P PRESIDENT Mark Carroll
Time now to boost police numbers T
he Police Association is always prepared to stage, when necessary, a public campaign against SAPOL and the SA government. It’s always been a simple equation for us: it matters not who is in power, or what political colours they wear. If they’re hurting cops, we’re going to respond. The Weatherill government discovered what that was like in 2015 and 2016, when it tried to strip cops of their compensation entitlements for injuries sustained in the line of duty. The proposal showed poor judgement and sparked outrage, not only among cops but also the SA community; and the association took the campaign against the government all the way to the steps of Parliament House. Justice eventually prevailed and, thanks to our campaign, cops who put their bodies and lives on the line for the community can still do so without fear of being financially crippled with medical expenses. It was a fork-in-the-road moment for policing in SA. A massive and necessary win which is now written into the history books. But it shows the extent to which government bureaucracy can attempt to quash even the most obvious ideas of common sense and justice. The other big loser to come out of the Weatherill government’s moment of madness would have been the SA community. Its police would have been forever second-guessing their front-line reactions for fear of financial ruin. 10
Police Journal
The government and SAPOL must commit to grow the force, so the SA community can be safe in the knowledge its calls for assistance won’t go unanswered.
