A nepotistic cluster

Thanks to the IPCA and some ex-Police senior members I learnt a new word: Nepotism. I Googled it and found there's four characteristics: favouritism, unfair advantage, conflict of interest and a negative workplace impact. Well, they are batting a thousand, four out of four! 

Oddly, that word doesn’t appear in the IPCA report, but the circumstances reek of it. Disappointment doesn’t come close to how we feel. I lost count of the swear words in the muster room! What a complete cluster. The details are out there for all to see. I paused on my next shift after the IPCA report was released. I opened my locker, looked at my uniform and thought, “How the hell do we come back from these shambles?” I’m sure there’s more fallout to come.

The blatant disregard for basic policing is what grates the most. We had the Police High Performance Framework and its new version forced down our throats. Yet those in power acted like it doesn’t apply to them. Are “Our Values” just a conversation piece to impress those who may get them elevated? Genuine, hard-working members all over the country live those values without any effort whatsoever.

Watt's up to bat

Onwards and upwards. Congratulations to our new president, Steve Watt. I imagine a southern flair will be injected into the National Office and the rolling of “Rs” will be commonplace in no time. If you don’t know what I mean, you have never been that far south! Make us proud Mr President, we are counting on you. (No pressure, fella.)

Staffing stuffed

Have a look on the situation map some time – plenty of units logged in, but very few incident cars (iCars) out there, the real front line, not the political version. I hear that in some areas they send out e-texts asking for staff just about every night shift. What’s worse is some districts don’t even fill the gaps; they just run their troops into the ground.

The ”500” are coming and there are plenty of energetic new staff. There’s also plenty of “nearing retirement” staff. It’s the middle that is missing – the active, operational, experienced iCar frontline constables and sergeants. Is burnout to blame? Better prospects off the front line?

Anyway, who decides these magic optimal staffing levels? Does anyone dive into the continuous demand on a real frontline cop? The stress, physical and mental, the pressure, berated for things you forgot or missed because you rushed from job to job, dead-tired with no breaks. No, bet they don’t. We need to challenge our district commanders to tell us, truthfully, how many frontliners are really out there responding to calls for service.

How about ‘quota’ the truth

Draeger-gate: I won’t get right into this, but one thing that got my goat was some highly placed manager from Molesworth St saying Police staff are not pressured to reach required breath-screening test (BST) “numbers”. Horse cocky. You just use “requirements” and “goals” to camouflage that dirty word “quotas”. It’s a thing, always has been.