mystery and family drama, What Could Be Saved delves into the extraordinary power of sibling love, rivalry and loyalty. Laura Preston is a reclusive artist at odds with her older sister Bea as their elegant, formidable mother slowly slides into dementia. When a stranger contacts Laura claiming to be her brother, who disappeared 40 years earlier when the family lived in Bangkok, Laura ignores Bea’s warnings of a scam and flies to Thailand to see if it can be true. But meeting him in person leads to more questions than answers. Alternating between past and present, as all the secrets are revealed, What Could Be Saved is about a family shattered by loss and betrayal, and the beauty that can exist even in the midst of brokenness.

The Frenchman

Jack Beaumont Allen & Unwin, $29.99

The Frenchman is an edge-of-your-seat spy thriller in the tone of Ludlum and Forsyth but based on the experiences of a real French spy. Alec de Payns is an operative in the secretive Y Division of the DGSE, France’s famed foreign intelligence service. He’s the agent at the sharp end of clandestine missions, responsible for eliminating terror threats and disrupting illegal nuclear and biological weapons programmes. The element the missions have in common is danger to de Payns and his team and to those who stand in his way. When a routine mission in Palermo to disrupt a terrorist organization goes fatally wrong, de Payns is forced to confront the possibility that a fellow operative might have betrayed him and the team.

Caught Inside

Chris Blowes and Michelle Cresp Michelle Cresp, $25

From the moment the shark grabbed him, Chris Blowes was in a race against time. He should’ve died, but he didn’t. Many divine elements came together that day in an unlikely string of events that led to his survival. But this is not your standard survival tale. This story is about Chris, but it’s also about the friends, surfers, paramedics, doctors and nurses. A coastal town in South Australia that pulled together one terrifying Anzac Day to bring one of their own back from the brink. And how saving him allowed all of them to re-examine and exorcise the ghosts of their own fears and traumas.

And now he’s been tasked to investigate a secretive biological weapons facility in Pakistan. de Payns must find out how they’re producing weaponized bacteria capable of killing millions.

April 2021

B E

C E

BOOKS

CINEMA

Dune

Frank Herbert Hachette Australia, $22.99

Melange, or “spice”, is the most valuable – and rarest – element in the universe. And it can only be found on a single planet: the inhospitable desert world Arrakis. Whoever controls Arrakis controls the spice. And whoever controls the spice controls the universe. When stewardship of Arrakis is transferred to his house, Paul Atreides must travel to the planet’s dangerous surface to ensure the future of his family and his people. But as malevolent forces explode into conflict around him, Atreides is thrust into a great destiny beyond his understanding. And, in this game of power, only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

Black Widow April 29

Kill A Stranger

Simon Kernick Hachette Australia, $32.99

To save a life, could you take another? Matt comes home to find his fiancée missing and the body of a woman he’s never seen in their bed. To clear his name and save her, he will have to make an impossible choice. Kate has been snatched in the night, by terrifying men who threaten to kill her. To save herself, she will have to do something unthinkable. How far would you go for the one you love? And just how well do you really know him or her? In this thriller, nothing is what is seems and no one can be trusted.

Police Journal

Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationship left in her wake – long before she becomes an Avenger. Cast: Scarlett Johansson (as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow), Ray Winstone (as Dreykov), Rachel Weisz (as Melina Vostokoff), William Hurt (as Thaddeus Ross).

Free Guy May 20

A bank teller, who discovers he is actually a background player in an open-world video game, decides to become the hero of his own story. One he rewrites himself. Now, in a world where there are no limits, he is determined to be the guy who saves his world his way before it is too late. Cast: Ryan Reynolds (as Guy), Jodie Comer (as Milly/Molotov Girl).

Cruella May 27

It’s 1970s London – the rebellious early days of the legendary villain Cruella de Vil. As Estella, her flair for fashion catches the eye of fashion legend Baroness von Hellman. Their relationship sets in motion a course of events and revelations that will cause Estella to embrace her wicked side and become the raucous, fashionable and revengebent Cruella. Cast: Emma Stone (as Cruella de Vil), Emma Thompson (as Baroness von Hellman) Mark Strong (as Boris).

Mortal Kombat April 15 MMA fighter Cole Young trains with experienced warriors Liu Kang, Kung Lao, and rogue mercenary Kano as he prepares to stand with Earth’s greatest champions against the enemies of Outworld in a high-stakes battle for the universe. But will Cole be pushed hard enough to unlock his arcana – the immense power from within his soul? Cast: Joe Taslim (as Bi-Han/Sub-Zero), Jessica McNamee (as Sonya Blade), Lewis Tan (as Cole Young).

April 2021

BANKING

LEGAL

From page 33

From page 35

If you’re looking to get into the property market, whether buying off the plan, building a home from scratch, finding your dream holiday spot, becoming an investment property owner or perhaps even refinancing your existing home loan – our friendly team is here to help! Chat to them about the free benefits of our Platinum membership, including a saving of $420 with $0 application fees on home loans1 . Police Credit Union is here to help its Platinum members achieve their various property ownership goals. For more information, contact your local Platinum relationship manager, Glenn Lewis, on 0421 243 741 or Ryan Mountford on 0437 286 804. They can help you access the benefits of our Platinum package.

So, whether there is an offence turns on the mental element: is an accused player of a contact sport, in the middle of a game, who says that he or she is trying to perform a manoeuvre within the rules (standard fare) but who fails to do so, necessarily aware that harm will result from contact with his or her opponent? If a player is genuinely trying to comply with the rules, you’re unlikely to be able to prove he or she knew that the other player didn’t consent to the contact. But the result matters. If he or she was acting recklessly as to causing harm or serious harm, of a type not contemplated by the rules, that will be problematic. Conduct that is notoriously dangerous, as some manoeuvres are, suggests that the player probably does have that knowledge. But the prosecution has to prove it. It is a difficult thing to do. As we all know, proof of what is in a person’s mind is difficult in the best of circumstances, because it relies on circumstantial evidence. And, where the circumstances are a sporting match involving rough contact, common sense says that it will be a very difficult thing to prove that an accused player knows, or is reckless, as to whether the victim player does not consent to that particular use of force or is reckless as to whether that kind of injury will occur, regardless of the rules. I suspect in many cases such proof would come down to the maturity and experiences of the accused player. Then we have accidents. Don’t forget, we’re not criminally responsible for accidents. And you have to intend to do the particular physical act, regardless of the result that follows.

Police Credit Union Ltd (PCU) ABN 30 087 651 205 AFSL/Australian Credit Licence 238991. Terms, conditions, fees, charges, lending and membership criteria apply. Full details upon request. All information correct as at 02/03/2021 and subject to change. PCU reserves the right to withdraw or amend product features at any time. 1Excludes Business Banking &/or Commercial Loans and loans to a Trust or Self-Managed Super Fund. The information provided herein does not take into account your personal needs, objective and financial circumstances. Please consider your circumstances before deciding if the product is right for you.

Police Journal

If you make physical contact believing you’re acting within the rules and you accidentally do something else, that is going to be problematic for the prosecution proving a general intent to do the particular act that is outside the rules. So why was Danger not charged? The simple answer is probably that there was no complaint. But, if there was, it’s likely that it couldn’t be proved that, in the heat of the moment, while trying to perform a legitimate manoeuvre within the rules, he turned his mind to the probability that harm or serious harm would result to Kelly and proceeded anyway. It’s also likely that it could not be proved he intentionally, or recklessly, acted outside the rules. And it’s likely that it couldn’t be proved that he turned his mind to the kind of harm that resulted from his act. What happened was an accident. We don’t hang people for accidents. Compare this to other cases. Gaff-Brayshaw in 2018? Bickley-Wakelin in 2002? Or the infamous MatthewsBurns case in 1985 – the only time a player has been charged in the national comp (although there are plenty of cases in the amateur leagues). The outcomes in those cases probably make a bit more sense when you apply the general principles.

W WINE

Pertaringa Scarecrow Sauvignon Blanc 2020 Each vintage, the Sauvignon Blanc grapes are the first grapes to ripen in the vineyard. The scarecrow is still used as an effective deterrent to the local grape-loving birds and has also lent its name to our famous Sauvignon Blanc.

Bec Hardy Wines McLaren Vale, South Australia www.bechardy.com.au

The nose offers subtle and elegant aromas of passionfruit and snow peas. The palate is smooth but lively with delightful tropical fruit flavours, followed by a crisp, refreshing finish. The Scarecrow is a great white wine for any time of the year, either at home on its own, at a picnic or with seafood dishes.

Pertaringa Two Gentlemen’s GSM 2019 This wine is a testament to Pertaringa co-founders Geoff Hardy and Ian Leask. The nose offers elegant and attractive aromas of red berries and dried herbs with a touch of black olives. The palate is young and vibrant with lots of red berries and plums, followed by a tight, lingering finish. The Two Gentlemen’s works with crispy pork belly with a black vinegar, pomegranate and star anise glaze served with wild rice, Asian mushrooms and Chinese broccoli.

Pertaringa Undercover Shiraz 2019 The Undercover Shiraz is named in recognition of McLaren Vale’s history of supplying other regions with our finest red grapes.

Go to www.bechardy.com.au and use promo code POLICECLUB to get 15% off all wines* If you use this code and place an order of $150 or more, you’ll get free freight and we’ll put you in the running to win a 3L bottle of Pertaringa Over the Top Shiraz, valued at $195** *not valid on WineShedSale.com.au; promo code expires June 30, 2021. **winner will be drawn and notified on July 2, 2021.

Known as the mid-palate of Australia, McLaren Vale fruit is well regarded for its ability to improve the quality and richness of wines from other regions. The nose offers complex aromas of plums, dark fruits, dried herbs and hints of mint. The palate is bright and textural with dark berries, plums and subtle spices, complemented by an elegant, lengthy finish. Undercover goes well with a venison loin dry rubbed with juniper berry and lavender served on braised cabbage with a blueberry and red wine glaze.

April 2021

THE POLICE CLUB

BACK BEAT 60 TURNS UP THE BEAT 1960 (or thereabouts)… Beatlemania hasn’t quite struck… British groups are trying to be Elvis… The Beatles are still copying American rock ’n’ roll… The Shadows are topping the charts… and a young rocker called Cliff Richard is the British Elvis, a real “bad boy”… That was the scene for BackBeat 60’s excellent Fringe show at the Police Club.

Private function rooms available PRECINCT CAFÉ Monday – Friday: 7am – 2pm POLICE CLUB Monday – Friday: 11am – 2pm Friday dinner: 5:30pm – 8:30pm

Book now

27 Carrington Street, Adelaide (08) 8212 2924 PoliceClub@pasa.asn.au

policeclub.com.au POLICE CLUB PARTNERS

Police Journal

Hoots and giggles, chuckles and smiles from a very appreciative audience. BackBeat 60 takes the crowd through an exploration of songs and stories from this monumental musical moment. The show is We Say Yeah!

anecdotes that reconnect us with that era. Images play on the screen to highlight the times. The interplay between the band works its magic. Stories and humour carry the night along. This is a top performance delivering an authentic rendition of the tunes of the time.

BackBeat 60 set an exciting atmosphere in the Fenwick Centre. Our members and the general Fringe crowd had a wonderful evening.

This Fringe show sold out quickly. Many members missed out on tickets. But we are pleased that BackBeat 60 will bring We Say Yeah! back to the Police Club on Friday May 14.

We Say Yeah! is more than a collection of songs. There are stories from the time. Tales that some of us clearly remember and

Get a group together and book early for this nostalgic evening of beat music of the early ’60s. You can also book for dinner at the club before the show.

bookings

www.bb60.weebly.com enquiries & dinner bookings

Police Club 8212 2924

Comments after the show: “Those guys were fantastic, brought back so many fun memories.” “Looking forward to the next show – we’ll be back.” “I so loved those stories – I remember that time so fondly.” “We loved the sound created there, so very authentic of the time.” “The show was awesome – loved every minute.” “Will we be back? We Say Yeah!”

Don’t miss out on A retirement function due to COVID-19

Let us host your farewell at the POLICE CLUB Register your interest now and we’ll do all the rest including: • Hosting your function at the Police Club (post COVID-19 & when restrictions are lifted) • Promoting your retirement event to members / your guests

• Managing the RSVP’s & guest payments • Gift bottle of red wine for the Guest of Honour • Packages at $10 per head for cocktail food & Friday night happy hours drinks from the bar

CONTACT PASA FOR MORE INFORMATION

(08) 8212 3055 or cb@pasa.asn.au

April 2021

The Last Shift

For the full version of The Last Shift, go to PASAweb at www.pasa.asn.au

Alan “Mal” Brown Brenton “Lou” Costello Peter Dunstone Alistair Robertson Peter Spence

Total years’ service: 216

Police Journal

Senior Sergeant 1C Brenton “Lou” Costello

Detective Inspector Peter Dunstone

Comments… “I leave SAPOL content with my decision and proud of my service. “I acknowledge the ongoing support, love and loyalty from my family over an extended period, particularly my wife, Irene, and our daughter, Cassandra. “From the time I graduated, I have worked in an operational policing environment, mainly at Salisbury and Elizabeth, and I end my career within the Barossa LSA at the Gawler police station. “The general-duties members who work within Gawler Operations (Gawler, Mallala, Two Wells) and others within the station (CIB, FVIS, TAC, Highway Patrol) are amazing people who do amazing things every day. “Regional policing has, in my view, been neglected by SAPOL for an extended period. It is my hope that the regional review, which was placed in a ‘holding pattern’ due to the COVID-19 pandemic, be recommenced in 2021 and that identified deficiencies, particularly relative to staffing levels, be addressed as a priority.”

Comments… “I have been very fortunate to have worked in 15 different metro and country postings and the Solomon Islands with many wonderful people, and I will always treasure those memories. “My wife, Christine, and I were flattered at the number of people who attended our farewell at the Police Club and are very grateful to Craig and the ACB social club for organizing the event. “We thank everyone for their good wishes, warmth and generosity. “I was particularly grateful for the speeches by Mick ‘Flange’ Bristow and Doc Bray. Flange and Doc, together with my Course 55 besties, Bob Bartlett, Shepo, Reg, Brush and Myron and our respective families will continue to be a big part of our lives. “COVID-19 has affected all our lives, but I am very lucky to be living COVID-free on acreage in the Adelaide Hills. “My deep respect and gratitude to all those who are keeping Australia safe, and I look forward to global travel in a few years’ time. “To all my colleagues, friends and foes, thank you for the incredible journey. It has been tremendous.”

Gawler Police Station 46 years’ service Last Day: 10.02.21

ACB 45 years’ service Last Day: 07.04.21

Senior Sergeant 1C Alistair Robertson

Detective Senior Sergeant 1C Alan “Mal” Brown

Comments… “I leave after 44 years with plenty of friendships and fond memories but, most important, no regrets. “I thank the Police Association for all its achievements for which I am now reaping the rewards.” • See Alistair’s poem My career is done on the Police Association website (www.pasa.asn.au).

Comments… “Well, where did those 44 years go? Like many of my era, SAPOL gave this high school dropout a chance at making something with his life. I look back at the ’80s and ’90s as being my best times in the job. But I suspect all those who preceded me, and all those who follow, will have similar reflections about their early days. “I’m now convinced the implementation of complex new IT systems, such as Shield, is beneficial to SAPOL in culling old-school operators such as myself who were raised on manual typewriters. But this is not a criticism as policing is definitely a young person’s job. “The Police Association is to be commended for its ongoing commitment to wages and conditions. Mental health is such a big factor in our job that is finally getting the recognition it deserves. “If there’s any advice I would give to new officers starting their careers, it’s this: do a country stint. This is where one picks up indispensable community policing skills. And take lots of photos. You’ll look back at the end of your service and be glad you did.

Audit & Risk Management Section 44 years’ service Last Day: 15.01.21

Brevet Sergeant Peter Spence

Crime Scene Investigation 37 years’ service Last Day: 10.03.21 Comments… “I thank all present and past members of the Police Association for their untiring efforts at securing our outstanding work conditions and remuneration. “I have totally enjoyed the job. I had joined from private enterprise for the security of employment after experiencing several employers entering liquidation. “It has been a great job with a pay structure that has enabled my wife and me to travel the world. Currently we are travelling within Australia but will line up for a COVID jab to ensure we can get to our next international destination as soon as possible.”

Major Fraud Investigation Section 44 years’ service Last Day: 29.01.21

“My one concern for the future is the creeping militarization of police departments across the world including Australia, from uniforms to equipment, often under the umbrella of OHS. “We must never lose sight of the fact that the police are the public and the public are the police (per Robert Peel). If the police forego their civilian principles, the only thing they can be is soldiers, and that’s the last thing any civilized society should want or need to maintain peaceful order.”

April 2021

Jobs you never forget Two Southern Mental Health workers had checked on the welfare of a young schizophrenic woman just released from Glenside Hospital. They had seen her lying on her kitchen floor with a knife protruding from her chest and called police. As a Sturt CIB response crew, my partner and I attended the North Plympton home where the woman resided with her two-year-old daughter. We decided to enter the premises to ascertain if the child was present. We drew our pistols and moved to the rear door. It was ajar and I could see the woman lying deceased on the floor. The body of the child, covered in blood, was lying at the feet of her mother. It was a murder-suicide. The child had received over 40 stab wounds while the mother had stabbed herself about 30 times. A male offender entered the Morphett Arms Hotel armed with a knife and held up a female gaming attendant. He got just over $20,000 in cash and, as he left the hotel, front-bar patrons – some of them with pool cues – chased him. He was so concerned about them that he failed to see a vehicle as he crossed Morphett Road. The vehicle hit him and sent him flying into the night sky. When he hit the asphalt, the patrons quickly set upon him. They then took the $20,000 back to the hotel and were rewarded with a free beer or two. We conveyed the sore and sorry offender to Flinders Medical Centre where he was treated and discharged into our custody. I recall thinking that justice had been served and felt even better when he copped a five-year, 22-day sentence.

Police Journal

DETECTIVE SERGEANT DAVID HIRLAM (Operation Mandrake)

My Sturt CIB team investigated when a young boy died after his mother and her boyfriend took him to FMC. Brock Powell claimed the boy had fallen out of bed and become wedged between it and a wardrobe. The boy had other injuries which didn’t seem to fit with that version of events. Forensic Science SA professor Roger Byard did not believe the boy died as Powell indicated. Powell was arrested and charged with murder. He was convicted and sentenced to 21 years but appealed and won. In the second trial, the judge said: “… I think it was probably him (Powell). However, on the evidence placed before me, I cannot be convinced that that is so to the requisite onus.” Trying to explain that to the family was one of the hardest tasks of my career.

“The child had received over 40 stab wounds while the mother had stabbed herself about 30 times.”

A S S O CI A

I CE

T H AU S T R

2021 FEBRUARY

meet Finally, we A

PO L

A S S O CI A T I

I CE

e who that someon much to me ut me, “It meant so the same abo ed my life felt his life.” had impact an impact on de ma I’d t tha

U T H AU S T

Police www.pasa.asn.au

Journal

NO PACKAGE FEE

SAVE $195

Call us on 1300 131 844, visit a branch or head online policecu.com.au Police Credit Union Ltd ABN 30 087 651 205 AFSL/Australian Credit Licence 238991. Terms, conditions, fees, charges and lending criteria apply. Full details upon request. Interest rate is current as at 08/02/2021, subject to change. Comparison rate is based on a secured $30,000 loan over 5 years. WARNING: This comparison rate is true only for the examples given and may not include all fees and charges. Different terms, fees or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate. Minimum loan amount is $20,000. New money only. The information provided herein does not take into account your personal needs, objectives and financial circumstances. Please consider your circumstances before deciding if the product is right for you. This offer may be withdrawn or amended by Police Credit Union Ltd at any time. *No further discounts apply.BFCL 08/02/2021

BFCL_PLAT 08/02/2021

Driving a lemon? Turn that lemon into something sweet with a Better Fixed Car Loan from Police Credit Union.

Police Journal April 2021

Articles inside

Health

Legal

The Last Shift

President

Banking

Motoring

Letters

Industrial