Police Journal Spring 2025

SPRING 2025

“And our members are dropping like flies. It’s distressing to watch my friends and colleagues try to keep coming to work to fight an endless battle with no relief in sight.”

TI

A

OF

S

OU

A S S O CI A

A

LI

P

I CE

ON

OL

T H AU S T R

COUNTRY PROSECUTION ON THE BRINK

ADVERTORIAL

How police can control type 2 diabetes Time catches up to you For many people, somewhere in the 30s, priorities around health change.

While our waistline used to dictate what we put in our mouths, as we get older, good health becomes the priority.

Sometimes, this mindset shift is a diagnosis. And there’s one that starts to become more common in the 40s: type-2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is the result of your body producing insulin, but not using this pancreatic hormone effectively, as the body intended.

The wide range of symptoms include thirst, headaches and weight gain.

Being over 45 and having a history of heart disease are risk factors. But what’s more important to know is what you can control.

For example, weight control, healthy diet (with low cholesterol), and physical activity.

The daily biological rollercoaster of policing But for shift-working police, this is harder.

According to ex-officer and acclaimed author, Dr Gilmartin: “police experience an elevated adrenal cortical sympathetic stress response, causing the liver to release glucose. The pancreas responds by secreting insulin to allow glucose to enter the cell.”

Police officers need to focus more on eating well to

Chronically elevated levels of insulin start a string of problems that make up metabolic syndrome, including type 2 diabetes.

Gilmartin advocates going to the root cause: keeping insulin levels under control.

manage blood glucose levels.

Regular exercise will complement this, helping to lower blood pressure and weight.

While no cure, a healthy lifestyle controls it You must manage type-2 diabetes because it's progressive. Diabetes Australia notes that sufferers are four times more likely to suffer heart attacks and strokes.

It ’s also the leading cause of preventable blindness. Amputations are 15 times more common and mentalhealth disorders affect 30 per cent of people with diabetes.

Police officers need to focus more on eating well to manage blood glucose levels. Regular exercise will complement this, helping to lower blood pressure and weight.

Medication is often required to support the body’s processes.

Specialists can make eating plans and exercise programmes that are realistic to manage. Blood glucose monitoring habits are important to solidify with police officers who experience fragmented work settings.

Open communication with colleagues and departments can ease the pressure of “finding time” or private areas to test levels.

Speaking with a dietitian will help improve your diet and nutrition.

Cover like no other Police Health understands the unique health needs of the police community, because we’ve been looking after them for 90 years.

Whether you’re already a member, or interested in becoming one, call us to find out how to get the most out of our cover and benefits. We’re here to help.

Spring 2025

3

28

Editor

I

4

Police Journal

TI

LI

A

P

A S S O CI A

ON

brettwilliams@pj.asn.au

ICE

OU

S

Brett Williams

OL

OF

t seems undeniable that frustration and mental ill health are rife among country and regional police prosecutors. They speak of deep failings in the SAPOL response to the staffing crisis in their prosecution units, and the massive, unmanageable workloads.

We spoke with one recently resigned and two serving country prosecutors. They told us not only of their experience at the coalface but also the strain on their colleagues. One prosecutor describes those colleagues as under so much pressure as to be “dropping like flies”.

A significant warning to come out of our interviews was that, if the staffing crisis continues, the prosecution workforce is set to “implode on itself”. And, in the meantime, prosecutors express no confidence in SAPOL to resolve the crisis in either the short or long term.

The reality of mental ill health in the military and policing has been around since the days of shell shock in World War I. Now, however, Police Association members have Aussie Frontline to turn to whenever they find themselves in a seemingly inescapable dark place.

Detective Brevet Sergeant Mali Briggs and Dr Dan Pronk, a former member of the elite SAS, own and run the organization. And each has an abiding interest in member well-being and mental health.

Police Association assistant secretary Steve Whetton reveals a staffing crisis beyond the one in country prosecution units. He exposes disastrous circumstances in Coober Pedy: a “dangerously understaffed environment” and exhausted members responding to “volatile incidents without backup”.

Dr Rod Pearce looks at the problem of deep vein thrombosis; lawyer Daniel Weekley urges members not to “go it alone” in cases of deaths in custody; Jim Barnett road-tests the Jeep Avenger battery electric vehicle and updated Nissan Qashqai.

Police Association president Wade Burns looks at the seemingly out-of-control crime in Victoria and calls it “a cautionary tale for South Australia”.

T H AU S T R

A

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

COVER: Brevet Sergeant Deanna Holdrich.

Photography by Steve McCawley and Astyn Reid.

22

14 Police Association

6

President

10

Industrial

31

Health

33

Motoring

34

Lessons for South Australia in Victoria’s crime crisis

Why cops face risk of DVT Nissan Qashqai Jeep Avenger Legal

39

Critical incidents and deaths in custody Books

40

Cinema

42

DVDs

44

On Scene

45

The Last Shift

52

Spring 2025

14 Country prosecution on the brink Beleaguered country police prosecutors are speaking out: they’re trapped in an ongoing crisis and are clear about who they consider responsible.

22 First responders brought back from despair Cops and soldiers, whose mental health is always at risk, now have two of their own to help get them back on track.

28

A story worth US bronze

Another international journalism award to the Police Journal – this time for the feature story First responders at their best (autumn issue, 2024).

Spring 2025

5

Julian Snowden

ICE

A S S O CI A

Bryan Whitehorn

Leonie Schulz

TI

S

LI

A

P

OF

OU

T H AU S T R

A

Police Association of South Australia Level 2, 27 Carrington St, Adelaide SA 5000 www.pasa.asn.au P: (08) 8212 3055 (all hours) E: pasa@pasa.asn.au Membership enquiries: (08) 8112 7988

6

Zac Cook

ON

OL

Mardi Ludgate

Police Journal

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTS Madison Furniss

Caley Frisby

FINANCE Wendy Kellett Finance Officer

COMMITTEE Michael Kent Treasurer

Samanda Brain

Simon Haebich

Chris Walkley Deputy President

INDUSTRIAL Andrew Heffernan Member Liaison Officer

Nadia Goslino Member Liaison Officer

Steven Whetton Assistant Secretary

Anthony Coad Secretary

Wade Burns President

POLICE JOURNAL

MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS

Brett Williams Editor

Paulene Porter Vice-President

Nicholas Damiani

Spring 2025

7

A S S O CI A

TI

S

OU

LI

OF

A

P

ICE

ON

OL

T H AU S T R

A

Police Association of South Australia

REPRESENTATIVES Superannuation Leave Bank Country housing Commissioner’s Office Health Safety & Welfare Advisory Committee Legacy Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity & Intersex members

Wade Burns and Michael Kent Andrew Heffernan Andrew Heffernan Steven Whetton Julian Snowden Nadia Goslino and Andrew Heffernan

DELEGATES & WORKPLACE REPRESENTATIVES Metro North Branch Elizabeth Gawler Golden Grove Henley Beach Holden Hill Northern Prosecution Northern Traffic Parks Port Adelaide Port Adelaide Investigation Salisbury

Haydn Evans Rob Mowday Darren Quirk Alan Pagac Adam Knoll Tim Pfeiffer Neil Hastie Edward Matias Paul Blenkiron Andrew Winterfield Philip Proctor

Country North Branch Ceduna Coober Pedy Kadina Peterborough Port Augusta Port Lincoln Whyalla

Samuel Priest James Cochrane Gavin Moore Nathan Paskett Jake Whenan Ian Baker Paul Velthuizen

Crime Command Branch Adelaide Investigation SOCIB Forensic Services Intel Support Major Crime Serious Fraud

Robert Clark David Furniss David Bowman Shaun Blundell Phil Buttfield Robert Plenderleith

Metro South Branch Adelaide Christies Beach/Aldinga Hindley Street 8

Police Journal

Stuart Mee Gary Craggs Michael Montgomery

Metro South Branch continued Netley Southern Prosecution Southern Traffic Sturt

Robert Brelsford Sallie McArdell James Evans Richard Hoar

Country South Branch Adelaide Hills Berri Millicent Mount Gambier Renmark

Jason Blucher Tamara Day Tanya Payne Owen Wales James Bentley

Operations Support Branch Academy Melanie Smith Academy Peter Koulianos ACB Tony Boots Band Adam Buckley ComCen Glenys Moriarty ComCen Mark Dearman Dog Ops Levi Struthers Firearms Brett Carpenter Human Resources Eugene Wasilenia Mounted Ops Sonia Wellings PSSB Mark Staples STAR Operations Craig Murphy State Ops Support Branch Duncan Gerrie Traffic Services Benjamin Bowey Traffic Services Joshua O’Dwyer Youth & Street Gangs Taskforce Ian Kilpatrick

Officers Branch

Constantinos Kyriacou Craig Terlikowski

National Fleet

We’re excited to unveil an exclusive offer to Police Association members.

Only at Eblen Subaru, Glenelg.

Free Essentials Pack *

Including carpet mats, cargo tray and rear step panel. Valued up to $909 Call Heath Gage Fleet Manager on 0403 789 686 or email fleet@eblen.com.au to find out more about the offer. Or visit us on 114 Brighton Road, Glenelg.

PLUS

1000

$

BONUS*

*Excludes Impreza and BRZ models.

Eblen

PRESIDENT Wade Burns

Lessons for South Australia in Victoria’s crime crisis A

cross Australia we’re witnessing a troubling shift in the landscape of crime and public safety.

It’s most starkly visible in our neighbour, Victoria — a state now recording crime figures that should alarm us all.

The circumstances unfolding across the border represent a cautionary tale for South Australia.

The most recent figures from the Crime Statistics Agency Victoria (CSA) show that in the 12 months to June 2025, Victoria logged around 483,583 criminal incidents, an increase of 18 per cent from the previous year.

The CSA reports that these numbers represent the highest figures since records began.

Other stats reveal some alarming trends: car thefts surged 42 per cent, retail theft was up 41 per cent and breaches of family violence orders increased by 16 per cent.

Aggravated burglary has reached 10

Police Journal

a record high, rising by 26 per cent in the past year alone.

Victoria’s metropolitan areas, especially Greater Melbourne, remain the hardest hit.

It wouldn’t surprise police officers anywhere to know the offending is highly concentrated. Just 5,400 people — roughly 0.07 per cent of the population — were responsible for nearly 40 per cent of all crime in the state.

When the same people cycle through offending, police officers become intensely frustrated and public trust begins to erode.

So, what went wrong?

Regular Victorians have often flagged a disconnect between community expectations and sentencing or bail outcomes.

It’s obvious now that offenders perceive they can reoffend with minimal, if any, consequences. This destroys any deterrence factor and damages public confidence in the justice system.

But the breakdown in trust extends well beyond the courts.

The Victorian government’s handling of enterprise bargaining with its own police workforce last year — characterized by delays, dismissiveness and a lack of genuine engagement — has sent a demoralizing message to the very people who hold the line on community safety.

Trust has fractured not only between the government and police, but also between those two institutions and the public.

Many Victorians no longer believe their leaders are on the same side as the law-abiding public. That’s a dangerous place for any society to be.

Victoria’s government and senior police leadership have now openly acknowledged the crisis, but some of the solutions have been comical.

The “machete disposal bins”, for example, have attracted widespread ridicule.

Those disposal bins are, in reality, a perfect symbol of a failed political class and a dysfunctional criminal justice system.

For too long, priorities have been upside down: resources poured into bureaucracy and political messaging instead of front-line capability and community safety.

The state has embraced policies driven by political ideology that too often protect offenders rather than victims.

Perhaps the most insidious aspect: the risk that communities begin to see high crime as the new normal.

What happens in Victoria should be a concern to every jurisdiction, including ours. SA is not immune to the underlying pressures: economic stress, regional disadvantage, youth disengagement, organized crime and policing resources stretched well beyond capacity, with a measurable human toll on officers.

The SA government must be careful not to repeat Victoria’s misplaced priorities.

The crisis in Victoria also underlines that policing alone is not enough.

Consequences like bail laws, sentencing

frameworks and rehabilitation systems must align with the community’s expectations of safety.

Public safety is not solely achieved through arrests and convictions.

It relies on community trust. When people perceive their safety is threatened and responses are inadequate, the social contract weakens.

Data out of Victoria shows how quickly that trust declines.

The judiciary and bail systems must also reflect community expectations of safety. And our government must show respect for the men and women who serve on the front line, through fair industrial outcomes, safe staffing levels and open dialogue.

The pressures facing police officers in a rising‑crime environment are immense. Fatigue, stress, wear and tear — they all accumulate.

Victoria has sent us a clear and ominous message. When crime rises, when offenders act with impunity, when public trust erodes… the price is paid by citizens, victims and the police officers who protect them.

More industrial wins We recently reached another decisive industrial breakthrough with the state government on key conditions contained in Schedule 2 of the Memorandum of Administrative Arrangement.

The result is a set of improvements that will have an immediate and meaningful impact on members’ working lives.

For years, sergeants have faced an artificial barrier to progression, with advancement often dependent on arbitrary or inconsistent criteria.

Now, every sergeant with five years of service at rank (including periods of formal relieving) will progress to sergeant first class and receive a 3 per cent allowance forming part of their annual salary for all purposes — including superannuation, leave and award entitlements.

We have also secured a 10 per cent allowance for senior sergeant positions within metropolitan districts and country regions.

Perhaps the most transformative reform is the 23 per cent allowance for general-duties officers serving in regional 24/7 stations. Commencing in November 2025, this measure is designed to address one of our most pressing challenges: the attraction and retention of officers in country policing.

For too long, members stationed in regional South Australia have carried an unequal burden.

They work under intense operational pressure, often without the support or resources available in metropolitan areas.

The new allowance replaces the patchwork of shift penalties that existed before — a system that was neither equitable nor sustainable — with a clear, predictable and fair recognition of the realities of country policing.

Regional staffing and safety: the cost of inaction If the industrial victory shows what can be achieved through engagement, the worsening staffing crisis in regional South Australia shows what happens when leadership fails to act.

Across our state’s remote and rural stations, officers are being placed in untenable situations. They are working dangerously long hours, responding solo to volatile incidents and facing severe fatigue.

In some cases, their safety, and that of the public, has been compromised beyond acceptable limits.

Coober Pedy, Ceduna, Port Lincoln, Port Pirie — the list is long and growing.

Coober Pedy, in particular, has become the epicentre of the crisis.

With a vacancy rate above 40 per cent and repeated hazard and incident reports ignored, officers there are operating at what can only be described as a critical breaking point.

Continued …

Spring 2025

11

PRESIDENT

Former Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers.

Wade Burns

One officer was forced to complete an 18-hour shift that included a return trip to Oodnadatta on treacherous roads. Another worked nine consecutive night shifts.

These are not isolated accounts.

They represent a systemic failure to maintain safe staffing levels. When an officer must choose between arresting an offender and leaving the town uncovered, something fundamental has gone wrong.

In Ceduna, the practice of rostering officers alone on night shift — including probationary and community constables — exposes them to unacceptable risk.

In Port Lincoln, Eyre Western CIB and regional prosecution offices across the state, workload intensification has reached unsustainable levels.

In some regions, SAPOL’s response to the crisis has been to deploy community constables as first responders, effectively using them to fill numbers on patrols.

This is not what the community constable role was designed for.

We’ve taken the Coober Pedy dispute to the South Australian Employment Tribunal, a necessary escalation after every attempt at resolution was ignored.

We’ll keep members and the public updated on the outcome.

Reform and legislation: protecting those who protect others At our annual conference in October, Premier Peter Malinauskas announced new laws to make it a criminal offence to threaten, harass or intimidate police officers or their family members.

These laws carry a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and have received bipartisan political support.

I drove this reform after presenting evidence to the government of members being followed, harassed, and targeted — not just on duty, but off duty, and in their private lives.

12

Police Journal

In one instance, an officer’s child was followed home from school.

In another, an officer’s family was targeted by known offenders.

The premier, to his credit, treated this evidence with the seriousness it deserved and acted swiftly in the interests of SA police officers.

Our members accept risk as part of their duty, but their families do not.

The right of officers and their loved ones to live free from harassment isn’t negotiable.

The SA government deserves recognition for taking these concerns seriously.

Reforming the injury management system I’ve recently pushed for a review of SAPOL’s self-insured injury management system.

Too many members have told us the system designed to support them in recovery has, instead, caused further harm.

Member submissions revealed stories of frustration and despair — officers left isolated by poor communication, entangled in unnecessary bureaucracy and made to feel like adversaries rather than employees in need of care.

When an injury management process adds to the stress and anxiety of an injured officer, something is profoundly wrong.

Our goal is clear: a system that supports recovery, not one that compounds trauma.

T he c u r r e nt aud it by R e t u r nToWo r k S A , and recommendations of the Select Committee on Support and Mental Health Services for Police, represent a vital opportunity to reset that system and create a culture of genuine rehabilitation.

Throughout his career, he never hesitated to challenge any side of government, defend his members or speak his mind.

The legacy of Ian Leavers The Australian police community was shocked and deeply saddened in November by the sudden loss of Ian Leavers, the long-serving former president of the Queensland Police Union and a towering figure in the Australian police union landscape.

I had the privilege of getting to know Ian over the last few years. What I learnt was that he was much more than a police union leader. He was a voice for every police officer who ever felt unheard.

Throughout his career, he never hesitated to challenge any side of government, defend his members or speak his mind.

His leadership was instrumental during times of national crisis and his influence extended well beyond Queensland’s borders. As president of the Police Federation of Australia, he also championed police industrial issues and officer welfare nationwide.

Tributes from across the country — from commissioners, premiers, police union leaders and members alike — reflect not only his impact but the enduring importance of strong representation.

On behalf of Police Association of SA, I extend our deepest sympathies to Ian’s family, friends and colleagues in the Queensland Police Service and the Queensland Police Union.

The award-winning Hyundai Hybrid SUV range.

Explore fleet pricing available today.

SANTA FE Hybrid

TUCSON Hybrid

KONA Hybrid

With a Hyundai Hybrid, excellent efficiency meets outstanding performance. The SANTA FE Hybrid, TUCSON Hybrid and KONA Hybrid have been awarded top honours across multiple Car of the Year Awards in 2025, proving that efficiency, innovation and style all come as standard.

Hyundai Australia thanks the South Australian Police for their support to the community.

In appreciation, National Fleet Pricing is now available across the entire Hyundai model range (excluding N Models).

Explore Hyundai Hybrid

Contact your local Hyundai Dealer today.

Spring 2025

13

BY BRETT WILLIAMS

Country and regional police prosecutors continue to suffer as understaffing and mammoth workloads overwhelm them.

They consider their prosecution units to be in crisis and SAPOL without a solution.

14

Police Journal

I

T BROUGHT ON CHEST PAINS, a suspected heart attack, an ambulance response, and a trip to Whyalla hospital. The terrified victim was Whyalla police prosecutor Brevet Sergeant Deanna Holdrich, and she remembers the episode as “just horrific”.

It was not a case of an aggrieved defendant lashing out at her in the courtroom, or even a simple fall in the police station.

Rather, it was the ongoing burden of chronic understaffing, an impossible workload, and no solution coming from SAPOL. At least not one that

country prosecutors could see, either then or now.

In March 2022, Whyalla Prosecution staff numbers, a sergeant and three, were down by 50 per cent. One vacant position and one prosecutor on annual leave had brought about the shortfall.

But staff shortages like that, and worse, were nothing new to Holdrich and her fellow country prosecutors.

The intensity of the pressure on Holdrich, in the week she suffered her suspected heart attack, might have caused any police prosecutor to crack.

Just parts of the week seemed enough to do psychological damage.

“Have we got any more staff coming?”

The answer was: “No. There’s no one coming.”

What Holdrich faced in court on the Monday was the usual long list of domestic violence matters and weekend arrests.

“And for me,” she says, “DV court is the most important thing because we’re dealing with women and children’s lives. I have to do it properly.”

On the Thursday, she was back in court, prosecuting in a trial. Then, on her task list for Friday was a staggering 36 pre-trial conferences, each of which requires prosecutors “to basically prepare for trial”.

“So you need to know every one of those files inside out,” Holdrich explains, “and we had hardly anyone there (at Prosecution). I think there was only (Sergeant) Adrian Bellamy and me.

“What happened to me was I got in (to court) and I hardly knew any of the files at all, never mind inside out.

“And I think that's why I had what we thought was a heart attack: because I'd been so busy all week. How was I meant to prepare properly?”

She had tried, before stepping into court, to get her head around how she would manage that long list. And that was when the chest pains and feared heart attack struck her.

“Adrian had to pick it up on that day and, of course, he didn't know anything about the (PTC) files,” she says. “The magistrate was very good about it. We’re lucky that we get very good magistrates.”

Holdrich was also lucky to discover that she had suffered not a heart attack but rather the first of two panic attacks.

While on leave and soon to return to work in April 2023, she contacted her office to ask: “Have we got any more staff coming?” The answer was: “No. There’s no one coming.”

“I just felt like I was going to vomit,” she recalls. “I thought: ‘What am I going to do? I just can’t go back there.’ So that was when I went on WorkCover.”

Her eventual path back to duty was via a return-to-work agreement to work four-hour days, three days per week and build up to eight-hour days.

Spring 2025

15

A

mong many others to suffer the effects of inadequate staffing was former Port Lincoln police prosecutor Sonya Shillabeer. That was until the pressure became unendurable and prompted her to resign from SAPOL in July.

With her, she took 38 years’ experience and a reputation as an excellent prosecutor.

She recalls an evening from a few years ago when she was still in court at 7pm, prosecuting in an assault trial.

The ongoing stress of her “immense workload” finally shattered the outward composure she had long maintained.

“I burst into tears in the courtroom,” she says. “I was actually in tears and walked out. I’d run a lot of trials before, but I think this one was just the straw that broke the camel’s back. It was a build-up (of stress).”

16

Police Journal

Also a few years ago, Shillabeer twice came down with shingles, an illness linked to stress. As well as that was “high anxiety” she suffered in the last three years of her service. She could see she needed a “circuit breaker” and so took months off on long-service leave.

In those last few years in which she served, her suffering was obvious, particularly to her concerned children.

“You’ve just got to get out (of the job),” was the message they made clear to their mother.

SAPOL had allowed Shillabeer to struggle as a country prosecutor right from the time she first took on the role.

For the two years to 2012, she did the occasional stint with Port Lincoln Prosecution as a reliever, but with little prosecution experience.

The expectation of her was to undertake some of that relieving as the sergeant of the unit.

“But from upper management, there was no accountability.

They would do a bit of a look at what the issues were, but nothing was resolved.”

Former Port Lincoln police prosecutor Sonya Shillabeer

But, besides occasional support from Adelaide, she had zero staff. So, despite all the experience she lacked, she at times constituted the whole of Port Lincoln Prosecution.

“So that nearly burnt me out,” she says. “And that’s before I even got a permanent spot in Port Lincoln.

In a prosecution unit of two or three (prosecutors) in the country, if one or two go (on annual or sick leave), you’re down by 33 per cent or 50 per cent.

“But from upper management, there was no accountability. They would do a bit of a look at what the issues were, but nothing was resolved.

I just don’t think they made much of an effort to connect with the regional prosecutors. They’re negligent.”

Shillabeer served 10-odd years with Port Lincoln Prosecution. She estimates that only for a few months in that entire time did the unit ever have a full complement of staff.

And she always knew that her unit was never the only one stuck with skeleton staffing and massive workloads. She saw many of her fellow country prosecutors struggle

not to buckle under the weight of “such a systemic problem”.

“This has happened for years,” she says. “And I’ve seen the impact on the physical and mental health of lots of prosecutors.”

That impact on country prosecutors is obvious to Holdrich too.

“When you talk to other prosecutors, (you can see) there’s no joy in our job anymore,” she says. “There’s no satisfaction. It (the impossible workload) just doesn’t stop.

“And our members are dropping like flies. It’s distressing to watch my friends and colleagues try to keep coming to work to fight an endless battle with no relief in sight.

“Sonya Shillabeer left the job, which is a huge loss. She was an excellent prosecutor. She’d just had enough.”

Some country prosecutors might yet follow Shillabeer. Others might just regret joining the prosecution fraternity or, indeed, SAPOL. Mount Gambier Prosecution brevet sergeant Darren Keding, 58, came to policing from the field of business analysis at age 30. A prosecutor since 2011, he would not, with his time over again, necessarily join SAPOL. “I speak to a lot of prosecutors during the course of the week,” he says. “They’re all under the pump.

I see it when we get e-mails on a fairly regular basis, looking for people to fill spots.

“If it’s an in-court week at the Barossa, Berri or Kadina, they’ll send out (these e-mails). They were coming out constantly on a Thursday or Friday looking for help. It’s like a patchwork quilt.

“If you have someone on holidays, a PDO or sick leave, you get inundated.

You just can't see the forest for the trees. It's endemic.

“Berri recently this year had absolutely no one and they were pulling people out of Adelaide CJS to go and work there for a month at a time.

“And that’s the thing that’s frustrated me in the last five or six years: seeing these constant e-mails come out about vacancies, speaking to other prosecutors who are just drained.”

“So that left us with two people to run the whole of the northern region: the APY Lands, Coober Pedy, Roxby, Leigh Creek, the whole area.

That was horrendous.”

H

oldrich knows that drained, exhausted feeling well. She has endured it right throughout her time as a prosecutor.

In 2000, she fronted up to Far North Criminal Justice for her first stint as a country prosecutor based at Port Augusta. Her two years there came after she had served three years with Elizabeth Prosecution.

“I did two years there (at Port Augusta) and that was a nightmare,” she says. “No staff. There were only three positions, a sergeant and two senior connies. And the sergeant went out on stress pretty much after I got there.

“So that left us with two people to run the whole of the northern region: the APY Lands, Coober Pedy, Roxby, Leigh Creek, the whole area. That was horrendous.

“So I was running the unit with only three years' experience in prosecution.

I did the best I could but ended up really, really sick.

Spring 2025

17

“My hair was all falling out; I would have nightmares and wake up in the middle of the night vomiting. My brain didn't function after three o'clock in the afternoon – if it functioned at all during the day.”

After those two years, Holdrich quit prosecution to make a return to patrol work in Coober Pedy. She stuck with that until heading back to Elizabeth, where she resumed the role of police prosecutor.

In the time that followed, she became pregnant, took maternity leave, returned to Coober Pedy and, there, wound up back on the road full time.

In 2006, however, Prosecution Services Branch made a request of her to return to life as a prosecutor, based in Coober Pedy and covering the APY Lands.

“I didn’t want to do it,” she says, “because I knew that I would need to work more, and I had a young child.

In the end, they sort of guilted me into it and I did it for nearly a year. I ran the Lands and Coober Pedy, which was a challenge.”

Later, Holdrich ended up back at Port Augusta Prosecution where she served for several years before a two-year stint back on the road at Roxby Downs. And then came a PSB persuader who wanted her to fill a prosecution vacancy in Whyalla in 2021.

She at first rejected the pitch, which she still recalls: “It was like: ‘No, no, it’s really good. Really good staff there. There’s an LE3 (prosecuting solicitor) on maternity leave, but she’ll be back soon. There’s another LE3 and a sergeant.’

“So, I was like: ‘Okay.’ They talked me into it. I went back, and it was just a shit show right from the beginning.

And it just got worse and worse.

It never got any better. One of the LE3s left (and) one came back but only on .6.”

Today, the Whyalla Prosecution team – which should be a sergeant and three – is down by 50 per cent.

After the departure of an LE3 and an LE2, the unit is just Holdrich and an acting sergeant.

But, as Holdrich sees it, even that establishment of a sergeant and three is, in any case, “just not near enough”.

18

Police Journal

“They don't care about their prosecutors, and I've always understood and accepted that.

But, now, they don't care about anyone.”

I

n correspondence to the Police Association earlier this year, a desperate Holdrich outlined the worsening situation. She explained that her only colleagues in the Whyalla prosecution unit at that time were an LE3 as acting sergeant and an LE1.

In a broader sense, she wrote of numerous prosecutors out on stress, solicitors resigning, and other prosecutors transferring out of PSB. She also detailed what she knew of the status of other country prosecution units.

Berri Prosecution, for example, had a sergeant out of action, two LE3 positions vacant, and an LE1 – who could not attend court – filling an LE3 position.

Port Pirie Prosecution had a vacant sergeant position, one LE3 out of action and another headed for 12 months’ maternity leave. And, before that leave, she had run the unit by herself, so Port Pirie was about to descend into zero-staff status.

Port Augusta Prosecution was at crisis point too. Its sergeant and senior sergeant were out of action and two LE3 positions were vacant. To carry the load, with such extreme understaffing, was one brevet sergeant and one LE3 working off site from Adelaide.

Port Lincoln Prosecution, from where Shillabeer was soon to resign, consisted of a sergeant and, owing to another resignation, a vacant LE3 0.5 position.

And soon to become vacant was the brevet sergeant position owing to a requested transfer out of prosecution.

Out of action at Barossa Prosecution was an LE4 in the sergeant position.

That left a brevet sergeant as the only prosecutor – working 0.5 – to stand up to the workload.

Two other brevet sergeant vacancies existed at Kadina and Murray Bridge prosecution units, and Mount Gambier was also down one prosecutor.

Holdrich kept up her communication with the association and, in August, sent an update of the information she had supplied six months earlier.

“It has been bedlam here,” she wrote. “The situation has not settled.

If anything, it has deteriorated further.”

She went on to explain the deterioration at Port Lincoln – from where Shillabeer had now resigned – Ceduna, Port Pirie, Whyalla, Port Augusta and Berri.

Port Pirie Prosecution, for example, was down to just one solicitor working

Whyalla police prosecutor Brevet Sergeant Deanna Holdrich

two days per week. Berri Prosecution was down to just its sergeant.

In the SAPOL executive leadership team, Holdrich, Shillabeer and others see no understanding of the demands on the country prosecutor.

Holdrich highlights responsibilities like the adjudication of arrest and report files, the judgement of evidence, the decision-making on laying charges and opposing bail.

Then there are solicitors to negotiate with, variations to make to intervention orders, and PD207Bs (victim requests for no action) to assess.

Holdrich also points to duties in the courtroom: trials in which prosecutors act for the public against defendants and their seasoned solicitors. And the pressure in those trials to win – for individual victims as well as the community.

“There are certain timelines with arrest and report files,” Holdrich says.

“But, when someone's in custody over the weekend or overnight, we have to treat those as a priority.

“I’m always the first in the office in the morning and I generally go to the cells to find out what custodies we’ve got. On a Monday, we could have 10.

It’s busy. We’re under pressure.

Everyone’s under pressure.”

An added pressure comes from dealing with files relating to major indictable offences. Prosecutors have to interact with the DPP, take instructions on what to charge, and organize complex files.

“We're here to fight the good fight,” Holdrich says, “but I don't think that's valued in any way by SAPOL. They don't care about their prosecutors, and I've always understood and accepted that.

But, now, they don't care about anyone.”

T

o talk to country prosecutors is to understand how and to whom they apportion blame for what Shillabeer calls “such a systemic problem”.

She stresses the need for the ELT to understand how the pressure – brought about by understaffing – is crushing the will and spirit of the collective of country prosecutors.

“It’s just like out of sight, out of mind,” she says. “That connection is lost, and they just don’t have an appreciation of how hard you work.”

Holdrich points directly to where the buck stops: Commissioner Grant Stevens.

“It kind of breaks my heart what he's doing to SAPOL,” she says. “I never expected that we would ever end up in a situation where I'm not proud to be a police officer anymore. Instead, I'm embarrassed, and that makes me feel sick.

Spring 2025

19

“Really, what is he doing to us? What has he allowed to happen to the people who do this job with such passion, care and thoughtfulness? Where’s his gone?

How can he sit in that position (of commissioner) and not know what is going on for his people?”

Holdrich also asks, as the news media did, how SAPOL could ever have lacked so much care in its treatment of shooting victim Sergeant Michael Hutchinson.

She read his account of that treatment in the Police Journal cover story So close to a second death (winter issue, 2025).

“I read that and cried,” she says. “How can that happen to him? How can that happen to Hutchie? What is going on?

What have we come to?

“I’ve given my whole adult life to this job, and I’ve done it with passion, loyalty and care. Where’s mine (in return)?

When do I get some of that back?

“I just can’t comprehend that we could be treated so badly. It breaks my heart because I’ve always been so proud, but now I’m just not.”

Shillabeer agrees that the buck stops with Stevens and calls executive management “super negligent” for its failure to resolve the long-running country prosecution staffing crisis.

“You get lip service,” she says. “Things like: ‘We know you’re loaded up but we can help. We’ll get other prosecutors to do overtime and help you with adjudications.’

That was always the regular line they’d give you. There’s just no effort.

“They’d rob Peter to pay Paul. They’d say: ‘I’ll send someone from Whyalla to do Port Augusta,’ and it was just plugging the holes of a sinking ship. In my last few months, we had four or five units that were just sinking. The issues are just growing.

“And it impacts on results. Coppers do this hard work and we’re the grand finale for these people, trying to get some great results for operational police. Yet SAPOL isn’t being responsible, so we can’t put the time and effort in to get good results from members’ pinches.”

As Shillabeer discusses “the issues in regional prosecution”, she poses a twopart rhetorical question: “This has been going on for how many years? And what’s been done about it?”

“I first started in prosecution 15 years ago and we haven’t improved,” she says.

“We’ve actually got worse.”

20

Police Journal

Mount Gambier Prosecution brevet sergeant Darren Keding

“The whole time they've been unable to keep staff there. I would say it's an indictment (on SAPOL) that they haven't done anything about it.”

F

or Keding, and others, the SAPOL wheels of change turn far too slowly. And his perception of senior management is that it does not “have a vested interest in you as a person”.

“If people cared,” he says, “they would really do something and give an answer and show some action. But there doesn’t seem to be any.”

And he suggests that of all the country prosecution units SAPOL has failed, some have suffered more than others.

“I know that Port Augusta has been on skeleton staffing since 2010 or 11 when I first started prosecuting,” he says. “The whole time they've been unable to keep staff there. I would say it's an indictment (on SAPOL) that they haven't done anything about it.

“It’s just seeing the lack of action that just disturbs me so much. You can see that there’s no support from management, (no) coming up with ideas as to: ‘How are we going to attract people to the role? What are we doing?’

“I’m just seeing no influence whatsoever over staffing. Well, you can’t keep doing that. The workforce will implode on itself, and they’ll have no one.”

Police Association president Wade Burns warns that no one should overlook the importance of well-supported prosecutors and their expertise.

“It’s refreshing to hear the truth of a situation directly from our members on the ground,” he says. “But it’s beyond disappointing that what that truth reveals is a complete lack of regard for skilled, indispensable workers.

“Here you have members who dedicate themselves to country and regional prosecution. So, to allow them to suffer, as we know they are, is to bring discredit on the SAPOL leadership.

“The fact is that, if you compromise country prosecution units, you risk outcomes for victims of crime.

“We have clear lines of communication with our overwhelmed prosecutors. We’ve taken up their fight for proper levels of staffing and we don’t intend to let this issue rest.”

The Police Association wrote to Grant Stevens in February with questions about prosecution vacancies, absences, relievers and selection-process

“I need to end my working life on something that feeds my soul, not crushes it.” timeframes. The key question, however, was: “What action is SAPOL taking to address the issues within (country) prosecution units?”

A written response came two months later, although not from Stevens. It was a wordy, three-page letter from a senior officer, in whose writing the term crisis never appeared.

The officer instead wrote simply of “staffing pressures” at Whyalla, Port Augusta and Port Lincoln prosecution units, and asserted that they were “proactively managed”.

That was despite a Port Augusta LE3 vacancy which the writer conceded had existed since 2021. No concession, however, when it came to just how long country prosecutors had suffered chronic understaffing.

Shillabeer, whose evidence comes from the coalface, speaks of a crisis of at least 15 years. In the letter the officer penned was the claim that most vacancies had occurred within the preceding six months.

It also claimed that Kadina, Mount Barker, Murray Bridge, Barossa and Mount Gambier prosecution units were “appropriately managing the impact of staffing vacancies”.

The letter went on to outline all the ways in which SAPOL was supposedly supporting its country prosecutors and resolving the “staffing pressures”.

Holdrich rejects what the letter claims out of hand.

“They’re doing f--k all!” she exclaims.

“And how can they not be doing anything about our mental health when you’ve got so many prosecutors out on WorkCover? I didn’t do that lightly.

I fought and fought to stay at work.”

And SAPOL assurances of care for the health and welfare of its employees are far from convincing to Shillabeer. She labels such assurances “absolute rubbish”.

S

hillabeer has moved on to a new career with a federal government agency. Obvious to her now is a chasm between her new employer and SAPOL, specifically where the treatment of employees is concerned. “(At the agency) I can't believe the way they treat us,” she says. “People are looked after and cared about. I was sick for a couple of days and got three messages. One was my manager to ask how I was. People are just valued. It’s how people should be treated.

“So I'm just so grateful that I've left SAPOL. It was just absolutely appalling.”

Holdrich made clear back in August that she too intended to “look for other employment”. She explained why in a message to the Police Association.

“I need to end my working life on something that feeds my soul, not crushes it,” she wrote.

So, during some recent annual leave, she considered whether she would indeed follow Shillabeer out the door or hang on until retirement at age 60.

“I deserve for them (SAPOL) to look after me enough to get to my 60th birthday and retire properly,” she says.

“But I still don’t know if I can get through the next 12 months.”

The stress of the prosecution workplace has injured Holdrich in a way others might not know. She had prepared herself to donate a kidney to her ailing cousin. But the psychological injury she suffered left her unfit to proceed with the surgery.

“And, because of that,” Holdrich says, “she (my cousin) didn't get the kidney transplant, and she passed away a couple of months ago.

“And that's my biggest regret: that I didn't keep going with that process because I wasn't in a fit state. I made that choice because of this job, and it wasn’t worth it.” PJ Spring 2025

21

First responders brought back from despair

BY BRETT WILLIAMS

Police continue to face the scourge of mental ill health arising out of life on the front line. But one special duo – a cop and an ex-SAS soldier – has had more success than most in lifting first responders out of the void.

22

Police Journal

S

ome of the wounded soldiers Dr Dan Pronk could not save on the battlefield were his close mates. He knows it sounds dramatic to say that some of them died in his arms, but that was the fact. That was part of his every-day life throughout four tours of duty as a member of the SAS Regiment in Afghanistan.

There, even with his elite medical and military skills, it was just not possible for him to save every casualty he responded to in “forward environments”. So, as enemy bombs and bullets left some soldiers to fade away into death, Pronk was the closest witness to their last moments of life.

But those deathly forward environments never came with the psychological impact the outside observer might have expected. Indeed, Pronk reflects on his time in the high-performance SAS Regiment and Special Operations as “so protective”.

“It was so busy, so fast-paced,” he says. “There was always a distraction so there wasn't a lot of time to process things that had happened. So, it was a very protective environment that I feel stopped the full impact of those events from hitting me at the time.

“If anything, those events drove me to train harder, to train my medics harder, to be better, to try to prevent further (deaths). But, of course, sometimes they were unpreventable.”

A psychological impact was to come, however, once Pronk had left the military in 2014 after 13 years’ service. As he made the transition from the battlefield to civilian life, the hostilities, bloodshed and lost lives “started to come back”.

He had escaped the peril of the battlefield, was back with his family, and had a high-paid civilian doctor role. But none of that kept him free of the effects of his former military life.

“What I didn't see coming, and what ended up happening, was a complete loss of identity,” he explains.

“I didn't really appreciate how much I'd invested in my military identity.

“I'd undergone what I now know to be identity fusion, which is a psychological concept where you see yourself as your job: it's not what you do, it's who you are.

“We see this only in highinvestment roles like cops, firies, ambos, military members. When you move out of that role you lose that identity, and that's very destabilizing.”

The first civilian job Pronk took on, after his separation from the military, was as a fly-in, fly-out doctor serving on a mine site. He undertook routine medicals and considered the work important. But he struggled to feel that he was making a “meaningful contribution” and best use of his skills.

“There was a massive sense of dislocation from tribe,” he says. “I had

become so ingrained in that culture of the military, and the people around me, where it was so protective to be with them.

“They understood what it was like.

They knew what it was like to do what we did. They had similar experiences.

So, there's a real resilience you can get from being around other people who get it.

“When I was around civilians, there was no way I could interact on that level. I didn't feel I could talk about my experiences with them. So that drives a real sense of social isolation, and we see this with police officers.”

Indeed, Pronk recently encountered a retired police officer who, “in such a bad state”, had planned to commit suicide. In a lucky break for the retiree, he attended a 2024 presentation on surviving the front line and completely changed his thinking.

His circumstances were relatable to cops like Christies Beach detective brevet sergeant Mali Briggs, who had himself confronted mental ill health.

He had taken on his police career as a 21-year-old in 2009. Among his posts after graduation were the Hindley Street beat and Norwood police station before a 12-month stint in Ceduna from mid-2011.

After he returned to metro policing in 2012, Briggs served with Operation Mantle (Christies Beach), CIB Tac and the Crime Gangs Task Force.

“They understood what it was like. They knew what it was like to do what we did. They had similar experiences. So, there's a real resilience you can get from being around other people who get it.”

Behind his psychological suffering was not that one devastating critical incident but rather an accumulation of issues. There was, of course, the ongoing pressure of police work, but also the 2017 suicide of a friend, colleague and former soldier.

Also an impact on his mental health was the near suicide of another workmate on whom he kept a true mate’s close, ongoing watch. And personal challenges, like a painful divorce, came to plague his psychological well-being as well.

“I was absolutely depressed,” he says, “there's no question about it. I had thoughts of suicide, (and) I've been open about that in my bio.

“Trying to operate in the police environment while going through (those personal issues) was probably what got me to that point (of suicidal thoughts).”

But, with the support of friends and colleagues, Briggs found his way out of the abyss. And what he came to feel, once back on stable ground, was genuine concern for others trapped in that same dark, torturous place.

Spring 2025

23

Briggs could see that people like him – with intimate knowledge of the front line and its impact – were the ones best placed to help. So, he turned his thoughts into action: he created a support community for first responders – of all kinds – in 2022.

He called it Aussie Frontline and set out to provide potentially life-saving services to struggling front-liners. That included police, firefighters, ambos, paramedics, military personnel, and corrections officers.

And what Briggs saw in Special Ops veteran Dan Pronk was the perfect codirector to run Aussie Frontline with him.

He knew of Pronk and his work, such as his medical directorships of both the SA Prison Health Service and private medical company TacMed, which he co-owns. Pronk had also worked as a ship’s doctor and as deputy medical superintendent of a regional hospital.

There were the books he had written too, such as The Resilience Shield and The Combat Doctor.

“I came across a mate of Dan and was talking to him about Aussie Frontline,” Briggs recalls. “I'd just started it, and he thought there'd be some synergy there with Dan, so I reached out to him.

“We started a conversation, and it just grew from there. With me in the police family and Dan coming from the military family, it just made sense.

It made sense to come at it with this collective understanding of what everyone's going through.”

Pronk, who was aware of Aussie Frontline, speaks of the approach from Briggs as “brilliant”.

“I find the whole service support organization space, be it military or first response, difficult to negotiate,” he says.

“It's difficult to work out where money is going, what the agendas are, what services are actually being delivered to the operator on the ground.

“My interest has always been on how you help the people on the ground. So, when I started to look at resilience and joined forces with my brother and another guy, Tim Curtis, both ex-SAS guys, we built a company called Resilience Shield.

“We built a resilience model, and it was a very military lens that we looked at it through initially. But, fairly quickly, we realized that this wasn’t just applicable to the military. The brand of resilience we were looking at was applicable to the (police) first-response community.”

24

Police Journal

1

2

And it was a community Pronk knew well.

He had, while in the military, run medical training for police tactical groups. Then, in his post-military career, he ran not only medical training for cops but also resilience sessions.

Among the services Aussie Frontline offers are free counselling packages, which are available to anyone in the first-response community. Neither Briggs nor Pronk do the one-on-one counselling but instead leave it to Frontline Mental Health counsellors Narelle Mason and Matt Newlands.

Both are level 2 registered counsellors with the Australian Counselling Association.

But the critical ingredient they bring to Aussie Frontline is the experience of their former careers as police officers. Also on the Mason résumé is 10 years’ service with the Royal Australian Air Force.

All that experience is important to Briggs and Pronk, who share a concern about the backgrounds of other providers of counselling.

3

“A lot of these (counselling) services are being offered by people who have never done these front-line jobs,” Briggs explains.

“For a member to have confidence in the person who's listening to their story, and offering advice, they need to know and feel like that person gets it.

“When you've only studied a course or a degree and never walked a day in the shoes of any of these (first-response) people, it's very hard to build that trust.”

Briggs also emphasizes the importance of fast responses to front-liners who make the call, often a desperate call, for support.

“We can generally get them in, or they can get themselves in, through Frontline Mental Health within the week,” he says. “Quite often, people are waiting a lot longer to access psychological support. They’re waiting months.

“If they're asking for help, you can't then tell them: ‘Sure, just wait three or four months and then you can see someone.’ If they're asking for help, they need it now.”

4

5

6

And what first responders need help with are conditions like hypervigilance, post-traumatic stress, anxiety disorder, depression, insomnia, bruxism (teeth grinding) and alcohol misuse. Briggs, Pronk and the Frontline Mental Health counsellors see the suffering first-hand.

The worst they see is the sufferer whose circumstances end in suicide.

It is, of course, the outcome Aussie Frontline strives hardest to prevent.

Besides counselling sessions, Aussie Frontline provides programmes like surf therapy, which it promotes as “an ideal way to boost physical and mental health”.

It also offers online courses on sleep optimization and how to thrive in the transition out of first-response roles and back into civilian life. Other offerings include conferences and presentations, like Thriving on the Frontline, and visits to first-response police in regional areas.

“When you've only studied a course or a degree and never walked a day in the shoes of any of these (firstresponse) people, it's very hard to build that trust.”

1. A Thriving on the Frontline conference on the Gold Coast in March. 2. Dan Pronk treating a wounded villager in Afghanistan in 2011. 3. Burning seized heroin and Taliban drug money on joint operations with the DEA. 4. Mali Briggs with Merrick Watts at the Thriving on the Frontline conference. 5. Surf instructor Ryan Baohm (SAMFS) talks to participants at the Aussie Frontline Reset surf programme at Middleton Beach in 2024. 6. An Aussie Frontline regional barbecue at Port Augusta in 2024.

Both Briggs and Pronk speak of the success of Aussie Frontline based on the feedback each has had – and still gets – from first responders.

Says Pronk: “They get in touch and say: ‘I was heading in a bad, bad direction and something you said or blogged about resonated. I've turned the corner.’

“We've had that to the point of ex-members of first-response military basically saying: ‘The content you put out stopped me from killing myself.’ ” Briggs too remembers a serving police officer who turned from killing himself through the simple gift of a T-shirt.

The turnaround came about through an initiative Aussie Frontline calls Pay it Forward, and it has played out more than 600 times.

It begins with a member of the firstresponder community buying an Aussie Frontline T-shirt for a deserving but, at the time, unknown colleague. Aussie Frontline then calls via Instagram for the nomination of a recipient of the T-shirt.

Once selected, that first responder, who might well be struggling with mental ill health, receives the T-shirt as a mark of his or her colleagues’ full support.

Depressed and caught up in alcohol misuse, the member Briggs recalls was off work and considering suicide.

“That moment (when he received the T-shirt) created time, and that time created a turning point,” Briggs says.

“Now, I believe, it’s a case of nine months sober, he’s working happier, and his future looks bright.”

Spring 2025

25

“That drives often a sense of moral injury, a sense of betrayal from the organization.

That, in my experience, is the most damaging psychological aspect.”

7

In some cases, a T-shirt and note might land with a member who has served for 20 years. Then comes a common response to Aussie Frontline: “It was the first time anyone had said ‘good job’ or ‘we're proud of you’.

The organization (SAPOL) has never done that.”

Pronk asserts that, where the contributions of first responders are concerned, employers like SAPOL, the military and others are “never going to reciprocate”.

“That drives often a sense of moral injury,” he says, “a sense of betrayal from the organization. That, in my experience, is the most damaging psychological aspect. It's not the turning up to dead kids and car crashes and use of lethal force, it's the sense of betrayal by an organization.”

Observers can argue about whether police, military and other chains of command truly care about their members’ well-being. Pronk suspects that first responders are sceptical and perceive much of what they hear about care as “lip service”.

While Aussie Frontline enjoys much success, it still faces the ongoing 26

Police Journal

challenge of member reluctance to seek help. The long-existent inclination of the troubled cop to remain silent and stoic demands, according to Briggs, a “culture shift”.

“Proof of that,” he says, “is the number of partners who (contact us) to say: ‘My partner is a cop, and this is what’s going on. I really want them to get help, but they don’t want to talk to anyone. Have you got any advice?’

“The flip side of that is that we have people reaching out to us directly, saying: ‘Oh, it's probably time I spoke to someone. I’ve (had this issue) going on for years and I’ve not dealt with it.’

“That's when we get a personal win.

From what we've created, someone's felt comfortable enough to say: ‘I’ve never gone to EAS but I’m reaching out to you. I think it’s time.’ ” In 2024, Aussie Frontline directors Briggs and Pronk established the Aussie Frontline Foundation. It is a registered charity, equipped to receive donations from individuals and organizations. The plan is to use whatever funds it raises to cover the costs of the programmes Aussie Frontline provides.

7. Dan Pronk and Mali Briggs discuss Aussie Frontline with Police Association president Wade Burns.

The Police Association has partnered with the foundation, as has podcaster and former paratrooper Sam Bamford, who served in Afghanistan.

Association president Wade Burns believes strongly in the concept of support from those who have themselves lived life on the front line.

“When you see the mental strain that afflicts some first responders,” he says, “you know instinctively the kind of support they need.

“There’s no question that it’s best coming from people like Mali and Dan, with 29 years of police and military experience between them.

“Who better to understand the plight of struggling first responders and oversee an initiative like Aussie Frontline and the Frontline Foundation.

“They’ve proven themselves in any case by the way they’ve used Aussie Frontline to bring first responders back from despair and even self-destruction.”

And both Briggs and Pronk intend to keep fighting for those first responders. Pronk sees what he does as “almost an obligation”.

“To save just one life,” he says, “you can't put a dollar value on that; you can't put a time investment on that.

“To sit on the sidelines and watch people continue to commit suicide at unprecedented rates is just not an acceptable thing for either of us.” PJ

Response to Disciplinary Charges

Legal and personal support at hearings and interviews and with submissions

A S S O CI A

TI

S

OU

LI

OF

A

P

ICE

ON

OL

T H AU S T R

A

POLICE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

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

Spring 2025

27

“Those members I interviewed, and the others who responded to the job, can rightly claim equal credit for the win.”

28

Police Journal

A story worth US bronze

BY NICHOLAS DAMIANI

THE POLICE JOURNAL HAS CONTINUED TO HOLD AND ENHANCE ITS PLACE ON THE WORLD STAGE WITH YET ANOTHER INTERNATIONAL JOURNALISM AWARD. This time the prize was a bronze award in the United States. It came in the Feature Article category at the 2025 Tabbie Awards for the 2024 autumn issue cover story First responders at their best.

News of the win came out of Cleveland, Ohio on August 15. Judges for Trade, Association and Business Publications International (TABPI) outlined their high regard for the story.

“Police Journal has outstanding features, and this one is wonderful as well,” one judge wrote.

“The layout draws readers into the feature, and the top-notch writing keeps the audience engaged.”

Police Journal editor Brett Williams wrote the powerful nine-page story about Police Association members who responded to the 2020 Mount McIntyre double murder.

Three of the seven members involved in the response took part in interviews in which they spoke openly of the crime scene and the dangers they faced.

Their most dangerous task was the arrest of the offender who was not only still on the scene but also armed with a shotgun.

What came with equal risk was their subsequent search of the two-storey house in which the killings had taken place. It was never certain that no other offender was in the house – and armed.

For some members, the response had been their first to a murder scene and, for all of them, the job came with a personal impact.

“There’s such a value in the Police Journal, with our members’ stories, having a regular place on the world stage,” Williams says. “It brings a kind of universal understanding and appreciation of the impossibly hard work our members perform.

“So I’m always grateful when members trust me to tell their stories accurately and responsibly. In this case it was Nick Patterson, Matt Hirlam and Kim Wilson.

“Listening to their individual accounts of the job, in face-to-face interviews, reinforced the respect and admiration I already had for what they’d achieved.

“And telling a story like First responders at their best is such a benefit to other members who might one day face a similar situation. We hope they don’t but, if they do, they have this as a reference.

“I don’t consider myself the sole winner of the award. Those members I interviewed, and the others who responded to the job, can rightly claim equal credit for the win.”

Williams had last scored Tabbie wins in 2022 and 2023 – gold for Best Focus/Profile Article and silver in the Feature Article category. The stories were The Crows’ own detective (October 2021) and The other pandemic (February 2022).

This year, the Gold and Silver awards went to US magazines The Transmitter and Focal Point respectively.

As well as the US and Australia, the Tabbies drew entries from Canada, the UK, New Zealand and India.

Other recognition the Police Journal received was an honourable mention in the category of Best Single Issue. It came as recognition of the summer 2024 issue which, on its cover, featured the state funeral for Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig.

The Police Journal has now won five gold, three silver and four bronze Tabbie awards. And, at the International Creative Media Awards in Germany, the journal has won one gold, one silver and two bronze design awards.

Police Association president Wade Burns spoke of the confidence he had always had in the journal to score more international wins in 2025.

“This,” he says, “makes 17 international awards the journal has won in just the past 11 years. For a police union magazine to achieve this much success on a global scale is exceptional.

“But, as I’ve said before, it’s only possible with the co-operation and trust of our members. They continue to rely on the journal team to relate both their professional and private stories.

“And, that way, the world gets to know about, and appreciate, the dynamics, pressures and impact of police life.

“And for as long as the Police Journal shines a light on police issues, it’ll always have industrial and political clout.” PJ Spring 2025

29

SUPPORT THE PAWS THAT SERVED AND PROTECTED Retired Police Dogs SA is dedicated to supporting the welfare of retired SAPOL police dogs.

Due to the nature of their work and high rate of pre-existing injuries, retired police dogs are ineligible for pet insurance. With some facing significant medical expenses after retirement, their families often struggle to bear the cost.

Your support helps ease that financial burden and ensure these loyal animals receive the best possible care. DONATE NOW RPDSA is a registered not-for-profit charity

retiredpolicedogssa.org

Steve Whetton Assistant Secretary Police Association

INDUSTRIAL

Remote Regional Staffing T

he Police Association is intensely concerned about critical staffing shortages and operational risks in remote regional communities.

Coober Pedy is a case in point. And, despite the exchange of more than 20 letters between the association and SAPOL over the past 14 months, the situation there has reached a critical tipping point.

Members continue to operate in a dangerously understaffed environment, and the station consistently reports significant vacancies.

Members are frequently required to respond to volatile incidents without backup, to manage detainees while simultaneously acting as the only patrol unit, and to work excessive shifts that result in dangerous levels of fatigue.

The association has lodged a formal industrial dispute with the South Australian Employment Tribunal.

We have documented SAPOL’s continued failure to address an ongoing, unacceptable risk of serious injury at the station.

Members are exhausted, exposed, and increasingly unsupported. They have submitted more than 27 individual hazard and incident reports (HIRs).

These reports provide detailed accounts of situations in which members have faced high-risk callouts, either solo or with inadequate support: • Violent confrontations.

• Arrests in remote locations without backup.

• Incidents requiring extended emergency response while colleagues remain tied up managing detainees.

A member on one occasion worked an 18-hour shift without rest,

undertaking long-distance travel to respond to a volatile incident. Naturally, the member was decidedly unfit for the next shift.

Among many other examples are those of a member who, after a 15-hour shift (overnight) had to stop on the side of the road owing to fatigue. This was in the course of responding, solo, to a domestic violence incident involving a knife at Oodnadatta.

These examples run counter to the corporate road safety message.

The RAA Driver Fatigue fact sheet makes particularly relevant points under the sub-heading Fatigue and road crashes: “… fatigue increases the chances of a crash being fatal from 3 in 1,000 to 1 in 100.

“It’s believed that driver fatigue contributes to as many as 35 per cent of fatal crashes.

“This figure may even be as high as 50 per cent in fatal single-vehicle crashes.

Being awake for 17 hours has the same effect on your driving as a BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration) of 0.05, doubling your risk of crashing. After 24 hours your risk of crashing is a staggering seven times higher, which is like driving with a BAC of 0.1.”

The risk is even greater for solo members when driving in poor conditions on unsealed country roads, in areas with no government radio network.

And this can occur at times when those members would normally be asleep.

Staffing is clearly inadequate for members to respond to urgent taskings or take affirmative action at scenes because of the lack of backup and/or off-duty on-call police.

Management has suggested that what might come with increased staffing is a negative impact on members’ access to courses, training, or programmed time off. Clearly, these should not be mutually exclusive.

Safety is a mammoth concern to members, and the need is for a minimum number of officers to be on duty.

Management has suggested that what might come with increased staffing is a negative impact on members’ access to courses, training, or programmed time off. Clearly, these should not be mutually exclusive.

What exacerbates understaffing further are the apparent attempts of SAPOL management to discourage legitimate hazard reporting. This raises serious concerns under the Work Health and Safety Act 2012.

The imposition of a “consequences template” (applied exclusively to Coober Pedy) and remarks from local management, which question the validity of HIRs, indicate a corrosive culture of deflecting or downplaying genuine safety concerns rather than actively working to resolve them.

This issue comes with not only an impact on operational safety. It undermines the cultural role of SAPOL community constables, many of whom get diverted from their intended liaison and community engagement roles to fill front-line patrol gaps.

This misuse of community constables erodes the trust these members work hard to build with their local communities.

Continued page 50 Spring 2025

31

­­ ­

­

­­ ­

H E A LT H

Dr Rod Pearce

Why cops face risk of DVT D

eep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs when a blood clot forms in a vein located deep within the body, usually in the legs. Unlike superficial (surface) veins close to the skin, deep veins lie within the muscles and carry the majority of blood back to the heart.

When a clot develops here, it can obstruct normal blood flow, causing pain, swelling and tissue damage.

The main concern is not just the clot itself but what happens if a fragment of that clot breaks away. A piece of clot can travel through the blood stream, lodge in the lungs and cause a pulmonary embolus (PE). PE is a medical emergency that can cause chest pain, shortness of breath, collapse and, in severe cases, sudden death.

So, DVT is not simply a leg problem.

It can become a life-threatening event if left undiagnosed or untreated.

DVT is relatively common in the general population, perhaps around one to two cases per 1,000 adults and the risk increases with age but can occur in otherwise healthy and active people.

Untreated DVT leads to a PE in about a third of cases.

Police officers face increased risk from long shifts spent driving or observing in cars. This reduces circulation in the legs and is similar to the risk in long-haul flights. Also, shift work can cause disrupted routines and long periods without standing, stretching or hydrating properly.

During operational duties, an injury to the lower leg can cause bruising, altered blood flow and clot formation.

Wearing heavy protective gear, belts and body armour might impair circulation, particularly during long patrols.

When police work puts officers in positions in which a clot can occur, they should stand, walk or stretch at least every two hours.

Also, we know that stress and lifestyle factors – smoking, poor sleep and inconsistent exercise – might contribute indirectly to clot risk and formation.

While clots can form in the arms, pelvis or other locations, the classic DVT is a blood clot in the leg veins.

The classic symptoms of DVT in the leg include swelling of the calf or thigh, usually in one leg, causing legs to be different sizes. Pain or tenderness, or perhaps a cramp or ache, will occur as the clot irritates the vein. Redness and increased warmth might be a sign of altered circulation or the injury which has cause altered blood flow and a clot formation.

A blood test is now available to give a reliable estimate of clot formation somewhere in the body if there are no outward signs. The usual way to get a diagnosis, however, is with an ultrasound of the leg or affected limb.

In the case of DVT, the ultrasound will be able to measure the size of the clot, how deep it is, and which veins might be affected. The ultrasound can also detect possible causes, such a muscle tear, infection or tumour, which might be the trigger for the clot.

The first sign of DVT might be when it has already gone to the lungs and the sufferer presents with sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, coughing up blood, dizziness, fainting or collapse.

Early diagnosis will lead to treatment which now involves safe and easyto-administer drugs. Wearing a compression stocking will not dissolve a clot once it forms but might be useful in reducing the chance of developing DVT and help the swelling go down afterward.

When police work puts officers in positions in which a clot can occur, they should stand, walk or stretch at least every two hours.

Proper hydration is important because the blood will thicken if slowed or dehydrated. Leg exercises like ankle flexing, wriggling toes or gentle calf raises can improve circulation during long periods of sitting.

If you have an injury, it helps to walk and return to activity as soon as possible as lying around in bed is a perfect way to precipitate clot formation.

DVT is serious but preventable.

Occupational factors such as long shifts in vehicles, injuries and demanding work patterns make awareness especially important.

Recognizing the symptoms, seeking medical assessment promptly and adopting practical prevention strategies can significantly reduce risk. Leg pain or swelling is not always just a strain but might just be DVT.

Spring 2025

33

Jim Barnett

MOTORING

Model Nissan Qashqai 1.3-litre CVT from $34,665 (ST) to $48,165 (Ti-L), e-POWER from $47,165 (Ti) to $54,365 (N-Design).

Powertrain 1.3-litre (110kW/250Nm) turbo-charged four-cylinder petrol engine with CVT automatic transmission. e-POWER 1.5-litre turbo-charged three-cylinder petrol generator, electric motor (140kW/330Nm) with reduction drive automatic transmission.

Safety All models, seven airbags, full suite of crash-avoidance and driver-assistance technologies, tyre-pressure monitor, reversing sensors and rear camera (upper models have additional equipment).

Fuel/economy 55-litre tank, 91 RON (minimum), 95 RON (recommended), 1.3-litre (ICE), 6.1 litres/100km, e-POWER 4.8 litres/100km (combined test).

Cargo Between 404 and 1,447 litres with second-row seats folded (model dependent). Temporary spare wheel (all but Ti-L e-POWER which has repair kit).

Warranty/service Up to 10-year/300,000km service-activated warranty and roadside assist. Five years flat-price servicing.

Jeep Avenger Avenger is Jeep’s first battery electric vehicle (BEV) in Australia. It ticks many boxes but might struggle against others on price, safety rating and range.

Designed and built in Europe, Avenger has retained Jeep’s DNA including the renowned seven-bar grille. It’s available in three equipment grades (Longitude, Limited and Summit) with prices ranging from $49,990 to $60,990 (plus ORC).

Although small in stature (just 4.08 metres long) this compact SUV stands out in a crowd with its bulging mudguards and optional two-tone paint jobs.

Avenger has a 54kW battery powering a 400-volt electric motor driving the 34

Police Journal

DRIVING front wheels. Jeep claims a driving range of up to 396km (WLTP test procedure).

Inside, it appears bigger than its outside dimensions suggest with comfortable front seats and good visibility. Dual 10.25-inch screens feature with a central infotainment screen offering satellite navigation, DAB+ radio and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Up-front storage is good with a decent glove box, door bins, two console bins and cup holders. In the back there’s no storage save for two map pockets.

Although the 60/40 split-fold rear seat is reasonably comfortable it’s tight on leg room for tall adults.

Top-spec Summit provides a rewarding driving experience. Its poweradjustable driver’s seat (with massage function) offers stacks of leg room and good visibility. The small sports steering wheel also provides plenty of adjustment for the best driving position.

Gear selection is via four push-button switches at the front of the console, and the electric park brake engages/ disengages automatically. Most car functions can be accessed via steeringwheel buttons or switchgear near the central screen, negating the need to scroll through menus.

While not the most powerful electric SUV on the market, Avenger provides more than enough power to make it

Stands out in a crowd

DESIGN AND FUNCTION

DESIGN AND FUNCTION The updated (MY25) Nissan Qashqai (urban crossover SUV) offers an expanded choice of models along with claimed improvements in design, technology and connectivity.

Five trim levels feature across the range with two different powertrains.

ST, ST-L, Ti and Ti-L are also offered with a 1.3-litre turbo-charged fourcylinder petrol engine driving the front wheels through a conventional CVT transmission.

Ti and Ti-L also feature Nissan’s e-POWER powertrain while top-spec N-Design is exclusively fitted with e-POWER. Best described as a series hybrid, e-POWER uses a 1.5-litre threecylinder turbo petrol engine purely as a generator to charge its battery which in turn powers the front axle via an electric motor.

External changes deliver a revised front end with new grille and lighting assembles (front and rear), three new

engaging. Weighing just 1,520kg and with 115kW of power and 260Nm of torque on tap, acceleration is reasonably brisk from any speed (0-100km/h in nine seconds, according to Jeep).

Owing to its size, Avenger is nippy around town, has a good turning circle and is easy to park.

On the highway it’s no slouch with more than enough power for hills and overtaking. Its steering is light but never vague, ride comfort is good, and its generally quiet inside, except for some tyre and wind noise depending on conditions.

paint colours, revised alloy wheels and optional black roof on Ti and above.

All models score dual-zone climate control, a decent 12.3-inch central colour touchscreen with DAB+ radio and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

New materials feature on the console, dashboard and glovebox while upper models score ambient lighting, Alcantara trim and a larger 12.3-inch TFT instrument display.

DRIVING Nissan nailed the brief with top-spec N–Design e-POWER. Inside it feels spacious and airy. Its eight-way poweradjustable heated driver’s seat and heated multi-adjustable sports steering wheel provide the perfect driving position and good visibility.

Push-button entry and start along with an auto on/off park brake and walkaway auto locking all make life easier.

The multi-around camera view is crystal clear making manoeuvring in tight spaces easy.

Drivers will likely appreciate the high-quality 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster which displays a myriad of information, much of it duplicated on the 10.8-inch head-up (windscreen) display which is one of the few that works well with polarized sunglasses.

Most impressive is how Qashqai e-Power drives. Essentially its drive characteristics are more akin to an EV than a hybrid. The engine is almost undetectable because of great sound insulation and no driveline vibration as the petrol motor has no physical connection to the wheels.

The electric motor produces a credible 140kW of power and 330Nm of torque. When pushed, acceleration is brisk enough. There’s an e-pedal button which provides increased regenerative braking for single-pedal driving and a ProPILOT button that provides a level of semi-autonomous driving on the highway (steering, braking, and acceleration).

Nailed the brief

Nissan Qashqai

Model Jeep Avenger Electric SUV. Charging Five hours 34 minutes (0-100% 11kW AC), 24 minutes (20-80% 100kW DC).

Safety Three-Star ANCAP (mainly owing to performance of its AEB system detecting pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists and no rear AEB), six airbags, reverse camera with gridlines, traffic-sign recognition, lane-keep assist, blind-spot assist (not on Longitude).

Cargo bay 355 litres (increases substantially with rear seat folded), tyre repair kit in lieu of spare wheel.

Warranty/service Five years/100,000km, eight-year/160,000km battery warranty, 12-month/12,500km service intervals at $250 first five services.

Spring 2025

35

SWITCH & SAVE Refinance your home loan to us and you could SAVE thousands!

PLATINUM MEMBER EXCLUSIVE *

NO PACKAGE FEE

SAVE AN EXTRA $420

Call 1300 131 844, email us at platinum@policecu.com.au, head to policecu.com.au/platinum or visit a branch.

Police Credit Union Ltd (PCU) ABN 30 087 651 205 AFSL/Australian Credit Licence 238991. Terms, conditions, fees, charges and lending criteria apply. Full details upon request. All information is current as at 02/11/2022 and subject to change. PCU reserves the right to withdraw or amend product features at any time. Please consider if the product is right for you. *No further discounts apply.

ADVERTORIAL

Unlocking the power of your home’s equity F

or many homeowners, a home is more than just a place to live, it’s their most valuable financial asset.

But what if you could put that value to work? That’s where your property’s equity comes in.

Equity is the difference between your property’s current market value and how much you still owe on your mortgage.

According to PropTrack's Property Market Outlook Report December 2024, house prices in Adelaide increased by 14.6% in 2024. This means, depending on when you bought your home and how much you have paid off, you could be sitting on thousands of dollars in equity.

The good news is you might be able to unlock your home’s equity to invest in those dream renovation plans or make your next big purchase.

Here’s how you could use your equity and how to grow it faster.

WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH YOUR HOME’S EQUITY? Renovate or improve your home You can use the equity in your home to invest in renovating or extending your home to not only increase its resale value but also make it into your dream home.

Consider refreshing your kitchen, adding another bedroom or office, creating an outdoor entertaining area or improving your energy efficiency by installing solar panels or insulation.

These will all enhance your comfort now while being attractive features to potential future buyers.

Fund a big purchase If you’re in the market for new wheels, you could use your equity to buy yourself a new or used car. Looking for adventure instead? Your equity could be the key to a caravan or boat.

Buy an investment property Your equity can be used as a deposit for a second property – be it an investment property or a holiday home.

Saving for a deposit can be difficult and take a long time, but with your equity you might be closer than you think to purchasing that next investment.

Help your kids enter the property market You might choose to use the equity in your home to help your child enter the property market. As a guarantor, you can use part of the equity in your home as a security for your child’s home loan.

Police Credit Union is an award-winning credit union, offering highly competitive home loan and personal loan rates with exclusive perks for police officers through our Platinum membership.

HOW TO GROW YOUR EQUITY FASTER Make extra repayments If you can afford to, increasing your repayment amounts means you’ll build equity more quickly. If you move from monthly to fortnightly repayments, you are adding an extra repayment to the year than if you pay monthly (26 repayments a year versus 12 repayments). Every extra dollar you pay works towards reducing your loan principal, reducing the amount you owe and saving you interest.

Offset accounts An offset account can help you reduce the amount of interest charged on your loan. This means you might be able to pay off the principal amount faster, building more equity over time. Police Credit Union offers flexibility with 100% offset accounts with most of our variable home loans.

Continued page 50 Spring 2025

37

Free Legal Service Police Free Legal Service forfor Police Association Members, their Association Members, their families and retired Members. families and retired Members.

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

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

CRIMINAL & DISCIPLINARY CRIMINAL & DISCIPLINARY • All criminal matters • All• criminal matters • Intervention orders • Intervention orders • • Internal investigations • Internal investigations • (misconduct/discipline) (misconduct/discipline) • Coronial Inquiries (deaths in • • Coronial Inquiries (deaths in custody) custody)

• Commissioner’s Inquiries Commissioner’s Inquiries • Significant Incident Investigations Significant Incident Investigations • ICAC (corruption) investigations ICAC (corruption) investigations • Reviews of workplace decisions Reviews of workplace decisions Luke Officer Daniel Weekley Hanna Rogers Kevin Raison (suspension, admin orders, Luke Officer Daniel Weekley Hanna Rogers Kevin Raison (suspension, admin orders, working restrictions) working restrictions)

PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS

• Work injury compensation • Public liability • Work injuryvehicle compensation liability • Motor accident injury• Public • Income Protection and • Motor vehicle accident injury • Income Protection and compensation Superannuation (TPD) claims compensation Superannuation (TPD) claims

Gary Allison Amber Sprague Denise Abfalter Gary Allison Amber Sprague Denise Abfalter

FAMILY & DIVORCE FAMILY & DIVORCE

Matrimonial, De Facto and Same-Sex Relationships Matrimonial, De Facto and Same-Sex Relationships • Property settlements • Property settlements • Children’s issues • Children’s issues

• Child Support matters • Child Support matters • Pre-nuptial style agreements • Pre-nuptial style agreements

WILLS & ESTATES WILLS & ESTATES

• Wills & Testamentary Trusts • Wills & Testamentary • Enduring Powers Trusts of Attorney• • Enduring Powers Attorney • Advance CareofDirectives • • Advance Care Directives •

Dina Paspaliaris Rebecca Zanol Scarlett Grose Dina Paspaliaris Rebecca Zanol Scarlett Grose

• Advice to executors of deceased Advice to executors of deceased estates estates • Obtaining Grants of Probate Obtaining of Probate • EstateGrants disputes Sarah Mitchell Michael Arras Sam Michele Estate disputes Sarah Mitchell Michael Arras Sam Michele

BUSINESS & PROPERTY BUSINESS & PROPERTY

• Business transactions • General business advice transactions • General • Commercial disputes • Realbusiness estate & advice property advice• Business • Commercial disputes • Real estate & property advice • Conveyancing • Conveyancing

Adelaide | Reynella | Salisbury | Gawler | Mt Barker Adelaide | Reynella | Salisbury | Mt Barker Semaphore | Murray Bridge || Gawler Port Lincoln | Mannum | Whyalla Semaphore | Murray Bridge | Port Lincoln | Mannum | Whyalla Perth (WA) | Darwin (NT) | Brisbane (QLD) | Canberra (ACT) Perth (WA) | Darwin (NT) | Brisbane (QLD) | Canberra (ACT)

t

tgb.com.au | (08) 8212 1077 tgb.com.au | (08) 8212 1077

Nour Harb Sam Michele Nour Harb Sam Michele

5

n

LEGAL

Daniel Weekley Senior Associate Tindall Gask Bentley Lawyers

Critical incidents and deaths in custody H

ardly a week passes without headlines somewhere around the country screaming the news of another death in police custody.

The outrage is instant. So too are the calls for heads to roll, and for sweeping reform.

From the outset, early media reports often point the finger at police.

But behind every headline lies complexity, and the truth is rarely black and white. Deaths in custody happen in a wide variety of circumstances and it's usually not until the coroner conducts an inquiry that the nuances of the matter come to light.

Even after a lengthy inquest, a coroner will often not be able to define a cause of death with certainty.

In recent inquests, previously wellknown concepts such as positional asphyxia have been challenged. Vague and nebulous causes such as overexertion can sometimes arise as the main contributing factor to a death.

Every death is tragic. But recent inquests reveal a sobering truth: blame is rarely clear-cut, and police actions are not always the culprit, no matter how loud the outcry.

A death in custody sets off a chain reaction – a flurry of investigators, interviews, and internal scrutiny. In the eye of the storm stands the officer, suddenly at the centre of an unfolding tragedy. It is vital that officers are aware of their professional obligations and rights immediately following a death.

The definitions are broad, and sometimes overwhelming. “Death in custody” can mean almost any fatality linked to a police encounter.

A “critical incident” casts the net wider

still, encompassing any serious injury or death stemming from police action. For the officer involved, the terminology might be less important than the fact his or her life just changed in an instant.

Speak to officers who’ve lived through it, and the stories are harrowing. Some deaths feel inevitable – a drug-fuelled driver determined to crash through anything in his or her path. Others unfold in seconds – a suspect with a hidden injury collapsing moments after arrest. These moments haunt even the most experienced cops.

Then comes the paperwork.

Mountains of it. Hundreds – even thousands – of pages across acts, regulations, general orders and internal procedures. Each one detailing what “should” happen. In reality? It’s near impossible to get it all right.

As a sample, any or all of the Coroners Act, the Police Act, the Police Complaints and Discipline Act, their regulations, and general orders Custody Management, Deaths and Deaths in Custody, Operational Safety – Operational Equipment, Operational Safety – High Risk Driving, Significant Incident Investigations and commissioner's inquiries, and notebooks all frequently apply when there is a death in custody.

One of the cruellest ironies is this: the cause of death is often unknown for weeks, sometimes months, after the incident. Yet the officer involved must answer questions from the very first night.

So, what happens next? Well, to protect themselves, there are some things all officers should expect, and should know.

The association exists for this very reason: to stand by you when the worst happens.

If you're involved in a death in custody, don’t go it alone. Call.

Get a lawyer.

Protect your rights, and your future.

First: you’ll be pulled from the case immediately. That’s not punishment, it's protection. Someone else will take the reins of the investigation.

Second: immediately following the death, multiple units might descend.

Major Crime, Major Crash, and Internal Investigations can all be involved, each probing from a different angle. You need to know who’s asking, and why.

It is advisable to seek advice before providing a formal version of events.

Third: if there is any uncertainty about whether police action has caused the death, don’t guess, don’t assume. Call for immediate advice. The Police Association has a 24-hour service for exactly this reason.

Fourth: understand your position.

Are you a witness, or under suspicion?

If there’s any doubt, protect yourself.

Assume the latter. All the various laws, regulations, and orders can be dealt with after you have considered your fundamental right against selfincrimination.

The association exists for this very reason: to stand by you when the worst happens. If you're involved in a death in custody, don’t go it alone. Call.

Get a lawyer. Protect your rights, and your future.

Spring 2025

39

BOOKS

Oliphant Roland Perry Allen & Unwin

August 6, 1945: the United States launches the world's first nuclear attack on Japan. J Robert Oppenheimer will be remembered as the father of the bomb, but it was Australian physicist Sir Mark Oliphant, and his lab, who discovered how to build it.

With Hitler determined to acquire atomic weapons, Oliphant shares his secret research with Oppenheimer and helps him build the first nuclear bomb. It is a decision both will come to regret.

Oliphant's brilliance extended to the development of radar, an innovation that saved Britain from Nazi invasion.

After the war, amid a slew of KGB scandals enveloping his team, Oliphant's push against US nuclear dominance drew suspicion from the CIA. He came under surveillance and was banned from entering the USA, the country he had given so much.

Oliphant traces the man’s life from his humble beginnings in Adelaide, early academic triumphs and collaboration with Sir Ernest Rutherford, his crucial involvement in radar and the Manhattan Project, to establishing the Australian National University and serving as a highly controversial Governor of South Australia.

Win a book, an in-season movie pass or a DVD! For your chance to win a book, an in-season movie pass (courtesy of Wallis Cinemas), or a DVD, send your name, phone number, work location and despatch number, along with your choice of book, movie and/or DVD to giveaways@pj.asn.au

40

Police Journal

The Power Within

Travis Boak Pan Macmillan Australia

Travis Boak is one of the most talented and tenacious AFL players of the era.

Three-time All-Australian and a former Port Adelaide captain, he's renowned for his football IQ and his physical endurance. In 2024 he played his 350th game, cementing his status as an elite champion.

Travis is known as the best trainer and preparer in the AFL, showing the importance of mindset and focus. And this focus on emotional and psychological health has been a hallmark, not just of his football but also his life.

After losing his father to cancer at a young age, Travis blindly carried his grief and trauma for far too long. It was not until he was finally able to reckon with this weight that he was able to give life – and football – his all.

From one of the game's most respected and impressive players, this is a story of the hard work of living with vulnerability, and the power it can give us all.

Through Fear and Fire: The Explosive True Story of a Bomb Squad Veteran John Taylor with Heath O’Loughlin Pan Macmillan Australia

The thrilling memoir of Victoria Police Special Operations Group bomb squad veteran John Taylor.

The Special Operations Group is an elite police unit which responds to crises like shoot-outs, armed robberies, terrorism. And when the threat gets explosive, enter the Bomb Response Unit.

John “JT” Taylor has seen it all, from backyard blowups to the largest bomb ever to go off in Australia.

He became the force's longest-serving bomb disposal expert and one of its most distinguished members.

Between handling unpredictable homemade explosive devices, daring driving manoeuvres and swapping bullets with hostage-takers, JT has stared down death. He's an adrenaline addict, having scaled some of the highest peaks in the world, including Mount Everest.

From armed robberies to counter-terrorism, bombs and booby-traps, this memoir reveals details of chilling true crime stories.

Dust

Michael Brissenden Affirm Press

Lake Heddon, a once-thriving community, now lies in the shadow of a nearly dry lake.

The town, like the water, is evaporating and its residents are left clinging to what little remains.

When Aaron Love discovers a fresh corpse near the cracked lakebed – along with evidence his missing father is alive and linked to a web of organized crime – he is thrust into a world of deception, injustice and betrayal.

With the town on the brink of collapse, Heddon and haunted detective Martyn Kravets uncover a web of conspiracy that reaches far beyond the small community.

Dust is a dark, gripping thriller that explores the complexities of identity, a search for truth, and the unyielding forces of corruption in a world where lives are lived on the fringe, and nothing is as it seems.

Spring 2025

41

BOOKS

CINEMA

Crow

Rhonda McCoy Ventura Press

When gentleman farmer Harold Crow dies after routine surgery in rural Tasmania, his death exposes a web of forbidden love, secret offspring, and devastating betrayals that will tear two families apart.

Local GP Dr David Boyd fears his secret affair with Harold will surface at the inquest.

His wife Morven hides her own hurtful truth.

Nurse Nathan Wentworth fears his actions might have killed Harold and that he will be charged with negligence. But he's not the only one with blood on his hands.

When Harold’s daughter Primrose comes home to Albert Falls for the funeral, she inherits more than her father's business – she inherits his secrets and has to confront harsh truths.

As a marriage crumbles and alliances shift, the Boyd family will use any weapon to protect their lies and reputations.

Wicked: for Good Bubsie and The Boys

November 20

David Riley Signs Publishing

In the winter of 1925, Nevill Westwood and Greg Davies, both 21, left Perth headed for Darwin in a small, bright yellow Citroen, which they nicknamed “Bubsie”. The two-seater, French-made vehicle had less horsepower than a modern-day lawnmower.

There were no serviced roads in the great outback, and nobody had ever driven the northern route from Perth to Darwin. The boys had to rely on the generosity of cattle station managers for food and fuel.

This already sizeable endeavour became much greater when Bubsie and the boys decided to race two other faster vehicles around the Australian continent.

The boys glimpsed the triumphs and tragedies of life in early 20th-century Australia, met memorable characters and ultimately found themselves in a race to be the first to lap the continent.

Travelling most of the same route Westwood and Davies travelled 100 years ago, David Riley chronicles the original story of the first car to circle Australia.

42

Police Journal

The global cinematic phenomenon continues as the story of Elphaba and Glinda reaches its epic, electrifying, and emotional conclusion.

Now demonized as the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba lives in exile in the Ozian forest, while Glinda resides at the palace in Emerald City, revelling in the perks of fame and popularity.

As an angry mob rises against the Wicked Witch, she'll need to reunite with Glinda to transform herself, and all of Oz, for good.

Wicked: for Good stars Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande and Jeff Goldblum.

Sisu: Road to Revenge November 20

Sisu: Road to Revenge is a sequel to the original sleeper hit SISU. Returning to the house where his family was brutally murdered during the war, “the man who refuses to die” (Jorma Tommila) dismantles it, loads it on a truck, and is determined to rebuild it somewhere safe in their honour.

When Red Army commander Igor Draganov (Stephen Lang, Don’t Breathe), who killed his family, comes back hellbent on finishing the job, a relentless, eye-popping cross-country chase ensues – a fight to the death.

Avatar: Fire and Ash December 18

Avatar: Fire and Ash goes back to Pandora in an immersive new adventure with Marine turned Na’vi leader Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Na’vi warrior Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and the Sully family.

Jake and Neytiri’s family grapples with grief after Neteyam’s death, encountering a new, aggressive Na’vi tribe, the Ash People, who are led by the fiery Varang, as the conflict on Pandora escalates and a new moral focus emerges.

Anaconda December 26

Doug (Jack Black) and Griff (Paul Rudd) have been best friends since they were kids and have always dreamed of remaking their all-time favourite movie: the cinematic “classic” Anaconda.

When a mid-life crisis pushes them finally to go for it, they head deep into the Amazon to start filming.

But things get real when an actual giant anaconda appears, turning their comically chaotic movie set into a deadly situation.

The movie they’re dying to make might just get them killed.

Spring 2025

43

DVDs

The Chelsea Detective, Series 3 360 minutes, $34.95

DI Max Arnold and DS Layla Walsh return, delving once more into the darker side of Chelsea lurking beneath its glossy façade.

Series 3 of the hit crime series finds the team investigating the tragic death of a 2000s popstar, an ex-soldier buried in an allotment, the brutal murder of an antiques dealer, and a climate scientist found dead in a stolen car.

With four new thrilling cases taking the team from intrepid mudlarks on the Thames foreshore to the formidable power of the US Embassy, this series presents the team with its toughest challenges yet.

Dark Winds

44

Police Journal

Season 3

Season 2

Season 1

370 minutes, $34.95

287 minutes, $29.95

The third season picks up six months after the events of season 2. It follows Lt Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) and Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon) as they investigate the disappearance of two boys, with only an abandoned bicycle and a blood-stained patch of ground left in their wake.

Meanwhile, Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten) attempts to settle into her new life 500 miles from home with the Border Patrol, but stumbles across a conspiracy involving human and drug smuggling with far-reaching implications.

Lt Joe Leaphorn reunites with Jim Chee, his former deputy turned private eye, when their separate cases bring them together in pursuit of the same suspect.

They find themselves in the high desert of Navajo Country chasing a killer who’s turned his sights on them to protect a secret that rips open old wounds and challenges Leaphorn’s moral and professional code.

On a remote outpost of the Navajo Nation near Monument Valley in 1971, Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn of the Tribal Police is besieged by a series of seemingly unrelated crimes. The closer he digs to the truth, the more he exposes the wounds of his past.

He is joined on this journey by his new deputy, Jim Chee, who has his own old scores to settle.

Together, the two men battle the forces of evil, each other and their own personal demons on the path to salvation.

261 minutes, $29.95

ON SCENE

Graduates’ Dinner: Transition Course 4/2025

1

2

SkyCity Southwest Suite July 4, 2025

1. Jordan Ridsdale, Alex Mullen and Stuart Morris.

2. Andy Henman and Darren Carey.

3. Jack McCabe and Erica Williamson 4. Shannon Norman and Sam Norman.

5. Laura Hodder and Curtis Foster.

3

Graduation dinners are sponsored

by Healthy, Wealthy and Wise

A joint initiative by the Police Association of South Australia, Police Credit Union and Police Health.

5

4

1

3

6

2

4 7

5

8

ON SCENE

Graduates’ Dinner: Course 81/2024 SkyCity Southwest Suite, July 12, 2025 46

Police Journal

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Jessica Glavas and Bagus Brooks.

Andrew Madigan and Bradley Llewellyn.

Jack Williams and Jayme Madigan.

Jesse Stokes and Claire Angley.

Katie Zeunert, Jenna Enge, Clara Morf and Casey Muirhead.

Lauren Rawe and James Eustace.

David Montgomery and Tyson Harvey.

Taylor Fry, Jayda Gough, Tara Kumnick and Sarah Debono.

4

1

2

3

5

6

7

Graduation dinners are sponsored by Healthy, Wealthy and Wise A joint initiative by the Police Association of South Australia, Police Credit Union and Police Health.

Graduates’ Dinner: Course 82/2024 SkyCity Southwest Suite, August 16, 2025

1. Cara Schilt and Jessica Martin.

2. Lincoln Holder and Caitlin Martini.

3. Lloyd Herreen and Manuela Ramirez.

4. Liam Rouse and Belinda Girolamo.

5. Manny Thomas Babu, Auckland Heys, Lakshay Goyal and Lachlan Stennett.

6. Liam White and Rhianna Verrall.

7. Charlie Duggan and Ally Cu.

Spring 2025

47

ON SCENE

Graduates’ Dinner: Course 83/2024

1

2

SkyCity Southwest Suite September 13, 2025

1. Brandon Dent and Amara Rourke.

2. Aimy Dang and Tyrone Schwartz.

3. Srna Banovic, Kate Dewis and Ella Sibley.

4. Lachlan Couzner and Jaxon Dell'oro.

5. Jack Montgomery and Nicole Kociuba.

3

Graduation dinners are sponsored

by Healthy, Wealthy and Wise

A joint initiative by the Police Association of South Australia, Police Credit Union and Police Health.

48

Police Journal

4

5

Graduates’ Dinner: Course 84/2025

1

2

3

4

5

6

SkyCity Southwest Suite October 18, 2025

1. Ebony and Craig Christensen.

2. Liam and Nicole Wallace.

3. Rhett Chessman and Summer Ramages.

4. Rhys Newman and Irina Sandaev.

5. Tahlia Reid and Blake Wood.

6. Mrunal and Simani Patel.

7. Hamish White and Aidan Edge.

8. Jaqueline Miller and Sam Hall.

9. Tyler Charlton-Dean and Michelle Ruchin.

7

8

9

Spring 2025

49

INDUSTRIAL

ADVERTORIAL

From page 31

From page 37

The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), Aboriginal Community Constables (Regional), Traditional Community Constables and Police Liaison Officers details that community constables’ authorities, responsibilities and legislated immunities are subject to limitation imposed by the commissioner and detailed in their associated instrument of appointment.

In respect of community constables (CCs) and traditional community constables (TCCs), the SOP stipulates that: “CC and TCC training, despite aligning to components of a police officer’s training, is substantially less both in time and content. As a result they are not to be used as first response frontline operational police officers. CC’s (sic) and TCC’s (sic) are to be deployed as a specialist resource for police interactions within their cultural scope and are not to be deployed as an extra resource to be absorbed onto patrol duties.”

Community constables find themselves despatched solo, with no additional backup, despite the SOP. This forces them to police family members and damage cultural relationships rather than perform their community liaison role.

The association advocated for members in the South Australian Employment Tribunal and is awaiting the recommendation.

A S S O CI A

TI

S

OU

A

LI

OF

A

P

I CE

ON

OL

T H AU S T R

Police Journal

Police Credit Union is an awardwinning credit union, offering highly competitive home loan and personal loan rates with exclusive perks for police officers through our Platinum membership. By switching to us you could save thousands as we don’t charge any of the monthly or annual fees that most banks do. PLUS, as a Platinum member you pay $0 on package fees, saving you $420* when you switch.

LET’S MAKE YOUR HOME EQUITY WORK FOR YOU. GET IN TOUCH TODAY. Talk to your Platinum relationship manager, Glenn Lewis, today to receive personalized advice. This will include a free RP Data property report which will provide an estimate on the current value of your property. From there, you can meet one-on-one to discuss your options to ensure you can make your home loan and equity work for you.

Contact Glenn on 0421 243 741 or e-mail platinum@policecu.com.au.

You can also visit policecu.com.au to view our competitive loans and find out more about Platinum benefits or visit your local branch.

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

Information correct as at 01/08/2025 and subject to change. *Excludes Business Banking &/or Commercial Loans and loans to a Trust or Self-Managed Super Fund.

Please consider your circumstances before deciding if the product or advice is right for you. PCU reserves the right to withdraw offers or amend product features at any time.

Property reports are guides provided

by CoreLogic Asia Pacific Pty Ltd ABN 67 087 759 171, please refer https://www. policecu.com.au/free-property-report/.

No further discounts apply.

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.

50

Refinance to Police Credit Union

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

ON SCENE

1

Police Association Annual Conference

2

3

Hilton Adelaide October 21, 2025

1. Zac Cook and Mark Staples.

2. Robert Brelsford and Gary Craggs.

3. Aaron Hickey, Haydn Evans, Philip Procto and Mike Ruffel.

4. Peter Koulianos, Tony Coad and Sam Brain.

5. Andrew Bradley and David Furniss.

6. Scott Weber (PFA), Evan Kelly (NT Police Association), Alex Caruana (AFPA) and Paul McCue (AFPA).

7. Simon Haebich, Owen Wales and Duncan Gerrie.

4

5

6

7

Spring 2025

51

The Last Shift

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

Andrew Beaufort Marita Holyoak-Tarrant Martin Mazik Steven Mikajlo Shaun O’Rielley

Senior Constable Marita Holyoak-Tarrant Mount Gambier CIB 17 years’ service Last Day: 22.07.25

Comments…

“After 17 years in policing, this has not been an easy decision.

My career has been incredibly challenging at times, both personally and professionally, but I have always been proud to serve the community.

“Throughout those years, the support of the association has been valued and appreciated, particularly during periods when that backing made a real difference.

“Thank you for the support provided during my time as a member (especially Nadia).”

Senior Sergeant 1C Martin Mazik

Southern District 45 years’ service Last Day: 30.07.25 Comments…

“I take this opportunity to thank all those who I have worked for and with. Forty-five-plus years has seen me enjoy the variety of work offered within SAPOL and I leave much richer

P

I CE

A S S O CI A

TI

OF

A

ON

S

OU

A

LI

OL

T H AU S T R

Police Journal

Sergeant 1C Steven Mikajlo

Southern Property Store 40 years’ service Last Day: 24.07.25 Comments…

“I feel honoured to have worked with so many great individuals and groups within SAPOL over my long career.

“A big thank you to the Police Association and to my SAPOL friends over the years in assisting me to gain the conditions and pay for which I will forever be grateful.

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.

52

in life's experiences, both good and bad, believing I made a difference in my part of the world.

“Police Association, I thank you for your tireless efforts in looking after and protecting your members.

From the day I started in 1980 I have been privy to the benefits of the association committee and executive in what they have achieved. This makes retiring a lot easier to manage.

“I leave with fond memories and, most important, to the current SAPOL members, take care and look after each other.”

Regular mail Police Journal, PO Box 6032, Halifax St, Adelaide SA 5000 Email editor@pasa.asn.au Internal dispatch Police Journal 168

“I hope that I have left the organization with improved technology to policing the front line, such as the City of Adelaide CCTV Network, SEMS TV, SA GRN and the SAPOL fibre network.

“To those members at IS&T, Police Communications and Southern District: thank you. It was a pleasure to serve alongside you.”

Sergeant 1C Andrew Beaufort

Limestone Coast 21 years’ service Last Day: 03.07.25 Comments…

“I joined up with SAPOL almost 21 years ago and have loved almost every minute of it, starting with my time at the academy and Course 61.

“I have joined up with Victoria Police and commence with them shortly.

“A large part of my reason for enjoying the job so much was the conditions I was provided, and I thank the association for its hard work.

“I remained on patrols for my entire career and the amount of work required from patrol officers now is enormous compared to what it was when I started.

The expectations placed on them can often be overwhelming.

“I see that the association is pushing hard to change the amount of work placed on police from other agencies such as SA Health and DCP, and also the amount of work involved in many coronial investigations.

TI

A

OF

S

OU

A S S O CI A

A

LI

P

I CE

ON

OL

T H AU S T R

“I think that, if you can succeed in these changes, it will make an enormous difference and allow patrol officers to get back to what they should be doing.

Anything that can be done to increase the efficiency/effectiveness of patrol officers should be a priority for SAPOL. “I have also witnessed the terrible toll that protracted internal investigations can take on police officers and I see that the association is also fighting hard to see changes in this area and anything that can be done to speed up the process should be encouraged.

“Thanks very much for all your hard work and I hope that you keep up the good fight.”

“To all my colleagues over the years: thanks for all your friendship and support. You truly are what makes this job so special.”

Detective Sergeant 1C Shaun O’Rielley

Operations Admin Section 41 years’ service Last Day: 11.07.25

“By the 1990s, I moved into the CIB, where policing became serious business.

I was involved in major investigations and trials – work that was often stressful.

“My career took me to Holden Hill, Adelaide, Port Adelaide, Elizabeth, SCIB. Within those areas, working in tactical teams like NCRD, UTT, Operation Mantle, provided some of the best times of my working life.

“I’ve been fortunate to work alongside – and to lead – some outstanding people.

Across four decades, I’ve seen enormous changes in policing, not all of them for the better.

“I loved being a detective, but somewhere along the way we shifted from being decision-makers to a production-line style of policing.

“Many of the leaders and colleagues from my earlier days were among the toughest, most reliable people I’ve ever known.

“As I now move into retirement, I do so with gratitude for the career I’ve had, the people I’ve worked with, and the friendships made along the way.

“I also leave with the amazing benefits that come from years of representation and hard work behind the scenes by the Police Association – something I’m truly thankful for.

“I’ll always be proud to say I served 40 years in SAPOL.”

Comments…

“In 1984, as a 19-year-old graduate, I joined SAPOL. Policing then was simple: typewriters, revolvers, 5-litre V8 Commodores, and – most important – great teams and partners.

Change of Address The Police Association of South Australia needs your change-­of-address details.

If you have moved, in either the recent or distant past, please let the association know your new address. Its office does not receive notification of changed addresses by any other means.

The association will need your new address, full name, ID number, telephone numbers (home, work and/or mobile).

Members can e-mail these details to the association on pasa@pasa.asn.au or send them by letter through dispatch (168).

Spring 2025

53

P

I CE

A S S O CI A

TI

OF

A

ON

OL

A

LI

S

OU

T H AU S T R

POLICE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Members’ Buying Guide The Police Association Members Buying Guide offers members and their families massive exclusive discounts on a wide range of goods and services.

The easiest way to access all the discount codes is to join the private Facebook Group at facebook.com/groups/membersBuyingGuide

A S S O CI A

P

I CE

TI

ON

OL

A

OF

A

LI

S

OU

T H AU S T R

WINTER 2025

s, I go to bed “On bad day the ly just lie in and basical waiting for foetal position n to kick in.” the medicatio

SO CLOSE ND TO A SECO DEATH

A

PO L

A S S O CI A T I

ON

I CE

RA

LI

OF

SO

U T H AU S T

Police Journal

policecu.com.au

#BankOnUs

Our Low Rate Car Loan will get you rev’d up!

PLATINUM MEMBER BENEFIT

NO PACKAGE FEE* SAVE AN EXTRA $295

Looking for a fast loan?

It’s easy with Same Day Money.^ Apply by 10am and have the money by 5pm the same day.

Call 1300 131 844, email us at platinum@policecu.com.au, head to policecu.com.au/platinum or visit a branch.

Police Credit Union Ltd (PCU) ABN 30 087 651 205 AFSL/Australian Credit Licence 238991. Terms, conditions, fees, charges and lending criteria apply. Full details upon request. All information is current as at 01/11/2024 and subject to change. Minimum loan amount of $20,000. New Lending only. PCU reserves the right to withdraw or amend product features at any time. ^Same day money: Conditional approval and funding valid business hours only Monday to Friday if applications are submitted prior to 10am with required identification and information documents. Please refer to the Car/Personal Loan Required Documents List. Please consider if the product is right for you. *No further discounts apply.