Q&A
Do you agree with the proposals in the SAPOL traffic review paper? From top: Sergeant Bruce Hartley, Snr Sgt Nils Uellendahl and Sergeant Garry Stewart.
Sergeant Bruce Hartley
Snr Sgt Nils Uellendahl
Sergeant Garry Stewart
Eastern Adelaide Traffic
Traffic Operations Section
Sturt Traffic
I have lived through at least five traffic restructures and this is another one based on inaccuracies and biased data. For instance, looking at the comparison percentage between general patrols and traffic is flawed. The percentage is taken from SACAD which can only reflect 603s recorded on SACAD. Data from my own team sheds a different light on this matter. The north/south locations are yet to be decided and there is no mention of the roster, except where it emphasizes the need to run 24-7, but then states that the high crash times are between 8am and 6pm. We seem to have to explore all these things over and over again but end up implementing something with a lack of resources and, usually, lack of staff. It has happened before and I see it in this proposal. I have been a proud member of traffic for over 40 years.
Traffic policing is a specialist area of operations. Low-level traffic offences and basic traffic control can be done by general-duties officers. However, more complicated matters require specialist, trained and experienced traffic officers to police and investigate those offences and be deployed in such a way that relevant traffic offences are detected. If there was no need for specialist traffic police, why hold a traffic course, a heavy vehicle policing course and a vehicle defect course? Every other Australian state, as well as most western countries, has specialist traffic police units, sections or whole commands. Traffic is a specialized field requiring specialist officers.
It is necessary for SAPOL to review how it conducts its business, so as to provide an effective, efficient service delivery to our community. But we have to be careful that any restructure does not have an adverse effect on service delivery to our community, and that it does not create an impost on the front-line operational members. I don’t believe this review and these proposals are beneficial to the front-line operational personnel. The front-line personnel continually seem to be burdened with a heavier workload in any restructure and their numbers are never increased. They are stretched and under-resourced now. Operational supervisors have an enormous workload and are constantly under pressure. The proposal seems to indicate that their workload is to increase by 30 per cent or more. The figures in the proposal need further scrutiny.
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