Police Journal August 2019

AUGUST 2019

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“… if we as police were to deal with members of the public this way, dragging the chain, we’d open ourselves up to criticism from management.”

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E EDITOR

Senior Constable First Class John “Hirsty” Hirst always understood, as cops do, that along with his role in front-line policing came specific risks. One of the obvious ones for him, as a motorcycle cop, was the risk of a crash. And that’s what happened in July 2017.

He suffered the kind of head and other injuries which might have killed him. But Hirsty bounced back and wound up, in the judgement of medical experts, able to get back on the bike. After almost 12 months, however, SAPOL still hasn’t given him the okay to do just that.

Police Association president Mark Carroll explains the outcome of the campaign the union ran for tougher laws against assaults on police. He also acknowledges several association members who played a direct part in achieving a victory for all cops.

Nobody wants heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes or a cancer. So, what are the chances we might inherit one of these from our parents? Dr Rod Pearce explains.

Police Association member liaison officer Steve Whetton outlines some recent stats on stress and its link to workplace intensification.

Our On Scene section amounts to several pages, with shots from the latest graduations, the annual Retiring Members’ Dinner and the inaugural Country North Reunion.

And Norwood patrol sergeant Brian Mayger is the second of our members to feature in 15 years on.

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).

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President 10

And now for some serious penalties…

Letters 20

Retiree dinner on par with international events Industrial 23

One in five cops suffers PTSD: University of Cambridge survey

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

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Health 25

The inheritance none of us wants Motoring 26

Hyundai Kona Electric / Hyundai i30 Fastback N Banking 29

Award-winning graduates Legal 31

Drive without due care – not as simple as it sounds

Entertainment 32

Wine 37

The Last Shift 42

On Scene 46

15 years on 58

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Post-crash indecision

The advice of medical experts to return motorcycle cop John Hirst to his pre-injury duties seems not to be enough for SAPOL.

COVER: Senior Constable First Class John Hirst.

Photography by Steve McCawley.

August 2019

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INDUSTRIAL Andrew Heffernan Member Liaison Officer

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Nadia Goslino Grievance Officer

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COMMITTEE Steven Whetton Member Liaison Officer

Michael Kent Treasurer

Allan Cannon Vice-President

Police Journal

Bernadette Zimmermann Secretary

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

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Mark Carroll President

P: (08) 8212 3055 (all hours) F: (08) 8212 2002 Membership enquiries: (08) 8112 7988

Trevor Milne Deputy President

POLICE JOURNAL

MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS

Brett Williams Editor

Nicholas Damiani

EXECUTIVE SECRETARIES

Sarah Stephens

Anne Hehner

FINANCE Jan Welsby

Tegan Clifford Assistant Finance Officer

OFFICE

Wendy Kellett Finance Officer

Shelley Furbow Reception

Caitlin Blackney Office Assistant

POLICE CLUB Bronwyn Hunter Manager

COMMITTEE Daryl Mundy

Julian Snowden

Chris Walkley

Mick Casey

REPRESENTATIVES Superannuation Police Dependants Fund Leave Bank Housing

Bernadette Zimmermann Bernadette Zimmermann Andrew Heffernan Andrew Heffernan

Mitch Manning

Samantha Strange

Brett Gibbons

Commissioner’s Office Health Safety & Welfare Advisory Committee Steven Whetton Legacy

Mitch Manning

Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity & Intersex Branch

Nadia Goslino and Andrew Heffernan August 2019

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DELEGATES & WORKPLACE REPRESENTATIVES Metro North Branch

Metro South Branch continued

Elizabeth

Nathan Long

South Coast

Gawler

David Savage

South Coast

Phillip Jeffery

Golden Grove

Stuart Smith

Southern Prosecution

Sallie McArdell

Northern Prosecution

Tim Pfeiffer

Southern Traffic

Heath Suskin

Northern Traffic

Michael Tuohy

Sturt

David Handberg

Parks

Tim King

Port Adelaide

Paula Hammond

Country South Branch

Salisbury

Tanya Leonard

Joe McDonald

Berri

John Gardner

Millicent

Nicholas Patterson

Ceduna

Chris Lovell

Murray Bridge

Stephen Angove

Coober Pedy

Glenn Batty

Naracoorte

Grant Baker

Peterborough

Nathan Paskett

Renmark

James Bentley

Port Augusta

Peter Hore

Port Lincoln

Mark Heading

Operations Support Branch

Port Pirie

Gavin Mildrum

Whyalla

Les Johnston

Dog Ops

Bryan Whitehorn (chair)

Academy

Paul Manns

Academy

Darren Curtis

ACB

Tania Sheldon

Alex Grimaldi

Band

Andrew Ey

Leonie Schulz

Comcen

Brenton Kirk

Elizabeth

Mark Shaw

Comcen

Allan Dalgleish

Forensic Services

Adam Gates

HR

Kerry Rouse

Fraud

Sam Agostino

Mounted Ops

Melanie Whittemore

Intelligence Support

Kevin Hunt

STAR

Andrew Suter

Major Crime

Alex McLean

State Tac/ Op Mandrake Mark Buckingham

Port Adelaide

Scott Mitchell

Traffic

David Kuchenmeister

Sasha Lisle

Transit

Dick Hern

Officers Branch

Les Buckley

Women’s Branch

Kayt Howe (chair) (no delegates)

Adelaide DOCIB

South Coast

Metro South Branch

Police Journal

Adelaide Hills

Country North Branch

Crime Command Branch

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Andrew Bradley

Hindley Street

Tim Tollenaar

Netley

Paul Clark

Norwood

Rebecca Phillis

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

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POLICE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

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

P President

Mark Carroll

And now for some serious penalties…

O

ur recent victory from the campaign we ran for stronger assault-police penalties was one of the most significant in Police Association history.

We again stood up for cops and won convincingly, just as we have in so many other battles the association has fought over the years.

We never gloat but we do take pride in our extraordinary track record of industrial victories, none of which comes easily.

Getting this legislation over the line was tough, but assault-police laws in SA were weak – too weak. So, we were never going to rest until the government acted, as it now has, to strengthen them.

In fact, our campaign was so effective that it brought about the strongest penalties ever in SA for assaults on police and other emergency-services workers.

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I sincerely thank all association members for the unwavering support they gave our campaign.

I also thank the members who sacrificed their own time, privacy and anonymity to be those public faces of the cause.

That includes workers such as ambos, nurses and firefighters. They will enjoy the extra protections under the legislation as a direct result of our campaign.

This was the case with the victorious Protect our Cops campaign back in 201516. The association initiative paved the way for fairer outcomes for SA emergency-services workers.

And a critical aspect of our most recent victory was the direct input of some courageous members who became the faces of the campaign. It would have been many times harder to achieve what we did without them.

So, the association is deeply grateful to Sergeant Andrew Goldsmith, brevet sergeants Jason Smith, Sam Attard and Di-Ann Salotti, Senior Constable 1C Jarrod Davey, senior constables Tash Smith, Paul Jelfs, Ali Coad, Nathan Ross and Trevor Hood, and Constable Luke Anderson.

This invaluable collective fronted up for interviews, radio spots, social media videos, newspaper stories and TV broadcasts, all to state and national audiences.

They spoke of the serious injuries and profound trauma inflicted on them by cowardly attackers in the line of duty.

Our Facebook video, which featured interviews with Brevet Sgt Smith and Sgt Goldsmith, attracted more than 78,000 views. The overwhelming majority of the feedback was supportive.

In fact, we ran two public polls on social media, and both received more than 95 per cent support from respondents.

It’s hard to get 95 per cent agreement on any issue, let alone one put forward in a public campaign.

One point was abundantly clear right from the outset of the campaign in February. It was that a huge majority of the SA public had great respect for its police and wanted appropriate punishments for the tiny minority with no respect.

SA parliamentarians – including members of the Greens, SA Best, and

independent MLC John Darley – have listened. They recognized the public sentiment on this issue and acted accordingly with bi-partisan support for the legislation.

Opposition MP Lee Odenwalder put forward the amendment bill the association eventually supported. This was in response to the government’s original bill, which fell way short of what we were seeking.

Attorney-General Vickie Chapman and her government, to their credit, finally saw what the SA public could see: that the bill was above party politics and demanded support.

The new laws include a specific, dedicated offence of assaulting an emergency-services worker with a penalty of up to 15 years. They are a clear indication that weak penalties for these crimes are totally inappropriate.

The additional changes to the Sentencing Act should ensure that the judiciary gets this message.

The SA community has no tolerance for the vile assaults it sees inflicted on police and other emergency-services workers. It has also had quite enough of assailants who walk out of courtrooms smirking about the weak or suspended sentences applied to them.

I sincerely thank all association members for the unwavering support they gave our campaign.

I also thank the members who sacrificed their own time, privacy and anonymity to be those public faces of the cause.

And, of course, I thank the SA public and all those who took the time to express their support.

See the full amendment bill on the SA Legislation website – Criminal Law Consolidation (Assaults on Prescribed Emergency Workers) Amendment Bill 2019. Association members can view the bill on PASAweb (www.pasa.asn.au).

Dark Blue

Few, if any, who see it will come away unmoved, or in any doubt about the significant psychological cost associated with police work.

Dark Blue is the compelling new telemovie which shines a bright light on mental health and psychological injuries among Australian cops.

The Police Federation of Australia commissioned the movie, which SA fatherand-son filmmakers Mike and Corey Piper (Piper Films) wrote and produced.

True stories of Australian police officers formed the basis of the whole production.

It stars Police Association member Detective Sergeant Jeff Lang – an experienced actor and singer – in the lead role of Senior Constable Grant Wood.

Dark Blue takes the audience on a journey through the eyes of SC Wood. Viewers experience the highs, lows and traumatic events of real police work.

They feel the stigma SC Wood faces among colleagues, and they watch his relationship with his wife and his young family break down.

Nothing as starkly powerful as Dark Blue has ever been produced for police in this country.

Few, if any, who see it will come away unmoved, or in any doubt about the significant psychological cost associated with police work.

A recent Beyond Blue study of first responders showed that suicidal thoughts were twice as common among police officers as they were in the general population.

Worryingly, police and other emergencyservices workers are also three times more likely to have some sort of suicide plan.

Dark Blue is therefore a key element in a comprehensive PFA mental-health programme.

Even the federal government has recognized the programme and offered its assistance.

Detective Sergeant Lang said he hoped Dark Blue would lead to frank conversations about PTSI, depression and mental health.

“I want people who are suffering to feel comfortable that they can talk about it with their colleagues, their managers and their families,” he said.

Watch Dark Blue, and access the other programme materials, on the PFA website (www.pfa.org.au) August 2019

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P O S T- C R A S H INDECISION

By Brett Williams

Motorcycle cop John Hirst always knew that he could end up seriously injured on the road.

But, after he crashed in 2017, he never expected to find his employer endlessly unable to decide on his future.

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Left: One of the scars left on Hirst’s head after surgery; below: a long scar which resulted from surgery on his forearm.

THE SHOCKING NEWS It was a tough way to find out he had lost his right eye. There was no kid-gloves delivery of the shattering news. In fact, it never even came from the surgeon who had removed the precious organ.

The accidental bearer of the bad tidings was another surgeon, who had operated on the smashed forearms of critically injured motorcycle cop John Hirst.

That surgeon had been inspecting his orthopaedic handiwork when he made a casual reference to the lost eye, likely thinking that Hirst already knew it had gone.

Hirst, freshly out of surgery for the second time in seven days, had been aware of a thick bandage over the right upper side of his face. But never had he thought that, underneath that dressing, his right eye socket was now empty.

“I was like, ‘What do you mean?’ ” Hirst says of his response to the revelation.

“It didn’t feel like I’d lost an eye. I just couldn’t recognize the fact that there was no eye there.”

But Hirst was to have no choice.

Ultimately, he would have to reconcile himself to not only the loss of his eye but also a host of other critical injuries.

There was his fractured skull and brain bleeding, his broken wrists, his multiple facial fractures, and tears to his knee ligaments and right meniscus.

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THE SURGERY All that bodily damage was the result of an on-duty crash on his BMW police motorcycle on a July morning in 2017.

At around 50km/h, he had slammed into the back of Toyota Hilux on Grange Road at Fulham Gardens. And his head injuries could easily have cost him his life.

The damage was so severe because Hirst, with his helmet visor down, had apparently barrelled face-first into a roof rack atop the Hilux. It seemed a section of that rack smashed through his eye and skull and into the right frontal lobe of his brain.

And from his brain, the surgeons who performed those two operations on Hirst had to extract pieces of his smashed sunglasses.

His body went into shutdown six-anda-half hours into the first operation, which the surgeons had to halt. Days later, after time in a coma in ICU, his second operation went for 21 hours.

“That was when they did all brain and maxillofacial work,” he says. “So, basically, they pulled my face off and put in multiple plates and screws. They’d already done my arms in the first surgery, both with titanium plates.”

Renowned GP Dr Rod Pearce describes as “amazing” anyone’s survival of a crash like the one that almost claimed Hirst.

“It reminds me of those sorts of stories we see on programmes like Ripley’s Believe It or Not,” he says. “You hear stories of

“I couldn’t talk properly … I couldn’t read. I couldn’t do a whole lot of things.

So, you start to think: ‘Is this how life is really going to be?’ ” someone who’s got an arrow through the head and can still function. It’s one of those freaky things.

“A normal kind of assessment says that, with that sort of injury, someone’s going to be dead, or never function again. Then, not only are they functioning but they actually seem to get back to normal levels (of health). It’s an amazing situation.”

BETTER OFF DEAD As Hirst languished in the Royal Adelaide Hospital ICU, he came to think his survival had not been the best outcome.

It was a dark thought for a father of two teenagers, and it came to him once he understood the implications of his injuries and his recovery prospects.

Says Hirst: “I recall thinking: ‘F--k, why didn’t I just die at the scene? What value am I now, not only to myself but to everybody else?’

“I couldn’t talk properly because of the brain injury. I couldn’t read. I couldn’t do a whole lot of things. So, you start to think: ‘Is this how life is really going to be?’

“I remember thinking: ‘My policing days are finished, and my employment’s finished. I’m 44 years old. Where am I going to be employed? What am I going to be doing?’

“It wasn’t a case of being concerned about the recovery as much as it was about what the injuries actually meant and what issues would arise.

“There was never a thought of self-harm.

It was just simply the thought: ‘Why didn’t that (my death) happen?’ ”

SOMETHING NOT RIGHT While Hirst might then have wondered why he did not die, he wonders now about a “bizarre” pre-crash feeling he had that morning. From the moment he woke, in perfect health at 5:45am, something told him he should not go to work.

The feeling stayed with him as he showered, prepared breakfast, and spoke with a colleague over the phone. But, rather than act on it, he headed out from home on his motorcycle to begin his workday.

He was soon on Tapleys Hill Road dealing with a motorist he had spotted using a mobile phone. After that, as he got back on his motorcycle, he noticed how perfect a day it was under the recently risen sun and clear blue sky.

“(I remember) lying on the road and looking up at the Frederick Road sign, and a lot of voices yelling.”

“It was actually stunning,” he recalls, “and I thought: ‘Why on Earth don’t I want to go to work on a day like this? I’m riding my motorcycle that I love; I’m speaking with people; I’m getting good money. Why wouldn’t I want to be here?’ ” But whatever was telling him that work was not where he should be that day persisted.

When he got to around Harbour Town, it was as if a voice was urging him to consider that it was still not too late to go sick.

“And that’s one of the last discernible thoughts I actually had before the crash,” he recalls.

THE CRASH Hirst continued north along Tapleys Hill Road to Grange Road, onto which he turned left. As he headed west, in the right of two west-bound lanes, he saw the Hilux in the distance pulling out of a service station and into the left lane.

The Hilux driver then indicated, and made, a move into the right lane, in which Hirst was now approaching from several car lengths away.

At that point, Hirst noticed an east-bound motorist using a mobile phone. He turned his head to the right to be certain he had seen correctly and then activated his flashing red and blue lights. His thought was that, if possible, he would pursue the offending driver.

But after just a second, when Hirst had turned his head back to look directly forward again, the Hilux had stopped. It seemed its driver was waiting to turn at a break in the traffic island just east of the junction of Grange and Frederick roads.

For Hirst, however, it was too late to pull up.

Any chance he might have had to save himself was gone. And he knew it.

At 7:38am, he slammed into the back of the Hilux. And what happened immediately after the impact became, and remains, only a bitsand-pieces recollection to him. “(I remember) lying on the road and looking up at the Frederick Road sign, and a lot of voices yelling,” he says. “That sort of faded out and, then, in came sirens, but then that faded out, too.

“I remember thinking that it was bizarre that I was lying on the roadside.

I was under that thought process and drifting in and out (of consciousness).”

Major Crash investigators and other police converged on the scene as did an ambulance, which rushed Hirst to the Royal Adelaide Hospital. His memory of events there remains as sketchy as his other recollections.

HOSPITALIZED But he does remember specific moments. There was the apology he made to his mother for what had happened.

She had come to the hospital to be at her son’s bedside.

There was the advice he overheard members of his family receive: to say their goodbyes to him before the surgery. And there were the questions the neurological team fired at him about the crash.

“All I kept asking for was my kids,” he says. “My son, Jacob, was there but my daughter, Georgia, couldn’t bring herself to come to the hospital.”

Still, Hirst was soon in theatre, undergoing emergency surgery that day, and then again seven days later. When he roused in the ICU after the second operation, he was entirely disoriented.

“I actually thought I was still at work and still in my (work) gear,” he says.

“I thought: ‘What police station am I in?

Where am I? Why am I sleeping?’ I started putting bits and pieces together, but it was still total confusion.”

Just two months later, Hirst had to undergo another emergency operation to deal with an infection at the base of his brain. He emerged with the front section of his skull removed.

Hirst was to remain in hospital for six months until his release and return home just before Christmas 2017. But in 2018 came his readmission to hospital for more surgery – six times, from January to September.

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REHABILITATION Despite initially thinking his survival had been a negative outcome, a determined Hirst undertook an intensive rehabilitation programme.

At times, he was turning up to as many as 18 appointments a week with three surgeons, a physiotherapist, a hand therapist, a psychologist, and an exercise physiologist.

The injury to his brain called for a strong focus on restoring his cognition, co-ordination and balance.

“I was able to see a word and recognize it, but I couldn’t interpret what it actually meant,” he recalls.

Some of his early therapy was as simple as drawing – with coloured pencils in a colouring-in book. Other aids were his tablet and a PlayStation console, both of which provided him with exercises which he found “actually did significantly improve my brain function”.

Among the toughest aspects of his rehab were the physiotherapy sessions.

Hirst, with his recovering knees, had to take to the parallel bars to learn to walk again and often fell to the floor.

Other commitments Hirst lived up to were case conferences, consultations with the SAPOL Injury Management Section, GP appointments and independent medicals.

Indeed, from the time of his crash up until July this year, he had attended several hundred meetings and appointments.

And, of course, there was the process of making and fitting a glass eye and assessing the capacity of his remaining eye.

“There was concern in the early stages of rehab that my vision had dropped to about 50 per cent in my left eye,” he says.

“But my vision in the left eye has actually over-compensated.

“So, now, my visual (acuity) is 6/3 as opposed to the 6/5 I think it was when I applied for the speedies. So, I’ve actually improved on that level.”

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MAJOR OBSTACLES

THE MEDICAL EXPERTS

But his goal was to score improvements to his health on every level and get back to work. Strewn across the path to his full recovery, however, were major obstacles, such as the post-traumatic stress disorder Hirst came to suffer.

“I got to a point where I almost became hermit-like,” he says. “I’d leave the house only to go to appointments, and my social life diminished.”

But it was SAPOL which Hirst considered, and still considers, the greatest obstacle to his return to work. That was evident to him in many ways. One was the refusal of the organization to fund equipment to aid his recovery.

Another was the months-long – and still ongoing – delay in deciding whether to allow Hirst to undertake a motorcycle refresher course.

While a return to life as a motorcycle cop might have appeared impossible after the crash, medical experts ultimately came to the opposite conclusion. And that fitted with the goal Hirst had set himself after months of painstaking but successful rehab: to return to motorcycle duties.

Oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr Andrew Cheng, in a letter to SAPOL Injury Management Section 12 months ago, provided his expert assessment. “… he (Hirst) is clear from the cranial maxillofacial perspective to return to work as a … police officer and also as a solo motorcycle patrol officer,” he wrote.

And Cheng arrived at his recommendation with knowledge of the requirements of the SAPOL Functional Job Dictionary, Solo Motorcycle Patrol Officer.

Dr Rod Pearce, also in a letter to Injury Management Section last August, outlined his assessment based on a “battery of examinations”. “… I believe John has no evidence of brain injury that should impede his understanding or hold him back from his SAPOL duties,” he wrote.

Dr Subbuh Choudhry (Flinders Medical Centre Driving Clinics rehabilitation registrar) delivered his assessment in a letter to the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure in June 2018.

“Please accept this letter as medical evidence that Mr Hirst is fit to return to class C automatic and manual vehicles and motorbike,” he wrote.

“They’ve been provided with all medical documentation and every single test I’ve undertaken.

Does it take a year to do a risk assessment on these matters?”

In September last year, ophthalmologist Dr Garry Davis deemed Hirst “competent to perform duties” outlined in the Functional Job Dictionary, Solo Motorcycle Patrol Officer.

INACTION ON EXPERT ADVICE Although the advice of these seasoned medical practitioners was clear, SAPOL still did not assign Hirst to a motorcycle refresher course.

But then, on March 20, came a case conference at Glynde GP practice Medical HQ. There, it emerged that the police medical officer had, after multiple delays, cleared Hirst to undertake the motorcycle refresher course.

That might have appeared to be a torturous wait over for Hirst. SAPOL, however, still failed to get him on a course.

So, in a follow-up letter in late March,

Rod Pearce recommended that Hirst begin the refresher course “forthwith”.

The Police Association-funded legal team representing Hirst approached the Injury Management Section in early April.

It sought urgent advice as to when its client would be afforded his place on a course.

Clinical psychologist Alex Brooks, in a letter to Injury Management Section last April, gave Hirst credit for his dedication.

“John has increasingly engaged in behavioural exposure in regards (sic) to his eye,” she wrote. “He has increased his social interaction and has also been engaging in exercise and managing his diet and … has lost weight…

“SAPOL’s recurrent delays … have created a state of ongoing uncertainty, which is problematic for (Hirst’s) wellbeing.”

Says Hirst: “I empathize with the people who have to make that decision (on the refresher course). However, if we as police were to deal with members of the public this way, dragging the chain, we’d open ourselves up to criticism from management.

“They’ve been provided with all medical documentation and every single test I’ve undertaken. Does it take a year to do a risk assessment on these matters?”

THE PROMISE OF A DECISION A decision to return, or not to return, Hirst to motorcycle duties was “imminent” last May, according to an e-mail from Injury Management Section.

Three hours after recipients received that e-mail, however, another one came from Health, Safety & Welfare Branch management.

It indicated that management could not commit to arriving at a decision in time for, and to announce it at, a case conference scheduled for four days later.

Blame for that, according to the e-mail, lay with the non-receipt of a medical report from the SAPOL Medical Section.

But a week earlier, Hirst had received advice from the Medical Section that the report “should be finalised in the next 1-2 days”.

Ultimately, talk of an imminent decision was clearly wrong. And it had then been a year since Hirst had undertaken his first return-to-work meeting, at which discussion had taken place about his return to motorcycle duties.

After that May decision proved not to be imminent, Hirst believed that SAPOL had “no intention of returning me to the motorcycles … irrespective of medical evidence”.

The indecision continues, even today, and exacerbates the stress on him.

REIMBURSEMENT, FUNDING DENIED The tablet and PlayStation console, from which Hirst drew particular benefit, were items which orthopaedic surgeon Dr Aman Sood had described as potentially beneficial “in multiple ways”.

He wrote of PlayStation 4 as an “ideal form of rehabilitation” insofar as wrist, hand and finger dexterity was concerned. And the tablet, in his expert opinion, came with similar benefits, “in particular with fine use of fingers”.

Sood also made clear that, for Hirst, riding a mountain bike would be “highly beneficial for dynamic strengthening of lower limb, upper limb (and) general body fitness…”

Hirst’s treating physiotherapist, Sarah O’Donnell, agreed with Sood. In a letter she wrote last January, she added that mountain-bike riding would be beneficial for “improving and challenging dynamic balance and proprioceptive abilities”.

Determined to afford himself every advantage in his recovery, Hirst purchased the console and tablet. SAPOL, however, refused to reimburse him for them, and declined to fund the purchase of a mountain bike.

Among personal items Hirst lost in the crash were gloves, motorcycle and helmet cameras, a helmet Bluetooth set, a watch, a phone and a sat-nav system.

He looked for funding to replace these tools of trade, but SAPOL was not about to contribute and instructed its lawyers accordingly.

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THE FINANCIAL COST

“That’s $24,000 of disposable income gone.

I’m financially disadvantaged to the point where I might lose THE my house.”

PARTIES’

Hirst remains attached to State Traffic Enforcement Branch but is currently working at Radio Workshops.

He insists that, had SAPOL returned him to motorcycle duty when medical experts gave him the okay last September, he would not now be financially embarrassed.

By his estimation, his absence from motorcycle duty over the past 11 months has cost him around $1,100 per fortnight in wages.

“That’s $24,000 of disposable income gone,” he says. “I’m financially disadvantaged to the point where I might lose my house.”

COMMITMENT

Facing page, far left: on duty in pre-crash days; top left: starting a shift at 3:30am; top right: at the scene of a fatal crash at Bedford Park in 2016; right centre: at the SAVictorian border between Renmark and Mildura; bottom right: a tattoo Hirst had done to his forearm to cover scarring.

As he has undertaken his recovery, rehabilitation and the return of his body to functionality, Hirst has committed himself to the demands of six returnto-work plans.

He has also acceded to SAPOL requests to submit himself to independent medical examinations.

Last February, he scored a pass on IMOST and, although never permitted access to the motorcycle refresher course, Hirst undertook and completed the 1A driving course in March.

To him, however, it never appeared as if SAPOL was contributing an equal level of commitment.

In one example, an Injury Management Section case manager attended “compulsory training” rather than a case conference for the Hirst matter last May. And neither that case manager, nor a proxy, attended an earlier case conference in January.

Others, from areas such as the SAPOL Medical Section, also failed to take part in some case conferences and return-towork meetings.

THE STATE OF PLAY Returning to motorcycle duties remains the number-one objective for Hirst. But still, today, he remains without an answer from SAPOL as to when, if at all, he can undertake a motorcycle refresher course.

Naturally, he continues to suffer psychologically, as was identified by medical professionals and exacerbated

by SAPOL indecision.

A battle for the reimbursements and funding SAPOL denied Hirst is now taking place in the SA Employment Tribunal, pitting employer against injured employee.

Despite his plight, Hirst remains grateful for, and acknowledges, the support he has received from both within and outside SAPOL. He speaks of his “brilliant” medical team, his family and friends, work colleagues, and the Police Association.

But intensely frustrating to Hirst is that SAPOL still has not simply acted on the expert medical advice of last September.

“If they had,” he suggests, “there’s every chance I’d be off the WorkCover system, functioning fully, and getting remunerated for the productivity they (SAPOL) expect.

Yet they still can’t make a decision.”

But, somehow, Hirst keeps his focus on getting all the way back to life as a motorcycle cop. “It’s not how many times you get knocked over,” he says, “it’s how many times you get up.” PJ

The Police Journal sought comment from SAPOL management, which responded with a written statement.

It read: “SAPOL management is aware of John’s concerns and are managing this matter in accordance with our obligations under the Return to Work Act 2014, the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 and SAPOL’s general policies and procedures.

“SAPOL is sympathetic of John’s situation and the significant injuries he has suffered whilst at work. As a result, SAPOL is endeavouring to continue to provide appropriate support to John in order to assist him in his recovery and his return to work.”

August 2019

19

L Letters

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 Fax (08) 8212 2002 Internal dispatch Police Journal 168

Retiree dinner on par with international events My heartiest congratulations and warmly felt appreciation to the Police Association for putting on this year’s Retiring Members Dinner at the Adelaide Oval on June 14.

I was very impressed with the proceedings of the night, not least of all to hear my name mentioned on so many occasions. I guess age and longevity in SAPOL are worth the effort, at least for me with 51 years in the job.

My wife, Helen, who has been in high-level corporate life as a vice-president in at least three international companies, was very impressed with the whole evening.

She likened it to some of the very lavish international presentations she has attended over the years.

Having not attended one myself, I was extremely proud to be a part of the evening. The speakers and official hosts really showed that, as members of the association, we are always a part of, and included in, the activities of the well-respected Police Association.

I remember being an association representative some years ago and part of debate and discussion on matters that really concerned SAPOL members and marching in the pay campaign rally.

And, as Norman Hoy’s team sergeant, I was very impressed with what the association did on his behalf.

While others detracted from the truth of the matter, I always considered the initial contact with the association – on the day that Norman was served with the summons – to be one of the most profound times of my long career.

My anger and disbelief, on that day, was without boundary and, then, to sit in the courtroom and hear the outcome was a joy and worth every cent that I had paid into the association over the many years.

I have the greatest respect for everyone on the executive and the office staff as well, and in the way the association conducts itself with SAPOL and particularly in the media.

Policing is the only job, nay career, I have known, and I am very proud to have been a member of SAPOL and particularly a member of this wonderful association.

Well done, guys.

Regards Bruce Hartley Sergeant (ret) 20

Police Journal

Above: Bruce Hartley receives a plaque from Police Association president Mark Carroll at the Retiring Members Dinner

Value in retirement medical check Recently I attended the retirement medical check at Medical HQ. The whole process took about 90 minutes and was the most thorough medical check I think I have ever had.

The staff were great, and I am so glad that Steve Whetton got in my ear about taking up the Police Association offer to undergo the check.

Most importantly, I got a real sense that they really understood what it was to be a police officer and the residual effects of long-term service.

Regards Steve Highet

No post-injury compassion, understanding

CIB Reunion

I was diagnosed with cumulative PTSD in June 2017 but eventually returned successfully to work after a lengthy and often traumatic rehabilitation process. Resources external to SAPOL were of the greatest assistance.

The whole work-cover process is a “minefield” of bureaucracy and legislative requirements.

You are bombarded with what appears to be an early diagnosis of possible conditions. But you quickly learn that this will not be accepted as it has been made not by a psychologist but by a social worker acting on behalf of SAPOL. The claim process becomes invasive. You fend off calls and requests for information left, right and centre. The exposure and re-exposure to trauma is immense.

At no point does this occur with a qualified psychologist. It’s all done over the phone. No emotional, physical or psychological support is on offer. You end up in an ever-increasing tailspin. Your partner, kids and closest loved ones pick up the burden.

Eventually you get psychiatric and psychological help and the lengthy process of recovery commences.

Medicinal help from the psychiatrist is on offer but it comes with physical and psychological side effects.

Then comes the independent medico-legal interview with an independent psychiatrist who is there to determine if your alleged injury is real.

The questions, written by Employee Assistance Section, make you feel like you are the problem and that the organization does not want to support you.

You feel isolated, singled out and targeted.

You continue to spiral downward. Who tries to pick you up? The partner.

Finally, the news that your claim has been accepted doesn’t mean you’re better. It’s a hurdle that’s been negotiated but you still can’t see light at the end of the tunnel.

Answers and knowledge become important to you, but you have to look for those yourself. Online

The 13th Retired CIB Reunion will be held at the Police Club from 2pm to 6pm on Monday, September 23, 2019.

Any former or retired detectives, or serving detectives who are soon to retire, are invited to attend.

A modest $10 covers organizational costs and refreshments.

As usual, invitations will be sent out via e-mail and post to all current group members on our list.

I would ask anyone who has never attended but would like to attend one of the reunions and receive future e-mails, to contact me at grahamwp2@ gmail.com or by phone (0417 881 745).

research, resources outside the organization, and other cops help expand your knowledge.

The organization gives you a book written by an American.

As your rehabilitation process continues, and you learn greater coping strategies, life improves. The outlook becomes more and more positive. And why is that?

It’s because you work with your partner, family and support network to find positive outcomes. You pay for external counselling to support your family.

You feel like the job does not give a damn about your family or you. The moment you leave the workplace at the end of shift you are on your own.

The horrors, trauma and negativity you have been exposed to do not stay at work. They follow you home.

Then, when you do get back to work, there is the stigma. You feel like you are being ostracized.

Senior management’s response is: “Oh that’s disappointing.” But what are they doing about it?

Did one senior manager ever check in with me when I was at my worst? No. Hospitalized with a physical injury – as I was a few years back – I was receiving phone calls from bosses I had never even heard of. Throw the word mental into the equation and heads get buried in the sand.

Looking in from the outside, I can now see that, as a uniformed response member, you are nothing more than a number. A bum on a seat. And while you generate statistics, you’re worth your weight in gold.

Get injured and you become a liability. There is no compassion shown. There is no understanding, just continual ignorance and denial. It’s sad, but it’s where we are.

Things are changing, but not quickly enough.

We need to do more. I’m keen to help if I can, as I know I wasn’t the first and most definitely won’t be the last.

Graham Puckridge Detective Sergeant (ret) Retired CIB Members Group

Name supplied August 2019

21

I

Steven Whetton Member Liaison Officer, Police Association

Industrial

One in five cops suffers PTSD: University of Cambridge survey O

ne in five police officers is currently suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a 2018 University of Cambridge survey of 17,000 police officers from 47 UK police forces.

The Police Federation of England and Wales reported on the survey on its website last May (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder widespread in policing).

The survey identified that: • 21 per cent of police officers who responded reported symptoms consistent with PTSD or the more severe complex PTSD. • 73 per cent of those with PTSD or CPTSD will be unaware that they have it.

• 66 per cent of those reported a psychological or mental-health issue which they felt was a direct result of police work.

• 69 per cent of officers feel that trauma is not well managed in their force.

• 93 per cent still go to work even when suffering from a work-related psychological issue.

• Police officers and staff score significantly lower on World Health Organisation (WHO) well-being indices than other sectors. The average sickness absence is 20 days over a year, with “health problems caused or made worse by work” cited as most frequent reason for calling in sick.

Silence is entirely counterproductive when it comes to workload intensification.

The association has always encouraged – and continues to encourage – its members to submit hazard and incident reports.

The Police Federation of England and Wales further identified that two thirds of its members had “experienced at least one traumatic incident in the previous year”, and a similar number had “been physically attacked on duty in the previous 12 months”.

The Police Association has seen a significant increase in requests for union assistance in respect of workload intensification. The level and seriousness of investigational workloads and the staffing and enquiries expectation on front-line members is a serious concern.

Excessive workloads exist because of: • A partially implemented district policing model.

• A proven ineffective system to measure workload per FTE. • An inability to provide sufficient staffing to address the workload intensification.

SafeWork SA describes work-related stress as: “…the physical, mental and emotional reactions of workers who perceive that their work demands exceed their abilities and/or their resources (such as time, help/support) to do the work.

It occurs when they perceive they are not coping in situations where it is important to them that they cope.”

SafeWork SA has identified that workrelated stress can lead to:

Physical – headaches, indigestion, tiredness, slow reactions, shortness of breath.

Mental – difficultly in decisionmaking, forgetfulness.

Emotional – irritability, excess worrying, feeling of worthlessness, anxiety, defensiveness, anger, mood swings.

B ehavioural – diminished p er for mance , w ithdrawal, impulsiveness, increased alcohol and nicotine consumption.

SafeWork SA also indicates that: “Common longer-term health issues linked to stress include cardiovascular disease, immune deficiency disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, psychiatric/ ps ychological illness and musculoskeletal disorders.”

Terms such as stressed, despair, unachievable, burnout and overwhelmed are recorded in the hazard and incident reports submitted by Police Association members in respect of workload intensification.

Silence is entirely counterproductive when it comes to workload intensification. The association has always encouraged – and continues to encourage – its members to submit hazard and incident reports.

The expectation of SAPOL is not only to address workload intensification. It is also to consider – in a cultural, moral and ethical sense – the physical and psychological harm to the police family, as well as members’ own families and relationships.

SafeWork SA has identified that “increased stress levels of workers in an organization can lead to diminished or ga n i z ation a l p er for m a nc e ”.

It indicates that: • Productivity and efficiency might be reduced.

Continued page 45 August 2019

23

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*Clarification We’ve calculated these illustrative averages for South Australia based on a family policy, with no Australian Government Rebate on private health insurance or Lifetime Health Cover Loading. The calculations are based on a limited selection of services, so comparisons may vary with other funds, other items and preferred provider arrangements, but, overall, we believe that they support our mission to provide Cover Like No Other. If you want to compare the specific benefits or premiums for Police Health or other funds the government’s Information Statements, these can be found at www.privatehealth.gov.au/ | Current at 1 April 2019

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Police Health Limited. ABN 86 135 221 519 A registered, not for profit, restricted access private health insurer.

H Health

Dr Rod Pearce

The inheritance none of us wants O

ur cosmetic features are based on inheritance. Early-discovery DNA and genes explain simple inherited things like eye colour and baldness. But any diseases we inherit from our parents might be less obvious, as humans have around 25,000 genes.

Medical history has focused on lethal inheritance (which leads to early death of children), and on conditions we can influence and change through medication or diet.

Doctors’ interests generally lie in any diseases that occurred in a patient’s parents under the age of 40.

If three members of a family had heart attacks at the age of 35, we would be worried the patient had inherited hypercholesterolaemia (high cholesterol).

If first-degree relatives had breast cancer, we would be concerned that the patient had a BRCA gene mutation.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 are human genes that produce tumour suppressor proteins. These proteins help repair damaged DNA and, therefore, play a role in ensuring the stability of each cell’s genetic material.

When either of these genes is mutated, or altered, DNA damage might not be repaired properly causing increased risk of cancer/s.

Were there bowel cancer in your family at the age of 40, we would be worried you would have familial polyposis.

We continue to get better at detecting these conditions and, when people get unusual diseases at an early age, we are now on the lookout for inherited factors.

In Australia, we would still be wondering about some possible inherited conditions if a family member is sick at 60.

The first heart attack at 60 in an otherwise healthy person might indicate an inherited tendency. Diabetes in a 60-year-old might indicate a family risk.

Because lifestyle also adds risk, there are various ways of calculating inherited risk and lifestyle risks.

A rough example of this would be diabetes (Type 2). Say you need 100 points to have diabetes and roughly one point for every year of age. You might get 30 points from eating too much sugar, 20 points from not exercising and 15 points from being overweight.

But, if both parents had diabetes, add another 50 points, making it likely to get diabetes by the time you are 50.

You can’t alter the inheritance, so it is left for you to alter your lifestyle so as to decrease your chance of getting diabetes. But, in the end (say by the time you are 100), you are probably going to get diabetes.

Thalassaemia is a disease which, if inherited from both parents, leads to early death (thalassaemia major).

Sometimes, sufferers will not know they have the trait unless seen on a blood test (thalassaemia minor).

It is good to talk to your doctor about any family illness that occurs in young people (under 40) to find out if you have an inherited risk.

It is also worth talking about diseases that occur in the family when someone is 60.

To manage this, we recommend to “screen” for it before pregnancy to assess the risks of having affected children.

It can also be assessed during pregnancy, when the genetic testing can be done by amniocentesis, but finding the abnormality then is more difficult to deal with.

We also test for Down syndrome during amniocentesis. It is caused by a gene abnormality which is inherited but is not a disease that occurs in the parents.

While most are rare, around 6,000 known genetic disorders are caused by inheriting an altered, single gene.

We concern ourselves not so much with the genetic inheritance but rather the conditions that “run in families”.

They have an inherited basis, but it is multifactorial.

The most common conditions that tend to run in families are heart disease, high blood pressure, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes and some cancers (especially colon, breast and skin).

Continued page 45 August 2019

25

M Motoring

Jim Barnett

Model/Price Hyundai Kona Electric. Elite $59,990; Highlander $64,490.

Drivetrain 150kW electric motor driving front wheels powered by 64kWh lithium-ion polymer battery.

Energy Usage Average energy consumption 14.3 kWh/100km.

Safety Full suite of crash avoidance and driver-assistance technologies, six airbags, tyre-pressure monitoring.

Warranty Five years unlimited km; battery warranty eight years/160,000km.

Servicing $165 every 12 months or 15,000km.

Spare Wheel None, tyre inflation kit.

DRIVING

Hyundai Kona Electric If the new Hyundai Kona Electric compact SUV is the future of motoring, bring it on. It is based on its trendy petrol sibling bearing the same name but runs solely on battery power and produces zero emissions.

With a real-world driving range of around 450km, its Achilles heel, at least for now, is the lack of charging infrastructure and hefty purchase price.

Two models, Elite and Highlander, feature a 64kW/h lithium-ion polymer battery powering a 150kW electric motor.

Drive is to the front wheels through a single-speed reduction-gear transmission.

26

Police Journal

The quickest charging option is an 80 per cent recharge within 54 minutes using a 100kW DC (public) fast charger. Charging can also be achieved with an optional specialized home charger or using a compatible 10amp household power socket and the in-cable control box that comes with the car.

Both models are highly specified in terms of safety and standard equipment.

Highlander features extras such as head-up display, leather trim, eight-inch sat-nav screen, wireless phone-charging, heated and cooled seats, and heated steering wheel.

Hooked after one drive

DESIGN AND FUNCTION

Whether prospective buyers are environmentally conscious or not, most will be hooked after one drive of Kona Electric. As odd as it might sound, Kona drives like smooth hush power. Push the foot down and the electric motor’s 395Nm of torque comes on line immediately with smooth, rapid acceleration.

With the capacity for 0-100km/h in 7.6 seconds, and a top speed of 167km/h, it’s quicker than Kona petrol. There are no gear changes and almost no sound, except for a little tyre noise and a faint whirr of the electric motor.

Three drive-modes, Sport, Eco and Comfort, provide real changes in the way the car performs. In Sport mode it’s exhilarating. Australian input to the suspension and steering reflects its agility in corners and descent-ride capabilities.

Paddle shifters adjust the level of regenerative braking. On the maximum level, releasing the accelerator results in strong retardation, pumping power back into the battery. The car can even be brought to a complete stop without the need to push the brake pedal.

Kona Electric offers a very green alternative that’s fun to drive and practical to use. It could also cope easily with the average weekly commute without the need to recharge.

Hyundai i30 Fastback N Hyundai released the Kona Electric and its hot i30 Fastback N in Australia around the same time.

Developed from the i30N hatch (released last year), this sleek five-door sports coupé is powered by a very lively 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine driving the front wheels through a six-speed manual transmission.

Power output is impressive at 202kW (6,000rpm) with maximum torque of 353Nm developed between 1,450 and 4,700rpm. On overboost, torque lifts to 378Nn for up to 18 seconds.

Driver-selectable options allow the car to be tailored to the driver and conditions. This includes the ability to change from a comfortable daily drive to a focused high-performance sports car at the touch of a button.

Its active variable exhaust system, electronically controlled adaptive suspension, electro-mechanical limited-

DRIVING slip diff and launch-control function add to its driving excitement.

Owners can hit the track in the knowledge the car is covered

by Hyundai’s warranty for noncompetitive racetrack driving. This includes the fitment of track-focused tyres to replace its specially developed low-profile Pirelli P-Zero HN (235/35) tyres.

Nineteen-inch alloys, glaring red brake callipers, black side skirts, a bold black grille with large air intakes and a large boot-lip spoiler set the scene on the outside.

It’s roomy enough for four, has a decent boot with luggage space enhanced by 60/40 rear seats.

While the standard Fastback N scores well in terms of standard fit-out, an optional Luxury Pack adds items like suede/leather heated front seats, heated steering wheel, Smart Key with pushbutton start and wireless phonecharging pad.

Fastback for the racetrack

DESIGN AND FUNCTION

Drivers will appreciate Fastback’s nicely laid-out interior with bodyhugging front sports seats. The small leather-bound steering wheel feels good and features buttons for drive modes and various other functions.

Scrolling through menus on the eight-inch sat-nav touchscreen is where drive parameters and exhaust output can be changed.

Firing the engine produces a grunty exhaust note. The engine offers smooth, rapid acceleration with 0-100km/h in just 6.1 seconds. The six-speed manual gearbox offers smooth, short-throw gear changing, its ratios well-spaced to pull the most from this lively engine.

Cornering is flat, fast and predictable thanks to a taut chassis and well-sorted suspension set-up. Ride comfort remains surprisingly good and braking performance is excellent.

Overall, i30 Fastback N is a great, exhilarating package which is engaging to drive but faces some stiff competition.

Model Hyundai i30 Fastback N. Price $41,990 (Luxury pack adds $3,000 or $5,000 with a sunroof).

Engine 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol with 16 valves and double overhead camshafts.

Power 202Kw/353Nm with 378Nm on overboost.

Fuel 95 RON (premium), 50-litre tank, 8.0 litres/100km (combined test).

Safety Forward-collision with autonomous braking, driver-attention warning, lane-keeping assistance, seven airbags and tyre-pressure monitoring.

Warranty Five years, unlimited kilometres and covers non-competitive racetrack use.

August 2019

27

24/7 online access to all services

PASAweb legal assistance, news & events, offers & discounts

A S S O CI A

TI

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OU

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OF

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P

ICE

ON

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T H AU S T R

A

POLICE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

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

B Banking

Paul Modra, Executive Manager – Member Value and Distribution, Police Credit Union

Award-winning graduates P

robationary constables Megan Palmer, 38, and Annabel Smith, 25, were two deserving recipients of the Police Credit Union Award for Community Service this year.

Megan, who had worked as a special education teacher, graduated in February and hopes to become a Major Crash investigator or a Dog Ops handler.

“It was nice to be acknowledged for the extra time I’d spent outside of the academy giving back to the community,” she said of receiving the award.

“I assisted with events including Blue Light discos and a music festival for people living with disabilities and think I almost had more fun than the participants.”

Now attached to Northern District Response Teams, Megan hopes the work she and her colleagues perform makes “the local community feel safer”.

“We ensure that we cover all areas of our sector throughout the shift and make our presence known,” she said.

Annabel, who had worked as a roustabout/farmhand, graduated in May and now aims to work with Major Crash or the Serious and Organised Crime Branch.

Now based at Port Augusta, she said the award “meant a lot to me”.

“I think community engagement is such a big part of SAPOL and we can’t do what we do without the support of the community,” she said.

“So, being out there, giving back, and

being present is a vital part of policing and I’m proud to know that I contributed to that.

“I haven’t been out of the academy long, but I think the key part of positively impacting the community is presence, and that’s what community service is all about.

“Whether going to scheduled events like a Blue Light or a school talk, or just every-day contact with members of the public, (it) shows the community that we’re approachable and are out there for them.”

One important memory to Annabel is an Easter Sunday visit she paid the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

“Seeing how much we can brighten up a child’s day who is going through a rough time shows how important the little things we do as police officers are,” she said.

“I’m looking forward to getting involved in community activities at my new posting.”

Police Credit Union is committed to supporting the community, as were the police officers on which our organization was built.

So, it makes sense that we award one graduating probationary constable from each course with our Police Credit Union Award for Community Service in recognition of his or her efforts.

The award, which Police Credit Union has sponsored since 1997, is presented at every graduation ceremony.

“Whether going to scheduled events like a Blue Light or a school talk, or just every-day contact with members of the public, (it) shows the community that we’re approachable and are out there for them.”

Above: Megan Palmer and Annabel Smith receiving the Police Credit Union Award for Community Service from Chairman Alex Zimmermann and Deputy Chairman Michael Fisher.

Winners are chosen based on their proactive and extensive work within the community, even while they are studying and making their way through their academy training.

Selection is by a review of the community service activities that each graduate has undertaken during training, with a greater weight given to those activities with a link to policing and those that promote cross-cultural diversity.

Award-winners have generally taken part in Blue Light discos, visiting the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, visiting schools, donating blood/plasma and more.

Most important, they are focussed on educating the community about how police are approachable and there to protect the community.

Police Credit Union Ltd ABN 30 087 651 205 AFSL/Australian Credit Licence 238991. All information is current as at 12/07/2019.

August 2019

29

Free Legal Service for Police Association Members, Their Families & Retired Members.

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

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.

INJURY COMPENSATION • Motor accident injury compensation

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tgb.com.au • (08) 8212 1077

L Legal

Luke Officer, Senior Associate Tindall Gask Bentley Lawyers

Drive without due care – not as simple as it sounds S

o you're driving your vehicle one Sunday afternoon, when all of a sudden you lose control, crossing onto the wrong side of the road and onto a verge before colliding with a fence and a tree.

You wake up with no memory of the accident.

You are then charged with driving without due care. You must be guilty right? Wrong.

This is exactly the same set of facts in Brooks v Police where the Supreme Court set aside the conviction and substituted an acquittal after Mr Brooks was found guilty by a magistrate at first instance.

This is but one example of a particular set of circumstances where the offence is not made out.

While every case ultimately turns on its own facts, Brooks v Police does, however, provide three key propositions to be considered in relation to any due care offence: 1. The prosecution must exclude all reasonable hypotheses consistent with innocence based on rational inferences.

2. Prosecution must usually establish more than a minor or common error of judgment (momentary inattention).

3. Not every case is appropriate to infer contravention of section 45 of the Road Traffic Act from the mere fact a collision has occurred.

… the court must be satisfied that the accused was carrying out duties as an emergency worker and acting in accordance with his or her employer’s directions and acting reasonably in the circumstances as the accused believed them to be.

Despite Mr Brooks complete lack of memory, Justice White found that the prosecution did not challenge his evidence about the lack of memory, and had not excluded the possibility that Mr Brooks had struck a small animal (as it was a dense bush area) or that there was some mechanical defect in the vehicle.

Other issues that might arise Is it driving?

One of the other considerations is whether an accused is “driving”. There has been a plethora of cases on this issue, each with different outcomes.

For example, the accused who was in the driver’s seat turned the key over in the ignition causing it to bunny hop forward was found to be driving.

Whereas, the passenger who turned the key over in the ignition to turn on the radio, but turned it too far, causing the vehicle to move forward as the handbrake was not on, was not found to amount to driving.

The question of driving is ordinarily resolved if the court is satisfied that the accused had control of the means of propulsion of the vehicle.

The emergency worker’s defence It is not uncommon for police officers to find themselves the subject of a charge for failure to drive with due care as a result of an on-duty collision.

Police officers might be able to rely on the emergency worker’s defence under section 45(4a) of the RTA. One cannot simply assert the defence, however. If it is to be accepted, the court must be satisfied that the accused was carrying out duties as an emergency worker and acting in accordance with his or her employer’s directions and acting reasonably in the circumstances as the accused believed them to be.

Section 65 Police Act Police officers might also be able to rely on the defence under section 65 of the Police Act which excludes them from criminal liability for any honest act of omission in the exercise of discharge of their duties. The law on this, however, is sparse and as yet untested.

Summary In Brooks v Police, the important message to take away is that, if you find yourself accused of this offence, it is possible that it can be defended, putting aside the statutory defences that might be available.

The starting point is to approach it from the propositions articulated in this case together with the facts of the individual’s case.

Tindall Gask Bentley Lawyers provides free initial advice through a legal advisory service to Police Association members and their families, and retired members. Police Association members and their immediate family receive a 10% discount on their wills. To make an appointment, contact the association (8212 3055) or start your will online at tgb.com.au.

August 2019

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E Entertainment

Flight Risk Michael McGuire Allen & Unwin, $29.99

Disgraced former pilot Ted Anderson works for a top-secret government organization set up to investigate terror-related incidents.

Sent to Jakarta to find out as much as he can about the pilot of a vanished Garuda flight, he discovers a flight simulator in the pilot’s apartment.

When the investigation turns sour, Anderson escapes to New York as further disaster strikes.

Another plane disappears from the sky. Then another. Three planes and hundreds of passengers and crew have vanished without a trace. Panic is widespread and the world is teetering on the brink.

Still no one has come forward to claim responsibility.

At an eerily deserted JFK airport trying to get a flight back home, Anderson witnesses a suspicious exchange between an airport cleaner and a nonchalant pilot. He follows the pilot to his destination: a Ukraine International Airlines flight, due to leave in an hour.

All Anderson’s instincts tell him that this is the next plane to go down. But what on earth can he do? Take the flight and face almost certain death? Or fly back home and wait for the news headlines?

He does the unthinkable and gets on the plane.

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

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An Unexplained Death: The True Story of a Body at the Belvedere Mikita Brottman Allen & Unwin, $29.99

When it comes to missing people, the first day or two after they have gone, it is as though they have left a door open behind them and they can still turn around and come back.

But after five or six days, you get the sense they have crossed all the way over. All that remains, if you’re lucky, is a vague glimpse, caught on tape somewhere, of a pixelated ghost.

An Unexplained Death is the true story of the death of Rey Rivera, an ordinary man whose end was anything but.

As author Mikita Brottman seeks to unravel the truth behind Rivera’s death, she faces the darker impulses of human nature, and our obsessive need to shine a light on what might, after all, be best left in the dark.

The Price of Paradise

Iain Overton Hachette Australia, $34.99

An urgent and pertinent exploration of how and why the suicide bomber has shaped the modern age.

We live in the age of the suicide bomber. The suicide bomb itself takes more lives than any other type of explosive weapon. Moreover, in the last five years, more people have been killed by suicide attacks than at any other time in history.

How has this descent deep into the heart of terror escalated in such a way? What drives people to blow themselves up and what are the consequences? More important, perhaps, what can be done to combat the rising spread of this form of violence?

Man’s Best Friend

SC Luke Warburton & Simon Gouda Hachette Australia, $29.99

At 10:30pm on January 12, 2016, Acting Sergeant Luke Warburton thought he was taking his last breath. A decorated New South Wales police officer, the father of three was looking death in the face after a bullet pierced his femoral vein.

If it wasn't for the fact that it happened in the emergency ward of Sydney's Nepean Hospital, Warburton would probably have been dead already.

An hour earlier, he'd walked to his police van with his ever-faithful German shepherd, Chuck, trotting alongside.

Iain Overton shows how the suicide bomber has played a pivotal role in the evolution of some of the most defining forces of the modern age.

Later, Luke would be awarded the Commissioner's Valour Award for conspicuous merit and exceptional bravery in the line of duty.

He would maintain he was just a copper doing his job.

Interviewing Russian anarchists, Japanese kamikazes, Hezbollah militants, survivors of suicide bombings and countless others, Overton skilfully combines historical narrative, travelogue, interviews and testimonies and brings his research alive thanks to potent facts and visceral storytelling.

So, too, was Chuck, who was nationally recognized for bringing down Australia's most wanted man, Malcolm Naden, after a manhunt lasting more than seven years.

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E Entertainment

To Kill the Truth

Sam Bourne Hachette Australia, $29.99

Someone is trying to destroy the evidence of history’s greatest crimes.

Academics and Holocaust survivors dead in mysterious circumstances. Museums and libraries burning. Digital records and irreplaceable proofs lost forever.

Former White House operative Maggie Costello has sworn off politics. But when the Governor of Virginia seeks her help to stop the spiral of killings, she knows that this is bigger than any political game.

As Black Lives Matter protestors clash with slavery deniers, America is on a knife edge and time is running out. This deadly conspiracy could ignite a new civil war – but who stands to gain most from the chaos?

The Matriarch: The Story of ‘Granny Evil’ Kathy Pettingill Adrian Tame Simon & Schuster, $19.99

Kathy Pettingill was the matriarch of the most notorious and violent family of habitual offenders in Australian criminal history. Her life revolved around murder, drugs, prison, and prostitution.

Her eldest son, Dennis Allen, was a mass murderer and a $70,000-a-week drug dealer who dismembered a Hell’s Angel with a chainsaw.

Two younger sons were acquitted of the Walsh Street murders of two police officers in Melbourne. One of the two, Victor, who was gunned down in the street 14 years later, became the third son Pettingill buried.

In this revised and updated authorized edition of The Matriarch, Pettingill reveals the chilling truth behind many of the myths and legends that surround her family, including her experiences in the blood-spattered charnel house at the centre of Dennis Allen’s empire of drugs and violence.

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Blinded by the Light

Season commences August 22

Javed is a British teen of Pakistani descent growing up in 1987 England.

He writes poetry to escape the intolerance of his hometown and the inflexibility of his traditional father.

But, when a classmate introduces him to the music of Bruce Springsteen, Javed sees parallels to his workingclass life in the powerful lyrics.

As Javed discovers an outlet for his own pent-up dreams, he also begins to express himself in his own voice.

Blinded by the Light stars Viveik Kalra (Javed), Dean-Charles Chapman (Matt) and Hayley Atwell (Ms Clay).

IT Chapter Two Season commences September 5

In the sleepy town of Derry, the evil clown Pennywise returns 27 years later to torment the grown-up members of the Losers’ Club.

They have long since drifted apart from one another but are brought back by a devastating phone call.

IT Chapter Two stars Jessica Chastain (Beverly Marsh), James McAvoy (Bill Denbrough) and Bill Hader (Richie Tozier).

Downton Abbey Season commences September 12

The continuing saga of the Crawley family and the servants who work for them in the English countryside in the early 20th century.

And turning up at the abbey for a royal visit are King George V and Queen Mary.

Downton Abbey stars Tuppence Middleton (Lucy), Maggie Smith (Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham) and Elizabeth McGovern (Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham).

Rambo: Last Blood Season commences September 19

Vietnam War veteran John Rambo must confront his past and unearth his ruthless combat skills as he teams up with a reporter to save a friend’s kidnapped daughter from a vicious drug cartel in Mexico.

After he crosses the US-Mexico border to bring her home, a deadly journey of vengeance marks the last chapter of the legendary series.

Rambo: Last Blood stars Sylvester Stallone (Rambo) and Paz Vega (Carmen Delgado).

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BIG SAVINGS! Police Association Members’ Buying Guide Facebook Group

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

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This is a closed group for members only.

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2016 Reserve Shiraz The 2016 Reserve Shiraz is all Barossa with dark purple colours and red brick colouring developing on the edges of the glass.

Aromas of dark fruits with forest floor notes, olive tapenade, dusty French oak, again tell you this is Barossa Shiraz at its finest.

On the palate is the pleasure of dark plum and blackcurrant flavours and cocoa powder with dusty tannins melding into a spice and black pepper feel. This wine is rich and enveloping with a pleasing finish.

Food match: truffled roast chicken with truffle salt, extra virgin olive oil and white polenta.

2016 Reserve GSM

Chateau Yaldara Lyndoch, South Australia www.1847wines.com

This 2016 GSM is bright mulberry red with some enticing scarlet hues that lead into the delightful sweet spice aromas intertwined with bright cranberry. Underlying these flavours are black liquorice and cardamom pods.

Blueberry and ripe strawberry fruit which swirls around the mid-palate and floats above the dusty and fine tannin structure.

The fruit is carried by a purity of acid and highlights the spiced and toasted notes from the oak integration.

Food match: risotto of chorizo, buffalo curd mozzarella, parsley and lemon.

2015 Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir Pale yellow with copper hues are delightful in the glass, complemented with delicate beads of bubbles that enhance the citrus and white peach notes with highlights of strawberry blossom and lemon zest.

There are flavours of lime and nectarine, while the ageing on yeast lees for a minimum of 18 months has created complex dough and biscuit richness on the palate, beautifully balanced with a clean acid line that refreshes the senses.

This is a multi-award-winning wine that sits parallel with some of the best sparkling wines in Australia.

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THE POLICE CLUB Free WiFi Private function rooms available Free entry into weekly meat tray OPENING HOURS Mon – Wed 10am till 3.30pm Thurs 10am till 5pm Friday 10am till late HAPPY HOUR 4.30pm till 6.30pm every Friday

Book now

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

policeclub.com.au POLICE CLUB PARTNERS

Police Club High Tea & Fashion Parade

byAqua Boutique

Join Coast FM’s Irena Smith for a High Tea lunch and sparkling wine, with the latest fashions by Aqua Boutique of Norwood

Complimentary glass of Barrister’s Block sparkling on arrival, AQUA Boutique styling voucher, $100 MTA travel voucher, Silent Auction, Raffle, Lucky Squares and more

Friday September 13, from 12 – 3pm Tickets $55 Book online: www.trybooking.com/146601 More information: Police Association (08) 8212 3055

Honour our fallen colleagues on Police Remembrance Day

FEAST DAY CELEBRATION OF

St. Michael PATRON SAINT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS Police Club, Friday September 27, 2019, 1pm In Australia on this September day each year, the police family comes together to pay personal and professional tribute to its honoured fallen – some of whom served beside us.

Join Police Association secretary Bernie Zimmermann and Wall to Wall riders to re-live this year’s journey. The lunch coincides with tributes staged across the nation and around the world. $32 per person Rump steak with garlic potato puree & red wine jus or Atlantic salmon on baby spinach with roast capsicum, red onion, sundried tomatoes & carrot ribbons with a dill yoghurt & walnut crumble.

Vegetarian option – Vegie stack. Drinks available from the bar.

Bookings www.trybooking.com/218573 or phone 8212 2924 for more info.

THE ORIGINAL GUIDED TOUR COMPANY

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VIP

GERMAN-STYLE FEAST WITH MATCHING BEER AND WINE

FRIDAY OCTOBER 11, 6:30PM AT THE POLICE CLUB

Join us for the evening and be in the running to WIN A RETURN TRIP FOR TWO TO MUNICH!

Oktoberfest Dinner • Bavarian dancing & traditional bell-ringing • Authentic Barossa Valley beer & wine • Three-course degustation German-style feast • $100 Mobile Travel Agent travel voucher & TAUCK gift pack per person • Free entry to the draw for a return trip for two to Munich with Aaron Sard from MTA (conditions apply)

Police Wine Club members $80

Wine Club members’ guests $90 All-inclusive price

Non-Wine Club members $100

Seats limited. Book online at www.trybooking.com/290414 or phone 8112 7944 for more information

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The Last Shift

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

Andrea Brain Darryn Conroy Mark Dawson Noel Feltus Paul Freeman Bruce Hartley Stella Hartley Paul Lightfoot David McDonald Sandy Morey Kerry Phillis Ian Pollard Allan Sharpe

Senior Constable Ian Pollard Southern DAM 33 years’ (total) service Last day: 05.06.19

Sergeant Bruce Hartley Traffic Support Branch 51 years’ service Last day: 01.03.19

Comments…

“I am proud to say that I was a member of SAPOL for all those long years and have many happy experiences, and some not so, to look back on over those years.

“I had devoted most of my career to traffic policing which has seen me on motorcycles, Highway Patrol, Major Crash, Traffic Task Force and then traffic areas at Norwood and, most recently, Sturt.

“When I retired, I received some really humbling thank-you notes from people I had not met and from those I had assisted along the way.

“Well, as they say, it’s not the destination but the journey and it’s certainly been one.

“Now I will be volunteering for at least four organizations and heard on Coast FM 88.7.

“Keep up the good work and don’t forget to have a laugh on every occasion.”

Constable Andrea Brain Crime Stoppers 38 years’ service Last day: 17.07.19

Comments…

“I acknowledge the hard work by all members of the association in improving our work conditions and pay within SAPOL during the last 38 years (my active service).”

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Comments…

“After two stints as a SAPOL member, it is time to retire and annoy my wife and grandchildren.

“I thank the Police Association for its ongoing efforts to improve working conditions for its members and providing legal support for members when needed.

“I thank work colleagues for making the workplace as good as possible, even under stressful conditions when dealing with unpleasant incidents.”

Brevet Sergeant Kerry Phillis (née Jones) Major Indictable Brief Unit 32 years’ service Last day: 11.07.19

Comments…

“I thank the Police Association for its efforts to secure the pay and conditions that SAPOL members receive today.

“It is over 32 years since I drove through the gates of the police academy as a cadet and I still remember it vividly.

“I thank the members of Course 18 (1987) for their friendship and support during the cadet year and beyond.

“Thank you to all who I have worked with over the years at SDS/Traffic, Port Adelaide, Communications, Holden Hill, the numerous areas of Prosecution, Licensing Enforcement Branch, Firearms and, finally, MIBU. “It has been an interesting journey.”

Senior Constable 1C Mark Dawson

Telecommunications Interception Section 42 years’ service Last day: 17.07.19 Comments…

“I thank you and the many others who make up the Police Association past and present. Your representation has significantly improved pay and conditions for us all over the years.

“I wish you well going forward in your endeavours, especially lobbying for stronger laws for assaults against police.”

“I believe that there is still a long way to go and there are many more things that can be done within the organization to support members in what is the most testing part of any police officer’s career.

“I encourage members to look after one another and I encourage managers to take an active interest in the well-being of their staff in order that they can suitably care for their most valuable asset.”

Dog Operations Unit 36 years’ service Last day: 26.07.19

Employee Management Register 11 years’ service Last day: 30.06.19 Comments…

“I thank the association for its assistance on a couple of matters during my 11 years with SAPOL, particularly most recently regarding long-term sickness and extended educational leave and the testing administrative matters that arose as a result.

“I am sad to resign from SAPOL. However, my health and well-being will always be my priority.

“I know that the association will continue to work with SAPOL to assist members who are injured in the line of duty, particularly regarding mental health.

Senior Constable 1C David McDonald

Port Lincoln 39 years’ service Last day: 31.07.19

Sergeant Darryn Conroy

Senior Constable 1C Stella Hartley

Australia and NZ, as well as military and federal dog units.

“I acknowledge my family for their support, particularly during my time with the Dog Operations Unit and I look forward to following the careers of members of my family within SAPOL.”

Comments…

“I thank the Police Association committee and delegates for securing greater wages and conditions for all members.

“Thank you to everyone I have worked with over the last 36 years in Adelaide, Murray Bridge, Port Pirie, Nuriootpa and, particularly over the last 26 years, at the Dog Operations Unit. I thank those members for their support, passion and friendship.

“As a dog handler, I have had the opportunity of working state-wide with professional and hardworking coppers at taskings that have at times been volatile, dangerous, testing and humorous.

“It’s also allowed me the privilege to work with members from most SAPOL areas and units, as well as dog handlers/trainers from all states of

Comments…

“After nearly 40 years of service it is time to relax and enjoy. I leave SAPOL with happy memories and thank those I have worked with during my service in Adelaide, Whyalla and Port Lincoln areas.”

Senior Constable 1C Noel Feltus

Port Lincoln 46 years’ service Last day: 31.07.19 Comments…

“I thank the committee and association for their dedicated work in maintaining working conditions and their ongoing commitment in seeking wage fairness for members.

“The majority of my service has been within country policing.

“I am very grateful to those members I have worked with over the years, particularly those stationed in Port Lincoln.

“I wish everyone the best of luck in the future.”

Continued …

August 2019

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Detective Senior Sergeant 1C Paul Lightfoot Southern District CIB 41 years’ service Last day: 05.08.19

Comments…

“I thank the association, the committee and delegates for their support and service throughout my career.

“The job can be dangerous, confronting, challenging, frustrating, exhilarating, tragic and downright hilarious. Police officers get to see the very best and very worst of the society they serve.

“I have had the privilege to work with some truly good people. I will miss the camaraderie, humour and empathy that are the hallmarks of all good coppers.”

Inspector Sandy Morey

Senior Constable 1C Paul Freeman

Comments…

“I’ve had the opportunity to travel and study, supported by SAPOL, and have very much enjoyed my 40 years of service.

“I finish my career with much of it spent away from operational work.

“Being back in an operational context has given me the opportunity to not only re-engage with operational work but to

Comments…

“I can honestly say I have enjoyed my 32 years with SAPOL. I leave with some great memories and I had a lot of laughs with some of those I have worked with.

“I thank the Police Association for its continual efforts to assist all of its members.”

WD Duty Inspectors 40 years’ service Last day: 19.07.19

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also do what I love most, supporting and encouraging people and having a positive influence on the culture of the organization.

“I have always considered the operational role one of the most important and can say, without hesitation, that I have been impressed by the skills, knowledge, commitment and camaraderie of the officers I’ve worked with most recently.

“It is primarily the uniformed and CIB officers in the districts the public sees and it is largely because of them that SAPOL enjoys such a good reputation.

“It is with some sadness that I finish my career as a police officer. While the memories will remain, friendships endure and experiences continue to influence who I am and what I do, it won’t be the same.

“I am living in Timor-Leste with my wife, enjoying a new experience of culture and life.

“Thank you to you and the members of the Police Association for what you do in supporting officers and their families. Thank you also to the many people (sworn and public sector) I’ve had the privilege of working with.

I count many of them as friends.”

Police Journal

Aldinga 32 years’ service Last day: 07.08.19

Senior Constable 1C Allan Sharpe

Eastern District Crime Co-Ordination 37 years’ service Last day: 05.09.19 Comments…

“It’s finally all over and I’m going to miss it. The experiences I’ve had in my time, good and bad, I value them all (well, maybe not quite all). It’s what the job is all about.

“The so-called police culture is unique to us. It starts from day one when you find yourself as part of a course (your first team as a copper) and carries on building as you go on.

“All the different postings bring you new friends who you never forget and who you can pick up with where you left off in an instant, even if it’s been 20 years or more.

“By the time you’ve done 37 years you’ve got to know a hell of a lot of people.

“For me, it was good to finish my career virtually where I started: at a patrol base.

Being around the front-line troops again, and the regional CIB, gave me a fresh insight into the contemporary front line, a place I had long ago left to go into specialist areas.

“Despite spending by far most of my career in the CIB, strangely it’s my early uniform days that hold the fondest memories.

“Unfortunately, I struck some problems during the latter part of my career and the Police Association was there for me providing me with legal representation, enabling me to undo some injustice and I’m very grateful.

“From the gory to the funny, it’s been great to be part of it all.”

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Health

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From page 25

• Job satisfaction, morale and cohesion might decline.

• Increases might occur in absenteeism and sickness absence, staff turnover, accidents and injuries, and conflict.

• The quality of relationships might decline.

• Client satisfaction might be reduced.

• Health care expenditure and workers’ compensation claims might increase.

It is critical that members with workload concerns have them listed as agenda items on their local workplace consultative committee and work health and safety committee.

This affords members the opportunity to influence decisions on issues such as workload intensification and service delivery.

SAPOL general order Work health, safety, welfare and injury management, consultation and communication stipulates that: “Consultation is the sharing of information and exchange of views between managers and employees who are (or are likely to be) directly affected by a health and safety matter in order to effectively contribute towards any decision-making process to eliminate or control risks to health and safety. The employee’s health safety representative and WHS committee must be included in this process, unless it is not reasonably practicable to do so.”

Because changing specific genes (Duchenne muscular dystrophy, for example) remains largely experimental, current medicine looks at detecting inherited conditions in parents and, then, discussing and planning before having children.

First, an assessment can be made of the risks of having children with the same condition. Sometimes, this is only possible after a child is already born with a genetic abnormality.

Testing of fertilized eggs can be undertaken to allow babies without specific genetic disease to be offered to parents. Sometimes multiple IVF is needed to offer the chance of a baby without specific genetic problems.

An illness like Huntington’s chorea might not be discovered in adults until after children have been born. This creates a dilemma for families, and for those living with the knowledge that that they will have a life-threatening disease they cannot prevent.

Lifestyle changes, or starting specific medical therapy early, can influence the diseases that run in a family.

Severe cholesterol problems might need children to start tablets before the age of 10.

It is good to talk to your doctor about any family illness that occurs in young people (under 40) to find out if you have an inherited risk. It is also worth talking about diseases that occur in the family when someone is 60.

If there seems to be a family illness occurring at the age of 80, it is unlikely to be related to inheritance, but it’s worth asking about it because testing can usually be done to assess your own risk.

To sell what you love, talk to someone who loves where you live!

Call me for details of special offers for serving and retired police officers.

Corey Michelmore 0404 014 545 corey.michelmore@mcv.com.au

Experience ~ Integrity ~ Exceptional Service

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Graduates’ Dinner: Course 35/2018

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1. Maddy Wright and Dave McDonald 2. Amy House and Zoe Watson 3. Donald and Martin Duku and Karibi Sopriala 4. Prue Webb and Saxon Scudds 5. Nikki White and Anthony Cowell 6. Maurice, Brittany and Katie Borg 7. Kynan Clermont and Taylor Langkilde 8. Matt Horsell and Samantha Pearson 9. Ben and Emily Grech 10. Tom Heath and Tiffani Graham 11. Cassandra Middeldorp, Gaibrielle Prior and Thomas Dineen 12. Callum Hedges and Paige Monnery

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Graduation: Course 35/2018

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1. Graduates gives the thumbs-up before the parade 2. Nikki White 3. Callum Hedges lined up with coursemates 4. Prue Webb and Matt Horsell 5. Ben Grech, George Bellas and Michael Cappelluti 6. Annette Gilbert and Ben Kerr 7. Ben Kerr ready to lead the course into the academy auditorium 8. Bree Borg Zoe Watson 9. Kynan Clermont, Michael Cappelluti and Prue Webb 10. Jack Heath, Jane Davies, Tom and Kevin Heath 11. Madeleine Wright embraces coursemate Amy House 12. Academic Award winner Ben Grech with Police Association president Mark Carroll

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Retiring Members’ Dinner

William Magarey Room, Adelaide Oval June 14, 2019

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1. Tim Pfitzner, Desmond Noll, Adrian Wood, Stephen Thomson 2. Alby Quinn, James Andrew, Gerry Nicholson, Mark Pedersen, Peter Evans 3. Gerry Nicholson, John Hamilton, Sidney Nankivell, Peter Sims, Russell Doddridge 4. Jim Tappin receives a presentation from Police Association president Mark Carroll 5. Back row: Adrian and Sarah Munn, Peter and Gill Brown, Kurt Slaven, Robert Mulder; front row: Lucy Slaven and Susanne Slaven and Tina Mulder

6. Alan Huggins and Steven Wotton 7. Michele Smith, Bronwyn Killmier, Tracy York, Chris Herring, Jenny Kemp, Allison Mitchell, Colleen Abbott, Bernadette Reilly and Amanda Heapy 8. Nicholas Downey, Ian Downey, John Hall, Silvano Coden 9. David Kennedy and David Sheridan 10. Jasmine, Reece and Jake Jaensch, Bruce and Helen Hartley, Ken and Christine Jaensch 11. Peter Porins, Roger Bean, David Smith 12. Fred Wojtasik, Wolfgang Koenig, Peter Crouch, Eddie Breda, Peter Evans August 2019

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Graduates’ Dinner: Course 36/2018

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1. Craig and Eliza Turner 2. Chan'e Mienie and Christopher Henthorn 3. Samuel Thornton and Emma Collett 4. Matthew and Jade Burnett 5. Travis Plank and Victoria and Pamela Wood 6. Maria Bucon and Harry Panagis 7. Brie Mastrogiacomo and Katina Gates 8. Alex Luce and Savanna and Vanessa Calabro 9. Kayleigh Wark and Jack Shephard 10. Benjamin Bauer and Katherine Bauer 11. Lianne Fisher and Tory Wright 12. Jasmine Taylor and Alex Spark

Graduation dinners are sponsored by Health, Wealthy and Wise, a joint initiative of

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Graduation: Course 36/2018 Police Academy, June 26, 2019

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Sam Thornton, Jacob Harvey and Ryan Dolan Victoria Wood and Jasmine Taylor Lianne Fisher Deputy Commissioner Linda Williams inspects the course Katina Gates marching off the parade ground Savanna Calabro

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Nils Uellendahl and Sam Thornton David and Greg Shaw Caitlin Charnstrom, Maria Bucon and Jagoda Krasnowska Graduates march into position on the parade ground Graduates swear the oath Graduates toss their caps after dismissal

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Country North Reunion

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1. Carolyn Dale, Darryl McCormack, Ross King and Michelle Nagel 2. John McMahon, Steve Winter and Eddie McLean 3. Kym Goreham, Bernadette Zimmermann, Russ Morgan, Andrew Dredge and Trevor Harvey 4. Virginia Scott and Carolyn Batten 5. Russ Morgan, Tony Scott, Craig Williams and Chris Sanders 6. Police Club bar packed with attendees 7. Mark Evans, Richard Miles, Lachlan Barrett, Jess McKinlay, Mark Ridgwell, Cameron Scott and Daniel Isaacson 8. Daryl Mundy, Andrew Hills, Phil Carlson, Andrew Murdock and Mick Clarke 9. Ian Young, Doc Bray, Graham Barton and Kym Boxall 10. Lloyd Parker and Dave Gerhardy 11. Nuccia Foster, Monica Gallio and Jane Radunz

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15 years on SERGEANT BRIAN MAYGER (Norwood Patrols)

After completing my probation with Grenfell St patrols, I served a couple of years at Millicent and then three years with SOS Relief.

That involved stints at Meningie, Victor Harbor, Netley, Murray Bridge, Christies Beach, Goolwa, Renmark, Adelaide and Stop Car Theft. Other moves I made were to Kadina in 2010, Sturt in 2013, Port Augusta in 2015 and Eastern District in 2018.

The horrific scene of a fatal car crash on a country road has remained one of his most vivid memories of policing.

I still get great satisfaction in the basics of policing. The satisfaction you get from assisting the public keeps me motivated. This is probably why I haven’t deviated from general patrol duties. I enjoy going home after work knowing that I’ve achieved something and improved someone’s day. In more recent years, I’ve also found satisfaction in mentoring subordinates.

Not knowing what you’re going to be confronted with each shift is real. I had minimal understanding of the risk involved in daily policing when I started out, but it didn’t take long for the realization to kick in.

And I wasn’t prepared for the scrutiny.

Everything we do is scrutinized by the community and other police and, at times, I’ve found that draining.

Policing today is more challenging than it was when I first graduated. It used to be that attending a disturbance meant two people punching on after too many beers. In my time, I’ve seen a change in society. When attending a disturbance now, it’s more likely to involve someone on a three-day ice bender with a weapon and inexplicable strength.

I remember almost everything about a double fatality at Bute in 2011. A Commodore had left the road and rolled into a tree. A rear-seat passenger had died sitting next to his 15-year-old sister. She and two others were alive and airlifted to Adelaide. The driver was taken to Wallaroo Hospital. It wasn’t long before we heard that the 15-year-old had also died.

As police, we see people at their worst, not necessarily always the worst people. If the average person could walk in the footsteps of a police officer through a busy shift, he or she would be astonished at what we’re exposed to. Being a police officer has taught me to be resilient and to appreciate what I have. Whatever’s happening in your life, someone else has it worse.

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Police Journal

“Being a police officer has taught me to be resilient and to appreciate what I have.”

Above: Mayger at Narrung police station while relieving there in 2008; right: in the Red Centre during a correspondence crossover with NT police in 2017.

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