Police Journal Autumn 2023

Remembering Jo

“I couldn't believe it. I thought: ‘No, it must be another Jo or must be someone else. It’s not my Jo. It’s not my sister.’ ”

Journal Police

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The Police Journal begins an exciting new era this year as it becomes a quarterly magazine for the first time in its 102-year history. Each issue will bear the name of the season of its publication, and this autumn issue kicks things off for the March quarter.

All the award-winning quality of the journal will remain. That’s a guarantee. And the quarterly format won’t mean fewer feature stories. What we previously ran in six issues we will incorporate into the quarterlies So, expect each issue to deliver plenty of content

Among those to appear in this first issue of the new era is Senior Constable Natalia Kruk She opens up about the sudden death of her sister, Brevet Sergeant Jo Kruk, whom she and her mother found a special way to honour

Sergeant Jodi-Lee Black spoke of a tragic loss in her life too But the thrust of the interview with her was her election to the office of SA Police Legacy president She explains how she hopes to meet the ever-increasing demand for Police Legacy services

Labor MLC Emily Bourke dropped into the association offices in January for a chat about her role as the assistant minister for autism – an Australian first. She explains why the government created it, and what cops should know about the autism community.

Police Historical Society president Bill Prior comes up with some pretty good reasons for visiting the museum Nicholas Damiani outlines the design and journalism awards the Police Journal last won overseas

Dr Rod Pearce looks at ways to treat the common problem of sciatica; lawyer Hanna Rogers breaks down a drug importation case; Jim Barnett road-tests the Jeep Compass and Kia Niro

Police Association president Mark Carroll re-examines SAPOL’s failures in staffing and recruitment and links them to “extraordinary mismanagement”

Brett Williams brettwilliams@pj asn au

Publisher: Police Association of South Australia Level 2, 27 Carrington St, Adelaide SA 5000 T (08) 8212 3055 Editor: Brett Williams (08) 8212 3055 Design: Sam Kleidon 0417 839 300

Advertising: Police Association of South Australia (08) 8212 3055

Printing: Finsbury Green (08) 8234 8000

The Police Journal is published by the Police Association of South Australia, 27 Carrington St, Adelaide, SA 5000, (ABN 73 802 822 770). Contents of the Police Journal are subject to copyright. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the Police Association of South Australia is prohibited. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the editor. The Police Association accepts no responsibility for statements made by advertisers. Editorial contributions should be sent to the editor (brettwilliams@pj.asn.au).

COVER: Senior Constable Natalia Kruk. Photography by Steve McCawley.

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Remembering Jo

Jo Kruk is not here to live her dream but her sister, Senior Constable Natalia Kruk, knew what it was and is fulfilling it for her

18

Stressed and hypervigilant?

A greyhound can help

The initiative is Greyhounds As Mates and it’s set to provide Police Association members and other first responders with special benefits

20 Committed to the blue family

SA Police Legacy has a new president with a long history in policing and first-hand knowledge of personal loss

24 Why special focus on autism?

In her new role as assistant minister for autism, Labor MLC Emily Bourke hopes to talk to front-line cops about that special focus

26 Mysteries, classic cars, The Beatles... all part of police history

So much to learn from the Police Historical Society museum, like the Lethal Weapon-style shootout on Main North Road in 1930

33 Bronzed in Germany

International judges continued to see the Police Journal as a world-leading magazine last year – a bronze award in Germany and gold in the USA

Michael Kent Treasurer Trevor Milne

Julian Snowden Darren Mead

Daryl Mundy Vice-President

Wade Burns Deputy President

Chris Walkley Leonie Schulz Bernadette Zimmermann Secretary

POLICE JOURNAL MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS

Mark Carroll

Andrew Heffernan Member Liaison Officer

Steven Whetton Assistant Secretary

Nadia Goslino Member Liaison Officer

INDUSTRIAL

PRESIDENT

Brett Williams Editor

Nicholas Damiani

Samanda Brain

EXECUTIVE SECRETARIES

FINANCE

Shelley Furbow Reception

OFFICE

Wendy Kellett Finance Officer

Anthony Coad

Andrea Mather Sarah Stephens Kim York

Police Association of South Australia

REPRESENTATIVES

Superannuation

Police Dependants Fund

Leave Bank

Country housing

Commissioner’s Office Health Safety & Welfare Advisory Committee

Legacy

Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity & Intersex members

DELEGATES & WORKPLACE REPRESENTATIVES

Metro North Branch

Elizabeth Nick Sipovac

Golden Grove

Northern Prosecution

Darren Quirk

Tim Pfeiffer

Salisbury Lauren Smith

Country North Branch

Ceduna

Kadina

Port Augusta

Port Lincoln

Port Pirie

Anthony Taylor

Gavin Moore

Peter Hore

Mark Heading

Gavin Mildrum

Whyalla Paul Velthuizen

Crime Command Branch

Elizabeth

Fraud

Intel Support

Major Crime

Major Crime

Port Adelaide

Joel Manson

Sam Agostino

Garran Donnellan

Phil Buttfield

David Marsh

Scott Mitchell

Mark Carroll and Michael Kent

Bernadette Zimmermann

Andrew Heffernan

Andrew Heffernan

Steven Whetton

Julian Snowden

Nadia Goslino and Andrew Heffernan

Metro South Branch

Christies Beach/Aldinga

Netley

Southern Traffic

Sturt

Country South Branch

Adelaide Hills

Berri

Mount Gambier

Naracoorte

Renmark

South Coast

Gary Craggs

Paul Clark

Joshua O’Dwyer

David Handberg

Joe McDonald

Tamara Day

Robert Martin

Simon Haebich

James Bentley

Andrew Bradley

Operations Support Branch

Dog Ops

Academy

Academy

ACB

Band

ComCen

ComCen

Human Resources

Human Resources

Mounted Ops

Women’s Branch

Bryan Whitehorn (chair)

Melanie Smith

Paul Manns

Tony Boots

Adam Buckley

Glenys Moriarty

Allan Dalgleish

Eugene Wasilenia

Kerry Rouse

Sonia Wellings

Kayt Howe (chair) (no delegates)

Mark Carroll

Ceaseless SAPOL failures – cops have had a gutful

SAPOL is suffering a staffing and leadership crisis which threatens to hijack the exceptional standards of policing South Australians have, for decades, come to expect. And the worst part of all this? SAPOL’s response It would be comical if it weren’t so abjectly dangerous

The warning signs of this crisis have long been clear to not just Police Association members and journal readers but also the broader community

First, consider the numbers:

• Since late last year, three police officers per week, on average, have resigned from SAPOL

• Since mid-2022, a total of 159 officers have left the job.

• In that entire period, SAPOL has only managed to add an extra 79 recruits.

• SAPOL fell short of attrition by a staggering 90 officers in the 2021-22 financial year

Ultimately, the data shows not only zero growth but also a shocking regression in SAPOL’s sworn full-time equivalent staff since 2018.

Ultimately, the data shows not only zero growth but also a shocking regression in SAPOL’s sworn full-time equivalent staff since 2018

No one need wonder why SA is suffering spikes in domestic violence, shop thefts, assaults and related offences.

SAPOL has delivered extraordinary mismanagement, which hits home when you begin to realize just how long it would take for a dedicated recruiting drive to cover the officer shortfall, let alone concentrate on growing the force

The answer is not months, it’s years

And that’s not even accounting for the ongoing higher-than-average attrition rate, with members continuing to resign at alarming rates.

To put this into perspective, in 2015, the rate of non-retirement resignations was 50 to 60 per year.

As of mid-February, there had been 32 resignations in the previous 10 weeks alone There has been almost the same number of retirements in that period

What’s even more amazing is that, apparently, no member of the SAPOL executive leadership team saw this coming

But, then again, should we be surprised?

At one stage, the alarming exodus — and SAPOL’s ongoing recruitment failures — was blamed on a recent phenomenon the media have reported as “The Great Resignation”

That’s not the sort of response one would expect if there was a real understanding of the issues and their impact on the police force

And any attempt by SAPOL management to blame its problems on an unavoidable COVID-19 fallout conveniently overlooks the horrendous impact of its own policy failures during the last three years.

In fact, the association and its members spent much of the last few years challenging SAPOL —

often successfully — on many of its corrosive COVID-related policies

We highlighted that deploying members as proxy SA Health workers would eventually erode public confidence in policing, burn out officers, and make it more difficult to recruit good people in the future.

It turns out, cops don’t like being taken away from front-line duties to spy on shoppers at QR-code checkpoints It turns out they don’t like having their annual leave cancelled to cover the inevitable front-line shortages either

And the only thing less surprising than all that is the inevitable outcome, which is good young men and women looking from afar and deciding to say “pass” when it comes to choosing a police career.

But SAPOL ignored most of these warnings.

Indeed, there is now a monumental fallout from COVID-19, one which was mostly avoidable and almost entirely of SAPOL’s own making

But COVID-related mismanagement is by no means the only chink in SAPOL’s armour We also warned the executive that its district policing model had failed in other jurisdictions and would likely fail here, too.

The DPM was originally designed to centralize SAPOL’s previous local service area model. But it has essentially amounted to fewer cops policing greater areas

As with many ill-considered, corporate-style centralized models, it has only succeeded in the erosion of standards and service delivery to the community

Inexplicably, Grant Stevens maintains to this day that nearly five years of the DPM is not a big enough sample size upon which to judge the model — because it has never been adequately staffed!

I’m not even close to exaggerating when I say this is the sort of circular logic that comes out of SAPOL almost every day

Further, we warned SAPOL many years ago that ending a century-old standard of recruiting police officers based on merit and instead undertaking a 50-50 gender model was a flawed direction which most police officers and most of the community opposed.

A SAPOL spokesperson recently told The Advertiser that the current SAPOL recruiting campaign, dubbed Calling All, “has worked really well”

That spokesperson went on to announce that SAPOL’s recruiting was, in fact, undergoing a complete overhaul

This sort of doublespeak truly damages SAPOL’s credibility

The reality is that the current condition of SAPOL represents a fundamental failure in governance, owing to hubris and the absence of self-awareness — and police officers on the ground have had a gutful of both

Last year, the association requested the creation of the Premier’s Taskforce — a panel of significant association, SAPOL and government representatives, charged with the long-term assignment of bringing our police force back to a position of strength

That taskforce is now underway and I will front the panel with a submission in the coming weeks.

This taskforce represents a once-ina-lifetime opportunity for SAPOL to fix its long list of problems and, in that quest, give it a fighting chance of gaining government support and funding

But COVIDrelated mismanagement is by no means the only chink in SAPOL’s armour. We also warned the executive that its district policing model had failed in other jurisdictions and would likely fail here, too.

Natalia and her mother Bozena in their new home.

By Brett Williams

REMEMBERING JO

SHE WAS CERTAIN THERE HAD TO BE SOME OTHER EXPLANATION. IT WAS JUST NOT POSSIBLE FOR NATALIA KRUK TO BELIEVE THAT HER SISTER AND FELLOW POLICE OFFICER WAS DEAD.

Jo Kruk was 33, a supremely fit ultramarathon competitor, an adventurer, and a glowing image of perfect health

To the tired, overwhelmed Natalia, the death message had to be a miscommunication, a case of mistaken identity, even “a horrible joke” Woken, as she was, from her post-night shift slumber, she even wondered if she had wound up trapped in “a terrible dream”.

And circumstances had conspired to make the news even more gut-wrenching for Natalia to absorb. She was a long way from home, was staying in a country motel, had no immediate family support, and was at her least alert

Along with other cops, she had worked through the night on a COVID checkpoint in Naracoorte. In her motel room, she had just drifted off to sleep and was in a dream when loud knocking on her door woke her

Senior Sergeant 1C Rob Schaedel was the caring but unlucky carrier of the death message It was around 8am when the sleeping Natalia stirred, got up, and opened the door to him on that August morning in 2020

“He just had this very strange look on his face,” she remembers “I knew something wasn’t right I thought I was in trouble but then I thought: ‘I’ve done nothing wrong. ’

“He looked at me but then looked down and looked back at me. He just had a very worried look on his face and asked if he could come in I said: ‘Yeah, of course ’

“He came in and sat down and just said: ‘I’m sorry but Jo’s dead.’ I just couldn’t believe what was happening I just remember going: ‘What the hell?!’

The news had shocked Rob as well He had received a phone call and a request to give Natalia the death message He knew the sisters and had seen Jo out running only weeks earlier

Rob also knew, of course, that his message was going to be “a massive shock” to Natalia.

“When I went in and sat down, I could see the worry in her face,” he recalls. “She was obviously (by then) expecting not good news.

“I told her directly because that’s the best way to do it I said that her mum had found Jo that morning unresponsive We didn’t know too much more at that time ”

And the paucity of detail only worsened the grief for Natalia

“Outwardly she held it together,” Rob recalls “She contained (her emotion) as pragmatically as she could as we tried to work through what needed to occur. But you could see in her face she was destroyed by the news. ”

Rob told Natalia to get her belongings packed up and be ready to leave Naracoorte He intended to get her on a plane and back home to her mother and grandmother immediately

After he left the room, Natalia sat down and continued to think: “What the hell?!”

“I couldn't believe it,” she says “I thought: ‘No, it must be another Jo or must be someone else It’s not my Jo It’s not my sister ’ ”

In tears, she called her mother, Bozena, but now struggles to find the words to describe their emotional exchange.

With the “amazing” support of her big brother-like workmate, Sergeant Jason Hill, she boarded the Adelaide-bound police plane Once at the airport, Hill drove Natalia out to her northern-suburbs home where she and her mother fell crying into each other’s arms

“It’s just a look,” she explains “I looked at my mum, she looked at me, and it was just complete shock There was nothing behind the eyes

“It was just a case of trying to fathom what was happening. It’s like your soul has left your body and it’s just wandering around going: ‘What am I doing? What’s happening here?’ ”

Three generations of the Kruk family had to find some way to survive after the worst possible tragedy had struck them. The Police Association was able to help – in a big way –and the family is still grateful.

FOR BOZENA, THE AGONIZING loss of her eldest daughter had come on top of a threat to her own life Diagnosed with cancer around a month earlier, she had undergone major surgery from which her daughters had helped her recover

“She’s a strong European woman,” Natalia says “I think that was her saving grace, but I think Jo was also her saving grace because she was just a beautiful, positive soul She never saw a negative in anything

“During mum’s recovery, Jo was right there. We both were, but Jo was really helping her to focus on the positives and the healing rather than the burden she was facing ”

Natalia understood, but still took weeks to accept, that Jo had gone The surviving Kruk women and grandma kept watchful, welfare-conscious eyes on one another It was important in those intense, grieffilled days and weeks that followed their suffocating loss

The women found some comfort in the warmth of well-wishers who expressed their sympathy and the love they felt for Jo.

Natalia speaks of the generous support of her Elizabeth police colleagues and highlights simple but highly meaningful gestures One was a photo – which her State Tac workmates had had blown up to poster size – of Jo rejoicing atop a mountain after a marathon

Condolence messages came to Natalia from people she had never met and, on social media, she saw “beautiful tributes” from around the world

Jo had competed in many overseas marathons. Among them was Northburn 100 Ultra Mountain Run in New Zealand, the Namib Desert Challenge in Africa, and the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in Europe

“These (well-wishers) were basically friends she’d met running all over the world,” Natalia says “I saw lots of Asian names because, as well as runs in Africa (and Europe), she did some in Thailand

“I didn’t even realize these people (sending messages) existed but she made a huge impact on everyone ”

But what staggered Natalia, and dozens of others, was that her sister, a healthy young woman with elite-level fitness, could simply die in her sleep.

It came to light that Jo had died of cardiac arrythmia, which is known to strike endurance athletes To Natalia,

however, the death of her super fit, healthy, athletic sister, whom she loved so deeply, still seemed inconceivable.

“It’s something you can’t fathom,” she says. “We lived together (with Mum and Grandma) so I always knew she was an extremist with everything she did

“I’d still be snoozing in the mornings, 10 minutes before I had to leave for work Jo, on the other hand, would’ve been up for twoand-a-half hours on her stair climber or bashing the punchbag

“So, I thought: ‘Wow! If she’s so fit and looks after her body way better than I look after mine…’ It’s really scary ”

The challenge for the Kruk women was to find a way to cope with their all-consuming grief. They had stood up to adversity before but always with Jo standing shoulder-to-shoulder with them, contributing her renowned positivity

Natalia saw that she could “get bitter or get better” and wisely chose the latter. And that choice led her to one of her coping mechanisms, which was exercise

“Not anything extreme, like a 220km run in the desert,” she says, referring to Jo’s successful run in the Namib Desert Challenge in 2012

“I started just doing extra-long walks Or I’d leave my car for a service and jog back home about 10kms

“I did find that I was unintentionally steering myself in the same direction as Jo: embracing nature and looking after myself. ”

The healing qualities of exercise have served Natalia well but not as a cure-all. Even now, two-and-a-half years later, she thinks of Jo constantly and her emotional pain continues

But in circumstances in which she might glance at a photo of Jo and feel upset, she draws on her mental strength to “spin that around”

“It’s more of a really beautiful memory,” she explains “So, you just give it a couple of minutes and the tears often turn into a smile.

“You have your downfalls but then you just get back up. It’s like climbing a mountain but pausing in the middle just to catch your breath and then going again ”

“I didn’t even realize these people (sending messages) existed but she made a huge impact on everyone.”

SUPPORT FROM CLOSE FRIENDS, the police family, and overseas well-wishers was never likely to come as a surprise. What did leave Natalia and her family stunned was a $300,000 life insurance payment

It was a death benefit under the terms of the group life insurance policy the Police Association has long held to cover its members But like many other cops and their families, Natalia and Bozena had known nothing about the policy

“I couldn’t believe it (the amount we were to receive),” Natalia says. “I still can’t believe it. I still don’t think it’s real. It was such a huge amount. ”

After the necessary legal processes had wound up, Bozena received the payment in June 2021

“And it was a huge help,” Natalia says “But we didn’t touch it for a very long time It just sat there in Mum’s account It wasn’t that we didn’t want it, but it felt wrong for it to be there

“The money doesn’t take away the pain or balance out the fact that you’ve lost a family member But it really does assist in just helping build a new life.

“And if you want to commemorate a family member, you do need funds for that. The insurance policy, or the payment, gives you the absolute best way to do it ”

The Police Association has maintained a group life insurance policy to cover its members since 1992 .

Talk of death cover first came about after the stabbing murder of Senior Constable David Barr at Salisbury Interchange in 1990 The key concern was the plight of the suffering families of police officers who had died, on or off duty

One of the first to advocate for financial support for those families was now-retired chief inspector Nick Zuvich An idea he shared with then-association secretary Sam Bass was to set up a contribution scheme for members to pay into whenever a colleague died.

The Police Association considered the Zuvich suggestion but also researched and discussed various insurance options Then, in 1991, Bass proposed that the association become “the policy holder of an insurance scheme” with death cover for financial members

After that came a special general meeting in October 1991 when association delegates voted in favour of implementing a group life insurance policy.

On January 2, 1992, then-Police Association president Peter Alexander informed the membership that the cover was now in place His newsletter

1. Jo competing in the Northburn 100 Ultra Mountain Run in New Zealand in 2013. 2. Maintaining the pace on an overcast day in the Namib Desert Challenge in 2012. 3. As she appeared in the Police Journal to tell of her experience in Namibia. 4. Crossing the finish line in the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in Europe with her mother, Bozena.

“It’s more of a really beautiful memory. So, you just give it a couple of minutes and the tears often turn into a smile.

You have your downfalls but then you just get back up. It’s like climbing a mountain but pausing in the middle just to catch your breath and then going again.”

indicated that the payment in the case of a death would be $50,000

That figure would increase – to $104,000, $200,000 and $235,000 – between 2006 and 2012 . It rose to $300,000 in late 2012 .

Police Association committee member Sam Brain received the payment 20 years ago Her now late husband, Sturt detective Michael Nasalik, had died of gastric cancer She and Michael, then 33 and 36, were parents to two children under four

The payment had by then risen to $65,000, which Sam still considers “a significant amount at the time”

A large portion of the money helped Sam’s parents-in-law put a deposit on a block of land and relocate to be closer to her for support. The move was in line with Michael’s wishes.

“The balance of the funds was used to complete landscaping at my home, which I couldn't have done myself,” Sam recalls

“The GLI is very valuable at a time of insecurity Michael was aware of this fund being available and I know it gave him peace of mind that his family would be assisted financially

“I’ve been very grateful to the Police Association for providing me with that benefit. Knowing it’s there for all members in the future is reassurance in a time of need. ”

Police Association president Mark Carroll regards the group life insurance as one of the most important benefits the union provides its members

“It was always the smart decision by the committee of management to introduce death cover back in 1991,” he says “And we’ve always been determined to keep it in place

“Over all those decades, I’ve seen the burden of so many grieving families not eliminated but certainly lightened by such substantial payments.

“It’s also a comfort to members to know that, if the worst happens to them, their families will have solid financial support ”

WITH THE PAYMENT BOZENA

Kruk received, she and Natalia did find a way to both commemorate Jo and start a new life. The Kruk sisters had lived all their lives with mother and grandmother in the family home north of Adelaide.

But, without Jo and grandma, who died in 2021, the spacious five-bedroom house came to bespeak “an emptiness” So, Natalia and her mother thought of the love Jo had had for the sea and her hope that she might one day live beachside

Thinking that the time had come to downsize anyway, Bozena decided to sell the family home and buy a house near the beach She and Natalia moved into it six months ago.

“Such a large sum of money like that ($300,000) just absolutely helped us to achieve exactly what we were after,” Natalia says

“Jo would’ve said: ‘Do what you want with that (money) It’s for you Go live your life. Enjoy.’ As she would always say: ‘The most important thing is to live in joy. ’

“And it has brought us joy, peace and happiness. And without that money we might not have been able to afford the house that Mum ended up buying

“Ultimately, our home is our haven It’s just this beautiful space and we love being in it We go on beach walks every single day ”

Another loss to the Kruk family might be unthinkable, but Natalia has reflected on the possibility of her own demise

“You can’t put a price on someone’s life with money,” she says. “But it really is a huge help to know that, if something were to happen to me, my family would have something to help start another life ” PJ

5. Natalia and her mother, Bozena, enjoy the outdoors at home. 6. Mother and daughter spend time together in the living area.

“As she would always say: ‘The most important thing is to live in joy.’ And it has brought us joy, peace and happiness.”

This award has been developed for police by police and nominations are sought from officers across the country.

While police work is inherently dangerous… some actions stand out.

Do you know someone who has performed an exceptional act in exceptional circumstances?

SELECTION CRITERIA

1. The nominee must be a sworn police officer from an Australian police jurisdiction.

2. Nominees must have undertaken an outstanding act of courage or bravery, by selflessly putting themselves in harms way to protect others, going well beyond the call of duty.

3. Where feasible, the incident should have occurred in the past twelve months, however exceptions could include if the matter is subjudice or if other unavoidable delays have occurred.

The online nomination form is available at policeweek.org.au/bravery-awards and close on 30 June 2023.

The National Police Bravery Awards will be presented in Canberra on 12 September 2023

The Police Federation of Australia’s National Police Bravery Awards are now open.

STRESSED AND HYPERVIGILANT? A greyhound can help

By Nicholas Damiani

Loyal

. Warm-hearted. Intelligent.

What’s not to love about the racing dog Australians affectionately call the “dishlicker”?

Police Association members and their families now have a unique opportunity to find out what all the fuss is about Greyhound Racing SA and Greyhounds Australasia have partnered with the Police Association and the United Firefighters Union of SA to set up the Greyhounds as Mates adoption programme.

The programme, which all four organizations launched together in early February, provides members of both unions with the opportunity to adopt a greyhound as a pet

The concept has already been a roaring success in New South Wales, and Greyhound Racing SA chief executive officer Bodelle Francis told the Police Journal she expects our version of the programme to yield similar results

“(Your members) do so much for our great state,” she said.

“And I think greyhounds are a great stress relief They’re the perfect animal for police officers ”

Ms Francis was also quick to allay any fears cops might have about not being able to find the right match for their home or family environment

“There is a (type of) greyhound for every single person,” she explained

“They’re all very unique with their own personalities, and our adoption team do a fabulous job of making sure that we match the right dog with the right person and the right home

“Some greyhounds are okay with other pets like cats, some are good with children, some prefer to be in a single-dog household

“Depending on the individual’s scenario, there is certainly a greyhound for everyone

“The adoption officers will always chat to the person who is looking to adopt, to find

out a bit more about their lifestyle and what they’re looking for in a dog

“All of our greyhounds that are up for adoption are listed on our website, so members can learn a bit about the age, colour, sex and personality of each dog ”

And what about some of the more common perceptions about greyhounds? That they’re too active, or need too much space?

They’re myths, according to Francis

“People think they need a lot of exercise, but that certainly isn’t the case,” she said. “They have short bursts of energy, and then they’re actually quite lazy by nature.

“Some people also think they need a lot of space, but they don’t We’ve successfully placed greyhounds into apartments

Sometimes a short walk is all they need

“For people who are more active, they can also build up to longer walks ”

Though some of the greyhounds up for adoption have never actually hit the track, there are also a sizeable number of former racing dogs now looking for their “forever home”.

Ms Francis explained that all the dogs — whether they have raced or not — have been given the best possible start in life.

“All of our greyhounds in the programme will come fully vaccinated, microchipped, desexed – and they’ve had the appropriate dental work done,” she said

“On top of that, we’re offering to (Police Association) members three months’ worth of kibble, and any veterinary work up to the amount of $3,500 in the first three months ”

Police Association president Mark Carroll believes the programme will benefit a significant number of members.

“We know about the physical and mental toll of hypervigilance, about how so many cops really struggle to switch off from the job when they’re off duty,” he said

Greyhounds Australasia CEO Rob Vella, Police Association president Mark Carroll, Greyhounds Racing SA chief executive officer Bodelle Francis and United Firefighters Union secretary Max Adlam with greyhound Red (not for adoption).

“One of the things I said at the programme launch was: ‘Imagine if one of these beautiful dogs actually saved a police officer’s mental or physical health ’

“Even if it benefitted one member in that fashion, it would be worthwhile

“And these wonderful dogs are already in need of a home, so it’s a win-win situation

“We’re very happy to be a part of it, and I know from speaking to (United Firefighters Union secretary) Max Adlam that the firies are too. ”

Mr Carroll said Greyhounds Australasia CEO Rob Vellar — who helped launch a similar version of the programme in NSW — is himself a former police officer

“He knows first-hand what cops go through, having been in the job himself,” he said

“So, when I heard about the NSW programme, I knew immediately we had to get Rob on board for our members.” PJ

Greyhound adoptions

To find out more about adopting a greyhound call 8243 7124 or visit www.gapsa.org.au

“… Imagine if one of these beautiful dogs actually saved a police officer’s mental or physical health. Even if it benefitted one member in that fashion, it would be worthwhile.”

Senior Constable Alison Coad relishes some time with Red.

Committed to the blue family

By Brett Williams

Sergeant Jodi-Lee Black has recently stepped up to the role of president of SA Police Legacy. She takes the job on with a heap of local and overseas police experience as well as memories of personal tragedy.

THE late-night news of the death of her father had hit Jodi-Lee Black with a mighty wallop. She was a long way from home, serving with the International Deployment Group in the Solomon Islands, more than 3,500km away

The loss brought her to tears. She stepped out of the hut she shared with her colleagues so the sound of her sobbing would not wake them. Then, alone in a nearby breezeway on that humid Solomon Islands night in 2007, she let those tears flow

Night-shift crews returning from duty found Black still there in the breezeway in the morning They were “very kind” to her, as were others after word of the death of her father had quickly spread

He was a former sailor and only 66 but had, years earlier, suffered a heart attack and several massive strokes.

“He was poorly, and had been for a long time,” Black remembers. “All of us had sort of thought: ‘Well, how long

does this go on?’ But we thought it’d be years Then, when he died, it happened very, very quickly ”

Black got a flight home to Adelaide the next day and stayed for five weeks After that, she had to head back to work with the IDG in the Solomon Islands

“But,” she says, “it was really hard leaving mum behind and just wondering how she would manage. It still sticks with me even now. ”

Of course, the job she had to get back to was one of two her father never wanted her to pursue Decades earlier, he had forbidden her from joining the military Her brother had joined the navy and she had “badly wanted to join the services” too It was her career of first choice

But her father, himself a navy man, simply would not hear of his daughter serving with the military.

“It would not be discussed,” she says. “My dad was very much a traditionalist. He was very much: ‘No, women don’t belong in the services ’

“That’s probably why I set my eyes on policing, because it was the closest thing I could think of to the services It just really appealed to me I wanted an interesting job

“He did start to object (to me joining the police) but I said: ‘Dad, you’ve had your veto. You said no to the military. You don’t get a say this time. ’

“But he was so very proud when I graduated. From the time I was a probationary constable I was, in his mind, running the police force I was going to be the first female commissioner ”

Resistance had never come from Black’s mother Jan Black, now 82 and a retired schoolteacher, had herself taken on supposedly inappropriate roles for women One was as a teacher in Woomera when the job was not even open to single women.

“And because she was a bit of a trailblazer with teaching,” Black says, “she was happy for me to do it (join the police) ”

1. Jodi-Lee Black on duty with the AFP during her time in the Solomon Islands.

BLACK had gone into policing as a strait-laced 18-year-old just out of Parafield Gardens High School She still identifies as strait-laced but recognizes that, after 36 years, police work has “definitely” changed her.

Right from her earliest days on the road she had to confront all the same horrors that test the mettle of every other police officer

As a probationer attached to Para Hills patrols in 1988, she and her partner responded to a report of a man threatening suicide. He looked at the officers as they approached his front door, raised a rifle to his head, shot himself and died.

“It shocked me to my core,” Black says “I’d never even seen a body before that But it wasn’t something that I carried with me (as a burdensome image) ”

Other images, however, did come with the scope to plague Black, or any other front-liner

Never likely to fade from her memory is a fatal crash she responded to near Booleroo Centre in 2000. In a car, which hit a tree and rolled several times, was a woman and her two children aged around five and seven.

The woman wound up thrown from the car and killed Her children survived and emerged unhurt Black was the first police officer on the scene

“It was horrendous,” she says “It was a case of come around the corner and there’s the scene, right in front of you ”

Black absorbed the rawness of the crash and its aftermath, and her heart broke for the children.

“One of the local farmers or someone had covered the mother and had (moved) the kids away from her,” she recalls “They understood what had happened They knew mum was dead ”

2. On her graduation day in 1987. 3. Black (back row, second from right) with members of the Strategic Planning & Policy group in the Solomon Islands. 4. Black (front row right) at Peterborough in the mid-1990s. 5. On her first day at work at Speed Detection Section.

“It shocked me to my core. I’d never even seen a body before that. But it wasn’t something that I carried with me (as a burdensome image).”

Black responded to around a dozen fatal crashes in just her first 18 months on the road. She figured that was normal until she caught up with mates from her course, who had not yet dealt with any road deaths

At the two-year mark of her career, Eudunda-born Black “headed bush” Among her posts over the next 14 years were Port Lincoln, Port Pirie, Coober Pedy and Peterborough She also served at many small Mid North stations, as well as one-person stations at Hallett and Riverton.

One thing police work changed about her, as the years rolled on, was her depth of confidence. At the outset of her career, she was “very quiet” and struggled just to speak to people

“I’m not (quiet) now,” she says “I can go into a room full of people I don’t know and speak to them I’m quite confident with that now So, police work has changed me from that perspective ”

The one thing police work has never done is harden her heart. She describes the softer side of her character as dominant and concedes that she has never had “that killer instinct”.

After she returned from her country service in 2004, Black wound up at Salisbury police station. Later, however, she took on the role of relief planner at Elizabeth

In 2007, she won her secondment to the AFP to serve with the IDG in the Solomon Islands She undertook five weeks of training in Canberra before she flew out of Australia

Political and ethnic unrest had plagued the Solomon Islands for several years Australian police and the ADF had contributed to peacekeeping efforts since 2000.

Black began her 15-month stint on the archipelago after a general election had sparked the 2006 Honiara riots But the confessed victim-oriented cop “love, love, loved” her time there

“I just really liked the idea of making a basic difference,” she says “We all get up in arms if we don’t have a computer at our beck and call One of my main aims while I was there (in the Solomons) was to get everybody access to pencil and paper

“The vast majority of their police force couldn’t read or write. But just being there and feeling that you were actually helping make a difference (was what I loved) ”

“But just being there and feeling that you were actually helping make a difference (was what I loved).”

WITH her time up in the Solomon Islands, Black came home and went back to work on the local scene

At the same time, however, she applied to join the Australian Federal Police

The AFP accepted her application, but then came the global financial crisis of 2008 AFP courses wound up cancelled and, in the end, Black never made the move from state to federal policing.

In 2008, she scored the job to which she is still committed today: Northern District planner Black, 55, has always enjoyed the role and expects to remain in it until she retires

“I don’t want to go back on the road so my options are limited,” she says “If I didn’t have Mum to consider, I’d probably go somewhere remote for a couple of years just to finish off with because I love remote policing ”

Black faced her toughest time as a planner during the COVID-19 pandemic. The demands on her, to schedule Northern District staff for duties unconnected to crimefighting, were immense

“It (the workload) was huge,” she recalls. “The district planners all wore that (burden) quite a bit, and Northern’s got only one planner.

“So, my job during COVID changed completely I basically became a roster sergeant making sure that all the Northern District requirements at hotels, hospitals and borders were met I also did several border patrols myself

“It was a very hectic couple of years (2020-21) and, at times I thought it would kill me from sheer workload But it was also very rewarding because I know what I did mattered. ”

At that time, Black was also fulfilling – and still fulfils – the role of carer to her ailing mother, who has lived with her for the last 10 years

SHE also kept up her commitment to SA Police Legacy as a member of its board, which she has served since 2012 . And now, after seven years as its vicepresident, she has stepped up to take on the presidency, in place of Senior Sergeant 1C Mark Willing

Black concedes that the step up daunts her somewhat She has never served as a figurehead with a title like president

But she speaks of Police Legacy with obvious passion The future of the charitable organization, which moved into new premises in Gilbert St late last year, clearly excites her.

“But I was smitten right from the start with Police Legacy,” she says “I love the idea of it I love the idea of the blue family and helping each other out I want to encourage that

“I want to get out to let members know what we’re doing so that, ultimately, they can come to us if there’s a need

“We’re starting to move into the mental-health sphere and we’re hopefully going to put together a talk group at the Legacy office once a month.

“We’ve now got people with full-on welfare and bereavement qualifications and they get what the widows and the kids need ”

The issue for Black and her team now is to meet an ever-increasing demand for Police Legacy support To do that, the organization needs increased funding and is appealing to police contributors to bump up their donations to $5 per fortnight in HR21

And Black stresses that Police Legacy is associated with, but not an arm of, SAPOL .

“We don’t report to SAPOL,” she says. “So, they (members and families) can be certain of confidentiality with us ”

As she strives to live up to expectation as president, Black also has an eye on her police future Indeed, she hopes to retire within the next few years Her reason is that she is a little weary and “just about done”

“That’s not because I haven’t loved it,” she insists. “It’s been great. But I do want to travel, and much further afield than Asia. I’ve never done Europe. I’ve done Hawaii but none of mainland America. I just want to see all of that ” PJ

“But I was smitten right from the start with Police Legacy. I love the idea of it. I love the idea of the blue family and helping each other out. I want to encourage that.”

6-7. Black on pre-deployment training before her time in the Solomon Islands in 2007.

8. With children in Tamboko Village in 2007.

9. On predeployment training.

10. Sergeant Jodi-Lee Black now president of SA Police Legacy.

Why special focus on autism?

By Brett Williams

THEY MIGHT LOOK LIKE THOSE TYPICAL SIGNS THAT TELL A POLICE OFFICER HIS OR HER WITNESS OR SUSPECT IS SKIRTING AROUND THE TRUTH. Things like the failure to look the officer in the eye, rocking back and forth in the interview-room chair, or just plain jumpiness

Coppers’ instinct always kicks in and, in most cases, proves right But, as upper-house MP Emily Bourke explains it, those tell-tale signs can sometimes indicate a condition rather than deception

Autism has been her concern for the past seven months In addition to her role as assistant minister to the premier, she became the assistant minister for autism in August last year. The appointment was a first in Australia and possibly the world.

Her passion now is broadening community knowledge of autism and people who have the

condition And she has advice for police who encounter those signs which seem, but are not necessarily, deception.

“A lot of autistic people don’t like making eye contact,” she says. “So, you might be interviewing someone or having a conversation with someone about: ‘What did you see?’ or ‘What happened?’ and they’re not looking at you They’re talking to you whilst looking down

“You might think: ‘They’re not telling the truth,’ or ‘They’re being dismissive (and) not respecting me ’

“So, it’s just understanding that everyone thinks differently Everyone reacts differently to the world around them.

“So don’t necessarily judge someone on their first reaction. Don’t judge someone because they’re not making eye contact, because it might just be that they physically cannot make eye contact ”

Ms Bourke also points to certain aspects of workplace settings and how they can cause some autistic people distress. One of her examples is bright office lights, which might be “paralysing” to an autistic person and render him or her unable to concentrate She speaks of how, with the simple installation of a dimmer switch, that person could go from “unable to work to a person who can attend work every day as a high performer”

“Because,” she says, “you’ve made that workplace more inclusive, and everyone wins ” Another example is the struggle many autistic people have with loud noise and, as a solution, might wear headphones at work .

“But some might see them as listening to music and not actually working,” Ms Bourke laments “It’s really (a case of) understanding

and saying: ‘Oh, do you wear headphones because the surrounding noise bothers you?’ ”

Ms Bourke has held dozens of forums to bring to light information about the challenges and needs of the autism community

“I find each and every one of the forums so valuable because I hear a new story but also really consistent stories,” she says “Whether it’s regional or metropolitan, there are key bits of information that are coming up.

“I think the main one is that it all comes back to knowledge You might know the word autism but really not know much about what autism is

“Statistics suggest that 86 per cent of people know the word but only 26 per cent of people know what autism is ”

Ms Bourke hopes to address front-line police who deal directly with autistic people in critical and other incidents on the street

“I’d love to bring autistic people into the room (with me),” she says. “It’s easier for the (autistic) community to say: ‘This is what we experience. This is who we are. Would you have known when I sat down (that I’m autistic)?’ ”

Ms Bourke insists that the figures on autism justify the creation of her role More than 200,000 Australians are autistic and one in four Australians has an autistic family member

Autistic people make up the biggest primary disability group in the NDIS and South Australia sits above the national average. Indeed, 39 per cent of SA NDIS participants are autistic.

And, for the autistic, the likelihood of unemployment is three times greater than it is for other people with disabilities

It is also 10 times greater than it is for nonautistic people

“That can’t continue,” Ms Bourke says “We need to be making sure we’re getting people into the workforce We need to be making sure we’re getting people through school ”

But the story Ms Bourke has heard “time and time again” is of the autistic child whose teacher “didn’t quite understand how to engage” him or her. Seen as badly behaved, that child ends up expelled or excluded, despite his or her willingness to participate.

The Malinauskas government last year committed to formulate the first state autism strategy, based on responses to a three-month period of public consultation

It also pledged to provide funding of $28 8 million to appoint an autism inclusion teacher in every public primary school

“We have to start thinking about how we make our classrooms more inclusive so that we can identify when a child’s becoming overwhelmed,” Ms Bourke says “We’re going to take a teacher out for up to a day a week and start training them.

“And what we’re trying to work through with our new training is: ‘How do we be inclusive from the beginning? How do we create that cultural change? What are we doing to be inclusive from the very beginning?’ ”

The justice system was another issue about which Ms Bourke hoped to get feedback out of the YourSAy consultation

“Because it does come up,” she says, “not only as a witness to a crime (but also when) someone has participated in a crime So, it’s a really important one to be thinking about. ” PJ

“I think the main one is that it all comes back to knowledge. You might know the word autism but really not know much about what autism is.”

Assistant Minister for Autism Emily Bourke discusses her objectives with Police Association deputy president Wade Burns and committee member Sam Brain.

MYSTERIES, CLASSIC CARS, THE BEATLES… ALL PART OF POLICE HISTORY

By Brett Williams

The SA Police Historical Society boasts a nation-leading museum collection. But, like other occupants of the doomed Thebarton police barracks, it needs a new home.

TODAY it would look like a series of action scenes for a Dirty Harry or Lethal Weapon film playing out on location Three fearless cops take on four armed prison escapees in a wild high-speed chase through suburbia.

The pursuers and the pursued fire shots at each other and their cars end up with blown-out tyres. Crash goes the escapees’ stolen car into a fence, and a foot chase ensues through backyards and a primary school

More police, including detectives and traffic cops on motorcycles with sidecars, descend on the scene to back up their colleagues

The shooting resumes with two of the escapees firing on police with revolvers and sawn-off shotguns A bullet pierces a wall and ends up in a school classroom occupied by students

One escapee steals a bike and pedals his way clear of the ongoing daylight shootout The other three bust their way into a family home. Police follow and shoot one of them but he survives and surrenders.

The other two flee the house and head toward the nearby main road where two council workers are approaching in a city-bound truck Sure enough,

the desperados commandeer the vehicle, threaten to kill the driver and order him to step on it

As they make this last attempt to outrun the now many pursuing police, one villain – positioned on the back of the truck – fires on them.

Police bombard the vehicle with continuous gunfire; the driver struggles with the other offender before jumping clear of the truck . He suffers a lacerated head and shin in the process

One police officer leaps from a motorcycle sidecar onto the back of the truck and exchanges gunfire with the escapee there

He and other police persist and finally hit their targets, one of them five times Another officer jumps into the truck cabin and brings the vehicle to a halt Both offenders die at the scene The terror is over, with no police lives lost

These movie-like scenes might be a reality in current-day Chicago or Los Angeles. Few, if any, would expect that they played out for real on the streets of suburban Adelaide. But they did – in 1930. And the hours-long incident became known as the Battle of Enfield

1. Police uniforms from the UK, USA and Canada in the Roy Harvey Gallery.

2. Displays showing the history of women and Aborigines in policing in the Bob Potts Gallery.

3. A plaque dedicated to police officers who gave their lives in wars and in the execution of police duty. 4. An outline of the Battle of Enfield.

8.

William Hayes, Arthur Harrison, John Newchurch and Joseph Dawson were inmates of Yatala Labour Prison They made their daring 9am escape with outside help That was how they got hold of shotguns and came to have a getaway car waiting for them.

The gang took a guard hostage and set out, but failed, to find and speak to a particular MP in the Adelaide Hills. Back in the suburbs came the chase and the first exchange of gunfire outside the Sussex Hotel at Walkerville around 1:30pm

But the action moved north and wound up in and around Nailsworth Primary School before it ended with the truck shootout on Main North Road

In another gallery, the same visitors can inspect a 1921 Bianchi patrol car and a replica Black Mariah horse-drawn prisoner carriage The Police Historical Society suspects the Bianchi is the oldest police patrol car in Australia

Among other diverse exhibits is the original plaster cast of the long mysterious Somerton Man, found dead on Somerton Beach in 1948.

Even the Beatles feature in the museum, in the form of a letter they wrote to then-commissioner John McKinna

9.

Despite its cinema-like action, high drama and fatalities, the 93-year-old Battle of Enfield remains mostly unknown – even to cops

But every detail of this major police incident, and a stack of others, is available to both police and the public through the Police Historical Society.

Its museum of five themed galleries at Thebarton police barracks houses thousands of exhibits, some dating as far back as the 1830s. And one display, of course, features the Battle of Enfield

For their bravery and devotion to duty, 38 police officers received honourable mentions Six of them scored the King’s Police Medal One of those medals, awarded to Motor Traffic constable Percy Holloway for conspicuous bravery, is part of that Enfield display

It holds its place among many other rare police documents, uniforms and equipment, and even decades-old patrol cars and motorcycles In fact, Police Historical Society president Bill Prior describes the museum collection as “the largest” and “most comprehensive in Australia”.

“South Australia’s got such an interesting police history,” he says. “And the early parts of that history are as much about the pioneers of the state.

“Some of the early police officers were explorers They really were pioneers and peacekeepers

“Our early police really did do a marvellous job So, it’s important that we demonstrate what South Australian police have done

“But I think it’s important to preserve any history You’re then learning a whole range of things about how people lived and what their abilities were ”

The museum holds around 100,000 displayed and stored exhibits An obvious strength of the collection, as Prior highlights, is its diversity.

In one gallery, visitors can view an SA police cap badge which Australian astronaut Andy Thomas took on a space flight. A NASA certificate, also on display, authenticates the exhibit

Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and stand-in drummer Jimmy Nichol were grateful for the support of police during their 1964 visit to Adelaide

Their letter was not a thank you to McKinna but rather a request that he pass on their thanks to the rank-and-file police who had “looked after us” Museum visitors can also see photographic and documentary displays of investigations into the missing Beaumont children (1966) and the Sundown murders (1957).

But likely the most moving display in the entire museum is the Wall of Remembrance It features the names of all 61 SA police officers killed in the line of duty Of the officers’ photos, the oldest is that of 38-year-old Mounted Constable John Barwick Porter, killed in 1880

Says Prior: “You see serving or retired officers coming through and saying: ‘I worked with him, I remember him ’ It gets those stories and that discussion going I think it (the photo display) brings it back to the personal side of things. ”

The society had to cease museum tours once the controversial COVID-19 restrictions came into play. But, while forced to keep its doors closed to visitors, the society took the opportunity to restructure the museum

“Basically, a few of us decided to pull it to pieces and put it all back together again, but theme it this time,” Prior explains “We swapped items displayed in certain galleries into different galleries

“So, when we take people through on a guided tour now, we can say: ‘This is the theme for this particular gallery ’

“John White, the former deputy commissioner, holds the honour of being the museum curator. So, a lot of it is based on his thinking.

“I do a lot of tour guiding and I think (the restructure) has made the museum look much more professional for everybody who comes through now ”

“You see serving or retired officers coming through and saying: ‘I worked with him, I remember him.’ ”

5. Police Historical Society president Chief Inspector Bill Prior (ret) with his own 1981 Chrysler Valiant patrol car in the Bruce Furler Gallery. 6. The wall of remembrance in the Dorothy Pyatt Gallery. 7. The 1921 Bianchi patrol car.

A selection of displays in the Dorothy Pyatt Gallery.

The letter The Beatles wrote to thencommissioner John McKinna in 1964.

“Our plans and our ambition are that we develop a very new, modern museum, a place more accessible to the public.”

Named after a significant figure in SA policing, each gallery displays history which spans at least the past 100 years.

In the Bob Potts Gallery, however, the theme is “the first 100-plus years”, which takes museum visitors back to 1838 and onward

It covers the early police troopers and the service of trailblazers like Kate Cocks and Annie Ross The two were the first female police officers in the British Empire to receive pay and arrest authorities equal with those of male officers

In the Robert Clyne Gallery, the emphasis is on criminal investigations, crime scenes and forensic examinations. It allows visitors to “ponder over a murder scene” and see the first-ever police drone of its type used in Australia.

The Wall of Remembrance features in the Dorothy Pyatt Gallery as does the letter from the Beatles to John McKinna Also displayed are early police photos, including criminal mugshots, and former commissioners’ uniforms

The Roy Harvey Gallery boasts, among other things, one of the world’s largest collections of police shoulder patches And visitor reactions to the sea of insignia have brought about a nickname: the “Wow Gallery”

“When people open the door and walk through, 80 per cent of them say: ‘Wow! Look at this,’ ” Prior explains. “It just shocks them because they’re not expecting it. It’s almost overwhelming. ”

Also in the Wow Gallery is what Prior believes to be the largest display of international police uniforms in the Southern Hemisphere

In a separate building, the Bruce Furler Gallery houses the Bianchi, the Black Mariah and classic patrol cars like the FJ Holden and Charger Also on display is the last police Commodore to roll off the production line at the Elizabeth Holden plant

A team of trained volunteer tour guides, most with police backgrounds, leads visitor groups through the galleries.

“They’re people like Dave Modra, Mark Thompson, John Anderson and others,” Prior says. “They’re members of the society, have done the basic training, and are registered with SAPOL as volunteers ”

The society is independent of SAPOL and pays for itself by means of fundraising, membership fees, tours, government grants, and souvenir sales

Of course, the vexed issue the society faces now is its future locale, given the death sentence imposed on the heritage-listed Thebarton barracks The government last year ordered its demolition to allow for construction of the new children’s hospital

The decision left Prior and his fellow board members “very disappointed”.

“It came after a lot of effort to get the museum re-established to the quality we’ve got it to now,” he says. “But we understood the government’s need to acquire the land and decided to direct our attention to where we’d be going in the future

“Our plans and our ambition are that we develop a very new, modern museum, a place more accessible to the public It gives us an opportunity to expand our schools programme, for example, and get more visitations from schools and other groups ”

“We’re working with a consultant to develop a business case to put to the government explaining who we are, what we do, how we operate and where we want to be. It’s going to take some time to find a location which is suitable. ”

The society has to vacate the barracks by September If, by then, it has no building to move into it will have to pack up its entire collection and move it into storage

“We’ve been promised government support,” Prior says “We assume that they will follow through with that We certainly need a lot of support from both the government and SAPOL

“This is SAPOL’s museum and we, the Police Historical Society, provide the labour to manage it So, we still need support in terms of buildings and their maintenance. That is critical for us.” PJ

Police Historical Society museum tours

The SA Police Historical Society conducts museum tours for groups of 15 or more people. Tours for smaller groups, such as those with special needs, are also available. Basic tours cost $10 per person but no charge applies to carers assisting special-needs visitors. Bookings are essential.

The society also accepts requests for research information and photos for which fees apply. Phone: 8207 4099 (Thursdays only), website: southaustralianpolicehistoricalsociety.com

10. Police patrol cars and motorcycles in the Bruce Furler Gallery.

11. The first drone used by SA police (Robert Clyne Gallery).

12. Photographic display of the early history of Thebarton police barracks (Bob Potts Gallery) 13. Chrysler Royal patrol car in the Bruce Furler Gallery.

14. Original mounted police uniform and horse in the Bob Potts Gallery.

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THE OTHER PANDEMIC

THE OTHER PANDEMIC

Bronzed in Germany

By Nicholas Damiani

The Police Journal finished off 2022 with the second of two major international awards it won in Europe and the United States

.

A bronze award at the International Creative Media Awards (ICMA) in Germany was the prize for the February cover and cover story The other pandemic

Announced in December, the award recognizes the best in contemporary graphic design – and competition is always strong

Publishers submit their design work to the ICMA from both eastern and western European countries and Great Britain

Participants also come from Singapore, India, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the USA and Russia.

News of the Police Journal bronze award came out of Germany on December 2, after a panel of international judges had made its decision

Police Journal editor Brett Williams spoke of his pleasure in adding the award to 13 other international prizes the magazine has won since 2014

“We’ve won an international award in either Europe or the US for eight consecutive years now,” he said “I’m still taken aback every time it happens I just never get used to it

“But for this latest ICMA design award, the credit really belongs to our graphic designer, Sam Kleidon, and photographer Steve McCawley

“Both have produced years’ worth of high-quality work for the journal and for other Police Association projects. ”

Thrilled about the award, Mr McCawley explained that he had aimed to produce a cover image which would “support such an important story”

“Capturing the right expressions and feel was critical to us in helping readers lean into the story before they’d even turned a page,” he said Ms Kleidon, who has undertaken design work for the Police Association for almost two decades, described The other pandemic as “one of my favourite pieces”

“The purposeful combination of the simple, strong images and ‘meaty’ quotes made for a powerful result,” she said.

“It’s nice to think that others felt the design did justice to the quality of the material as well. ”

The Police Journal was also a big winner at the Tabbie Awards in the United States earlier in 2022 It won gold in the Focus/Profile Article category for the seven-page cover story The Crows’ own detective by Brett Williams

The journal has now won a gold Tabbie award for its journalism in each of the last three years In total, it has won seven Tabbies – gold, silver and bronze –for journalism since 2015

Police Association president Mark Carroll said the international awards served to “highlight our magazine’s standing on the world stage”.

“The ICMA award is the third the Police Journal has won in Germany,” he said. “And awards like these are difficult to win.

“But we produce the leading and most awarded police magazine in Australia That’s clear from the now 14 international awards our journal has won

“We’ve clearly got our publishing operation right, but we never stop striving to make it even better

“And that wouldn’t happen were it not for the competent, professional team we have running the journal and, of course, the outstanding participation of our members ”

The other pandemic came close to another award earlier in 2022 . It was a finalist in the Single Article of the Year category at the Mumbrella Publish Awards in Sydney.

The Weekend Australian Magazine story Last Ditch ultimately won the award PJ

Letters

Course 31, 50 years later

Eighteen members of Course 31 and partners gathered for lunch at the Largs Pier Hotel on December 19, 2022, to celebrate 50 years since their graduation on December 19, 1972

It was incredible that some of us had not seen each other since graduation Our careers took wide and varied journeys: CIB, Major Crash, Fingerprints, STAR Division, country and more. Others had chosen to pull the pin and take on new careers outside SAPOL .

We were delighted that course mentor Superintendent Hank Ramm (ret) was able to join us for the celebration

Naturally, stories abounded Who could ever have forgotten those three academy years?

From the huts to the new dorms, the horses, marching with Fred Knight, typing with Ernie Kirk, running with Laurie Harcus, and the fearsome Superintendent Eric Meldrum

Phil Hart, Kym Zander, Graeme Bridge and I undertook numerous meetings to make sure all details of the day were covered.

Sadly, 10 graduating members had passed away: Trevor Brereton, Steven Cody, Vin Conley, Jeff Carruthers, Bill Dankbaar, Ray Golding, Kevin MacKay, Peter Prest, Paul Rix and Stan Rybajlak

Jeff Hale

Vital support for child cancer research

Police Federation of Australia CEO Scott Weber recently visited the Children’s Cancer Institute in Kensington (NSW) to present a cheque for $7,000 on behalf of the Three Strohm Sisters Family Foundation in New York .

These funds were raised at a gala ball the foundation held on Long Island, NY. The ball was supported by the public safety and military communities and the institute was a beneficiary

The Three Strohm Sisters Family Foundation was founded in 1999 by three sisters, who were all afflicted with breast cancer

As survivors, they found strength in organizing a foundation to support those battling this dreadful disease by funding research and raising awareness.

The selfless service of Jane Stanczuk, Kathy Sarna and Lucille Montrony to humanity has inspired people and resulted in tremendous contributions raising over $2 million for worthy research foundations, hospitals, institutions, and organizations targeting all forms of cancer around the world

Dr Yolanda Colino Sanguino and Dr Holly Holliday accepted the cheque on behalf of the institute as the recipient researchers.

This funding will allow further advancements in research into effective drug treatments

for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a brain tumour and the most aggressive childhood cancer

There is no cure and current treatments are completely ineffective. Every year in Australia, 20 children are diagnosed with DIPG, and 20 children will die of this disease, so it is of the utmost importance that we continue our work to find a cure for this insidious form of brain cancer

The hope is that this research will lead to future clinical trials for DIPG

Melinda Deering Trusts and Foundations Manager Children’s Cancer Institute

The gathering of Course 31 members.

Police Federation of Australia CEO Scott Weber presents the cheque to Doctor Yolanda Colino Sanguino and Doctor Holly Holliday.

Wall to Wall tribute to the fallen

The annual Wall to Wall Ride for Remembrance from across Australia to Canberra is a tribute to fallen Australian police, raises funds for those officers’ families, and promotes motorcycle safety.

It began in 2010 and is linked to a similar US event known as the Ride for the Fallen.

Serving and retired police officers from every Australian state and territory participate along with their families and friends and supporters SA formalized its participation in 2011

The ride leaves each jurisdiction’s wall of remembrance in September and travels to the National Police Memorial in Canberra It leads into national Police Remembrance Day on September 29.

In 2020 and 2021, travel restrictions disallowed the journey to Canberra but SA undertook intrastate rides and raised funds for SA Police Legacy.

Constables Warren Matheson, 24, and Matthew “Charlie” Payne, 22, died after their patrol car struck a tree in March 1982

Around 60 Wall-to-Wall riders who set out from the police academy stopped to honour the two fallen members at Rendelsham Cemetery (Charlie) and Mt Gambier Cemetery (Warren)

Charlie’s mum, family, friends and fiancée were all present, as was a cousin of Warren. They were amazed that their loved ones were being remembered after 40 years.

Our ride to Canberra took in parts of Victoria which had been impacted by fires and floods in the previous couple of years

We had not been able, owing to COVID restrictions, to attend the National Police Memorial to honour the four Victoria Police officers killed in 2020 So, 2022 was our opportunity

On April 8, 2022, Senior Constable Bria Joyce (Victoria Police) was killed in a head-on crash outside Mildura

And the anniversary of the death of Senior Constable Bogdan “Bob” Sobczak fell on May 26. He died after his police motorcycle collided with another vehicle near Tungkillo in 2002

On September 13, 2022, around 100 riders stopped at the Brukunga CFS training centre A guard of honour was formed as a team of “speedies” entered the venue in a tribute to Bob

Bob’s godson, Josef Milano, was warmly introduced to the riders.

Our riders continued through to Loxton and later crossed the border and travelled to Mildura. On September 14, we joined around a dozen Victoria Police members and paid tribute to Bria Joyce

In the small Victorian town of Sea Lake, we passed by two local schools which had paused to show their respect for Senior Constable Dennis Cox He was the local police officer killed as he had ridden his bicycle on the outskirts of the town in November 2020

I met the wife and sister of Dennis and they greatly appreciated the tribute.

We arrived in Canberra for the service at the National Police Memorial on September 17. We joined 2,000 riders from around Australia and eight new names were added to the wall since our last visit

They were Lynette Taylor, Kevin King, Joshua Prestney, Glen Humphris, Michael Cursiter, Kelly Foster, David Masters and Bria Joyce

Over the next few days, the riders made their way back home I estimated that our ride contributed more than $200,000 into the economy.

Nationally, the Wall to Wall Ride this year raised $168,974.68 for Police Legacy throughout Australia, and more than $1,484,328 over 13 years

With the SA Wall to Wall Ride funds added, SA Police Legacy received $20,000 this year This brings our local total to $123,000 over 12 years Our donations go to young legatees to make their lives a little easier

Planning has started for the 2023 SA Wall to Wall Ride for Remembrance I encourage members to join us to visit parts of Australia and raise awareness of Legacy

Mick Klose State Co-ordinator Wall to Wall Ride for Remembrance South Australia

Police Association president Mark Carroll presents a cheque from the Wall to Wall Ride to Police Legacy SA president Jodi-Lee Black and company secretary Karen Cucchiarelli.

Steve Whetton Assistant Secretary Police Association INDUSTRIAL

Extended-hours roster delay unacceptable

The trial of a response extendedhours roster began on November 5, 2020, in the Western District (response teams) for 30 weeks (three full rotations of the 10-week roster) The Police Journal outlined this in April 2022 (Front-line well-being still to be addressed)

The Police Association and SAPOL had agreed to trial a response extendedhours roster through enterprise agreement 2016.

The whole point of the trial was to improve the health and well-being of front-line police . This had the support of an internationally recognized sleep and fatigue expert commissioned by SAPOL

The rapid-rotation cycle (two day shifts, two afternoon shifts, two night shifts) – and remuneration with the all-inclusive allowance of 23 per cent in lieu of current shift penalties – enabled additional days off per year owing to the extra hours worked in the shift.

The association has continued to express its concern directly to SAPOL given the failure to finalize the trial

SAPOL e-mailed the membership (March 28, 2022) and referred to a number of “negative business impacts” and the trial was extended The e-mail asserted that this “is the most significant change to SAPOL’s response roster in 40 years”

The establishment of a steering committee came about and an association representative took part in it while a contracted research team conducted further data analysis

On December 23, 2022, the association formally withdrew from the committee as it chose to seek yet more analytical research and further assistance from a roster consultant

Delays are unacceptable

The district policing model does not, and cannot, provide sufficient resources to address members’ work health and safety Nor does it meet the demand for services – a demand which continues to exceed capacity. (See District policing model a major fail, Police Journal, August 2022 .)

A model which lacks the staff to make it workable and suffers from a historically unhealthy roster is clearly dangerous to members and, by extension, the community

This is particularly so given that the failure to recruit has meant inadequate staff numbers to replace those lost through resignations and retirements

The opportunity clearly exists for SAPOL to follow the example of interstate and overseas police forces in adopting an extended-hours roster.

Industrial manslaughter

The current Work Health and Safety Act 2012 does not contain an offence of industrial manslaughter

In its industrial manslaughter discussion paper, SafeWork SA indicates that, currently, the highest offence under the act, (section 31) category 1, a breach brought about by reckless conduct incurs a penalty of:

• $300,000 fine and/or five years’ imprisonment for an offence committed by an individual

• $600,000 fine and/or five years for an offence committed by an individual conducting a business, or officer of a business

• $3,000,000 fine for an offence committed by a body corporate A person can currently be charged with manslaughter where death is caused either intentionally, recklessly or negligently at the workplace pursuant to the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935.

Other states and territories have amended their relevant work health and safety legislation to introduce the offence of industrial manslaughter

In NSW, the amendment lapsed in May 2022 In Tasmania, industrial manslaughter is not currently an offence

Attorney-General Kyam Maher penned a letter in November last year highlighting that, during the 2022 state election, the government committed itself to the introduction of legislation to make industrial manslaughter a criminal offence.

His letter detailed a list of elements of the consultation draft of the Work Health and Safety (Industrial Manslaughter) Amendment Bill 2022 :

• “The offence will apply where a person has been reckless or grossly negligent in conduct which breaches a work health and safety duty under the WHS Act and which results in the death of an individual

Continued page 61

On December 23, 2022, the association formally withdrew from the committee as it chose to seek yet more analytical research and further assistance from a roster consultant. Delays are unacceptable.

Do I really have sciatica?

Sciatica is a common problem .

The estimation is that about one in 10 of us has chronic pain affecting a daily activity in one way or another Medical intervention can help but only once you know the exact cause of the pain

It could be a tumour about to cause spinal cord compression and paralysis, or an annoying ligament irritating the sciatic nerve and causing almost incapacitating pain.

Lower-back pain and sciatica are relatively common but tumours are rare. It is important to undergo careful assessment and strategic X-rays, CT and MRI to allow for appropriate management

The sciatic nerve is the largest and thickest in the body It is the main continuation of all the nerve roots of the lower back

The nerves come out from the spinal cord in the lumbar portion of the spine. There, they join to form the large nerve and run down through the buttocks and the back of the thigh to just above the back of the knee. And there, it splits into two nerves to serve the lower leg and foot

Anything that hurts the nerve or causes pain coming from the nerve region can loosely be called sciatica The name describes the location but not the cause of the pain

The usual causes of sciatic pain are either a disc rupturing in the lumbar spine, squeezing the nerve against the bone, or arthritis where the bones meet and cause swelling and then pressure on the nerve.

It might feel like the pain is shooting down the leg or coming from a toe

This referred pain can make you feel like there is something wrong in your leg when, in fact, it is the spinal cord, or nerve root causing the problem

And the severity of the pain does not always correspond with the seriousness of the problem Conversely, mild pain might sometimes hide a problem which is serious

Back pain, with radiation down the leg, is the most common presentation of sciatica. Stretching the sore nerve makes it typically more painful because of the compression.

Straight leg-raising is a test used to see if this is happening This is when the leg is kept straight and the heel lifted off the bed to 90 degrees, causing the sciatica sufferer to flinch as the sore nerve is stretched

Pressure on the nerve can also present as loss of sensation or numbness in the buttock or leg Nerve root compression might make the big toe numb . The muscles can be weakened by the nerve pressure and might present as foot drop or limping and quadricep weakness

Conservative management (not surgery) with pain relief and physiotherapy, massage and exercise do not always stop the pain but usually help

If they fail to help, there is the option of an anti-inflammatory injection directly into the point where the nerve root exits. This procedure, now considered safe, comes with the benefit of reducing the swelling around the painful nerve and can be a permanent cure

Surgery is usually reserved for circumstances in which:

• It is clearly evident that either the bone, disc or arthritis is pressing on the nerve.

• There is no chance of fixing the problem without surgically removing the offending material

Orthopaedic surgeons or neurosurgeons carry out the surgery as a last resort They do not take the decision to operate lightly as post-op scar tissue becomes a risk of pressing on the nerve again

Regular exercise and muscle strengthening remain the best ways to look after lower back pain Pilates, yoga, and meditation have their place in limiting the muscle spasm that sore nerves trigger. And help in managing an exercise programme is often necessary

And the severity of the pain does not always correspond with the seriousness of the problem. Conversely, mild pain might sometimes hide a problem which is serious.

Dr Rod Pearce

MOTORING

Drivetrain 2 4-litre (129kW/229Nm) petrol engine, nine-speed torque-converter auto with manual mode, AWD

Standard Dual-zone climate control, wireless phone features charging, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android

Auto, DAB+ radio, nine-speaker Alpine audio, foot-operated power tailgate.

Safety Six airbags, front and rear parking sensors, reverse camera, full suite of driver-assistance and crashavoidance technologies, traffic-sign recognition, trailer-sway control, tyre-pressure monitor

Fuel 60-litre fuel tank, unleaded (91-RON), claimed 9 7-litres/100km (combined test)

Warranty and Five-year 100,000km warranty, capped service servicing every 12-months or 12,000km

Kia Niro Hybrid-S

DESIGN AND FUNCTION

Second-gen Kia Niro compact crossover SUV boasts a completely new design, a slightly larger body, more interior space, and additional safety.

Two electrified powertrains, hybrid electric (HEV) and pure electric (EV), come in either S or GT-Line trim levels

Hybrid models feature a 1 6-litre petrol engine coupled to a small electric motor driving the front wheels through a six-speed dualclutch automatic transmission

Niro EV features a sizeable 64 8kWh lithium-ion battery which powers its electric motor with drive to the front wheels via a single-speed (reduction-gear) transmission.

Top-spec EV GT-Line reveals an efficient, flexible car sporting a new grille and LED lighting assemblies up front

A sloping roofline, black alloys, and black garnishing around its mudguards and low on the doors define its profile. Two-tone paint colours are an option on its wide C-pillar. At the back is a powered tailgate with lip spoiler and boomerang-shaped LED tail lights

EV GT-Line scores dual-zone climate control, power sunroof, power-adjustable heated and ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, high-powered Hardon-Karmon DAB+ audio system, leather-look trim and satellite navigation

There’s plenty of cabin storage, one USB, three USB-C and two V2L (vehicle to load) sockets. The 60/40 rear seat is roomy enough for adults and there’s ample cargo space

Superbly smooth

DRIVING

Niro EV GT-Line has a decent driving position as its low, uncluttered dashboard provides excellent visibility. A central 10. 25-inch touchscreen, a 10. 25-inch instrument cluster and 10-inch head-up-display keep drivers informed The touch and instrument screens are superbly integrated to appear as one

There’s very little switch gear as either voice, the touchscreen, or buttons on the steering wheel control many of the car’s functions

Pushing the start button and selecting D (Drive) from the consolemounted rotary gear selector automatically disengages the park brake. Pressing the start button when stationary switches power off and automatically engages P (Park) and the park brake

Jim Barnett

Model Jeep Compass S-Limited ($48,350)

Jeep Compass S-Limited

DESIGN AND FUNCTION

Jeep delivers its latest Compass compact SUV in four model variants

Entry Night Eagle (from $39,950) comes with a 2 4-litre petrol engine which drives the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission

Limited ($45,350) and S-Limited ($48,350) each feature the same engine but have AWD and a nine-speed auto. Top-spec Trailhawk ($52,650) gets a more powerful 2 .0-litre diesel with AWD and the nine-speed auto

S-Limited is a roomy, wellequipped SUV Its seats are trimmed in black leather, the dash and console in a variety of soft-touch materials with contrasting metallic garnishes

Front seats are extremely comfortable, each providing eight-way power adjustment and four-way lumbar support. The rear seat has a 40/20/40 configuration and provides more head and leg room than many.

These easily fold individually to enhance cargo space

Rear passengers benefit from rear air-conditioning vents and there are 230-volt and 12-volt sockets, as well as USB and USB-C sockets, in the rear of the console. A foot-operated powered tailgate reveals a reasonable cargo space with cargo blind and an emergency-style spare wheel hidden underneath

S-Limited sports that unmistakable Jeep grille, with its muscular profile, 18-inch Hyperblack alloy wheels, a smart convex tailgate with lipspoiler, and a black roof

A central Ultra HD 10 1-inch colour touchscreen can be voice-activated to control the navigation system, DAB+ radio and climate control It also provides a clear reverse camera view and is hooked to a high-power ninespeaker Alpine audio system.

Unmistakable profile

DRIVING

A commanding driving position spoils the driver, as does a small multi-adjustable steering wheel and keyless push-button entry and start An auto on/off electric park brake features as does a customizable 10 25inch electronic instrument cluster Indicator and wiper stalk controls are located opposite from the norm

The S-Limited 2 4-litre petrol engine produces plenty of grunt but it does tend to be thirstier than some in this class. Around town the car feels spritely and nimble.

On the highway it never sounds stressed The nine-speed auto delivers smooth shifting with the ability to operate its manual mode from the gear selection lever Ride and handling: no complaints

S-Limited AWD is no serious off-roader but its 212mm off-ground clearance, lockable 4x4 system (single speed), hill-descent control and Sand/Mud, Snow and Auto drive modes allow drivers to be a little more adventurous.

Model Kia Niro Hybrid-S $44,380, Hybrid-GT-Line $50,030, EV-S $65,300, EV-GT-Line $72,100 (plus ORC).

Niro EV is superbly smooth and very quiet on the road. Capable of 0-100 km/h in just 7.8 seconds, seamless and quick acceleration is available in any situation Australian input into suspension and steering tune results in quality ride and agile cornering

Paddle shifters provide various levels of regenerative braking including an I-pedal mode by which drivers can accelerate and brake (to a complete stop) using only the accelerator pedal.

The key fob allows drivers to remotely park or “unpark” in tight spots

Powertrains Hybrid 1.6-litre petrol, FWD, six-speed DCT auto, total output 104kW/265Nm . EV 64. 8 Wh electric, FWD, single-speed reduction-gear transmission, 150kW/255Nm

Hybrid fuel 42-litre tank, regular unleaded, 4 0 litres per 100km

EV range Range 460km, three AC charging options: 10-100% between 27 5 hours (in cable 10Amp control box supplied with vehicle) and 6 3 hours (11kW EVSE charger), three DC options: 10-80% between one hour, five minutes (50kW charger) and 43 minutes (350kW charger) Safety Eight airbags and a comprehensive suite of crash-avoidance and driver-assistance technologies on all models

Cargo HEV – 425 to 1,419 litres, temporary spare wheel, EV – 475 to 1,392 litres, tyre inflation kit

Does a cashback really save you money?

With 2023 now upon us and the cost of living on the rise, you might be reassessing your finances to see where you could save yourself some money

It’s likely you’ve seen many financial institutions advertising cashback deals to encourage you to refinance or take out a new home loan with them . It sounds like a sweet deal and while extra cash in your pocket is never a bad thing, will chasing a cashback save you money in the long run?

What many of these financial institutions are not advertising is that they often still charge a hefty annual package fee with your home loan This means the money that you might save in the beginning will whittle down in fees down the track

For example, a $2k cashback sounds great but with many banks charging annual package fees up to $395, a 30-year mortgage will cost $11,850 in annual package fees alone, along with any other applicable initial application fees So that cashback which first seemed attractive starts diminishing in value very quickly

It’s important to ensure you critically review rates offered by other

banks, particularly comparison rates Comparison rates reflect the actual annual interest rate, together with the loan amount, the term of the loan and the required repayments

This rate also includes many of the fees and charges associated with taking out the loan. It’s the rate you need to go by to give yourself an accurate representation of the money you will be paying when you take out a loan with this institution.

So, cashbacks might not be the exciting reward they’re advertised to be, but there is still a way you can save money with a home loan from Police Credit Union

When you refinance or take out a new home loan with Police Credit Union, we do not charge any monthly or annual fees over the course of your loan, ultimately saving you more money (even thousands) in the long term. What’s more, we pride ourselves on offering competitively low home loan rates that have the potential to save you money over the course of your loan compared to a higher interest rate with another bank that offers you a cashback

In even more enticing news, as a police officer, you receive exclusive benefits . As a Platinum member of Police Credit Union, you receive 0.10% off selected home loans as well as no package fees, priority loan approval and more!^

You also have direct and personal access to your very own relationship managers, Glenn Lewis and Ryan Mountford, who have years of banking experience They are more than happy to personally discuss your home loan options to find the best deal for you Get in touch with them today at platinum@policecu com au, or call Glenn on 0421 243 741 or Ryan on 0437 286 804 .

Visit policecu .com . au to find out more about our competitively low home loan rates and the other benefits you are entitled to as a Platinum member

Police Credit Union Ltd (PCU) ABN 30 087 651 205 AFSL/Australian Credit Licence 238991. Terms, conditions, fees, charges, lending and membership criteria apply. Full details upon request. All information is correct and current as at 27/12/2022. The information provided herein does not take into account your personal needs, objective and financial circumstances. Please consider your circumstances before deciding if the product is right for you. PCU reserves the right to withdraw offers or amend product features at any time. Information provided in this article is designed to be a guide only and was believed to be correct at time of publication and derived from various media sources. In some cases, information has been provided to us by third parties and while that information is believed to be accurate and reliable, its accuracy is not guaranteed in any way. Any opinions expressed constitute our views at the time of issue and are subject to change. Neither PCU, nor its employees or directors give any warranty of accuracy or accept responsibility for any loss or liability incurred by you in respect of any error, omission or misrepresentation in this article. ^Excludes special offers.

It’s important to ensure you critically review rates offered by other banks, particularly comparison rates. Comparison rates reflect the actual annual interest rate, together with the loan amount, the term of the loan and the required repayments.

Free Legal Service for Police

Association Members, their families and retired Members.

Leading Adelaide law firm, Tindall Gask Bentley is the preferred legal services provider of the Police Association, offering 30 minutes of free initial advice and a 10% fee discount.

DISCIPLINARY & ADMINISTRATIVE LAW

• ICAC

• Coroner’s Court

• Criminal Law

INJURY COMPENSATION

• Motor accident injury compensation

• Workers compensation

FAMILY AND DIVORCE

• Police Complaints

• Equity & Diversity

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

• Public liability

• Superannuation claims (TPD)

Matrimonial, De Facto and Same-Sex Relationships

• Children’s issues

• Child Support matters

BUSINESS & PROPERTY

• General business advice

• Real estate & property advice

WILLS AND ESTATES

• Wills and Testamentary Trusts

• Enduring Powers of Attorney

• Advance Care Directives

• Property settlements

• Pre-nuptial style agreements

• Business transactions

• Commercial disputes & dispute resolution

• Advice to executors of deceased estates

• Obtaining Grants of Probate

• Estate disputes

Luke Officer

Daniel Weekley

Sarah Mitchell Michael Arras

Giles Kahl Lauren Roberts

Wendy Barry Dina Paspaliaris

Gary Allison Amber Sprague

Hanna Rogers Associate Tindall Gask Bentley Lawyers

Court finds police action lawful in drug-importation case

Defendants Kola and Londono-Gomez appeared before the District Court of South Australia in 2022, jointly charged with the Commonwealth offence of conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug

The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions alleged that they conspired with one another and others (including a Mr Yavuz) to import drugs by boat from Panama to Australia. The director further alleged that Kola and Yavuz recruited another person, AZ, to travel to Panama to facilitate the importation

During a pre-trial argument, the defendants asked the court to permanently stay their charges (bring the proceedings to a perpetual standstill)

The primary submission the defendants advanced was that the police, during their investigation, committed the criminal offences of:

• Aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring AZ to commit an offence of breach bail.

• Aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring AZ to commit an offence of being in contempt of court

• Aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring the charged conspiracy to import border-controlled-drug offence

In the alternative, the defendants argued that the police conduct was grossly improper

In finding that there was no basis for a stay of proceedings, the court made it clear that the police did not act unlawfully, nor was their conduct improper

Background

On March 20, 2014, AZ was arrested, charged with unrelated offences and granted bail by SAPOL A condition of his bail was that he not leave the state without permission under the Bail Act.

On May 19, 2014, AZ departed on a flight from Adelaide to Sydney. SAPOL received an alert that AZ intended to depart Australia. AZ was searched by a Customs officer at the request of SAPOL and was permitted to leave Australia thereafter

Police monitored AZ’s telephone communications during the time he was in Panama The CDPP relied upon much of the evidence SAPOL gathered during its surveillance of AZ’s time abroad as proof of the conspiracy charge against the defendants.

AZ failed to board the return flight to Australia on June 5, 2014, as scheduled SAPOL became aware through its surveillance that there were structural issues with the boat arranged to transport the drugs That meant the importation could not occur

On July 21, 2014, AZ returned to Australia and was arrested at the Adelaide Airport on a warrant owing to his failure to attend the Magistrates Court on July 16, 2014 .

Were police complicit in AZ's breach of bail?

It was not in dispute that AZ breached his bail when he left the state The question for the court to determine was whether the police, knowing of AZ’s bail status, aided and abetted his breach of bail by allowing him to leave.

Under section 267 of the Criminal Law Consolidation Act , a person who aids, abets, counsels or procures the commission of an offence is liable to be dealt with as if he or she had committed the principal offence

Generally, an accessory to an offence must intentionally assist or encourage the commission of the crime in some way That is, the general legal principle is that criminal liability does not attach to an omission, except the omission of an act which that person is under a legal obligation to perform.

The court rejected the defendants’ argument that SAPOL’s duty to prevent crime expressed in the Police Regulations, and the oath taken by sworn officers, creates a specific legal duty on police to immediately arrest a person for breaching his or her bail

The court also found that, while the Bail Act empowers a police officer to arrest a person for a breach of bail without a warrant, there is no statutory duty to arrest a person for breach of bail, which would give rise to criminal liability for failing to do so.

Ultimately, not intervening in the breach of bail was proper, because any action which prevented AZ from leaving would have compromised ongoing investigations into serious offences.

Going Rogue

Janet Evanovich Headline Review, $32 99

New Jersey sleuth Stephanie Plum knows that something is amiss when she turns up for work at Vinnie’s Bail Bonds on Monday morning She finds the door locked, the coffeepot empty, and the usual box of Boston cream doughnuts absent That’s because long-time office manager Connie Rosolli hasn’t shown up.

Plum’s worst fears are confirmed when she gets a call from Connie’s abductor. He says he will release her only in exchange for a mysterious coin that a recently murdered man left as collateral for his bail But this coin is nowhere to be found

The quest to discover it, and save Connie, will require the help of Plum’s Grandma Mazur, her best pal, Lula, her boyfriend, Morelli, and hunky security expert Ranger

Their journey will lead them to an Atlantic City comic-book convention, down narrow streets in Chambersburg, where secrets can’t be kept, and through questionable junkyards.

As Plum gets closer to unravelling the reasons behind Connie’s kidnapping, Connie’s captor grows more threatening, and soon Stephanie has no choice but to go rogue

Win a book, in-season movie pass or DVD!

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

Desert Star

Michael Connelly Allen & Unwin, $32 99

A year has passed since LAPD detective Renée Ballard quit the force in the face of misogyny, demoralization, and endless red tape Yet, after the chief of police himself tells her she can write her ticket within the department, Ballard takes back her badge, leaving “the late show” to rebuild the cold-case unit at the elite Robbery-Homicide Division.

For years, Harry Bosch has been working a case that haunts him but that he hasn’t been able to crack – the murder of an entire family by a psychopath who still walks free

Ballard makes Bosch an offer: come work with her as a volunteer investigator in the new OpenUnsolved Unit, and he can pursue his “white whale” with the resources of the LAPD behind him

The two must put aside old resentments to work together again and close in on a dangerous killer

Upgrade

Blake Crouch Macmillan, $34

99

The Boys from Biloxi

John

Grisham Hodder & Stoughton, $34

99

For most of the last 100 years, Biloxi was known for its beaches, resorts, and seafood industry But it had a darker side It was also notorious for corruption and vice, everything from gambling, prostitution, bootleg liquor, drugs – even contract killings

A small cabal of mobsters, many of them rumoured to be members of the Dixie Mafia, controlled the vice.

Keith Rudy and Hugh Malco grew up in Biloxi in the ’60s and were childhood friends But, as teenagers, their lives took them in different directions

Rudy’s father became a legendary prosecutor, determined to “clean up the coast” Malco’s father became the “Boss” of Biloxi’s underground

Rudy went to law school and followed in his father’s footsteps Malco preferred the nightlife and worked in his father’s clubs The two families were headed for a showdown, one that would happen in a courtroom.

At first, Logan Ramsay isn’t sure if anything’s different. He just feels a bit sharper. Better able to concentrate. Better at multitasking. Reading a bit faster, memorizing better, needing less sleep

But, before long, he can’t deny it: something’s happening to his brain To his body He’s starting to see the world, and those around him, even those he loves most, in whole new ways

The truth is Ramsay’s genome has been hacked And there’s a reason he’s been targeted for this upgrade. A reason that goes back decades to the darkest part of his past, and a horrific family legacy.

Worse still, what’s happening to him is just the first step in a much larger plan, one to inflict the same changes on humanity at large, and at a terrifying cost

Because of what Ramsay’s becoming, he’s the one person in the world capable of stopping what’s been set in motion But to have a chance at winning this war, he’ll have to become something other than himself.

Iris

Fiona Kelly McGregor Picador Australia, $34.99

Who is Iris Webber? A thief, a fighter, a wife, a lover. A scammer, a schemer, a friend . A musician, a worker, a big-hearted fool. A woman who has prevailed against the toughest gangsters of the day, defying police time and time again, yet is now trapped in a prison cell Guilty or innocent?

Rollicking through the underbelly of 1930s sly-grog Sydney, Iris is based on actual events and set in an era of cataclysmic change It is the fascinating tale of a woman who couldn’t be held back

Fast X

May 18

Livid

Chief medical examiner Kay Scarpetta is the reluctant star witness in a sensational murder trial when she receives shocking news. The judge’s sister has been found dead.

At first glance, it appears to be a home invasion, but why was nothing stolen, and why is the garden strewn with dead plants and insects?

Although there is no apparent cause of death, Scarpetta recognizes tell-tale signs of the unthinkable, and she knows the worst is yet to come

The forensic pathologist finds herself pitted against a powerful force that returns her to the past, and her time to catch the killer is running out

Fast X is the upcoming American action film directed by Louis Leterrier and written by Justin Lin and Dan Mazeau

It is the sequel to F9, serving as the 10th main instalment and the 11th overall instalment in the Fast & Furious film series Dominic Toretto and his crew must seek help in their fight against Cipher when she recruits Dante, a mysterious new adversary. Cast: Vin Diesel (Dominic Toretto), Jason Momoa (Dante), Brie Larson (Tess), Helen Mirren (Queenie), Charlize Theron (Cipher), Michelle Rodriguez (Letty Ortiz), Tyrese Gibson (Roman), Scott Eastwood (Little Nobody)

Patricia Cornwell Sphere, $32 99

John Wick: Chapter 4

March 23

John Wick takes on his most lethal adversaries yet in the upcoming fourth instalment of the series.

With the price on his head ever increasing, Wick takes his fight against the High Table global as he seeks out the most powerful players in the underworld, from New York to Paris to Osaka to Berlin

Before he can earn his freedom, he must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes

Cast: Keanu Reeves (John Wick), Ian McShane (Winston), Laurence Fishburne (Bowery King), Lance Reddick (Charon), Bill Skarsgård (Marquis), Donnie Yen (Caine).

Creed III

March 2

After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed has been thriving in both his career and family life . When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian, resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring

The face-off between former friends is more than just a fight To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damian – a fighter who has nothing to lose

Cast: Anthony Bellew (“Pretty” Ricky Conlan), Florian Munteanu (Viktor Drago), Jonathan Majors (Damian Anderson), Michael B Jordan (Adonis Creed), Phylicia Rashad (Mary Anne Creed), Tessa Thompson (Bianca), Wood Harris (Tony “Little Duke” Burton).

Shazam! Fury of the Gods

March 16

Shazam! Fury of the Gods continues the story of teenage Billy Batson who, upon reciting the magic word, Shazam, is transformed into his adult super hero alter ego, Shazam

He takes on the villainous Hespera and Kalypso, daughters of the Greek titan Atlas

Cast: Zachary Levi (Shazam), Lucy Liu (Kalypso), Adam Brody (Super Hero Freddy), Helen Mirren (Hespera), Asher Angel (Billy Batson), Derek Russo (Atlas).

Whitstable Pearl Series 2

Six episodes, 270 minutes $34 98

Ridley

Four episodes, 391 minutes $34 98

Former detective inspector Alex Ridley has retired from the police force after years of dedicated service. He has health concerns and is grieving after losing his wife and daughter.

Ridley’s replacement is his former protégé Carol Farman whom Ridley mentored for many years. When DI Farman enlists him as a police consultant on a compelling, complex murder case, the investigation takes a dark, unexpected turn

Turning to her old mentor for support, Farman is keen to access Ridley’s unique insight into crime-solving which has served them so well in the past

With more intriguing cases to solve, Ridley will be enticed out of retirement into his former role, reviving his formidable and successful partnership with Farman

Inspired by real-life retired detectives rejoining police forces in a consultancy role given increasingly over-stretched resources, Ridley will explore thought-provoking crime stories in an original and distinctive way.

He has unfinished business.

In season one, Pearl juggled her commitments to the restaurant – the eponymous Whitstable Pearl – with her side hustle as a PI

In season two, Pearl will prioritize her detective work and transition from being a chef who solves crimes, to a full-time investigator who just happens to own a restaurant

Pearl’s cases overlap with ex-boyfriend Mike McGuire’s police investigations Their relationship is charged by a determination to outdo each other, and a fiery mutual attraction

When they compete, sparks fly and tempers flare When they work together, they make a hell of a team

Tenafeate Creek Wines

2021 Basket Press Shiraz

Sourced from four low-yielding vineyards from southern and northern One Tree Hill, with an average yield of one to two tonne per acre

The wine was traditionally made: open top fermenters, hand-plunged during fermentation, and gently basket pressed Aged in new and seasoned French oak barrels for 12 months

Wonderfully ripe and fragrant, the bouquet shows dark fruit richness, warm spice, cedar and mocha notes, leading to a powerfully graceful palate that's filled with delectable flavours backed by silky texture and supple tannins

Robust with awesome fruit purity as well as gorgeous complexity.

• Rated 98 points, plus gold medal, plus Top 5 Wine of Australia (Winestate magazine).

2016 Judgement Shiraz

Judgement Shiraz is only made in the exceptional vintages Hand-sourced from a single low-yielding vineyard located in One Tree Hill and aged in new extra fine grain French oak barrels for 24 months

A wine that can be enjoyed now or will benefit from careful cellaring over the next two to three decades.

This is undeniably premier league. The wine is stacked with black/purple fruit, chocolate truffle, olive, clove and vanillin oak characters, fabulously enhanced by outstanding density, yet with refinement and flow.

This is sophisticated and symphonic with substantial body and richness, making it striking and irresistible

• Rated 98 points, plus gold medal – WineOrbit, Sam Kim

2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot

A blend of 70 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon and 30 per cent Merlot, all sourced from low-yielding vineyards from One Tree Hill. Aged in new and seasoned French oak barrels for 12 months.

This wine offers stunning fruit purity with elegant complexity. It shows Black Doris plum, mulberry, floral, thyme and toasted nut aromas on the nose, followed by a concentrated palate displaying excellent power and persistence

Beautifully framed by fine polished tannins

• Rated 95 points, plus gold medal – WineOrbit, Sam Kim

PASA member discount

For a 20% discount, use the code POLICE for online purchases.

Graduates’ Dinner: Course 54/2022

1. Course 54 graduates.

2. Daniel Currie and Caitney-Ann Evenden.

3. Imogen Morris and Helen Bui.

4. Lachlan McBain, Jomar Miranda, Jake Brooks and Sean Kenny

5. Lachlan Thomas.

6. Jake Brooks and Stella Nadebaum.

7. Joel Parker and Bonnie Wells.

8. Chelsea Tanczos and Lauren Lante.

9. Tiffani Graham and Sean Kenny.

Electra House November 12, 2022

Graduation: Course 54/2022

1. Dan Currie and Bonnie Wells.

2. Chelsea Tanczos.

3. Joel Parker and Imogen Morris.

4. Tiffani Graham and Sean Kenny

5. Commissioner Grant Stevens inspects the course.

6. Graduates on the parade ground.

7. Graduates prepare to march off.

8. Police Association assistant secretary Steve Whetton with academic award winner Lachlan Thomas.

Police Academy November 16, 2022

Graduates’ Dinner: Course 55/2022

1. Alexander Buckley, Amelia Dal Pra, Megan Bobrige and Dale Haycock-Sutton.

2. Zofia Foley and Gracie Peterson.

3. Justin Stanbridge.

4. Lauren Kris, Erin Sexton and Tori Saunders.

5. Kyle Crompton, Dale Haycock-Sutton and Zofia Foley.

6. Lauren Kris and Aislinn McDaid.

7. Paxton Davis-Mattner and Fiona O’Connor.

8. Estelle Marsh and Sophia Lombardi.

9. Josh Miller, Carter Slater and Matt Reed.

Graduation: Course 55/2022

Police Academy, January 18, 2023

1. Tony Knight, Estelle Marsh, Zofia Foley and Sophia Lombardi.

2. Paxton Davis-Mattner. Aislinn McDaid and Lauren Kris.

3. Matt Reed and Carter Slater.

4. Jack Howell and Lauren Kris.

5. Josh Miller, Kyle Crompton and Austin Zrim.

6. Graduates on the parade ground.

7. Graduates march onto the parade ground.

8. Police Association deputy president Wade Burns with academic award winners Estelle Marsh and Zofia Foley.

9. Aislinn and Seamus McDaid.

The Last Shift

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

Steve Atkinson

Andrew Ausserlechner

Darren Connell

Mark Fairney

Darryl Foyle

Jack Gale

Gary Goodwin

Louise Manhire

Patina Pearson

Christine Petts

John Rodgers

Shelley Rogers

Gordon Scott

Grant Sivewright

Mark Walker-Roberts

Sergeant Andrew “Aussie” Ausserlechner

Mount Barker general patrols

39 years’ service Last Day: 30.09. 22

Comments…

“The job to me has never been mundane Having spent most of my career on the front line, including 17 years as on-call negotiator, I experienced many memorable events working alongside members of Star Ops and general patrols

“Some incredible people and a great team environment with a sprinkling of many interesting and equally memorable villains and victims.

“I loved serving my community, including 25 years as a Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator

“My last few years of service consisted of border secondments and the unforgettable 2019-20 Adelaide Hills and Kangaroo Island bushfires

I felt honoured to serve these local communities during these major events

“The inter-agency co-operation at these emergencies was nothing short of amazing and, as a result, I never underestimate how many lives were saved owing to our response.

“My teammates and staff, particularly at Mount Barker, have a wonderful work ethic and attitude.

“I thank the most important people in my life: my wife, children and grandchildren My wife has been a rockstar, raising our children, one of whom is carving out his own SAPOL career

“There were way too many weekends, night shifts, Christmas days, Easter weekends, New Year’s and family and kids’ sports events I was unable to attend, leaving my wife to do the heavy lifting I am forever grateful.

“Thanks again to the Police Association for supporting your members.

“Thank you (SAPOL members) for your dedicated service and I wish you all the best in the future ”

Senior Constable Jack Gale Security Response Section

12 years’ service Last Day: 08 01 23

Comments…

“I am starting with SAMFS on January 9. Thank you for your assistance over the past 12 years. ”

Inspector Mark Walker-Roberts

Eastern District Duty Inspectors

38 years’ service Last Day: 06.02 . 23

Comments…

“I thank Mark Carroll and committee members for their sterling work over the years There is simply not enough space here to adequately acknowledge the amount of association work, passion and advocacy, from defending and supporting members to providing us with excellent EA conditions and pay

“The EA made almost 20 years ago created a mid-point wage concept that ensured members would always be appropriately acknowledged within Australian police jurisdictions

“It only seems like yesterday that members were marching down King William St to parliament in search of better pay and conditions

“I acknowledge members of Course 6/84 and pay my respects to two of our late members, Mick Nasalik and Mick Koerner Both fine people and excellent officers who will never be forgotten

“I acknowledge all those members who responded to, and were involved in, a high-

risk incident at Nurioopta in March 1994 when our colleague Derrick McManus was shot 14 times by an offender.

“As Derrick lay seriously injured, that gunman fired more than 2,000 rounds at police who had surrounded the farmhouse thus preventing any safe rescue

“Eventually, police entered the property under heavy gunfire and Derrick, barely alive, was rescued and able to receive medical treatment, eventually making a full recovery

“Those brave acts of valour by everyone involved, on both inner and outer cordons, commanders, STARies, GD, detectives and support staff, as well as the medical retrieval team, contributed to Derrick’s life being saved.

“Extreme incidents like that bring out the very best in police as a team

I am proud to have been a part of that

“Many members, both sworn and unsworn, require my gratitude for making my time in SAPOL happy and exciting I simply thank all of you I have had the pleasure of working with

“Last, I thank my family for being supportive of my career and putting up with me through the highs and lows. ”

done differently.

Heavy Vehicle Enforcement

43 years’ service Last Day: 24 10 22

Comments…

“My career commenced in 1979 when I was one of the last batch of 16-year-old reserve recruits.

“For a large portion of my career, I specialized in heavy-vehicle enforcement, primarily within the Traffic Operations Unit, Tactical Investigations (TAC) Group and then the Heavy Vehicle Enforcement Group

“I truly thank the Police Association, Police Super Fund and Michael Ats (Lieschke & Weatherill Lawyers) for getting me to the finish line

“To those of you at the coalface: self-preservation is everything in today’s environment ”

Sergeant Darryl Foyle

CEO Brett Schatto, former SA police officer and Police Association member (11 years).

Sergeant Darren Connell

Marla Police Station

36 years’ service Last Day: 20 01 23

Comments…

“I thank the Police Association both past and present for its outstanding and ongoing support and service to association members

“It truly has been a privilege to have served SAPOL over the past 36-plus years as a front-line operational member

“I have had an amazing career in both metropolitan and country policing and can honestly recommend to anyone thinking of a change to remote policing – do it You’ll never look back

“A special thanks to DSS1C Peter Hore, SS1C Robert Bartlett, and all the Marla and APY members who certainly made my last three-and-a-half years at Marla such a great way to end my career in SAPOL

“I am now living on the tropical island Koh Samui, Thailand I wish all members the very best for the future ”

Senior Constable

Louise Manhire

Special Tech Support Unit

21 years’ service Last Day: 13.12 . 22

Comments…

“I have been fortunate enough to have worked in various postings across South Australia with numerous outstanding colleagues who feel more like family

“I recall a conversation with the officer-in-charge of Far North LSA when I was a probationary constable considering a move to Coober Pedy I’d never travelled north of Port Augusta before and he told me that, once I had some red dust on my boots, I would never look back . He was right. Moving to Coober Pedy was an eye-opening experience for a naïve 21-year-old probie, and I loved every minute of it.

“My colleagues became close friends with whom I have developed deep bonds and now feel like family We always got the job done as a team

“I took these experiences and moved around across country postings including as a NOS reliever, Highway Patrol member and officer-in-charge of Booleroo Centre

Brevet Sergeant Gary Goodwin

CSI

38 years’ service Last Day: 25 01 23

Comments…

“Thanks to those who I served with over the years in the city (T4 B1), Plympton patrols, CSI at the Port, Sturt and Norwood

“It is those in the trenches with you that make the difference. I wish all my comrades the best going forward. Look out for each other.

“And, finally, thanks to the association. Keep them honest ”

“The one-man station role was challenging. However, the support of other clause 14 officers and the outstanding communities within my district was second to none I made friends with teachers, nurses, farmers, publicans, doctors, and priests who I can’t thank enough

“They were the ones who helped me through the difficult taskings we had to attend such as fatal crashes, mentalhealth incidents, and sudden deaths I witnessed so much community love and kindness amid tragedy and this is what makes country policing so unique and worthwhile.

“I know the impact of knocking on the door of a family to tell them their loved one isn’t coming home and how that is

felt across the whole community. But I had the privilege of being there for them when they needed someone to cry with

“I cannot recommend country policing highly enough It is one of the most personally and professionally rewarding positions a police officer can have

“When I returned from the country, I moved into the Investigation Support Branch where I learnt a whole new range of skills and again worked with some incredibly passionate colleagues who always got the job done, thinking creatively, and going toe-to-toe with highly functioning organized crime.

“I was fortunate to have some excellent mentors who always sought excellence alongside some quality wit and laughs

“Unfortunately, the archaic tenure policies which SAPOL continues to maintain brought the end of my time within ISB and I was sent back to a district policing team I had very positive experiences with the members in the districts.

“It was obvious, however, that the district policing model was and is a complete failure. Junior officers are flailing without the support, experience, and guidance of senior staff, while the demands and expectations are both unreasonable and unachievable

“Staffing levels and morale are both very low and it is apparent that it is unsustainable The lack of support is astounding Having previously felt like I was part of a family while working in the country and within ISB, this was particularly jarring.

“I was fortunate to win a brevet sergeant position in the newly created Security Response Section and was again challenged to learn new skills working with a range of highly skilled colleagues

“During this time, I was dealing with a profound family loss and the support received from my colleagues and management was superb SRS provided me with the opportunity to become an RPAS pilot and to be the only female member at PolAir helicopter operations

“Working with PolAir and contract staff at Babcock was tremendous but it’s obvious that there needs to be more done to increase diversity within this area.

“A 2019 report by the federal government highlighted a severe under-

representation of females in the aviation sector, with their recommendations highlighting that increased diversity would lead to greater innovation and growth

“Both RPAS and aviation within SAPOL have a unique opportunity to become leaders in this field and I was disappointed to leave this area

“I have left SAPOL to work for a federal government agency in Melbourne. I applied for a 12-month career break which was denied. I felt incredibly disappointed with SAPOL’s decision given my 21 years of diligent and ethical service

“The process of applying for the career break was arduous and lacked transparency, with results unable to be provided in a timely manner The reason it was denied was only provided as ‘staffing needs’ with no other explanation I had no choice other than to resign

“For 21 years, I had tied my identity to being a police officer and I felt that to SAPOL I was completely nameless.

“If there is anything my career in SAPOL has taught me, it is that the bonds you form with the people you work with and the communities you serve are the ones that will remain

“I extend thanks to every person I’ve worked with ”

Senior Constable Gordon Scott

Victor Harbor Patrols

20 years’ service Last Day: 08.01 . 23

Comments…

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my 20 years in policing, 14 years with SAPOL, spending the last 11 years of my service in Victor Harbor

“Policing is a difficult profession in terms of the toll it can take on you both physically and mentally I hope that each of you ensure that you look after yourselves and each other

“Sadly, it has become apparent to me that the physical and mental well-being of staff is considered secondary to corporate goals and business objectives.

“I truly hope that this changes in the future to ensure the welfare of you all

“I will miss the camaraderie of the front line more than anything else There are some truly brilliant people in policing, both sworn and unsworn Thank you, all, for the memories

“To the association: you were there when I needed you ”

Sergeant Shelley Rogers

Victor Harbor Patrols

13 years’ service Last Day: 08 01 23

Comments…

“I joined SAPOL as a transfer from England and will be forever grateful to SAPOL for the opportunity to live in this beautiful country and to be able to continue with a job that I loved.

“I leave SAPOL with fond memories, particularly from my patrol days on Hindley Street and the experience of working with some amazing people during my career

“I thank the Police Association for its endless support in the effort to make sure SAPOL employees get nothing less than they deserve ”

Sergeant John Rodgers

Workforce Capability

28 years’ service Last Day: 05 11 23

Comments…

“Over the nearly 29 years of my career, I have been one of the luckier coppers and have, on the whole, greatly enjoyed being an active member of the South Australia Police, since Commissioner David Hunt invited myself and about 40 other members of the State Transport Authority Transit Police to join SAPOL in 1994

“After a six-month course and two-year probation back at the Transit Police, I succeeded in gaining a transfer to Holden Hill police station and patrols

“I can honestly say that I was happy to go to work, each and every day

“Few members had the fortune to work with or for the role models at Holden Hill, ComCen, Communications Training, back to Holden Hill in 2008 and the academy in 2013

“There are too many to thank . A number of those have not only retired but passed on. A great loss to our family. ”

Senior Constable Christine Petts

Southern District

40 years’ service Last Day: 15.01 . 23

Comments…

“Thank you for any and all assistance you have provided during my 40 years of service

“When I joined the job, I remember being told it was a waste of resources training up females as the average time they spent in the service was two years Naturally, I had to prove them wrong to make a point

“I’ve seen many changes over the years, despite the majority of my time being at Christies Beach on patrols, in the station and the cells.

“I’m sad to say I have never seen morale as low as it is currently Please keep up the good fight for minimum staffing numbers and improving conditions

“I thank everyone I have worked with over the years You have all made a sometimes difficult and complicated job that much easier

“I wish you all well for the future ”

THE LAST SHIFT

“After 12 years at IRS, I moved to Volume Crime in 2011 where I remained until my retirement from SAPOL

“In that time, I worked with some outstanding people who I had the opportunity to develop within the job This is probably the thing I am most proud of

“I also had some unique opportunities, including a week-long trip to Greece to return an illegal alien to his home port in conjunction with DFAT. There were also a number of interstate extraditions.

Superintendent

Mark Fairney

Hills Fleurieu LSA

43 years’ service Last Day: 16 01 23

Comments…

“May I take this opportunity to thank the Police Association for its continued efforts to have policing recognized as a profession. ”

Detective Sergeant

Steve Atkinson

Southern District Volume Crime Teams

37 years’ service Last Day: 19 01 23

Comments…

“Almost 37 years ago, I walked in through the front gates of the old police academy as a keen, enthusiastic 23-year-old

“On January 19, 2023, I look to go into retirement with the same keenness and enthusiasm

“After graduation, my first posting was Glenelg, then Police Communications (after I reported the officer-in-charge of IIB for drink driving), then to Christies Beach in 1989, where I remained for the remainder of my career (apart from 1994 when I did a year at BA section) on general duties until 2000 when I joined CIB, designated in 2004 and promoted to the rank of detective sergeant in 2006

“To say I have loved my job is an understatement and, yes, if given the opportunity I would do it all again, but with some caveats

“Having survived four commissioners and three different policing models, I retire with mixed feelings

“My big issue with the current district policing model is that no one has ever explained to me how doubling my area of responsibility but then halving my staff was ever going to be successful.

“I went from knowing all my good crooks in my area under the LSA model to having a very large geographical area where proactivity became impossible due to reactivity becoming sole focus

“The only thing making the model work is the huge input of both uniform and plain clothes members to their own detriment through stress, low morale, increased sick leave and, ultimately, leaving the job

“And, having spent the last 14 months on long-service leave, I have found that it is the people who I miss the most. The camaraderie; the desire to get the job done; working together to achieve a common goal It is what we, as an emergency service, shine at

“This, too, is where the Police Association continues to excel, looking after all members, especially when times get tough and a united voice is needed

“Thank you to all members and delegates of the association for your work over the years The efforts of the association over the years have been consistent and decisive.

“To the members of SAPOL, look after yourselves and each other. You have achieved outstanding results during difficult times ”

Senior Constable

Patina Pearson

Murray Bridge Crime Prevention 23 years’ service Last Day: 01 02 23

Comments…

“Over my 23 years, I have been fortunate to work with some inspirational people and have learnt so much through my journey

“I thank the Police Association for its assistance, both personally and to all members.

“I wish all members the best for the future. ”

Senior Constable Grant Sivewright

Road Policing North 34 years’ service Last Day: 06.02 . 23

Comments…

“The last 34 years, since finding myself at the academy in Course 32, have gone very quickly Holden Hill patrols, Norwood patrols, Transit, Holden Hill Traffic, Modbury Regional, back to Holden Hill Traffic, Northern Traffic, Road Safety Section and, finally, Traffic Intel and Planning

“I did it my way throughout and managed to keep my sense of humour and common sense which helped greatly in my policing over those years.

“To all the great members I worked with or around over my career, thank you and look after yourselves ”

From page 37

• “The inclusion of a gross negligence standard reflects the recommendations of the 2018 Review of the Model WHS laws. A statutory definition of gross negligence is included to make the threshold for criminality as explicit as possible and assist in educating duty holders about their obligations

• “The maximum penalty will be 20 years (sic) imprisonment for individuals and $15 million for body corporates This is consistent with the Government’s election commitment and comparable with the maximum penalties available for industrial manslaughter in other jurisdictions.

• “The offence will apply to both PCBUs and officers . This recognises that responsibility for breaches of work health and safety duties can occur at many different levels of management

• “Industrial manslaughter offences will not be subject to a 2-year statute of limitations This is consistent with other jurisdictions and recognises the added complexity of investigating and prosecuting these offences

• “An alternative verdict of guilt for Category 1, Category 2, or Category 3 offence will be available if the trier of fact is not satisfied that a person is guilty of industrial manslaughter but is satisfied the person is guilty of a lower tier offence under the WHS Act

• “It is intended that industrial manslaughter will be investigated by SafeWork SA and tried in the South Australia Employment Court, consistent with existing offences under WHS Act This reflects that these institutions already have the relevant expertise over work health and safety matters ”

The Maher letter also indicates that the draft bill will be introduced to parliament in 2023 after public consultation and a substantial period of public education. This is so that all stakeholder obligations are understood before they come into effect

From page 45

Were

police complicit in an

offence committed by AZ of being in contempt of court?

The defendants also argued that SAPOL was in contempt of court by allowing AZ to breach his bail agreement The court rejected that submission, finding that, under section 6 of the Bail Act, a bail agreement is one under which a person makes an undertaking to the Crown (not the court), so there could be no contempt of court by AZ

In circumstances in which no contempt had been committed, there could be no aiding or abetting by SAPOL .

Further, the court found that, because there was no legal duty upon the police to prevent any contempt, any failure by SAPOL to act could not make it complicit.

Were police complicit in the charged offence of conspiracy to import cocaine?

The defendants advanced a further argument that SAPOL aided the conspiracy to import drugs by failing to take steps to prevent AZ leaving the jurisdiction.

The prosecution submitted, and the court agreed, that a person can aid or abet the commission of a substantive crime (in this case, importation) but not a conspiracy to commit a substantive crime The court found that the two extensions of liability (conspiracy and accessory) cannot be added together

Further, the court reiterated that because the police were not under a statutory duty to arrest AZ, their omission could not give rise to criminal liability for the conspiracy offence

Was there any police impropriety?

The defendants submitted that, if no illegality was found, the conduct of police was grossly improper.

The court found that there was no impropriety on the part of the police

In particular, the court found that:

• The decision not to prevent AZ from leaving the country was not taken lightly

• There was no information that AZ was leaving the country to abscond

• AZ was to be closely monitored while overseas, and there was important intelligence to be gathered.

The court considered that the police engaged in an appropriate balancing exercise. Ultimately, not intervening in the breach of bail was proper, because any action which prevented AZ from leaving would have compromised ongoing investigations into serious offences

Imagine the court had found that there was a statutory duty which required SAPOL to immediately prevent every crime that came to its attention Thorough investigations which sought to demonstrate the breadth of an offender’s conduct in cases of complex, sophisticated illegality would be seriously jeopardized.

Jobs you never forget

It was New Year’s Eve 2016 in Hindley St with thousands of people celebrating. Large groups of youths were gathering in Bank St and police were required . A patrol had cause to move a large group on owing to fights and anti-social behaviour This group became combative and, within seconds, it outnumbered police The incident erupted into complete chaos Bottles were thrown and police were being assaulted as more and more youths appeared Dozens of them jumped onto the bonnets and roofs of police cars Bottles were smashed and police car windscreens were stomped on . Eight police horses lined the street, all police worked tirelessly to return order to the street, and multiple arrests took place in the aftermath of the incident

It was a cold, quiet night shift in Ceduna in 2010. We had been advised that a violent escapee from a Victorian jail might try to travel to Perth by car. To do that on a sealed road he would have to travel through Ceduna My partner and I spotted a car outside a bank, a man trying to use an ATM, and several passengers in the car We approached and my partner recognized the escapee He instantly ran into the dark, adjacent caravan park What followed was the recall of every member from Ceduna police station Extensive cordons were put in place and a physical search of all houses in the area commenced . The rain came down as members, dripping wet and freezing cold, searched backyards in the darkness . Near mid-morning, the escapee was found hiding in a backyard dog kennel

SENIOR CONSTABLE 1C KATE LONGDEN

(Response Teams Hindley St)

A regular day on the CBD beat when my partner and I responded to a report of man refusing to get out of taxi near the old RAH. The driver told us the man was armed with a screwdriver and knife and was attempting to carjack him . I looked over and saw a sweaty, panicked man in the driver’s seat with the weapons in his hands He yelled at us to stand back as a crowd began to form A security guard from the hospital approached and said the man was a Yatala prison escapee who had stabbed two guards We requested more resources and the man threatened self-harm Before I could blink, we were well supported with command and control well in hand by the boss of the then-LSA . After a short time, we apprehended the escapee without incident .

“This group became combative and, within seconds, it outnumbered police.”

Monday – Friday 7am – 2pm 27 Carrington Street, Adelaide (08) 8212 2924