ACT Policing Matters

Transcript of my opening speech to the Assembly, in tabling the ACT Policing Matters Motion.

2024 05 16 Assembly Police Motion – Opening Speech 

“Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise to present the motion tabled in my name. Today I am calling on all members of this Assembly to support our police by referring the matters contained in my motion to the appropriate standing committee to consider inquiring into.  

Madam Speaker I raise the matters within my motion out of grave concern for the safety of Canberrans. The Minister for Police and Crime Prevention likes to get up in the Assembly, when speaking on Policing matters, and say that Canberra is a safe place and that we have low crime rates.  

CRIME RATES 

I would like to draw the Minister’s attention to the retired Chief of Police Neil Gaughan’s comments in the paper recently, and I quote, “Canberra was no longer a Sleepy Hollow and was experiencing crime in all areas”.  

Mr Gaughan went on to say that the Minister’s focus on crime rates was not the whole picture of policing in the ACT. The era when police ONLY attended crimes was long over. In fact, falling crime rates were never the entire picture.  

Policing in the 21^st century is a complex environment with an increase in suicides, domestic violence and mental health issues that are taking a toll on officers.  

It was noted by Neil Gaughan recently in the media, that ACT Police were “the only mobile 24/7 response agency in the Territory,” Gaughan noted. meaning that police attended at nearly 4,500 mental-health incidents in 2023, many of which were aggravated because of the presence of police, instead of a mental-health professional. Almost as many (over 4,300) family-violence incidents were attended at the same time.  

Data from the Australian Bureau released in February this year, showed an 8.5 percent increase in the previous twelve months. Increases were noted across most areas of recorded crimes.  

Yet, due to the lack of police resources, neither priority one nor priority two target response times, to the territory’s most serious incidents, have been achieved. This is a serious matter as it means that crimes are not being cleared.  

Lack of resources  

Turning the focus now to the low resources, they do appear to be the ongoing problem in the ACT. The Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services shows that once again, the ACT has the lowest number of operational staff across Australia, per head of population. 

According to the former Chief of Police, Neil Gaughan, and I quote, “In the last 10 years, the population of the ACT has grown 19 per cent. Police numbers in raw data have gone down by 0.7 per cent. So, we’ve actually gone backwards with smaller numbers.” 

The ROGS also shows that the ACT has the lowest real recurrent police services expenditure per person in the population. There is a 22% difference with the Australian average, and this has decreased in real terms since 2013-2014. Under resourced, and low numbers, it’s no wonder the police are struggling to meet key targets. 

Low pay 

Madam Speaker, it also transpires that our ACT Policing officers are the lowest base-paid police officers in Australia, earning just over $59K a year. And the comparison figures across Australia for full-time officers with shift and penalty rates are startling.  

An officer in Western Australia will earn $103,000 a year, whilst the same officer in Canberra makes only $75,000 a year. That is $28,000 a year less.  

There is considerable inequity here. No wonder we are seeing the message plastered on Police vehicles around the ACT reading – Undervalued and Overworked.  

There is a real lack of Federal Government, and ACT Government, support for ACT Policing members by not providing an improved enterprise agreement that recognises the hard and dangerous work police officers undertake, to keep the community safe. 

According to Neil Gaughan, ACT policing has been seen somewhat as a training ground for the National AFP. Across any year, the force lost almost four per cent per annum to natural attrition, topped by a whopping 12 per cent to the national side of the AFP.  

Which is not unnatural, and no blame attaches to police officers who are trying to improve their own circumstances. But it does have the effect of leaving ACT Policing considerably under resourced, with no end in sight. Why would you come and work here, when you can literally earn more doing the same work – anywhere else in Australia.  

Lack of accommodation 

Madam Speaker, under resourcing also extends to the accommodation of the service. The retired Chief of Police is on record as stating that forty per cent of the police stations in the ACT were not fully functioning. 

And we have certainly seen evidence of that in the last 12 months. The ongoing closure of the Gungahlin Joint Emergency Services Centre despite promises in 2021-22 to spend $8.4 million on its refurbishment. A refurbishment people of Gungahlin are still waiting on. The Gungahlin JESC has been overcrowded and not fit for purpose for at least the last 8 years if not longer.  

There have been ongoing issues, starting with the closing down of most services, at the City police station due to water ingress and other issues. The lack of appropriate air conditioning at the Woden Police Station. And the closure of the Gungahlin JESC due to lead dust and diesel particulates.  

When is this government going to prioritise the needs of ACT Policing members? Not just react to issues and situations, but actually prioritise their needs.  

Health concerns 

Madam Speaker pay issues, accommodation issues, health concerns. It strikes me as almost irresponsible that a medical report was not called for on the potential exposure suffered by ACT Policing members to hazardous materials found at the Gungahlin JESC. The Minister must explain why a Medical Report was not conducted. 

Recruitment 

Let’s now address the concerns of recruitment. Again, according to former Chief of ACT Police, there is an ongoing issue with the large percentage of probationary and junior constables with less than 5 years’ experience in the force.  

At some police stations, he said, over 48 per cent of our uniform police are probationary constables. With most Constables having less than 5 years’ experience. This is a concern, especially in the fight against an explosion of family-violence and mental-health callouts. 

But more concerning, Senior Constables are overworked, not only doing their own job, but also mentoring and teaching junior members. Sergeants are effectively spending a large amount of their time double and triple checking the work of junior members.  

Many don’t have the time to take care of their own workloads as well as monitor their team members welfare. And also complete the extra administration duties that come with being a Sergeant. 

To compound the problem, it’s often the case that Senior Constables are utilised as Acting Sergeants when the Sergeant is absent from duty.  This places even more pressure on the Senior Constable.  

They take on the responsibility of the Sergeant, carry their own workload, plus they must mentor, and double/triple check the work of the probationary Constables on the team.  Yet most squads in the ACT would be lucky to have one Senior Constable on their team. 

Impact on services 

Madam Speaker, the lack of resources is having an impact on the delivery of services in Canberra. Recently, the force was scrambling resources to deal with the increase in of the Rebels, Comancheros, Finks “and for the first time ever the Hell’s Angels”. These motorcycle gangs know the Territory does not have anti-consorting laws, firearm prohibition orders, and gang-colour bans.  

A response to a Question on Notice confirmed that significant police presence was required to deal with the Bikie Gang meeting held in Canberra in March this year, at the cost to taxpayers of $47,304.47. Moreover, attending officers to the two-day event were drawn from across all functions of ACT Policing, increasing the likelihood of an incident occurring elsewhere.  

Conclusion 

Madam Speakers, these incidents, the low wages, the lack of resources, funding, and investment by the ACT government has significantly impacting the physical and psychological welfare of ACT Policing members. 

I hope all Members here can agree to this motion, for the appropriate standing committee to consider inquiring into the wages, resourcing, funding, and ongoing investment by the ACT Government of ACT Policing. But with specific regard to the following matters:  

1. The relationship with the Federal Government over concerns regarding ACT Policing wage matters, including the lack of new EA.  

2. Levels of actual investment by this government into ACT Policing. 

3. Cost of clean-up and rectification of the Gungahlin JESC and City Police Station and impact on existing budgets. 

4. Closures due to lack of maintenance and hazardous materials within ACT Policing Accommodation and ongoing impact on ACT Policing. 

5. Exposure of ACT Policing members to hazardous materials and Government response. 

6. Recruitment practices and experience levels within ACT Policing and impact on service delivery. 

And of course, any other matters the committee considers relevant.  

Madam speaker I commend my motion to the Assembly.”  

END