Police Journal December 2019

DECEMBER 2019

On a mission “It was hard to hear stories like that. And then there’s people who have lost kids with leukaemia.

But these people are so brave.

They just speak so openly about it.”

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Equipped with

Equipt is a free health and well-being app produced with the joint support of the Police Association and SAPOL. It is specifically for current and former sworn police officers, police employees and their families.

The app was designed with input from association members and leading health professionals to help strengthen your physical, emotional and social well-being.

It also puts you in touch with help and support if and when you need it.

EQUIPT IS AVAILABLE ON THE GOOGLE PLAY STORE FOR ANDROID USERS AND THE APP STORE FOR IPHONE USERS

The Police Association and Novita have enjoyed a 10-year relationship through the Police Lottery and the Police Club Melbourne Cup Luncheon, raising much needed funds for disability services.

BINGO FUNDRAISERS If you’re looking for a fun way to raise funds for your charity or not-for-profit community or sporting group, contact Novita, the bingo experts, and host your function at the Police Club.

Fundraiser Packages include • All bingo equipment, books and stationery • Bingo caller/MC for the night.

• A choice of function rooms at the Police Club.

• A fundraiser promotions pack to assist with planning and marketing your event.

• Police Club food and beverage packages plus choice of function rooms.

For more information contact Travis at Novita on 8243 8240 or Travis.Wakeling@novita.org.au

www.novita.org.au

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E EDITOR

Beyond their obvious sense of service as police officers, cops have always had – and continue to have – an equally strong sense of charity. Just 12 months ago, we told the story of five police officers who, in their own time, gave ongoing support to an ex-serviceman.

Now, we speak with Constable Tom Shephard who, earlier this year, decided to devote nine days of his annual leave to the cause of cancer research.

He did it by taking part in the Tour de Cure Signature Tour – a bike ride of 1,400km from Sydney to Geelong.

He had never done the ride before, and neither he nor anyone among his immediate family had ever suffered any form of cancer. But, in a candid interview, we find out what motivated him to go on a ride over so many days in often freezing conditions.

Banking was a long way from core business for the members of the Police Association committee of management in the late 1960s. But they saw a critical need for a better option for cops and so took a shot at forming the Police Credit Union. And, now, we rightly call them visionaries.

Police Association member liaison officer Steve Whetton reports on recent safety issues associated with police-car interiors and tyres. Dr Rod Pearce looks at why influenza strikes in the season in which we least expect it – summer.

And Police Association president Mark Carroll expresses his concern about unfilled country vacancies.

Brett Williams brettwilliams@pj.asn.au

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

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President 10

The curse of unfilled vacancies Industrial 25

Getting police car safety right Health 27

Why the flu in summer?

Motoring 28

Honda CR-V / Kia Rio GT-Line, Kia Picanto GT

Banking 31

State-of-the art access and more awards Legal 33

Be clear about separation and property settlement

Entertainment 36

Wine 41

The Last Shift 44

20 years on 46

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On a mission

What Constable Tom Shephard found hardest to take as he cycled 1,400km across two states were stories – those of his fellow riders.

18 Outdoing the big banks for 50 years The banking royal commission made it obvious that forming the Police Credit Union was one of the great Police Association accomplishments outside of industrial relations.

COVER: Southern District constable Tom Shephard.

Photography by Steve McCawley

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INDUSTRIAL Andrew Heffernan Member Liaison Officer

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Nadia Goslino Grievance Officer

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COMMITTEE Steven Whetton Member Liaison Officer

Michael Kent Treasurer

Allan Cannon Vice-President

Police Journal

Bernadette Zimmermann Secretary

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

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Mark Carroll President

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

Trevor Milne Deputy President

POLICE JOURNAL

MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS

Brett Williams Editor

Nicholas Damiani

EXECUTIVE SECRETARIES

Sarah Stephens

Anne Hehner

FINANCE Jan Welsby

Tegan Clifford Assistant Finance Officer

OFFICE

Wendy Kellett Finance Officer

Shelley Furbow Reception

Caitlin Brown Executive Assistant

POLICE CLUB Bronwyn Hunter Manager

COMMITTEE Daryl Mundy

Julian Snowden

Chris Walkley

Mick Casey

REPRESENTATIVES Superannuation Police Dependants Fund Leave Bank Housing

Bernadette Zimmermann Bernadette Zimmermann Andrew Heffernan Andrew Heffernan

Mitch Manning

Samantha Strange

Brett Gibbons

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

Mitch Manning

Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity & Intersex Branch

Nadia Goslino and Andrew Heffernan December 2019

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Police Association of South Australia

DELEGATES & WORKPLACE REPRESENTATIVES Metro North Branch

Metro South Branch continued

Gawler

David Savage

South Coast

Golden Grove

Stuart Smith

South Coast

Phillip Jeffery

Northern Prosecution

Tim Pfeiffer

Southern Prosecution

Sallie McArdell

Northern Traffic

Michael Tuohy

Southern Traffic

Heath Suskin

Parks

Tim King

Sturt

David Handberg

Port Adelaide

Paula Hammond

Salisbury

Tanya Leonard

Country South Branch Adelaide Hills

Joe McDonald

Country North Branch

Berri

John Gardner

Ceduna

Chris Lovell

Millicent

Nicholas Patterson

Coober Pedy

Glenn Batty

Mount Gambier

Stephanie Rickard

Kadina

Gavin Moore

Murray Bridge

Stephen Angove

Nuriootpa

John Tonkin

Naracoorte

Grant Baker

Peterborough

Nathan Paskett

Renmark

James Bentley

Port Augusta

Peter Hore

Port Pirie

Gavin Mildrum

Operations Support Branch

Whyalla

Les Johnston

Dog Ops

Bryan Whitehorn (chair)

Academy

Paul Manns

Academy

Darren Curtis

Alex Grimaldi

ACB

Tania Sheldon

Leonie Schulz

Band

Andrew Ey

Elizabeth

Mark Shaw

Comcen

Brenton Kirk

Forensic Services

Adam Gates

Comcen

Allan Dalgleish

Fraud

Sam Agostino

HR

Kerry Rouse

Intelligence Support

Kevin Hunt

STAR

Andrew Suter

Major Crime

Alex McLean

State Tac/ Op Mandrake Mark Buckingham

Port Adelaide

Scott Mitchell

Traffic

David Kuchenmeister

Sasha Leitch

Transit

Dick Hern

Officers Branch

Les Buckley

Women’s Branch

Kayt Howe (chair) (no delegates)

ATSI Branch

Brendan White (chair) (no delegates)

Crime Command Branch Adelaide DOCIB

South Coast

Metro South Branch

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Andrew Bradley

Adelaide

James Cochrane

Hindley Street

Tim Tollenaar

Netley

Paul Clark

Norwood

Rebecca Phillis

BIG SAVINGS! Police Association Members’ Buying Guide Facebook Group

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

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

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

This is a closed group for members only.

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POLICE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

P President

Mark Carroll

The curse of unfilled vacancies C

ountry cops work in tough, and in some cases brutal, conditions but still keep their focus on providing the best possible police service to rural communities.

To work in a remote setting is to face an increasingly difficult task when it comes to balancing work and family life.

It would be unconscionable to fail to support country members or, worse, forget them. One of their most critical requirements is sufficient staffing to deliver the service their communities expect.

Indeed, current staffing shortages are compromising service delivery in certain country stations.

On Kangaroo Island, recent absences owing to leave had reduced the actual staffing to just two members, who are also subject to on-call provisions.

When absences go unfilled, members exceed the on-call requirements detailed in the enterprise agreement.

Some members have been recalled to duty while on annual leave and rostered days off to respond to emergencies on the island.

Of course, they respond dutifully.

They fulfil their role with precisely the same care and thoroughness they apply on a rostered shift.

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Ceduna members selflessly offer themselves up for recall to vacant shifts.

Their actions show just how committed they are to not only police work but also their communities.

Commissioner Grant Stevens has recently indicated that he will maintain the four-person establishment on Kangaroo Island.

But concern has surrounded rural stations other than KI. Eleven vacancies currently exist on the Eyre Peninsula, in the Ceduna police district. A number of these have existed for a lengthy period.

Ceduna members selflessly offer themselves up for recall to vacant shifts.

Their actions show just how committed they are to not only police work but also their communities.

These qualities are what truly enable prompt response times and maintain service delivery, despite the shortages.

SAPOL has indicated that no formal on-call arrangement exists and, therefore, neither does remuneration for the member who volunteers to be on call.

At Yalata, the station is currently staffed but with only one sworn officer.

Both the Ceduna and Yalata stations are currently burdened with staff shortages in both general duties and CIB. I have asked Commissioner Stevens for: • A full review of staffing at KI police station.

• Consideration of a fly-in, fly-out model to support existing staff.

• Absences, including annual leave, to be always backfilled by members who can share the on-call requirements.

As always, we are amenable to the prospect of working with SAPOL to find solutions for both the Ceduna and Yalata workplaces.

Half a century of Police Credit Union The Police Credit Union turns 50 in February next year. It is an incredible milestone.

Police Association committee members of the time formed the organization simply to offer financial services to their colleagues. Today, Police Credit Union boasts seven branches and more than 40,000 members.

Back when it was formed, in 1970, well before the concept of enterprise bargaining, police wages were low.

Accordingly, the capacity of police to borrow was equally low.

Today, Police Credit Union boasts seven branches and more than 40,000 members.

So cops took matters into their own hands.

In fact, the passion of the original founders in getting the fledgling organization off the ground was such that some facilitated initial loan requests with their own personal finances.

Fifty years later, and Police Credit Union endures as the most recognizable credit union in the state.

And, whenever a member presents to the association with a financial issue, we send him or her to the Police Credit Union for advice. I know personally of members who have greatly prospered from that advice, too.

Police Credit Union is a huge part of the police family, but it serves more than just police officers. Other emergency-services workers as well as members of the public have, for years, preferred Police Credit Union over the big banks.

Police Journal editor Brett Williams presents a brilliant article on the history of the Police Credit Union on page 18.

Flawless representation South Australian Employment Tribunal deputy president Peter Hannon brought his outstanding legal career to an end when he retired last month.

His service to the judiciary over the past 15 years, and as an industrial relations lawyer before that, has rightly drawn high praise from his peers.

Since 2004, he has served as a judge of the District and Industrial Relations

courts and a deputy president of the Workers Compensation Tribunal and the Industrial Relations Commission.

Other positions Peter occupied were those of Industrial Relations Commission president and, in the federal arena, Australian Industrial Relations Commission deputy president.

In these forums, the Police Association got to witness the mastery and professionalism with which Peter always executed his judicial duty.

But the connection between him and the association stretches all the way back to his time as an industrial relations lawyer.

In those days, he many times acted for the association in industrial matters and, in the process, provided critical advice and flawless representation.

The association congratulates Peter on his career and wishes him good health and prosperity in retirement.

Front line just as tough over Christmas If the Police Association had a defining moment in 2019 it was the successful campaign for stronger laws and harsher penalties for assaults on police officers.

In most years, more than 700 SA cops end up as victims of assaults. And these offences do not miraculously stop during the festive season.

Hundreds of Police Association members will be rostered to work on Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day and throughout the entire 2019-20 festive season.

On the front line, they will have to deal with the full gamut of violence, recklessness, general criminality and just plain anti-social behaviour.

And some might well be unlucky enough to suffer an assault by criminals still brazen enough to risk jail time under the new legislation.

So, I hope the fortunate, who get to take a break this Christmas, stop to think about those who are keeping us safe.

Those working cops deserve everyone’s full backing.

I wish all Police Association members and their families and other Police Journal readers a safe Christmas and new year.

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On a mission Tom Shephard joined the cancer research effort even though neither he nor his immediate family had ever encountered the disease. His reason for supporting the cause was as simple as it gets.

By Brett Williams

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C

ONSTABLE TOM SHEPHARD FOUND HIMSELF OVERWHELMED WITH EMOTION. It was nothing to do with a tragic police incident on the front line but, rather, an act of charity. He had just crossed the finish line on an autumn day in Geelong after cycling 1,400km from Sydney via the Snowy Mountains.

His supportive family had joined hundreds of well-wishers to greet, cheer and applaud him, and around 200 other riders. The event was the 2019 Tour de Cure Signature Tour, which had kept its participants cycling the road for nine consecutive days.

“It was huge because there was a lot of time to think on the bike,” Shephard says.

“And (on the ride) I’d heard so many stories 14

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of people who had suffered enormously.

“It just put things into perspective for me. And I saw my family at the finish line, too, so that added to (the emotion).”

It was the first ride Shephard had undertaken with Tour de Cure, which formed in 2007. The organization stages its annual Signature Tour, and other events, to raise funds for cancer research.

The stories of suffering Shephard absorbed over those nine days last May came during conversations he struck up with his fellow riders. They told him of battles which either they, or people close to them, had fought against cancer – and, in some cases, lost.

One rider, who looked to be around 20 and the youngest on the tour, spoke of the cancer he had confronted as a New Zealand schoolboy. It was such an aggressive form of the disease that it threatened to kill him within just a few months.

“As if school wasn’t hard enough at that age,” Shephard says. “This lad had to suffer through chemotherapy and radiation.

“But, through the research of someone who’d received a grant from Tour de Cure, he was able to receive a form of treatment that hadn’t been trialled.

“That sort of prolonged his life and, in the years that have followed, he’s got on top of his cancer and has lived to tell the tale.”

The young man went on to tell Shephard of another schoolboy he knew to have suffered, but not survived, the same form of cancer. That boy died in Year 12.

“It was hard to hear stories like that,” Shephard says. “And then there’s people who have lost kids with leukaemia. But these people are so brave. They just speak so openly about it.

“I’ve got a newborn myself, and I guess you get a whole new perspective on life

when you have kids. I couldn’t imagine losing my young lad.”

Another story Shephard heard was from a middle-aged rider whose wife had died of breast cancer just four months before the Signature Tour.

“She was aware of him taking part in the tour,” Shephard says. “But, then, unfortunately, she passed away and left three kids with him. He just talked about his struggles as far as coping with being a single parent.

“You feel for those people because cancer isn’t prejudicial. It doesn’t discriminate. I just think of good people who have their lives taken away from them too early.”

Shephard found a police-like camaraderie among his fellow riders, whom he held in extremely high regard. They had come from a vast range of backgrounds, including medicine, business, HR management, sports, trades and policing.

Shephard found the medical professionals – surgeons, paediatricians and pharmacists – “very modest about their careers”.

“Yet they’re elite in their own fields,” he says. “It was quite humbling riding next to people who perform life-saving surgery.”

The encouragement for Shephard to take part in the Tour de Cure ride came from his fiancée, Elle Hollitt.

She had been involved in the 2018 Signature Tour through her work, although not as a rider.

“It was quite humbling riding next to people who perform lifesaving surgery.”

Facing page: Shephard (far left) with other riders on the SA Discovery Tour last May; top: at Vivonne Bay, Kangaroo Island and, above, at Rapid Bay for the Discovery Tour.

The 2019 ride was certain to be a physically punishing affair, but that was no disincentive to Shephard.

He wanted to “do something out of my comfort zone”. And, to him, riding for a cause such as cancer research seemed like “a good thing to do”.

“I don’t know how to do research in a laboratory,” he says, “but what I am capable of doing is riding a bike for a long time. So, I just thought: ‘Why not?’ ” But Shephard was not as relaxed about the issue of pre-requisite fundraising. Budding riders had to come up with a minimum of $12,000 to score a place on the tour – and that daunted him.

He started out with Cadbury chocolate boxes, of which he sold 40 and raised around $500. It then became obvious that he would have to conceive – and quickly – a means of raising way more funds.

He came up with the idea of hosting a long lunch, combined with an auction, at a shack Elle’s parents owned at Black Point. The auction items were to be footy guernseys he secured from the Port Adelaide footy club and the Adelaide Crows through Sam “Sauce” Jacobs.

Other sports memorabilia would come from Yorke Peninsula locals; and, as a former chef, Shephard would himself prepare the lunch with donated food. Among the morsels he used his expertise to prepare were sliders, bruschetta and lamb kofta.

“So that’s what we did, in March this year,” he recalls. “We held the lunch with about 30 people and auctioned off the sporting memorabilia, and that raised a bit over $12,000 in itself.”

With his funds in hand, Shephard applied himself to a tough eight weeks of physical preparation. His main aim was to improve his cardiovascular fitness with cycling and running through the Adelaide Hills.

Each week he covered around 200km on his bike and 40km on foot. That demanded around 20 hours’ training, split into two or three sessions, on the road.

“Elle at the time was pregnant, too,” he says. “So, I didn’t want to be too far away from home in case I was required.”

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“I looked at my phone and the feels-like temperature was minus six. I couldn’t feel my feet.”

And, as the eight weeks went by, Shephard continued to live up to his responsibilities as a full-time police officer.

The day before for the event, he boarded a plane – with his bike dismantled and stowed – and headed for Sydney. His nine days cycling in the interests of cancer research was about to use up two weeks of his annual leave.

The riders assembled in Martin Place, in the Sydney CBD, from where the tour was to kick off on Friday, May 3.

Among the identities who joined in were Channel 7 sports presenter and Tour de Cure director Mark Beretta and weatherman James Tobin.

AFL Hall of Fame legend Tony Lockett also lined up, as did former 16

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Tour de France competitor Jens Voigt.

They and the other riders drew an excited crowd of around 1,000 family members, friends and morning commuters.

Says Shephard: “A lot of people just came up and said: ‘It’s great what you’re doing.’ Straight away there was such a strong, happy vibe.”

With an enthusiastic farewell from the throng of well-wishers, the riders set out for Kiama, 120km south of Sydney. Heading off with them was a support crew of 29, most of them riders but some in cars.

And, to respond to medical episodes and deal with injuries, medics went along as either support crew members or riders.

Top left: speaking with students at the Rapid Bay Primary School; top right: passing Corryong College in Victoria on the Signature Tour; above left: Shephard (far right) heading into Geelong on the last day of the tour; above right: with Tony Lockett at the NSW Police Force Academy.

Under light rain in mild weather along the M1 and Princes Highway, Shephard found the day-one ride “not too bad”.

But, before reaching Geelong, the course was yet to take the riders through Goulburn, Canberra, Jindabyne, Corryong, Beechworth, Shepparton and Daylesford. And the weather was to get progressively worse.

“It was between 10 and 15 degrees at the hottest part of any day,” Shephard recalls. “Mornings were freezing, especially when we got to Jindabyne.

“I looked at my phone and the feels-like temperature was minus six.

I couldn’t feel my feet. And just wearing Lycra (as everyone did) we were freezing.

“I knew that we had to go straight uphill out of Jindabyne, and everyone was stoked about it because we knew we’d get warm quickly.”

Each day, the riders pedalled an average of 150km. To make that distance, they were up around 5am and on their bikes ready to go soon after 7am.

Shephard, who had never ridden in groups, often found himself at the front, or the “engine room”, of various pelotons.

“But sometimes I’d just go toward the back to have a chat with people,” he says. “You’re riding two abreast, so you’ve always got someone to your right or your left. That’s when you drum up conversations about people’s personal stories.”

The toughest physical challenge Shephard faced was that of ascending a hill, one of the steepest on the course, just out of Goulburn.

It was day three, and he fancied himself as a “half-decent” hill climber and so gave it a shot.

“I had probably four or five people just go past me like I was just still (stationary) on my bike,” he says. “I just pushed myself and was in redline for probably 45 minutes, and I was really suffering after.”

The riders only made stops for meals and commitments, such as school visits, before the day’s riding wound up around 5pm.

But the evenings came with commitments, too. At each of the stopovers, riders turned up at functions where a Tour de Cure official donated $10,000 to local cancer projects.

In Goulburn, the tour riders called into the NSW Police Force Academy, where Shephard chatted with Tony Lockett.

“He was saying that he’d never ridden a road bike before,” Shephard says of their conversation.

“Then, in January, he went to the local bike shop and bought a bike, and that was his preparation. And he would have been one of the fittest out of anyone (on the tour).”

Shephard figured that Lockett, a “very modest fellow” who never spoke of a personal cancer story, “just wanted to do something that was good (for others)”.

In the end, Shephard was proud to have raised $15,000, which helped Tour de Cure to a grand total of $10 million for 2019.

Apart from support he got from Elle and his parents and brother, his immediate police colleagues had chipped in, some “quite generously”, with donations.

Using his annual leave to undertake his charitable mission was no regret to Shephard: he chose to see the tour as “a bit of a holiday”.

“Because,” he says, “I was getting to see countryside that I wouldn’t otherwise see.

And you see things differently on a bike.”

Back home in Adelaide, just two weeks after the Signature Tour, Shephard took part in another Tour de Cure event. He joined more than 100 other cyclists in the inaugural SA Discovery Tour.

The three-day ride went from Victor Harbor across to Kangaroo Island and back, and covered 300km. And, on this mission, Shephard raised almost $5,000.

He intends to participate in the 2020 Discovery Tour and has already raised $3,000 through a golf day he held at Yankalilla last month.

But, now, with new responsibilities as the father of a five-month-old, Shephard will not ride the Signature Tour next year but possibly in 2021.

“That’s a real option,” he says. “I will do another tour once my life sort of slows down. But, either way, I’ll stay involved with Tour de Cure.” PJ

“You feel for those people because cancer isn’t prejudicial.

It doesn’t discriminate.

I just think of good people who have their lives taken away from them too early.”

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Outdoing the big banks for years

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The founders of the Police Credit Union were never likely to be around to see their creation turn 50. But tributes will rightly flow for them and their noble cause next February.

By Brett Williams

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The contrast could not

be more stark, as the banking royal commission has so clearly shown.

On one hand, the behemoths of Australian banking have come to languish under the weight of shame, ruined reputations and, in one case, criminal charges.

On the other hand, the Police Credit Union keeps scoring a massively high member satisfaction rating and is about to celebrate an unblemished existence of 50 years. The anniversary of its creation falls on February 2, 2020.

Today it boasts seven branches, $1.135 billion in assets, and is the seventh most recognized financial institution in South Australia. And, for recognition among credit unions in SA, it sits at No. 1.

Its 40,000-plus members likely felt reassured by the royal commission – reassured that they were right to have rejected the major banks for the Police Credit Union.

It had to be hard for them not to perceive a mighty chasm between the standards of their institution and those of the big-bank industry.

Older police might even have reflected on the hardship the banks caused them back in the 1960s, and earlier. That was when the bankers were writing cops off as bad risks and refusing to lend them money.

And, in those days, the loans sought were not for investment properties or business start-ups. In most cases, cops

simply needed a few dollars to buy whitegoods, a used car, or just a couple of sticks of furniture.

Police Credit Union director and former Police Association president Peter Alexander, a young detective at that time, saw the plight of some of his colleagues.

“Police wages were very low and the capacity to borrow was very challenging for police,” he recalls.

“There was nothing specific for police and it was very hard to get loans, particularly personal loans.

“I had just gone to the CIB in those days and the local bank manager of the National Bank was apologetic that he couldn’t lend money to police.

“The banks at that stage weren’t prepared to do that. So it was really necessary to find something for police in that space.”

Police Credit Union chairman Alex Zimmermann remembers the humiliation police had to suffer in their quest for loans.

“You had to front the manager of the branch,” he says, “and then make your claim as to why you should be allowed a personal or housing loan.

“There was such a risk attached, in their eyes, to the policing occupation.

And we know full well that that was inappropriate.”

Ultimately, the banks had misjudged police – and would pay for it in lost business.

Says Alexander: “You had career police, particularly in that era, people who were good for their loans.

They were always going to repay them (because of the) very nature of their work.

“They would have been in serious trouble if they hadn’t paid their loans back because of their obligations as police officers.”

That failure of the banks to recognize the capacity of even the struggling cop to repay his or her loan sparked a virtual revolt.

It was not exactly a case of revolutionaries overthrowing a collective of banking industry despots.

Rather, it was a classic example of police unionists, possessed of oldfashioned values and a fierce sense of camaraderie, finding a better way for their colleagues.

Facing page, from left: the Police Association building in which the Police Credit Union was conceived and began operating in 1970; The White House; Peter Warman and then commissioner Laurie Draper looking at the signage on the then new Police Credit Union building.

Above left: the Police Credit Union building before its recent makeovers; top right: Police Credit Union director Peter Alexander; above: Chairman Alex Zimmermann.

The Police Association committee of management met in December 1969 and set itself the ambitious task of founding its own credit union.

It was ambitious because the members of that committee were not bankers. They were cops and unionists, without the slightest knowledge of, or expertise in, setting up or running a financial institution.

But the challenge was never great enough to intimidate committee members like Peter Warman and vice-president Eddie Trotter. They had joined SAPOL in the 1950s and 1930s respectively and had, between them, served the Police Association for more than a decade.

“They came from the Depression years,” Alexander says. “They were hardworking people who didn’t have a lot of assets in their own right.”

Zimmermann remembers the committee members of that time as big-hearted but also tough. “Eddie Trotter especially,” he says. “He was a sergeant supervisor at Rosewater when I graduated, and you didn’t muck around with him. But they were all visionaries.”

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Along

with their fellow committee members, Warman and Trotter embraced the concept of a credit union for police. So, in an era when movements like Flower Power were preaching countercultures, Warman and Trotter were about to help create a banking counterculture.

They and other association committee members began their planning and undertook all the necessary groundwork.

Trotter, who had left school at the age of 15 for a job in a Port Adelaide flour mill, was to become the first Police Credit Union chairman.

Warman had left Sacred Heart College as a 14-year-old and took work as a telegram boy and carpenter. But he would soon immerse himself in the role of manager – with an adding machine, a ledger and any available space on his kitchen table.

That would all come on February 2, 1970, when the Police Credit Union became a reality. The Police Association kicked it off in a small room on an upper level of its Carrington St building.

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“The office was tiny.

Before we took it over, it was used as a small bedroom for country police officers when they had to come to Adelaide.”

Top left: Eddie Trotter in the full police regalia of the day, complete with sword; top centre: on a police motorcycle with colleague in sidecar in 1940; top right: later in his career in the uniform of the day with medals; above: Peter Warman as a traffic cop in the 1950s.

“The office was tiny,” Trotter told the Police Journal in 2008. “Before we took it over, it was used as a small bedroom for country police officers when they had to come to Adelaide.”

For a time, the Police Credit Union suffered a long, unwieldy business name: South Australian Police Association Credit Union Co-operative.

Its first product suite was a savings account paying 5 per cent interest and a loan account with a limit of $400 at 12 per cent interest. Six months later, that limit was to increase to $500.

Trotter and the then Police Association secretary Ralph Tremethick were the first to deposit funds into the fledgling outfit. And members could only withdraw money by cheque after seven to 14 days’ notice.

After just one week in business, the Police Credit Union balance stood at $86; and, five weeks later, loans to members totalled $1,520.

By the time the board held its fourth meeting, 80 police officers had joined the Police Credit Union. And the influx of members was to continue. Indeed,

by September 1970, cops were joining at the rate of 30 per month.

Police officers’ family members scored approval to join, too, in December 1970.

Peter Alexander was among those cops who joined Police Credit Union in its first year.

“We became aware that the association was setting up a credit union where we could borrow,” he says.

“That was important because the ability to get small loans (from banks) for household goods just wasn’t there.

“So, I was very pleased to see what they (association committee members) were doing.”

“There was some negativity, but I think most people just thought it was a great opportunity to help each other to borrow and to save.”

While Alexander was one of many who endorsed the Police Association venture into banking, he knew a few “doomsayers” thought differently.

“There was some negativity,” he says, “but I think most people just thought it was a great opportunity to help each other to borrow and to save.”

In August 1971, Peter Warman took a secondment from SAPOL to work as the full-time manager of the Police Credit Union. A people person and an excellent recruiter, he brought in some accountants and worked hard at growing the business.

As now former Police Credit Union CEO Geoff Doyle prepared to retire in 2007, he told the Police Journal how Warman had operated.

“Once he’d recruited someone, he was able to engender the feeling of a relationship and loyalty to the organization,” Doyle said.

“I’ve still (in 2007) got probably six or seven employees who were around in Peter’s time – one with 26 and many with 20 years’ service. I’ve only got them because Peter put that belief in them many years ago.”

Above: Peter Warman with staff outside The White House.

On its clearly firm foundation,

Police Credit Union continued to build throughout the rest of the 1970s.

There was the purchase of two adjoining cottages known as The White House in Carrington St in 1971.

That property became the first home of the Police Credit Union outside the Police Association building.

In 1973, the prospect of home loans came under discussion and, in 1974, membership became available to federal police in SA, as well as firefighters and ambos.

In 1975, after Cyclone Tracy had devastated Darwin on Christmas Day 1974, the Police Credit Union extended its services to Northern Territory police officers.

In 1978 came the installation of the first ATM of its kind in South Australia; a membership figure of 4,920; and an asset total of $5.69 million. Another advance in that year was the invitation of membership to nurses.

Capital works became the focus in 1979 with the demolition of The White House. It made way for the construction and June opening of the current-day

Police Credit Union building.

By 1980, the now burgeoning credit union boasted a 7,000-strong membership and $12 million in assets.

And, in 1981, after 11 years as the South Australian Police Association Credit Union Co-operative, the name changed to the far more easily uttered Police Credit Union.

Through the rest of the early 1980s came the introduction of plastic rediCARDs and electronic banking.

For Eddie Trotter, his run as chairman came to an end in 1982 after a secret ballot. Ralph Tremethick won the election – four votes to three. Trotter could have voted for himself but instead cast his vote for Tremethick, who he thought had “earned the right to be chairman”.

“I left the board after the ballot and was quite happy about it,” he told the Police Journal in 2008.

“I felt I had achieved a great deal and (contributed) to what I believe is one of the best credit unions in Australia.”

Trotter died of a cerebral haemorrhage after a fall in 2009.

He was 89.

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Current

The Tremethick chairmanship ended in 1984. After him came more cops: Jim Sykes (1984-87), Charlie Rumbelow (1987-91), Peter Rix (1991-98), Peter Graham (1998-2005), Paul Schramm (2005-12) and Alex Zimmermann (since 2012).

Peter Warman continued to serve as manager until he retired in 1986. He died of cancer 20 years later at the age of 75.

Barry Clarke became and remained the CEO until 1990, when Geoff Doyle replaced

him and served for the next 17 years.

Clarke oversaw the introduction of an IT system, as well as travel and financial planning services. When Geoff Doyle succeeded him, Police Credit Union savings stood at $50 million and membership at 18,000.

Under the chairmanship of Peter Rix and the management of Doyle through the 1990s, Police Credit Union opened branches in Tea Tree Gully, Marion, Yorketown and Darwin.

It also acquired Ian Berry Insurance Brokers.

“The resilience they showed, with limited resources, to build the foundations of a successful organization is something we should be immensely proud of.”

Top: former CEOs Geoff Doyle and Barry Clarke and former manager Peter Warman; left: current and former board members (standing) Peter Alexander, Alex Zimmermann, Peter Schar, Tony Rankine (former), Peter Graham (former), (seated) Ann Ferguson (former), Michael Fisher, Mick Standing and (front) Paul Schramm.

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CEO Costa Anastasiou, who has served since 2007, speaks of leading the Police Credit Union as a privilege.

“The organization has made such an incredible difference for people as an alternative financialservices provider, especially for police,” he says.

“That group (of founders) had, among other things, an incredible vision of building an organization with a social conscience.

“The resilience they showed, with limited resources, to build the foundations of a successful organization is something we should be immensely proud of.

We’re blessed with an incredible brand.”

Today, of course, the Police Credit Union operates as its own entity, separate from the Police Association. But, bound by their shared history, the two organizations maintain a rock-solid relationship, which has grown even stronger over the last 10 years.

The Healthy, Wealthy and Wise initiative, which began eight years ago, is just one example of the two working together, along with Police Health.

But money remains the key historical link between the two.

It was those low wages that robbed police of the capacity to borrow, and it was the association that fought to raise them – and succeeded.

Police Association president Mark Carroll has led negotiations in the last three enterprise agreements and been involved in a total of eight since the 1990s.

“The difference between what police could borrow back in the 1970s and now is stark,” he says.

“And that’s down to those wage battles and the existence of the Police Credit Union.

“But great success has also come from relationships.

Costa Anastasiou has shown an extraordinary commitment to the bond between the association and the Police Credit Union. And that’s because, like us, he’s relentless in bringing about the best outcomes for members.”

“The difference between what police could borrow back in the 1970s and now is stark.

And that’s down to those wage battles and the existence of the Police Credit Union.”

Top left: Police Credit Union CEO Costa Anastasiou; above: Police Association president Mark Carroll; top right: Peter Warman and Eddie Trotter

In an address to the Police Association annual conference in October, Anastasiou acknowledged all the now late founders of the Police Credit Union.

They were association committee members Hector Gollan (president), Bill Teague, Dudley Noblett, Lionel Samuels, Doug Nation and Tom Jennings, and, of course, Trotter, Warman and Tremethick.

Anastasiou pondered how they might have reacted had he been able to tell them, in 1970, how the Police Credit Union would look 50 years later.

He figured they might well have thought him crazy had he explained services like 24-7 banking on mobile devices.

And he would have outlined achievements like the average growth rate of 9.3 per cent over the past 15 years.

Perhaps the founders could simply not have believed the 8.54 per cent increase in profit after tax to $4.852 million for the June 2019 financial period.

And the 132 staff across seven branches in metropolitan Adelaide, country SA and Darwin might have had the founders gasping.

But some stats, like the 8,289 SA and NT police members, would have been certainties to delight rather than shock them.

Others would have been the makeup of the board of directors (eight serving and retired police officers), and the member satisfaction rating of 93.1 per cent.

The Police Credit Union is set to celebrate its half-century next February, and throughout 2020.

Alex Zimmermann is super excited and feeling privileged to occupy the chair at a time of such a significant milestone.

He refuses to lose sight of how, and with whom, it all started. And if he could tour the founders around the Police Credit Union of today, he reckons he knows how they would react.

“They’d be amazed,” he says. “They’d still be gruff. Their natural demeanour would come out. But I’m sure that they’d be absolutely amazed.” PJ December 2019

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

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

I

Steven Whetton Member Liaison Officer Police Association

Industrial

Getting police car safety right Interior Holden Commodore ZB liftbacks were removed from front-line policing because their lack of back-seat headroom caused a potential health and safety issue, according to New Zealand media reports in March 2019.

Compared to its predecessor, the ZB liftback came with a 1.3cm reduction in headroom. Among other concerns identified were: • Reduced rear-seat legroom.

• The lack of specialist training in handling in respect of the transition from rearwheel to front-wheel drive.

• The flat spare tyre – which, obviously, requires inflation – instead of a spacesaver tyre.

• The loss of driver autonomy owing to automatic braking and auto stop functions.

The association is awaiting a formal response from SAPOL in respect of vehicle suitability.

Tyres

The association became aware that the factory-fitted ContiSport Contact 5 tyres were being replaced with Supercat tyres.

At the time, those tyres were only used as spares. SAPOL had indicated that: “While this is a durable tyre it may not perform as well as the factory fitted ContiSport Contact 5 performance tyres in urgent-duty driving or pursuit conditions.”

This was a concern the association raised through the Commissioner’s Office Health, Safety and Welfare Advisory Committee, and through letters to Commissioner Grant Stevens.

The immediate concern is the mix of tyres on the same vehicle axle and the possible effect on vehicle performance in urgentduty driving and pursuit conditions.

The immediate concern is the mix of tyres on the same vehicle axle and the possible effect on vehicle performance in urgent-duty driving and pursuit conditions.

Advice the association received in a meeting with SAPOL representatives was that, in respect of the procurement process, the ER300 Turanza tyre was the choice of replacement.

Owing to an interim solution to a supply-chain issue, however, the Supercat had unintentionally been – and continued to be – the replacement tyre.

SAPOL had consulted with an independent tyre expert who determined that, in respect of the ZB Commodore: • Four matching tyres was the safest fit.

• When one tyre was damaged or worn and required replacement, the opposite tyre on the same axle should also be replaced.

• Mixed tyre brands on the same axles was an incorrect fit and should be changed to the correct tyre fit as soon as possible.

The association received advice that SAPOL had audited police response vehicles, identified those with the incorrect tyre fit, and corrected the error.

SAPOL has determined that there is no basis to support the assertion that the Supercat tyre is unsafe for police driving.

Nonetheless, it has removed the Supercat in line with policy and begun a phased replacement with the Turanza tyre.

Forced transfers The association has regularly consulted with SAPOL regarding the district policing model and the equalization of existing local service area staff to achieve that model.

Commissioner Stevens has delegated the authority to district OCs for the purpose of internal transfers, pursuant to section 47 (1) of the Police Act 1988.

The association is aware that members

hold concerns about the vastness of the districts and the likelihood of significant travel from their homes to work. And, for obvious reasons, some members do not want to police the area in which they live.

Members under consideration for internal transfers within a district can respond to the officer-in-charge of that district with their concerns. This is identified in the Metropolitan Operations Service internal transfer policy, which highlights flexible working arrangements, compassionate or welfare needs, and travel from home.

Any decision to transfer members out of a district would have to be made by the Personnel Section manager, who has the delegated authority and discretion.

Members can challenge a transfer if they believe it will cause hardship. The relevant process is through an administrative grievance, as outlined in general order 8420: Human resource management, administrative grievance management, grievance management – selection, transfer and termination (Police Act 1988).

The order defines hardship: “(T)o be aggrieved by a transfer in accordance with regulation 52(1) of the Police Regulations 2014, a member must show the transfer will, or has the potential to, impose direct or indirect hardship on the member. Indirect hardship may occur as a consequence of the effect of the transfer on the member’s immediate family, or any other person with whom the member permanently resides, or on any close relative/person, not necessarily living with the member, but who is solely dependent on the member. Hardship includes personal or financial hardship, or any other circumstances, which by their nature, constitute compassionate grounds for not transferring the member.”

The association recommends that members affected by hardship follow these guidelines and seek assistance from the association.

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Response to Disciplinary Charges

Legal and personal support at hearings and interviews and with submissions

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

H Health

Dr Rod Pearce

Why the flu in summer?

Y

es, there has been a lot of influenza around this summer.

South Australia has been hit with the influenza trifecta in 2019. Influenza all summer; peak notifications before the season would normally start; and babies in the neonatal unit testing positive in late October.

Influenza deaths in nursing homes were happening before this season’s vaccines were ready to go.

The 2020 influenza vaccine has the name “South Australian” as one of the strains. We usually have four strains in the vaccines used in Australia (two A strains, two B strains).

Influenza has killed millions of people around the world. Outbreaks in some years have been worse than others so there is an ongoing effort to protect people from catching the flu, and from dying of it if they do catch it.

Influenza keeps changing. Suffering the infection last year does not necessarily mean our bodies build up immunity as they would with other diseases such as measles. One or two vaccinations does not mean lifetime protection.

This constant change means we can track the virus travelling around the world; and isolating new strains is an ongoing task.

Influenza is more common during winter but this year there has been more in our summer. We have tracked the flu from the tropical parts of Australia, particularly Darwin, down to South Australia and the rest of Australia. But we are still guessing why it has happened.

We think international travel via planes means the infections travel all year round. Cruise ships from the northern hemisphere might be bringing the infections with them, too.

We are not sure why influenza is more common in winter. In tropical countries like Singapore, flu season tends to arrive during the cooler periods, from May to July, and December to February.

The highly contagious virus can spread up to six feet away, and adults who appear completely healthy might even infect others a day before showing any symptoms.

As to the occurrence of flu during winter, there are three main theories.

In winter, people spend more time indoors with the windows sealed. They are therefore more likely to breathe the same air as someone who has the flu and contract the virus.

And in colder, drier climates, the virus might survive better and therefore infect more people.

The lack of sunlight during the shorter days of winter leads to low levels of vitamin D and melatonin, both of which require sunlight for their generation. This might in turn compromise our immune systems, decreasing our ability to fight the virus.

In the northern hemisphere, flu activity commonly peaks between December and February, but activity can last until as late as May. Influenza viruses circulate year-round.

Immunization remains the best way to stop getting the flu or decreasing its

The severity of an infection is unpredictable.

It depends not only on the strain and how aggressive or new it is, but also whether we have seen it before.

severity. In 2019, the Australian government bought over 6 million doses of flu vaccine to distribute around Australia.

Wearing a mask might provide some protection but is not all that effective.

The virus can spread outside of it and, if you have the infection, the mask can become saturated with the virus and still spread.

Recently, we have seen some decrease in influenza and pneumonia throughout the whole population by vaccinating children.

We think they spread the infection to their parents and grandparents.

By vaccinating children, they get protection and we lessen the spread of the virus.

The severity of an infection is unpredictable. It depends not only on the strain and how aggressive or new it is, but also whether we have seen it before. If one’s immune system is lowered, the virus will behave more aggressively.

If our bodies and immune systems recognize the strain from a previous vaccine, or from a previous infection, we might have a less severe illness.

This was the case during the pandemic in 2009 when the circulating strain of “swine” flu (H1N1 California) was more severe than expected in children and pregnant women.

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M Motoring

Jim Barnett

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Model Honda CR-V. Pricing Between $28,290 and $44,290, plus on-road costs.

Drive train 2.0-litre 113kW petrol four with CVT transmission (entry Vi). All others: 1.5-litre 140kW petrol turbo four with CVT transmission.

Safety All models score five-star ANCAP rating with six airbags, tyre-pressure monitor, driver-attention monitor and three-mode reverse camera.

VTi-S AWD and LX have a full suite of advanced safety technology.

Fuel economy Between 7 and 7.4 litres/100km (combined test).

Cargo capacity Between 522 and 1,084 litres (five-seat), 150 to 911 litres (seven seat).

Spare wheel Full-sized.

Warranty Five-year, unlimited km.

Model Kia Rio GT-Line, Kia Picanto GT. Pricing Rio GT-Line $22,990, Picanto GT $18,790 (both drive away).

Drivetrain Both three-cylinder turbocharged GDi petrol engines.

Rio GT-Line 88kW with seven-speed DCT transmission.

Picanto GT 74kW with five-speed manual transmission.

Safety Both pick up six airbags, autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning and reverse camera.

Rio GT-Line also has lane-keep assistance.

Fuel economy Rio GT-Line 5.4 and Picanto GT 4.8 litres/100km (combined testing).

Warranty Both vehicles have a seven-year warranty plus seven-year capped servicing and roadside assistance.

Police Journal

Kia Rio GT-Line, Kia Picanto GT DESIGN AND FUNCTION Kia has given its compact Rio and tiny Picanto models GT status, which will likely appeal to a wider audience.

Rio GT-Line and Picanto GT each score a 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine. In Rio’s case, it’s coupled to a seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmission and is good for 88kW of power. Picanto’s version, hooked to a five-speed manual transmission, pumps out 74kW. Both models score sporty features inside and out and better equipment levels over their siblings.

Rio GT-Line features a body kit, a more aggressive grille, a tailgate lip spoiler, a dual exhaust outlet and 17-inch alloys with low-profile tyres.

Inside it gets sporty looking premium seats and a particularly nice leather-bound flat-bottom sports

Honda recently tweaked its popular CR-V line-up with a series of upgrades.

There are now seven variants (plus a 50-year edition) in the range, with choices of two engines, FWD or AWD, and five or seven seats (depending on model).

The introduction of the new entry-grade CR-V Vi came in late 2018.

Priced from just $28,290, it comes with a 2.0-litre petrol engine coupled to a CVT transmission and has sufficient goodies and enough safety gear to satisfy the budget-conscious buyer.

Shortly afterward, CR-V VTi-S AWD joined luxury LX to include a full suite of safety technologies called Honda Sensing. Honda has committed to providing its entire CR-V range with this technology by 2022.

steering wheel with function buttons for numerous controls.

Complemented by six airbags, reverse parking sensors and rear camera, Rio GT-Line also picks up autonomous emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance.

Tiny Picanto GT also gets a body kit and twin exhaust outlets with 16-inch alloys and low-profile rubber.

Inside are comfortable front sports-style seats with red accents, a sporty steering wheel and seven-inch colour touchscreen featuring reverse camera, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

For safety, there’s autonomous emergency braking, six airbags and forward-collision warning.

DRIVING Given its size, price and engine capacity, Rio GT-Line makes ordinary compact hatchbacks seem dull.

It looks sharp, has a much bigger interior than expected and drives really well.

Off the line there’s a little turbo lag but, once revs build, the engine is

DRIVING

Worthy contender

DESIGN AND FUNCTION

The introduction of CR-V’s second seven-seat variant, the VTi-E7 priced from $34,490, came in January 2019.

This model features a zippy 1.5-litre turbo-charged four-cylinder petrol engine.

Standard features include leather seats, second- and third-row air conditioning vents, seven-inch display audio, three-mode reverse camera and Smart keyless entry with pushbutton start.

The mid-spec VTi-S AWD boasts a modern, appealing interior. Its smart dash layout features an integrated seven-inch touchscreen with sat nav and an excellent three-mode camera view. Up front is a decent sized console bin with two storage trays and drink holders.

The 60/40 rear seat is very comfortable and provides plenty of head and leg space for large adults. The car also features interior LED lighting, rear air conditioning vents and access to the large cargo bay via a power tailgate.

Making rivals look dull

Honda CR-V

very willing. It quickly revs toward redline but manages to remain smooth and quiet.

The seven-speed DCT transmission offers quick changes and there’s a manual mode for more spirited driving.

A pair of paddle shifters would have been a worthy inclusion.

Ride comfort is generally good but suffers on rough surfaces. The plus here is that it corners extremely well.

The 1.5-litre turbo four and CVT combination (fitted to all but entry Vi) does a credible job given VTi-S’s size. The engine is smooth, generally quiet, relatively powerful and capable of doing anything required of it.

The car delivers a great combination of smooth ride and sufficient agility, even on dirt roads.

Good visibility combined with comfortable front seats should appeal to drivers, as should the neat gauge layout with large digital speedo and the small leather-bound steering wheel.

An excellent lane-watch camera provides a clear view down the left side of the car when the left indicator is activated, perfect for avoiding cyclists when turning left.

With its diverse range, sharp pricing and considerable features list, CR-V remains a worthy contender in the crowded medium SUV market.

Picanto GT’s slightly smaller output engine surprises on the first drive. After minimal turbo lag, the little threecylinder turbo punches well above its weight as it accelerates through the smooth five-speed transmission.

Australian suspension tuning is obvious: the little Picanto GT remains composed and confident in corners, normally a big ask for a car with such a narrow track.

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24/7 online access to all services

PASAweb legal assistance, news & events, offers & discounts

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B Banking

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

State-of-the art access and more awards

These new channels join Fast Payments, digital wallet including Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay, and more in our suite of better access options, making it easier for you daily.

Awarded for being better Turning 50 The Police Credit Union turns 50 in February 2020. We’ve grown significantly since 1970, from a small group of police officers combining their funds to provide loans for struggling colleagues, to a trusted, reliable, multi-awardwinning credit union with more than 40,000 members, seven branches in SA and NT and 4,936 SA police officers.

Police Credit Union launched with 14 members and a deposit balance of $86 and is now the equally most recognized credit union in South Australia. See page 18 for more on our 50th birthday.

Access is king We understand that convenient access to your money is crucial, so we continue to ensure that we provide you with secure, state-of-the-art access options 24/7.

This year, we upgraded our Banking App. Now, it’s better to look at, and better to use.

We’ve made it easier to view your accounts, transfer funds and pay bills.

And, with the introduction of Secure Messages, you can send speedy and confidential messages to us directly from your smartphone inbox and we can send you a response.

Our positive results from the 2018-19 financial year continue to reflect our dedication in always doing better for our members …

We are very proud to announce that, after receiving awards in 2016, 2017 and 2018 for our outstanding products and services, we’ve done it again.

Earlier in the year, our home loans were compared against home loans from other financial institutions and reviewed by the experts at mozo.com.au, one of Australia’s most visited comparison sites.

We were awarded a 2019 Mozo Experts’ Choice Home Loan Award for our Better Home Loan for investors.

In November, we were also presented the Mozo Experts’ Choice Personal Loan Award for our Fixed Rate Car Loan, as well as our Solar Eco Loan, which is a variable-rate personal loan which can be used to fund the purchase and installation of solar energy products such as solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, home battery systems and solar water heaters.

New year, new sponsorship We were very excited to announce a new partnership with Adelaide Footy League. It is one of the largest Australian rules football associations comprising 81 clubs with 12,500 players.

We love working with this organization as it aligns with our focus on the community and grass-roots sport.

Our sponsorship of Adelaide Footy League is just one of our many sponsorships. In the last financial year, we invested a record-high $556,000 into worthy community engagement projects, police-led activities and local charities, including Crime Stoppers SA.

Better now and in the future Our positive results from the 2018-19 financial year continue to reflect our dedication in always doing better for our members with: • Another high member satisfaction rating of 93.1 per cent.

• Asset growth of 9.1 per cent.

• Total assets of $1.135 billion.

• A profit-after-tax result of $4.852 million.

One of the most exciting results that truly reflects our passion to achieve better for our members is our member value figure at $271.87 per member, or a total of $10.7 million for the 12 months to 30 June 2019. That’s an increase of 6.2 per cent from the previous period.

At Police Credit Union we continue to focus on putting the owners of our business, our members, first.

In 2020 and beyond, we will continue to deliver market-leading value propositions through a range of flexible and highly competitive financial products and services while contributing to the ongoing support of our communities.

Continued page 40 December 2019

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

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

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

INJURY COMPENSATION • Motor accident injury compensation

• Public liability

• Workers compensation

• Superannuation claims (TPD) Gary Allison

Amber Sprague

Wendy Barry

Dina Paspaliaris

John Caruso

Giles Kahl

Rosemary Caruso

Michael Arras

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

• Property Settlements

• Child Support matters

• “Pre Nuptial” style Agreements

BUSINESS & PROPERTY • General business advice

• Business transactions

• Real estate & property advice

• Commercial disputes & dispute resolution

WILLS & ESTATES • Wills & Testamentary Trusts

• Advice to executors of deceased estates

• Enduring Powers of Attorney

• Obtaining Grants of Probate

• Advance Care Directive

• Estate disputes

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

tgb.com.au • (08) 8212 1077

L Legal

Virginia Bui, Senior Associate Tindall Gask Bentley Lawyers

Be clear about separation and property settlement W

hen it comes to separation, divorce and the issue of property settlement, there are some common misconceptions which can cause stress and confusion.

Divorce and property settlement are the same thing Put simply, getting a divorce is the process of becoming unmarried. The sole ground for divorce in Australia is demonstrated by 12 months separation.

Divorce and property settlement are not one and the same. Separated parties can have a property settlement without getting divorced and parties seeking to divorce do not necessarily have to have a property settlement.

However, once the divorce is granted, a party has only 12 months to commence proceedings in the court for property settlement. De facto couples have 24 months from the time of separation to institute court proceedings.

There are circumstances, however, in which the court will allow a party to make an application for property settlement out of time.

There will be a 50/50 split of property Untrue.

Property settlement generally follows a four-step process which the court will follow when determining

Separated parties can have a property settlement without getting divorced and parties seeking to divorce do not necessarily have to have a property settlement.

such an application to: • Identify the assets and liabilities of the parties and determine their value.

• Consider the contribution of the parties, both financial and nonfinancial, and contributions to the welfare of the family.

• Consider the future needs of the parties, primarily as set out in section 75(2) of the Family Law Act (Cth).

• Consider whether the order proposed is “just and equitable”.

We do not need to formalize our property settlement Formalizing your property settlement is the only way to prevent your former spouse from making a claim for property settlement at some stage in the future.

Even if he or she is technically “out of time”, your spouse may apply for an extension of time at any time in the future, which the court may grant.

Once leave is granted, the usual approach for the court is to take into account the value of assets at the time of the hearing. That is irrespective of the time since separation, even if, for example, that was 20 years.

Obviously, there might be valid arguments to be made regarding postseparation contributions but there is no certainty as to how a court might view the matter.

Superannuation is not an asset Incorrect.

Prior to the introduction of the Family Law Legislation Amendment (Superannuation) Act 2001 (Cth), superannuation was not treated as property except in specific cases.

Since the introduction of the legislation, superannuation now falls within the definition of “property” under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) and is dealt with in the context of property settlement.

How superannuation is dealt with is complex, given there are many types of superannuation funds such as accumulation funds, defined-benefit s c heme s a nd s el f-m a n a ge d superannuation funds.

They are all treated slightly differently and so it is imperative legal advice is obtained.

While not advisable, it is possible to resolve some aspects of property settlement, such as the transfer of real property, without a court order.

This is not the case with sup er a n nu ation interests .

A superannuation fund will require a court order before a superannuation split can be effected.

There is a time limit to making a claim for property settlement The court has the discretion to grant leave to a party to apply for property settlement out of time.

In the decision of Veggs & Riggs (No. 2) [2015] FamCA 911, Justice Watts granted leave to the husband who had instituted proceedings 20 years after the parties had separated.

Continued page 40 December 2019

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Leaving the field in an ambulance ...

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egular exercise has been proven to reduce stress, ward off anxiety and feelings of depression, boost self-esteem, and improve sleep. It strengthens your heart, lowers blood pressure, builds bones, and improves muscle tone.

What’s more, team sports add a fantastic social element to your exercise regime, which can help keep you accountable, add a healthy amount of competition, and build great friendships.

But there is a catch to playing sport.

Injuries can occur more frequently and come at a higher cost. Time off work, medical expenses and lengthy recovery times can become a real nightmare if not dealt with maturely.

Which means, whether you need to leave the field in an ambulance, or simply book in fortnightly sessions with your trusted physio, the onus is on you to get the right treatment and support for any injuries.

Visualize

Imagine the worst-case scenario, where you need to be stretchered off the field by a paramedic in front of all your teammates, or watch your child being loaded into the back of an ambulance. The only thing more mortifying is the potential ambulance bill to follow.

Almost one third of Australians believe ambulances to be covered by Medicare – but they are mistaken.

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Ambulance cover around the nation

Government ambulance arrangements vary from state to state.

For instance, ambulance fees in Queensland and Tasmania are covered by the state government. In the Northern Territory, citizens are required to pay a call-out fee as well as an additional fee charged per kilometre. Both ACT and Western Australia charge a call-out fee but offer free ambulance services to pensioners.

In New South Wales there is a government subsidy, however, patients are required to pay a percentage of the call-out fee as well as a per-kilometre of the charge. Victoria also offers certain concession card holders free ambulance services, but all other residents are responsible for payment of their ambulance fees. However, they do have the option to take out an Ambulance Victoria membership.

In South Australia, the fee for an emergency call-out ambulance starts at $1,025. Patients are then required to pay an additional per kilometre charge. The patient using that ambulance service is responsible for payment of their own ambulance fees, which can be paid as a straight out-of-pocket cost, or through insurance policies offered by SA Ambulance or broader private health insurance membership.

But not all ambulance insurance is created equal – so double check yours

It’s also important that you’re aware of any restrictions on your insurance policy. Is your cover capped at a certain amount of services per person or per policy?

An ambulance call-out in the middle of your big match might result in a few different scenarios, and insurance policies will specify which of the scenarios they cover you for, and to what extent. So check that your cover includes: • Emergency transport.

• Clinically required non-emergency transport.

• On-the-spot treatment, without transport.

It’s best not to assume that you’d only call an ambulance if you needed emergency transport. What might seem like an emergency to you could be classified as non-emergency by the treating ambulance officers.

It’s also important that you’re aware of any restrictions on your insurance policy.

Is your cover capped at a certain amount of services per person or per policy? Some family policies cap the available ambulance services at two per year for the entire family, while others will be completely unlimited.

So do your homework, and make sure you’re getting real value and breadth of cover from your insurance.

Police Health, the private health insurer run for police by police, includes unlimited ambulance cover for emergency transport, clinically required non-emergency transport and on-the-spot treatment without transport as part of all its policies – Rolling Extras, Gold Hospital or Gold Combined.* *Waiting periods and other conditions apply.

Find out why over

58,000 members of the policing community already insure with police health

Contact us for a benefit comparison! policehealth.com.au | 1800 603 603 | enquiries@policehealth.com.au Police Health Limited ABN 86 135 221 519 A registered, not-for-profit, restricted access private health insurer - first established in 1935.

December 2019

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E Entertainment

Beyond Reasonable Doubt Gary Bell (and Scott Kershaw) Raven Books, $29.99

Unknown to the legal high society surrounding him, Rook is not the Old-Etonian, Oxford graduate he pretends to be. In fact, he is an ex-petty criminal with a past he has spent decades keeping secret.

Until now.

A young woman has been found murdered on the outskirts of Rook’s hometown. Billy Barber, a violent football hooligan and white supremacist, is accused of her murder.

Barber is insisting that Rook defend him. If Rook refuses, Barber will expose him, bringing crashing to the ground the life and career that Rook has spent his life building.

Rook must now team up with Zara Barnes, the state-school-educated apprentice dismissed out of hand by his snobbish legal counterparts, but in whom Rook sees a special talent.

Win a book or in-season movie pass!

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

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A Book of Bones

John Connolly Hachette Australia, $32.99

On a lonely moor in the northeast of England, the body of a young woman is discovered near the site of a vanished church.

In the south, a girl lies buried beneath a Saxon mound. To the southeast, the ruins of a priory hide a human skull.

Each is a sacrifice, a summons. And something in the shadows has heard the call.

But another is coming: Parker the hunter, the avenger.

Parker’s mission takes him from Maine to the deserts of the Mexican border; from the canals of Amsterdam to the streets of London. He will track those who would cast this world into darkness.

Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas

Adam Kay Picador UK, $19.99

The Dirty Dozen

Lynda La Plante Zaffre, $32.99

The bloody-minded Jane Tennison returns for the fifth book in Lynda La Plante’s bestselling Tennison series.

April 1980 and Tennison is the first female detective to be posted to the Met’s renowned Flying Squad, commonly known as the “Sweeney”.

Based at Rigg Approach in East London, they investigate armed robberies on banks, cash in transit and other business premises.

Tennison thinks her transfer is on merit and is surprised to discover she is actually part of a shortterm internal experiment, intended to have a calming influence on a team that likes to dub itself the “Dirty Dozen”.

Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas, a brand new gift book that alternates between the hilarious and the heartbreaking in a love letter to all those who spend their festive season on the front line.

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat, but 1.4 million NHS staff are heading off to work.

In this perfect present for anyone who has ever set foot in a hospital, Adam Kay delves back into his diaries for a hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking peek behind the blue curtain at Christmas time.

The men on the squad don’t think a woman is up to the dangers they face when dealing with some of London’s most ruthless armed criminals, who think the only good cop is a dead cop.

Determined to prove she’s as good as the men, Tennison discovers from a reliable witness that a gang is going to carry out a massive robbery involving millions of pounds.

December 2019

37

E Entertainment

Good Girl, Bad Girl

Michael Robotham Hachette Australia, $32.99

The girl with no past.

Six years ago, Evie Cormac was discovered, filthy and half-starved hiding in a secret room in the aftermath of a shocking crime.

Now approaching adulthood, Evie is damaged, self-destructive and has never revealed her true identity.

The boy who survived.

Forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven, a man haunted by his own past, is investigating the death of champion figure-skater Jodie Sheehan.

When Haven is called on to assess Evie, she threatens to disrupt the case and destroy his ordered life.

Because Evie has a unique and dangerous gift, she knows when someone is lying. And nobody is telling the truth.

How The Dead Speak

Val McDermid Hachette Australia, $32.99

After an explosive case that forced Tony Hill and Carol Jordan to reassess everything they thought they knew about right and wrong, both are dealing with the fallout in their own separate ways.

While Hill must pay the price for his actions, Jordan is conducting investigations into suspected miscarriages of justice.

But when a shocking discovery is made on a construction site, and skeletal remains are found to belong to a killer who is supposedly alive and in prison, suddenly Hill and Jordan are brought into each other’s orbit once again.

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Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Season commences December 19

Finn and Poe Dameron’s journey continues. With the power and knowledge of generations behind them, the final battle commences.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stars Billie Lourd (Lieutenant Connix), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren) and Daisy Ridley (Rey).

The Gentlemen Season commences January 1

Mickey Pearson is an American expatriate who became rich by building a marijuana empire in London.

When word gets out that he’s looking to cash out of the business, it soon triggers an array of plots and schemes from those who want his fortune.

The Gentlemen stars Charlie Hunnam (Ray mond), Matthew McConaughey (Mickey Pearson), Hugh Grant (Fletcher), Colin Farrell and Michelle Dockery.

Dolittle

Season commences January 9

Dr John Dolittle lives in solitude, with his only companionship coming from an array of exotic animals that he speaks to every day.

But when young Queen Victoria becomes gravely ill, the eccentric doctor and his furry friends embark on an epic adventure to a mythical island to find the cure.

Dolittle stars Robert Downey Jr (Dr John Dolittle), Tom Holland (Jip, voice), Antonio Banderas (Rassouli), Michael Sheen (Mudfly) and Selena Gomez (Betsy, voice).

Jumanji: The Next Level Season commences December 26

In Jumanji: The Next Level, the gang is back but the game has changed. As they return to Jumanji to rescue one of their own, they discover that nothing is as they expect.

The players will have to brave parts unknown and unexplored, from the arid deserts to the snowy mountains, in order to escape the world’s most dangerous game.

Jumanji: The Next Level stars Dwayne Johnson (Dr Smolder Bravestone), Karen Gillan (Martha), Jack Black (Professor Sheldon “Shelly” Oberon) and Kevin Hart (Franklin “Mouse” Finbar).

December 2019

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Banking

Legal

From page 27

From page 31

From page 33

The older population seemed not to suffer so severely. That, we think, was because strains of influenza circulating in the 1950s might have been similar to the swine flu. So, the immune systems of older people could have had some memory of the virus and therefore a built-in protection.

New testing, possibly available in 2020, might give a reliable diagnosis in 20 minutes. Any treatment needs to be started early in the infection to do any good.

We can also use antiviral medication to prevent an infection being severe, provided we start it early.

The next step in this treatment might be a single tablet which can be as effective as a five-day treatment.

While the advances in diagnoses and treatment are changing, the best defence is still the annual vaccine. It could be years before we develop a vaccine for influenza that lasts a lifetime.

Our milestone achievements from the past year are outlined in more detail in our 2019 annual report which can be accessed on our website (policecu.com.au) and in branch.

We look forward to moving into another successful 50 years of better serving you, our members.

Ultimately, the judge held that the husband would suffer hardship if leave was not granted and the wife was not prejudiced by the delay in the proceedings.

In considering whether to grant leave to proceed out of time, the court considered the decision of Whitford (1979) FLC 90-612, wherein the Full Court said: “Thus, on an application for leave under section 44(3), two broad questions may arise for determination. The first of these is whether the Court is satisfied that hardship would be caused to the applicant or a child of the marriage if leave were not granted. If the Court is not so satisfied, that is the end of the matter. If the Court is so satisfied, the second question arises. That is whether in the exercise of its discretion the Court should grant or refuse leave to institute proceedings.�

In summary, whether an application to apply for leave is out of time will turn upon the facts of each case. Nothing is certain and members should always speak to a lawyer about the specifics of their own situations.

Police Journal

Police Credit Union Ltd ABN 30 087 651 205 AFSL/Australian Credit Licence 238991 Terms, conditions, fees, charges and lending criteria apply. Full details upon request.

Apple Pay works with iPhone 6 and later in stores, apps and websites in Safari; with Apple Watch in stores and apps; with iPad Pro, iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 and later in apps and websites; and with Mac in Safari with an Apple Pay enabled iPhone 6 or later or Apple Watch. For a list of compatible Apple Pay devices, see https://support.apple. com/km207105 Apple, the Apple logo, Apple Pay, Apple Watch, iPad, iPhone, Mac, Safari, and Touch ID are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Touch and Face ID available on an iPhone or iPad. Android, Google Pay, and the Google Logo are trademarks of Google LLC. Payments using Google Pay are available for NFC enabled phones running on Android Lollipop 5.0 or above. Samsung Pay is a trademark or registered trademark of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Source: https://mozo.com.au

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

W Wine

Estate Label Shiraz 2015

Rosenvale Nuriootpa, South Australia www.rosenvale.com.au

Estate vineyards, minimal-input viticulture, 10-day fermentation in assorted vats, twice daily pump-overs.

Around 16 months in predominately American oak barrels.

A dark crimson colour and an aroma of dark berry, spice with a hint of savory tones and vanilla oak.

The palate is rich dark fruits, plums and prunes with a dash of nectar flowing through fruit cake spices to the finish. Layers of soft tannins and textures carry this shiraz at length.

• Cellaring: 2017 to 2022.

Estate Label Rose’ 2018 The family vineyards are planted with Tinta Cao, Graciano and Tinta Madeira with the sole purpose of making a rosé wine.

Harvested at the same time, destemmed, pressed, chilled, settled, wild then cultured yeast for ferment.

Bright pale salmon pink in colour with a lifted generous nose of wild strawberries and lychees.

The palate is dry but with an upfront fruit sweetness complemented by a fresh acid backbone to the wine with flavours of wild red berries and hints of spice, great length and persistence.

• Cellaring: early drinking.

Estate Label Semillon 2018 Single vineyard planted in 1940 and hand harvested.

Created without oak, made dry yet showing fruit sweetness while retaining naturally high acidity.

Bright pale straw in colour and hints of green with a lifted nose of lime blossom, talc stone with a hint of lanolin.

On the palate, it’s fresh and zesty with a limey acid backbone with great structure and length to the palate and underlying flavour of tropical fruits finishing on a limey citrus note.

• Cellaring: 2018 to 2028.

December 2019

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THE POLICE CLUB from all the team at the Police Club

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

Book now

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

policeclub.com.au POLICE CLUB PARTNERS

Police Club “2019 Last Drinks” Friday evening, December 20 Precinct Café 2020 opening Monday January 13 from 7:30am Police Club 2020 opening Tuesday January 14 Contact the Police Club team with any queries THANKS FOR YOUR ONGOING SUPPORT AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU SOON

FOOT PATROL 2013 CABERNET SAUVIGNON McLaren Vale, South Australia

Released as a special (first) collectable by the Police Wine Club and highly recommended

by Peter Jackson of Wines of Adelaide…

“A smooth and classic SA Cabernet. Very classy drinking for the price. Only a few dozen remaining, worth grabbing for the cellar. Will improve and evolve next three to six years but also makes for excellent drinking now. Great Christmas gift idea.”

PRIZE WINNER OFF TO MUNICH Aaron Sard of MTA presents Police Association and Police Wine Club member Brett Massey with tickets for a trip for two to Munich after winning the Oktoberfest Dinner draw on October 11.

Contact Aaron for all your travel needs.

Police Association members receive: • $100 travel voucher • Qantas Club Extra Savings • Extra Frequent Flyer Points • Credit Card Fees Waived • Out-of-hours meetings to accommodate shift workers at convenient locations

Single bottle: $20.99 By the dozen: $216 ($18 each) All prices include GST

Free delivery to the Police Club To order go to policeclub.com.au/contact-us/ police-wine-club

L

The Last Shift

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

Adam Barratt Brenton Eyre Bernadette Martin Jennifer O’Donohue

Senior Constable 1C Adam Barratt

Berri Police Station 40 years’ service Last day: 18.10.19 Comments…

“I thank the association for its efforts in securing vastly improved wages and conditions for all members in a job that is becoming increasingly difficult.

“I’ve had close to 41 great years in SAPOL and leave with few regrets but now it’s time to see what’s on the other side.

“I thank everyone I’ve had the pleasure of working with at Adelaide, Port Adelaide, Henley Beach, Elizabeth, Berri and my two years at the police academy as a police cadet.

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

Senior Sergeant 1C Brenton Eyre

STAR Operations 40 years’ service Last day: 21.10.19 Comments…

“I thank the Police Association committee for its representation of SAPOL members, its ongoing efforts regarding pay and conditions, and for the protection of members in carrying out their duties.

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Working part-time?

Are you currently working part-time? Are you commencing or ceasing part-time work?

If your hours change, it is important that you advise the Police Association.

Your subscriptions may be affected.

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“I am proud to have served in SAPOL for the last 40 years at Adelaide patrols (five years), Norwood and Adelaide CIBs (nine years), and STAR Group (24-and-a-half years), with various secondments during those periods.

“I thank all my work colleagues, including support staff for their dedication and support during my career. I particularly thank specific individuals for their support and guidance at significant periods of my career.

“They were: • Michael Hourigan.

• Grant Garritty during the uniformed patrol days.

• Barry Hannaford and Glenn Lawrie during my CIB days.

• Sheree Penhall (Lyons) during my Mounted Operations secondment.

• Anthony Fioravanti, Les Riekie, Mark Worsley and Rob Williams during my STAR Group period.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my police career and highly recommend it to anyone who seeks to make a difference in our society.

“I believe it is an honourable profession that provides its own reward based on how much effort is invested in it. Although thanks are often not received, the overwhelming satisfaction lies in the difference we make to the lives of others.

Please phone (08) 8112 7988 or e-mail membership@pasa.asn.au to advise of a change in hours.

“Working at STAR Group has enabled me to have particular experiences and interactions that are unobtainable elsewhere.

“It was an honour to work with a dedicated group of like-minded individuals striving to be the best they can be under all circumstances, and to assist in preparing them for high-risk tactical work and the consequences of their actions.

“I was also pleased to be involved in the selection, training and development of STAR personnel.

“I have also greatly enjoyed the camaraderie of the wider STAR Group community (negotiators, Intel, Bomb Response, Water Ops, Mounted Ops and Dog Ops, and admin staff) whose specialist skills all contribute to a group that is highly successful within SAPOL. “I lament how the intensity and strains of the job have taken their toll on some of our colleagues and resulted in stress-related early retirement, poor behaviours or suicide.

“I encourage you all not to be afraid to ask: “Are you okay?”

I have been to too many police funerals. I support the association and SAPOL in efforts to incorporate practices that reduce or eliminate this workplace curse of policing.

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“Finally, I thank my patient wife, Daniella, to whom I owe a great thanks for her past and ongoing love and support for a sometimes selfish husband who was absent at various times during a demanding career – during daily workplace demands or on overtime or recall duties.

“Best wishes to all SAPOL personnel and their families for the future.”

Detective Sergeant Bernadette Martin

Southern District CFIS 38 years’ service Last day: 12.11.19 Comments…

“I thank the Police Association for its untiring and continued efforts to seek improved working conditions and pay for its members.

“It was 38 years and eight months ago I commenced a two-year cadet course at the academy with Course 76, which consisted of nine female and five male members. Even back then, in 1981, SAPOL exceeded 50-50.

“I have had some fantastic experiences and opportunities during my career and worked with some wonderful people. Highlights included: • Providing VIP protection for the female president of Malta.

• Being a member of the inaugural Operational Sentinel at Roxby Downs.

• Two stints at project work in relation to incapacitated members and intervention orders.

• Being a recipient of both an APM and Australasian Council of Women and Policing Award.

“Over the last 17 years, I have had the privilege to work with the fantastic members of South Coast FVIS and, more recently, Southern District CFIS. What an amazing and committed bunch of people.

“Thank you to each one of you for your support and friendship.”

Detective Sergeant Jennifer O’Donohue

Major Crime 38 years’ service Last day: 27.11.19 Comments…

“I thank the association for all the work over these years that has secured the work conditions and pay rates that SAPOL members now enjoy.”

Got something to say?

Got a comment about a story you’ve read? Do you have strong views on a police issue?

Is there someone you want to acknowledge? Know of an upcoming social or sports event? Whatever the subject, put it in a letter to the editor.

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

December 2019

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20 years on SERGEANT AMANDA DAWSON (Eastern District Training, Recruit and Probationary Constable Coordinator)

I’ve worked on patrols, South Coast Crime Prevention, Neighbourhood Policing Team in Huntfield Heights, Southern Missing Persons Project, TR&PCC (Training, Recruit and P r ob ation a r y Con stable Coordinator) at Eastern District and I’m currently with Project Equitas. I really enjoyed the Missing Persons Team Project, working with other agencies to collaborate and problem-solve.

Her first partner on patrols turned out to be a police officer who had given a talk at her primary school 10 years earlier.

Every role I’ve worked in has been challenging and that’s the part I really like. But the most challenging has been the last five years, balancing work, family and study. This has involved lots of late nights and trying hard to be organized with the kids and their school and sports commitments.

My partner is really organized and very good at planning so that has helped.

I joined the job solely to help people. I was 19 and knew it was going to be a challenging job and that every day was going to be different. The first officer I had ever met came to my primary school when I was in Year 4 and talked about the role of police. My first partner on patrols at Christies Beach was that very same police officer.

The job has taught me a lot about gratitude. I’m really grateful for the experiences I’ve had and I’m also really grateful for the little things as I get older: the time I spend with my partner and our kids. I think the job teaches all of us that life is very short. So we try to make the most of our days off and appreciate family moments when we’re all together.

My most memorable job sculpted the way I treat others. It was my very first “shoppie” with that same first partner. I got stuck halfway through my interview and he saw the panic on my face. He then began acting out the line of questioning behind the suspect’s back for me. That humility I’ve carried with me and I still feel quite passionate about it.

When I joined the job, I didn’t have a specific rank or position that I was striving for, and that hasn’t really changed. When doors have closed for me, other doors have opened. I completed my Bachelor of Business this year and really enjoyed studying.

I’m hoping that I can use some of this knowledge in the business management side of policing.

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“I think the job teaches all of us that life is very short.”

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