adt ritson v commissioner of police

MINISTERIAL AUDIT OF THE NSW POLICE FORCE Peter C Parsons APM

1 September 2011

CABINET IN CONFIDENCE - MINISTERIAL AUDIT OF NEW SOUTH WALES POLICE FORCE

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Introduction

The NSW Minister for Police and Emergency Services has requested an audit of

police numbers and resources to be undertaken urgently.

The aim of the audit is to determine where police are, where they need to be and

how best to use them to protect and serve our communities.

Terms of reference

The audit will examine police numbers including:

current police numbers and their allocation across NSW

whether ‘authorised strength’ is an appropriate measure of policing levels in

the community

alternative measures of police strength including equivalent full time staff and

operational staff.

The audit will examine police stations including:

all existing police stations, their opening hours, and which are operations 24

hours a day

the current schedule of police stations to be sold, to ensure that these

resources are truly surplus to requirements

the effectiveness of the current Local Area Command structure, especially in

regional areas.

The audit will examine police resources including:

the allocation of support staff, police and other staff in specialist commands

the allocation of capital equipment, including police vehicles.

The audit is not restricted from considering other issues that arise during

consultations undertaken as part of the audit.

The audit will make recommendations for:

the allocation of additional police numbers, as committed to by the NSW

Government

the allocation of additional police resources including, for example, mobile

police command vehicles, as committed to by the NSW Government

other opportunities to improve community service through the reallocation of

existing resources or improved police practices.


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Process

The audit may undertake consultations with members of the NSW Police Force and

the community as it determines is appropriate.

The NSW Police Force will provide any information relevant to the audit’s terms of

reference.

The audit may have regard to the recent NSW Treasury ‘Initial Scan of the NSW

Police Force’, although the Cabinet confidentially of this document is to be

maintained.

Resourcing

The audit is established as a Ministerial Inquiry under Section 217 of the Police Act

1990.

The audit will be supported by the staff and resources of the NSW Police Force and

the Ministry for Police and Emergency Services.

The audit’s expenses will be met from within the existing resources of the Police

portfolio.

Significant expenditure is to be approved in advance by the Commissioner of Police

of the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry for Police and Emergency Services.

Time frame

The audit will provide a final report to the NSW Cabinet within three months of its

establishment.

The report will be provided to the Commissioner of Police, the Chief Executive

Officer of the Minister for Police and Emergency Services and the Minister for

Police.

Hon Michael Gallacher MLC

Minister for Police and Emergency Services.


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Summary of recommendations

Recommendation One That the New South Wales Police Force in consultation with industry experts, formulates a workforce allocation model which addresses all areas of the organisation Recommendation Two That any workforce allocation model developed by the New South Wales Police Force takes into account authorised strength, equivalent full time and operational availability as a percentage of authorised strength (minimum of 90% operational) and ensures greater flexibility in deployment options. Recommendation Three To ensure a transparent measurement of the Operational readiness of the NSW Police Force, comprehensive monthly Human Resource returns from each command unit be mandatory. These returns be similarly as detailed and comprehensive as the model recently discontinued. Recommendation Four That training of Commanders and other relevant officers by significantly increased as a matter of urgency in respect of understanding the Award; Other Industrial Agreements; the Police Act; Industrial Relations; and, Dispute Resolution. Recommendation Five That an urgent review be conducted of the 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 Police Properties Divestment Plans in light of the reform/restructure being proposed in this Audit report. Recommendation Six That the New South Wales Police Force suspend the proposed ‘Regional Services Delivery’ model in light of any recommendations of this report as to any reform or restructure. Recommendation Seven That the New South Wales Police Force develop a program to review and, if appropriate, implement the recommendations of the ‘Specialist Operations Command Delivery Review 2009’. Recommendation Eight That the ADPP Class attesting from the New South Wales Police Force College in November 2011 be allocated to each Local Area Command throughout the State on the basis of bringing them up to a minimum operational level of 90% of its authorised strength. Recommendation Nine Any action proposed for the introduction of the ‘Frontline Enhancement Strategy - Local Area Command Amalgamations (McKechnie Report)’ be suspended pending the decision to implement the ‘District and Patrol’ and ‘State Commander’ models.


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Recommendation Ten That the Local Area Command structural model be replaced by the ‘District and Patrol’ model as devised by Superintendent Stuart Smith and comprehensively detailed in the Parsons Report. Recommendation Eleven That the ‘State Commander’ model as detailed comprehensively in the Parsons Report be implemented in its entirety. Recommendation Twelve On approval given for the implementation of the ‘District and Patrol’ and ‘State Commander’ models, that the attached Gantt milestone chart be immediately implemented to drive the reform process. Recommendation Thirteen The State Commander position filled in the first instance, followed by the the appointment of a senior serving New South Wales police officer to perform the role of ‘change agent’ in the reform process. Recommendation Fourteen An oversight committee consisting of the Commissioner of Police, the Minister for Police and Emergency Service’s (or his representative); two respected members of the community (one regional, one metropolitan) and the author of this report appointed by the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Recommendation Fifteen That a strategic team from within the New South Wales Police Force representative of officers drawn from across the organisation, review the property issues and make recommendations to the Principal. Recommendation Sixteen That Minor and Urgent works be delegated to police at the local level (LAC or equivalent) to engage local qualified contractors to complete this work, and that funding made available at that local level for this to occur. Recommendation Seventeen That Police premises be bought up to an acceptable standard as a matter of urgency and that funding be made available for this to occur. Recommendation Eighteen That the New South Wales Police Force establishes a Police Housing Authority similar in operation to the Teacher’s Housing Authority. Recommendation Nineteen That the Department of Juvenile Justice immediately take responsibility for all juvenile escorts as is their primary role and, agreed to by the Memorandum of Understanding struck in 2008. Recommendation Twenty That adult prisoner escort duties to and from Court be removed as a duty of the New South Wales Police Force and be taken over completely either by Department of Corrective Services, or be subject to privatisation.


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Recommendation Twenty One That the New South Wales Police Force consider expanding the numbers and roles of Recognised Law Enforcement Officers (RLEO’s) to better assist frontline officers. Recommendation Twenty Two That the New South Wales Police Force work to develop one proposal for the further use of web based technology to improve customer consultation and victim service.

adt ritson v commissioner of police

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