WAPU Police News February 2016

FEBRUARY 2016

Michael’s story

Removing the mental illness stigma

“Please, please get a Will”

Family’s heartbreak after husband’s death

Patrolling our beaches Members volunteer to protect Perth’s beaches

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE

WA

POLICE UNION

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FEB 2016

POLICE NEWS THE MAGAZINE FOR THE WA POLICE UNION

CONTENTS

10

22 DIRECTOR OPINION

Sergeant Michael Hall seeks to remove the mental illness stigma.

24 FIELD REPORT 26 INDUSTRIAL REPORT 28 OPINION 29 DIRECTOR OPINION 33 LEGAL

“Please, please get a Will”

35 MOTORING

Kylie Tweeddale tells Police News her story following her husband’s sudden death.

36 HEALTH

18

Police on beach patrol Police officers at Sorrento volunteer their time to keep our beaches safe.

30

Network gives women more of a voice within WAPU New WAPU Network of Women to give female Members more of a voice.

4

08 PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Michael’s story

14

POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

06 WAPU DIRECTORS AND STAFF

37 MEMBER BENEFITS 38 ENTERTAINMENT 41 N EW MEMBERS 42 R ETIREMENTS, RESIGNATIONS AND VALE 43 FROM THE ARCHIVES

WA

POLICE UNION

639 Murray Street West Perth WA 6005 P (08) 9321 2155 F (08) 9321 2177 E admin@wapu.org.au OFFICE HOURS Monday-Friday 7am-4pm AFTER HOURS EMERGENCY DIRECTOR 0438 080 930 www.wapu.org.au Follow us facebook.com/WAPoliceUnion Twitter @WAPoliceUnion PUBLISHED BY WA Police Union 639 Murray Street West Perth WA 6005 (08) 9321 2155 ADVERTISING WA Police Union (08) 9321 2155 DISCLAIMER WAPU (“Publisher�) advises that the contents of this publication are the sole discretion of the WA Police Union and the magazine is offered for information purposes only. The publication has been formulated in good faith and the Publisher believes its contents to be accurate, however, the contents do not amount to a recommendation (either expressly or by implication) and should not be relied upon in lieu of specific professional advice. The Publisher disclaims all responsibility for any loss or damage which may be incurred by any reader relying upon the information contained in the publication whether that loss or damage is caused by any fault or negligence on the part of the Publishers, its Directors or employees.

COPYRIGHT All materials in this publication are subject to copyright and written authorisation from WAPU is required prior to reproduction in any form.

ADVERTISING Advertisements in this journal are solicited from organisations and businesses on the understanding that no special considerations other than those normally accepted in respect of commercial dealings, will be given to the advertiser. All advertising is undertaken in good faith and WAPU takes no responsibility for information contained in advertisements.

COVER WAPU Members and Sorrento Surf Life Saving Club members Brandon Shortland, Murray Geneff and Paul Morgan.

ABOVE Police officers Murray Geneff, Paul Morgan and Brandon Shortland at Sorrento Beach.

Pictures: Jody D'Arcy.

WA

POLICE UNION

Board of Directors

GEORGE TILBURY President 0409 105 898

BRANDON SHORTLAND Senior Vice President 0419 802 650

24/7 EMERGENCY DIRECTOR

HARRY ARNOTT Vice President 0407 989 008

MICK KELLY Treasurer & 24/7 Emergency 0438 080 930

WARD ADAMSON Director 0457 603 311

DAVE CURTIS Director 0400 864 591

LINDSAY GARRATT Director 0407 775 050

MICK GILL Director 0427 097 000

Staff EMERGENCY 24/7 DIRECTOR MICK KELLY

0438 080 930

PAUL HUNT Secretary 6 POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

CHRIS VITLER WENDY ROUTHAN Executive Finance Manager Personal Assistant

JESSICA PORTER Media Officer

STEVEN GLOVER Media Officer

CRAIG FORDHAM Industrial Officer

NICOLA ROMAN Industrial Officer

BOARD OF DIRECTORS & STAFF

MICHAEL HENDERSON Director 0448 803 155

JANE BAKER Research Officer

MARK JOHNSON Director 0488 352 525

KEVIN McDONALD Director 0447 817 181

DAVE LAMPARD Field Officer

DEAN GIACOMINI Field Officer

PETER McGEE Director 0418 938 354

TARRYN SMITH Accounts Officer

MICHAEL PATERSON Director 0412 224 374

PETER POTTHOFF Director 0407 476 679

PENNY BROWN Member Services Officer

HARRY RUSSELL Director 0412 585 429

NIKKI PAGE Administration Officer

BRANCH PRESIDENTS Academy John Seidner Air Wing John Raphael Armadale Steve Flanagan Avon Dave Flaherty Bunbury Australind Gareth Reed Central Great Kallum Bound Southern Central Midlands Peter Toia Central West Coast Jason Clark Commissioned Mike Green Officers Curtin Andie Fagan Eastern Goldfields Jaime Forbes East Kimberley Lyndon Ganzer East Metropolitan Cliff Daurat (Vice President)

Eastern Wheatbelt Shawn Vieceli Fortescue Amber Collier Gascoyne Arni Regtien (Vice President)

Geraldton Michael Hall Great Southern Carl Fjastad Intelligence Services Contact WAPU HQ Leeuwin Naturaliste David Holmberg Licensing Nathan Hicks Enforcement Division Lower South West Gerard Cartner Maylands Shaun Paterson Midland Workshops Helen Riolo Mirrabooka Mark Folkard Murchison Matt Fogarty North Eastern All positions Goldfields vacant North Pilbara Aaron Ogg North West Matt McCaughey (Vice President) Metropolitan Peel North Warren Dowbysch Peel South Harry Russell Perth Police Centre Aaron Hickey Perth Watch House Fiona McPherson Professional Scott Sulley Standards Prosecuting Jarred Gerace South East Eyre Rod Moore South East Kareene Santoro Metropolitan South Metropolitan Julian Donohoe South West Ross Adam Hinterland Traffic Enforcement Paul Kay Group South Traffic Support Paul Gale Upper Great Robert Southern Jonas-Green West Kimberley Neil Vanderplank (Vice President)

West Pilbara Doug Holt Western Suburbs Chris Fox

7 POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

GEORGE TILBURY President

Police station still stands among utter devastation THE DEVASTATING BLAZE THAT RIPPED THROUGH THE SOUTH WEST has absolutely decimated the town of Yarloop.

I travelled to the fire ravaged area on January 15 to see for myself the sheer magnitude of the destruction and to check on the welfare of Members on the ground.

More than 100 officers were sent to the area in one of the largest responses we have seen to an emergency since the Roleystone-Kelmscott fires in 2011.

Arriving in Yarloop, the air was thick with the smell of smoke and ash was still in the air, even after the blaze was controlled. I travelled to the scene with Deputy Commissioner (Operations) Steve Brown, Assistant Commissioner (Regional WA) Murray Smalpage, Acting Assistant Commissioner (Specialist and Support Services) Craig Donaldson and Commander Stuart Bartels.

I have attended many fires over the years, but I have never seen such utter devastation. Not much of the historical town site was left. Homes that once stood among tree-lined streets were reduced to a pile of blackened bricks. Even the volunteer fire station did not escape the fury. Its tin roof was now a crumpled, twisted sheet of metal.

Miraculously, depending on how you look at it, the Yarloop Police Station was still standing. Despite neighbouring properties being scorched and demolished, the station – built in 1965 – was intact.

While on the ground, I spoke to many Members who were in good spirits despite the gruelling hours they had put in.

Local officers were joined by their metropolitan counterparts to alleviate fatigue but as you know when you work in a close-knit community, you are often called on day or night.

The exposure for some WA Police decision makers was invaluable, as they gained a first-hand account of what actually transpired, as well as an understanding of how it really affects our Members and their local communities.

8

As I toured the area, I spoke to OICs about the number of hours they had put into protecting the community. Officers in this position rarely get paid overtime and are expected to adjust hours where possible. However, Members had clocked up an astonishing amount of overtime and some had worked around 120 hours in a week.

This is grossly unfair. This view was also shared with Mr Brown and he has directed that OICs be appropriately compensated for the extraordinary hours they worked.

Mr Brown’s common sense approach is to be applauded and I thank him for this commitment, which is the right thing to do.

At the South West District Office I was approached by commissioned officers who also put in considerable time.

I believe they too should be compensated during a declared disaster or emergency operation where countless hours of overtime are accumulated.

I have already flagged the idea of standard overtime payments being applied to all Members (who would otherwise not be entitled) during ‘declared emergencies’ as an entitlement in the next round of Industrial Agreement negotiations, which WA Police will seriously consider.

Attending the scene with WA Police hierarchy was extremely beneficial and in this instance has resulted in an industrial concession being made. The exposure for some WA Police decision makers was invaluable, as they gained a first-hand account of what actually transpired, as well as an understanding of how it really affects our Members and their local communities.

The fire may have now gone out, but there is still a hell of a lot of work that has to be done. Some people (including Members) will not have power for up to three months, but I am assured WA Police will supply generators to affected Members.

WAPU’s Operations Division will monitor the welfare of Members and ensure WA Police is doing everything possible to assist them.

PRESIDENT'S REPORT

… I wrote to the Commissioner requesting his support for the suppression of police officers’ names on title searches through Landgate, as I discovered this is yet another way for police officers’ to be targeted at home.

After returning from the fire, I expressed the Board’s support for the firefighters who also put their lives at risk.

I wrote to the Secretary of the United Firefighters Union of WA, Lea Anderson, to express our gratitude and support.

WAPU and our Members understand the difficult and challenging situations faced by firefighters, and as fellow emergency responders we condemn the criticism directed at the hardworking members of the UFUWA. Now that an independent inquiry into the response to the South West fires has been announced, I would like to see all emergency services, volunteers and first responders fully supported, with any recommendations implemented forthwith.

TERRORISM AND YOUR SAFETY Police officer safety is our highest priority and since the heightened terror alert for police officers was introduced, we continue to explore all avenues that will further protect our Members.

The recent bombing in Jakarta, for which Islamic State has claimed responsibility, is yet another terrible example that terrorism is real and is happening all around us.

In December I wrote to the Commissioner requesting his support for the suppression of police officers’ names on title searches through Landgate, as I discovered this is yet another way for police officers’ to be targeted at home.

Landgate CEO Mike Bradford is sympathetic to the plight of police officers in the current environment and has suggested that an arrangement could be made with WA Police to reduce the cost for police officers to supress their details, which usually incurs a $164 fee.

We have suggested to the Commissioner that this fee should be waived as is the current situation for the AEC. I will also seek Ministerial intervention, if required.

More recently, I have asked the Commissioner to investigate the use of long-arm rifles by Response Teams in the metropolitan area.

With the increased terror level and prevalence of armed offenders now more likely to occur in the metropolitan area rather than regional WA, where AR-15s are issued, WAPU believes that it is now opportune to consider whether the options available in the metropolitan region are adequate in the current climate.

Many of you consider that the Glock issue pistol does not adequately address the concerns pertaining to situations where an ‘active shooter’ situation arises. The AR-15 rifle is the most appropriate weapon to address these types of unanticipated occurrences, although other options may be more appropriate for use in urban areas.

I have expressed a view to the Commissioner that while the Tactical Response Group is readily available and equipped, it still takes significant time to deploy TRG resources and ‘active shooter’ situations often require immediate action to be taken by first responders.

We are awaiting the Commissioner’s response to both of these issues.

SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS I am very pleased to announce the winners of the 2016 WAPU Scholarships.

The winner from regional WA is India Walker, daughter of Sergeant Warrick Walker and the metropolitan winner is Jessica Russell, daughter of Sergeant Jon Russell.

India Walker enters year 10 this year and is a cheerful, considerate and generous young lady who divides her time between studies, artistic and dramatic endeavours.

Year 11 student, Jessica Russell, excels in everything she puts her mind to. Whether it be academic, music, karate or volunteering, Jessica always displays a positive and conscientious attitude.

Congratulations to our winners and thank you to all Members who applied on behalf of their children.

9

Michael’s story – Removing the mental illness stigma

BY STEVEN GLOVER

Michael Hall was in his fifth year as a police officer in 2000 when he was first on the scene of a fatal crash which claimed the life of Constable Mark Loohuys.

W

“Seeing him deceased in the car, with the blue uniform on, was not something that you expect to go to.”

hen he arrived, the driver of the vehicle was already out of the car so Michael went around to check on his partner, Const. Loohuys.

“Seeing him deceased in the car, with the blue uniform on, was not something that you expect to go to,” Michael said.

“At the time, I was a little stunned.”

Michael was working in the Midland Crime Car at the time of the crash, on the same shift as Const. Loohuys.

“It affected everyone at the station but I worked through it and then just boxed on after that,” he said.

“It didn’t have any noticeable affect once I was over the initial incident. I wasn’t getting flashbacks and that sort of thing. The initial attendance and working through that was difficult at the time.”

After a move to Leonora later that year, Michael attended another fatal crash. This time, the driver had driven head on into a road train.

“By the time we got there, the dust was still settling. The driver was deceased and was in a pretty bad state, barely recognisable as a person, and we were picking up body parts walking up to the car,” he said.

Somehow, the passenger survived the crash.

“When you attend a traffic crash and you don’t know the person, you try to compartmentalise it away. It may sound a bit callous but that is a way of dealing with it,” he told Police News.

The difficult part was to come for Michael and the other officers at the station when they returned to complete the paperwork.

The deceased driver’s father was prospecting nearby and the deceased was going to meet him. When his son did not show, the father drove down the highway and saw the crash scene. He then drove to the police station.

Michael had to sit down with the father and talk him through what had happened to his son.

“I was trying not to talk too much about the state the person was in but told the father it was not good. The father was adamant that he wanted to see his son’s body so my partner had to go up to the hospital and try and make the body presentable,” he said.

“We took the father up and he said his goodbyes. I had a fair bit of contact with him afterwards for a few months just trying to help him come to terms with it all.

“I’ve seen some pretty horrific crashes but they don’t tend to stick in my mind as much as this one because I find I can usually remove myself from them.

“I find I can remove myself when I don’t know the person but with the father coming in, talking about his son and then having regular contact and meeting the family, over time that made the situation real and hard to compartmentalise.”

Another incident from his time in Leonora was an altercation with a man who had failed a preliminary breath test.

“This guy was huge, way taller than me and my partner, Maori, and looked six-foot wide,” he said.

“He turned around and said, ‘If you are going to shoot me, you’d better shoot me right in the chest because if you shoot me in the leg or the arm, I’m still going to come over and tear your head off’.

“I said ‘we’ve got pepper spray’ and he said ‘I don’t care, I work with sulphur every day, that stuff isn’t going to do anything’.

“You just sit there and think this is going to hurt.

Michael and his partner spent the next 45 minutes, talking the man down and eventually got him in the vehicle and back to the station.

“He cried all the way back to the lock-up but it’s that 45 minutes of constant sitting on the edge waiting for him to have a crack. And knowing that if he did it would be on.

“There is no way the two of us would have been able to subdue him, he would have picked us both up with one arm.”

After serving in Leonora, Michael moved to Kalgoorlie where he had the task of attending the death of a 15-day-old baby in hospital.

The baby’s mother had rolled over onto the baby.

The task was made more difficult for Michael as he could relate to the situation.

“Having to go in and deal with a 15-day-old baby, picking the body up and going through all the coronial inquiries was a bit difficult when you’ve got young kids as well,” he said. ▷ 11 POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

“I’d sit there thinking, what the hell is going on here?

I’m just being a sook, bloody well get over it, …

I’d start having heart palpitations when I was just sitting down doing nothing.”

It was after these incidents occurred in the space of three years that Michael’s health began to deteriorate.

“I’d sit bolt upright in bed in the middle of the night thinking that I was having a heart attack. I couldn’t breathe, my heart was racing and I would break out in a sweat. It would take a couple of minutes to realise what was happening and then a few hours to settle down and get back to sleep.”

“My heart would be racing a hundred miles an hour, I would be sweating and sitting there thinking what the fuck is going on here?”

Accompanying these attacks, he would also burst into tears for what he thought was no apparent reason.

“Driving along something would come on the radio and all of a sudden I would burst into tears,” he said.

“Something would come on TV or the news and I’d be sitting there with the missus and all of a sudden, same thing, I’d burst into tears.

“I’d sit there thinking, what the hell is going on here?

I’m just being a sook, bloody well get over it, but the panic attacks were starting to have a real effect on my sleeping.

I was becoming irritable and during the day sometimes my heart would just start racing. I’d start having heart palpitations when I was just sitting down doing nothing.”

Michael’s father and brother spent a combined 55 years in the force as well and he sensed something was wrong. He had seen many of this father’s and brother’s colleagues struggle in the past and not seek help. Michael decided he wasn’t going to be one of them.

“I went to the doctor, he went through my history and advised me to seek counselling. I rang up Health and Welfare and they sent me to a psychologist in Kalgoorlie. Health and Welfare paid for all of it,” he said.

“I had a number of sessions with the psychologist, he then sent me back to the doctor where I was diagnosed with severe anxiety. Depression wasn’t so much of an issue, but my anxiety was off the scale.”

After a few more sessions, Michael was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

But what triggered it?

Michael doesn’t know.

“I can’t relate it back to anything specific,” he said.

“The panic attacks who knows, they just come. The crying, there wasn’t a song trigger or anything like that. It was when I was on my own, most of the time, and never at work. More 12 POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

when I was at home, relaxed and settled, then these things would come on.

“I think it is just a combination of events over time, your mind takes so much and then it just reacts.”

Michael has spent the past 15 years managing his condition with medication.

“Going to psychologists and talking about it is helpful, some people like it and some people it works for. For me, if it gets really bad and my family says something to me then I go back and see the doctor and have a talk with the doctor about it.

“There is a whole range of things you can do to help manage the problem but I find medication really works for me.”

He is also very open about his condition and a determining factor in his decision to discuss this with Police News is to remove the stigma associated with mental illness.

“With the job we do and after talking to a lot of different people, I reckon most will suffer from it at one time or another and I guess the point of this article is to let people know that it isn’t something that you have to hide and that there is a lot of help out there,” he said.

“Health and Welfare are great, if you ring them up they will bend over backwards to get you the help that you need, if you want to do it anonymously then there is that avenue as well and it is all paid for by Health and Welfare.

“Most of the bosses that I’ve spoken to are more than helpful in managing this.”

Michael said he has seen a case where an officer’s wife had to ring up the local district office for help after she found her husband curled up in the foetal positon on the floor because he had left it for so long.

“Once that happened district office bent over backwards to help him and get him help from Health and Welfare. He actually said to me ‘I thought that was the end of my career’ and that is why he left it so long.”

Michael believes his condition has not hampered his career. He has been promoted from constable to first class constable to senior constable and to sergeant all with the knowledge of his condition.

“It’s never been an issue for me in relation to them going, ‘No he’s got mental health issues, we can’t promote him, can’t do this, can’t do that’; it’s never ever come up.”

He encourages all Members who are noticing the signs to come forward and seek assistance.

“Don’t leave it. If you think that you have an issue and you are not coping well, give Health and Welfare a call, talk to a peer support officer; that is a big one. The peer support officers have had training, they’ve put their hand up for it and they are quite happy to get a phone call or talk face-to-face about what is going on,” he said.

“If you’ve got friends that you think you can talk to, do it, most people are very supportive, I’ve found. At the end of the day, there is always my number which people can ring as well.

“The big thing is identifying there is a problem and talking to your family about it.

“I’ve heard about guys that don’t talk at all, they just box it up and wives and partners are sitting there thinking ‘I don’t know what to do? He won’t talk to me, won’t open up to me’.

“You need to be open and let your family know what is going on and they can help you through it. Without their help it becomes very hard.”

Michael wants Members to know that they are not alone and there is help available.

“Don’t feel like you can’t bring this up because everyone will think you're weak, I’m a bloke I should be able to box on with this. I’m a cop, I’m tough I should just be able to carry on with it.

Well, everyone is human and everyone gets affected,” he said.

“We need to stop pushing this under the carpet, behind closed doors particularly with what has happened over east, and here, with officers, serving and post-service, taking their own lives.”

He believes when it gets to that stage questions have to be asked where the help was or if help was even asked for.

“I think if the reason help is not sought because we, as a collective group, shun people if they are going through this, then what we do and how we think needs to change” he said.

“If it gets to the stage where someone is concerned to come forward and say I’ve got a problem because they are worried about what everyone else will think of them, I think we need to be stronger as individuals and more mature as a collective so this doesn’t end in tragedy.”

GETTING HELP If you, your partner or a colleague are experiencing mental health issues, the contact details for a range of services can be found in the Welfare Section of www.wapu.org.au.

“We need to stop pushing this under the carpet … with what has happened over east, and here, with officers, serving and post-service, taking their own lives.”

13 POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

01

“Please, please get a Will”

BY KYLIE TWEEDDALE

In August last year, Detective Senior Constable Mark Tweeddale suddenly died while playing sport in South Hedland.

This accomplished police officer, left behind a wife and two young children.

His widow, Kylie Tweeddale, approached Police News to tell her story.

14 POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

I

f anyone was ever to ask me what I imagined for my future, I would never have dreamed that I would become a 37-yearold widow. Widows were old ladies who had enjoyed decades with their soul mates, complete with a couple of grandkids and a caravan; not young women with small children and a seemingly fit and healthy husband.

But a young widow is exactly what I became when, with no warning, an undetected heart condition caused my husband to literally fall down and die during a game of sport, at the age of just 40.

My family was plunged into turmoil with the loss of my husband, Detective Senior Constable Mark Tweeddale of the East Pilbara Detectives’ Office, in early August 2015— just one day after our daughter’s eighth birthday.

Living in South Hedland, we were a long way from our family in Perth, but after three years in the Pilbara I already had a great support network in place and I felt anything but isolated. The police community was a tremendous support, offering whatever assistance they could and making good on those offers, and I came to realise just how sincere police officers are when they refer to their colleagues as their ‘family in blue’.

WA Police arranged for us to stay in our government house so that the kids could finish the school year and WA Police Legacy offered its support, but as difficult as it was to deal with the loss of my husband emotionally, a bigger battle was brewing, and that was that Mark—our family’s sole provider—had died without a Will.

We have always known that the WA Police Union offers Members the free service of creating a Will, but at the end of the day procrastination won out. Although we held our own life insurance policy for Mark, we shamefully didn’t realise it was payable to his estate, not to me directly, and we were uneducated about what the process is when a person dies intestate. It isn’t nearly as simple as I assumed it would be.

For a start, I must now prove to a court that I am worthy of managing Mark’s affairs and the person most likely to have been named beneficiary of his estate, had he left a will. This requires applying to the Supreme Court for Letters of Administration; an expensive application that only a lawyer can prepare and, bizarrely, I have to compete against my children for the privilege.

My 10-year marriage to Mark as his only lawful wife doesn’t allow me to by-pass this requirement and the process can become even more complicated for blended families and divorced couples.

I have been warned that obtaining the Letters of Administration could take six months or longer and, in the meantime, I won’t see a cent of our insurance or superannuation money—I can’t even bank WA Police’s final wage payment to Mark, since it was, by necessity, made in the form of a cheque payable to Mark’s estate. In fact, all insurance and superannuation funds, along with the ownership of vehicles registered in Mark’s name will be directed to Mark’s estate and with no Will, there are no instructions about what to do with any of it and I have sadly discovered that a deceased person’s spouse does not automatically receive all of their loved one’s assets.

I have uncovered other administrative surprises; for instance, every financial account in a deceased person’s name is immediately frozen the moment a bank becomes aware of the person’s passing.

Any member of the public can advise a financial institution of a death and the process is swift; it will take place whether the remaining spouse consents or not and may even happen without your knowledge. Fortunately, most of our bank accounts were in joint names, so I didn’t immediately lose access to all of our funds, but had I not been entitled to access our money, I would still have been responsible for our mortgage and car loan repayments.

“I must now prove … that I am worthy of managing Mark’s affairs and the person most likely to have been named beneficiary of his estate, had he left a will.”

I calculated how long I thought I could support my children on the money that was already in the bank and I revisit those figures every other day, certain that my funds will run out before the process of getting the Letters of Administration, finalising insurance claims and distributing the estate can take place.

Without the fundraising support of the Pilbara community, I wouldn’t have made it through even the first few hurdles of this process, but with my immediate hardship alleviated by my community’s efforts, the sting of what was revealed next was devastating.

According to WA law, a deceased person’s spouse, if there is no Will, is entitled to a much, much smaller portion of the estate than anybody seems to realise. After an initial sum of $50,000 is paid to the spouse, just one third of the remaining estate is allocated to that person and the rest is left to the deceased’s children.

Suddenly I wasn’t looking at paying off the mortgage, car loan and credit cards; investing money in my children’s future and continuing to stay home with the kids to help them through the difficult time of losing their father—I would be slinking back to where I came from without enough money to free myself financially and leaving the kids in before and after school care while I made the challenging transition into becoming a single, working parent, with the lion’s share of Mark’s insurance payment frustratingly tied up in trust for the children for the next decade.

Frighteningly, I am powerless to prevent my children from receiving a massive lump sum payment of money at the inexperienced age of just 18.

The uncertainty of my financial situation; the confusion of being bound by intestacy laws that I feel are unjust; the annoyance that we thought we had protected ourselves, but ultimately had done so in an ineffective way, and the frustration that a simple document could have prevented it all, have been horrid feelings to try to process. ▷

02

01 One of the last photos of the Tweeddale family before Mark passed away. He is with Lucas, Hannah and wife Kylie.

02 Kylie said she still wanted her daughter Hannah to celebrate her eigth birthday with brother Lucas two days after Mark died.

15 POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

“ … at a time when I want to be calm and supportive to my children, my stress level is high, with the anxiety of dealing with an uncertain financial future.”

There was no indication that Mark, pictured with son Lucas, 5, and daughter Hannah, 8, was unwell.

Since Mark’s death, the WA Police Union has provided me with a copy of their simple Will kit and I’m stunned to see how easy they’ve made the process of creating a Will. I regret how foolish we were for failing to take advantage of this free and vital service.

I can’t stress enough, the importance of creating a Will for both you and your spouse or partner. Though I have the support of WA Police, the WA Police Union and WA Police Legacy, the fact is that I have a long administrative battle ahead of me, and at a time when I want to be calm and supportive to my children, my stress level is high, with the anxiety of dealing with an uncertain financial future.

At a time when I want to grieve for my husband and try to reconcile this dreadful event that has occurred in our lives, I am instead focussed on collating and scanning documents, pouring over bank statements and, the worst part of all, just waiting for news that I know I won’t like. I really can’t say how long it will be before this is resolved, but it won’t be anytime soon, and even the earliest of enquiries has made it clear that the final outcome will not be the one Mark would have wanted, which to me, is the biggest insult of all.

To some people it might seem overwhelming or premature or morbid to think about what will happen to their possessions and loved ones after their death. The fact is, nobody knows what the future holds for them. That I would become a 37-year-old widow was completely unpredictable. But what is predictable is that if you die without a Will, you leave your loved ones with a long, expensive and stressful fight on their hands and your intentions will probably not be honoured.

What is predictable is that if you utilise the Union’s free service to create your Will, you leave a simpler legacy, allowing your loved ones to grieve for you properly instead of swimming in a sea of emails, applications, expense and confusion.

Please contact the WA Police Union to utilise this service. If you can clarify in your own mind how you want things to be handled after your death, then it really is as simple as completing and returning a form. For the peace of mind it will bring you, and for the secure position you will leave your family in if you do pass away, it is certainly worth taking the time to do it.

The Pilbara community have rallied together and fundraised for the Tweeddale family. A GoFundMe page has been established to collect donations at: www.gofundme.com/5p2tnyu4

16 POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

ARE YOUR DETAILS UP TO DATE? A number of recent tragic events has highlighted the importance of having an up to date Beneficiary Nomination Form.

Policing by its very nature is often unpredictable, difficult and dangerous.

While we may not like talking about it, it is imperative that you make arrangements for your loved ones just in case something should occur.

To ensure your chosen beneficiary receives the entire benefit under our Death Benefit Policy, you must complete a Beneficiary Nomination Form as without these details we have no option but to pay the benefit to your estate.

If your personal circumstances alter it is also your sole responsibility to make sure you advise WAPU in writing of these changes.

✁

Beneficiary Nomination Form WA Police Union 639 Murray Street WEST PERTH WA 6005

REF: WA POLICE UNION GROUP LIFE INSURANCE AND DEATH BENEFIT SCHEME BENEFICIARY NOMINATION FORM

Dear Sir, I,

Regimental No: (NAME)

of (ADDRESS)

in accordance with Rule 11.5 of the WA Police Union’s Constitution, Rules & By-Laws, hereby nominate: (NAME IN FULL)

(RELATIONSHIP)

(ADDRESS)

Please complete, detach and send the Beneficiary Nomination Form on this page to WAPU HQ immediately by email admin@wapu.org.au or post WAPU, 639 Murray Street, West Perth WA 6005.

to receive all monies due at the time of my death. Should he/she pre-decease me, I then nominate: (NAME IN FULL)

(RELATIONSHIP)

(ADDRESS)

In the event of any change in personal circumstances occurring since the signing of this document, or should any of the above matters be disputed following my death, I authorise the Board of the WA Police Union to act on my behalf and distribute the benefit to the person or persons considered most appropriate.

(MEMBER’S SIGNATURE)

(WITNESS)

DATE

17 POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

ON P

18 POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

POLICE N BEACH PATROL

BY STEVEN GLOVER

Volunteer surf lifesavers have been patrolling WA’s beaches for more than 100 years.

The lifeblood of our beach culture, these men and women in yellow and red give up their time to ensure the community is safe in the water.

The Sorrento Surf Life Saving Club in Perth’s northern suburbs is one of 30 clubs around the State that patrols the beaches and competes in competitions.

The club also has a number of police officer members who, in addition to their police duties, volunteer their time for patrols and competitions.

Wembley Sergeant Murray Geneff is one club member at Sorrento who has a long family connection with the club.

“I first joined the surf club in 1979 but there is a fairly long family history there. My father is a life member and my grandfather was a life member of the club as well,” Murray said.

“My kids are all involved in it now, so it is just something I have always enjoyed doing and I still do.”

Murray patrolled the beaches of Sorrento and Hillary’s Marina for more than 15 years and while these days he doesn’t actively patrol, he is still involved in other ways around the club.

“I’m now more involved as the boat captain and the competition side of things,” he said.

“I probably spend a couple of hours a week in meetings with various things that I am involved in with surf. I guess it’s a pretty big chunk, I would imagine my wife would have a different opinion on that, but through summer, when it’s at its peak, it’s pretty well all weekend and then it’s probably three or four nights a week.”

There’s a fair bit involved to being an active lifesaver. As well as ensuring you maintain your first aid and rescue techniques through an annual proficiency, members are also rostered for a three to four hour shift every six weeks.

“We are a relatively safe beach so we tend to do a fair bit of preventive actions because we have rocks and groynes but also a lot of first aid. Again because of the nature of our beach we get a lot of older people that come down so we tend to deal with heart attacks and things like that fairly regularly,” Murray said.

“Our patrolling hours are weekends, public holidays and some after-hours stuff for the local triathlon club and things like that where we help out with the water safety and paid lifeguards are generally on during the day.”

Another important aspect of the surf club for Murray is the friendships and being an integral part of the community.

“Having been involved in the club for so long, I obviously know people all over the State now,” Murray said. ▷

19

POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

“Being able to see and share positive experiences … provides a much needed perspective and reality check when there are so many negative experiences in our line of work.”

“So when I go to competitions, whether I am competing or whether it’s with the kids competing, I’m catching up with mates that I’ve known for 30 or 40 years now. A lot of them I used to compete against now have kids that are involved in it as well.”

He also enjoys seeing the kids develop and grow.

“Often they start out as someone who doesn’t like swimming and doesn’t like doing this to getting the bug and getting involved and to watch them progress is pretty rewarding as well.”

Surf club was also important to Murray when he relocated to Bunbury due to work and did not know many people in the local community.

“It certainly helped me out when I rolled up down at Bunbury a long time ago without knowing anyone to get to know a few of the locals pretty quickly,” he said.

Another member of Sorrento is Senior Constable Paul Morgan.

He has been a patrolling member for more than 10 years and has also competed in several state and national competitions.

“After many years of surfing WA beaches, I decided to join Sorrento Surf Club with my twin brother who also works within the emergency services as a paramedic,” Paul said.

“Sorrento SLSC is a dedicated group of volunteers that assist in saving lives by creating a safe beach environment.”

He said one of the most rewarding surf rescue experiences he was involved in was a team rescue where a near-drowning swimmer was taken out by a strong rip in dangerous surf conditions.

“We happened to be surf board riding at the time of being alerted by the swimmer’s call for help. As we paddled to the swimmer, the incident was observed by a patrol member on the beach who quickly sent the Inflatable Rubber Boat (IRB) to our location,” he said.

“The IRB operators quickly scooped the swimmer out of the water and took the swimmer to the beach for treatment by waiting patrol members.

“This was one of those shared moments within unforgiving surf conditions and life changing for the rescued swimmer.”

Paul also enjoys the family aspect of the club.

“Sorrento SLSC is family orientated and welcomes many families into different programs like the Nipper program. The Nipper program attracts hundreds of families to the beach over the weekend where children are given the opportunity to learn valuable surf skills,” he said.

“One of the highlights of being a member of Sorrento Surf 20 POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

Club was seeing my daughter wearing the red and yellow surf lifesaving uniform after recently completing her Surf Rescue Certificate.

“The Sorrento club trainers and coaches are top class who dedicate endless time to develop their students and athletes which is all voluntary but the rewards have been countless for Sorrento Surf Club.”

Paul believes the surf lifesaving experience at Sorrento Surf Club has been exceptional.

“We collectively thank the volunteers that dedicate their time to keep our beaches safe. Remember to swim between the red and yellow flags and hope to see you on the beach!”

WAPU’s own Senior Vice President Brandon Shortland is another police officer member at Sorrento who enjoys the opportunity to connect with the local community and contribute to keeping Perth’s beaches safe.

“Although I was part of a police family that spent many years in regional WA, I have always had an affinity with the water and the Marmion/Sorrento/Duncraig area in particular,” Brandon said.

“Volunteering in general and surf lifesaving in particular provides a welcome distraction and circuit breaker from the stresses in everyday life. The training and skills involved in surf lifesaving also provide a different, useful and practical nexus in provision of community safety and emergency management.

“It forces me to get outside, do something different and get down to enjoy our beaches. We have an obligation to enjoy the beaches we have been blessed with.

“Being able to see and share positive experiences with my local community and fellow volunteers provides a much needed perspective and reality check when there are so many negative experiences in our line of work.”

Brandon said the highlight of volunteering at the surf club was meeting, working and training with people from all walks of life.

“Everyone has their own motivations but overwhelmingly it is the positive shared community spirit that makes surf lifesaving so special,” he said.

“Being part of a culture that extends to the earliest days of modern Australian history and celebrates our water and beach life is a great thing to be a part of.

“Watching the kids learn new skills to keep them safe and help them develop that sense of Aussie beach/surf culture is extremely satisfying.”

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To learn more, or to donate, visit:

ryanmarronfoundation.org or steelblue.com

THE ENFORCER

THE LEADER

320250

320550

BRANDON SHORTLAND

WAPU Senior Vice President

Safety in Numbers THERE HAS BEEN MUCH COMMENTARY AND MEDIA ATTENTION given to WA Police’s performance in recent times.

Since the introduction and development of the relatively new Metropolitan Policing Model, scrutiny has increased. There is no doubt that there is active political interest in the figures and performance of the Agency.

However, if police resources are not keeping up with these types of social issues that always arise, then that itself proves the point that there are not enough police on the street.

22 POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

It has been well reported that response times have increased, volume of tasking has increased and despite the introduction of Local Policing Teams (LPTs) to reduce demand, demand shows no signs of abating.

I am yet to be convinced that the policing model in its current iteration is working as it was intended and is capable of achieving results. Let me be clear, I am of the firm view that policing systems prior to this model were broken and not fit for modern day policing.

Many Members will recall that as the mining boom took off and this State experienced a massive population explosion, we could not keep up with tasking and everyone was at breaking point. There simply were not enough police to keep up with the well documented increase in demand and the lack of troops became dangerous.

Something had to be done.

At the 2013 State Election, WAPU built a case and demanded 800 extra police to keep up with demand, provide a sustainable police to population ratio and be able to safely do our job. Colin Barnett was quoted as saying: “Community safety no longer hing[ed] solely on the number of police officers on the beat, with technology and legislation playing increasing roles.”

The Liberal Government was elected and is yet to deliver the promised 400 police, and 150 police auxiliary officers on top of the outstanding 170 police not delivered in their previous term.

It is safe to say the Premier’s view on the contribution of technology and legislation has been overstated, optimistic at best and a complete misfire.

The tsunami of Reform, Frontline 2020 and police operating models has been sweeping through ever since.

As far as the operating model goes, the deck chairs have been rearranged on the Titanic, and the situation is far from improving.

The explanations or excuses for poor performance of the Agency has now become a running joke in some circles.

In late 2014, it was reported that response times for

urgent tasks increased to 11 minutes. This was explained as a change in policy for traffic crashes and the continued growth and spread of the metropolitan area.

In July 2015, it was revealed that WA Police had modified its KPI figures and response times. It was a widely held belief at the time that the change was a covert tactic to enhance the perception of Agency performance. A view that has been denied

by WA Police, citing it as bringing the reporting in line with other states.

In August 2015, WA Police acknowledged an increase of 19.6 per cent in crime for the same period in the previous year.

As a result, Operation Sweep commenced. Everyone knows this operation was basically normal policing activity with no additional resources allocated to it. It was largely a stunt designed to appease media commentary on the massive surge in crime.

In September 2015, it was widely reported that response times under the new reporting arrangement had still increased.

This was the third year in a row that response time targets fell short. This was explained as being due to traffic congestion and extensive road works.

November 2015 saw reporting of October figures showing offences against people jumped 27 per cent on the previous year and property offences increased 17 per cent. At the time, the Police Minister was quoted as attributing a major driver to the crime wave as Perth’s ice problem.

There is no doubt that the scourge of illicit drug use is a big problem. However, it is not a new one. There have always been drug problems affecting policing resources and crime levels. At various stages and in times gone by, we have seen increases in the use of cannabis, heroin, ecstasy, prescription drugs and cocaine.

Ice is a particularly nasty drug and I agree, its use results in increased crime and a drain on police resources. However, if police resources are not keeping up with these types of social issues that always arise, then that itself proves the point that there are not enough police on the street.

Another view offered for the increase in property crime was that it's due in part to paypass or tap and go credit card technology.

DIRECTOR OPINION

FIGURE 1 % Increase/Decrease in WA Population and WA Police FTEs 2002-2012 POPULATION OF WA

10%

SWORN POLICE OFFICERS

8% 6% 4%

At various times when reviewing the increasing crime figures, I have seen and heard explanations offered to explain it as widely varied as the use of alcohol, methylamphetamine, tensions within households, more people living within smaller spaces and the impact of fly-in, fly-out mining and a change in the construct of family life generally.

We, the public, have also been the subject of finger pointing. Recently there was a front page newspaper article suggesting that people are not securing their property resulting in increased theft.

It was noted at the time that the Western Australian public are no worse than those in other states in securing their property, yet that does not seem to be a major issue over the border.

The time for blame games, rubbery figures, PR spin and excuses is over.

We are informed that the police operating model is constantly under review and subject to change where it is felt a better service can be provided.

I would suggest a good step in the right direction would be to scrap the oversized and unmanageable super-districts and return to more sensible and manageable district areas. This will immediately reduce the ridiculous distances our Members must travel between tasks, often at speed under emergency driving conditions and bring back forgotten local knowledge.

It is also abundantly clear that police numbers in this State have not kept pace with growth.

Police numbers were previously allowed to wallow and the commitments promised by the political parties at the last State Election were inadequate.

It is now irrefutable that police on the street are unable to effectively manage the task load that lays before them on an ever increasing and relentless basis. Add to this massively demanding natural disasters and other emergencies such as cyclones, bushfires, land/sea searches, floods, major crimes including homicides and major operations, it is little wonder the figures tell a bleak story.

LPTs were created to reduce demand for the stretched and fatigued Response Teams. As it stands, LPTs aren’t able to achieve much other than spend a majority of time tasking themselves.

It has been stated that more police is a simplistic answer, not based on science and unlikely to solve the on-going demand.

2% 0 -2% -4%

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

FIGURE 2 Ratio of sworn police officers to the population across the state of Western Australia 2002-2012 640 620 600 580 560 540 520 500

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

I agree that police numbers alone won’t solve all of the problems and that other Government departments and Ministers are urgently required to switch on to the concept of ‘whole-of-Government’ approaches to crime.

But to suggest that more police will not make a significant difference and assist in getting the current out-of-control crime figures and response times back to more manageable level is flawed and totally out of touch with community sentiment. I’ll let the science of skyrocketing crime statistics and spiraling response times paint its own picture.

For the sake of the safety and security of the WA public and that of our Members, there is an urgent call for help by police for some backup. Unless we all want to see worn out cops doing their best to respond to a State overrun by crime and anarchy, we need assistance.

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

It is also abundantly clear that police numbers in this State have not kept pace with growth.

23 POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

DAVE LAMPARD Field Officer

CAD replacement under way IN DECEMBER LAST YEAR, I WAS INVITED TO OBSERVE THE UPCOMING CAD REPLACEMENT SYSTEM. In comparison to the introduction of the first CAD System, the updated version included considerable input from frontline officers and dispatchers.

THE PROJECT

Initial demonstrations of the new CAD application have been positive, with call takers and dispatchers going in ‘blind’ and able to navigate the system quite easily.

24 POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

The CAD Replacement Project replaces the existing Premier CAD and CAD lite applications but excludes TADIS and TADIS lite. The new application is based on contemporary technology and provides a more intuitive user experience with equivalent, if not better, functionality.

CAD is used day in, day out, by frontline officers, call takers and dispatchers. Even back in 2012, upwards of 1.2 million calls per year for assistance were being logged, managed and dispatched by CAD. Members will be aware that the ageing system (CAD and CAD lite applications) is nearing the end of its operational life. The existing system has served the Agency well however, a system that is no longer supported is an unacceptable risk to the WA community, and of course, to our Members.

The new CAD system is a ‘like for like’ replacement. Given the current system has been in place since 2003, the updated technology is expected to take advantage of added features and functionality in the future. An example of a function that may be added further down the line is CCTV integration.

The ability to capitalise on these features will position WA Police as one of the largest and most contemporary CAD users in law enforcement.

Seizing the opportunity to not only replace, but improve CAD, the project team has taken the time to obtain the crucial views of current users: frontline officers, call takers and dispatchers who work tirelessly to ensure our community is safe.

The system is due to go live in August 2016 however, changes have already started rolling out. In August last year, the forensic self-dispatch function was activated, which allows forensic officers to assign themselves to incidents, eliminating reliance on radio connectivity with dispatchers.

The project is currently in build phase, which is characterised by a significant number of workshops with key frontline officers and staff. These workshops are essential to configure the new system in a manner most suited to the Agency’s unique requirements and standards.

Outcomes stemming from these workshops include: • Referencing CAD incidents in IMS. This interface to IMS, the Agency’s primary search application, will alert officers of intelligence/information holdings in other systems; • Introduction of dashboards. Real-time volatile information, displayed on an easy-to-read page (often with graphs, current status and/or historical trends) to assist in making instantaneous informed decisions in an operational context; • RMIS personnel qualifications in CAD. Through the involvement of the OIG, Driver Training Unit, In-Service Training Unit, RMIS and the Police Operations Centre (POC)/District Control Centre (DCC), a subset of RMIS qualifications will be identified in the new CAD. This could expedite the dispatching process as it allows POC/DCC staff to search for officers with particular skills without the need for a voice transmission; and • Two-digit incident types. Reducing incident types from three digits has meant the unwieldy 1,200 plus incident type categories are down to a manageable 180.

No key information has been lost; the priority of the job is now displayed in separate section of the CAD work area.

New CAD features improving officer safety include: • Improved Premise hazard location. Premise hazard flags will be much more prominent and visible, with the entire incident colour coded; • Increased visibility of priority update alerts.

Whereas the current system subtly denotes important information contained in an incident via the letters PPP, the new system will display key information in obvious red text; • Introduction of alarm levels. Three levels are in the new CAD. The highest alarm level, Critical, must be read and acknowledged by the call taker before they can progress, and by the dispatcher before they are able to dispatch resources to the job;

FIELD REPORT The project vehicle which has capacity for four police officers and a separate Varley Pod for detainees.

• Hover text. The travelling speed of vehicles is now displayed when hovering over units. This is especially vital in pursuits to ensure officers are travelling under 140 km/h; • ARL data. The “shortest path route” times will be provided (quickest resource to an event); and • Recommendation processes for Priority 1 to 4.

By automatically identifying and recommending appropriate resources to an event, the dispatching process is able to be hastened.

Training for current CAD and CAD lite users will be Statewide and is expected six to eight weeks prior to the roll out, using a combination of face-to-face (CAD users) and web-based (CAD lite) training approaches.

Initial demonstrations of the new CAD application have been positive, with call takers and dispatchers going in ‘blind’ and able to navigate the system quite easily. This is a strong indication that frontline officers will learn the new tool quickly and easily.

‘TROOPY’ REPLACEMENT PROJECT

A focus was on safety and efficiency, at the same time placing considerable onus on detainee safety and communications with the police occupants.

From 2010, a number of off-road police crashes involving the Toyota Land Cruiser Personnel Carrier (Troopy) resulted in the development of a suitable replacement vehicle that would provide improved safety and driver mistake tolerance.

An independent automotive consultant engineer’s assessment highlighted the shortcomings of the Troopy and a subsequent tour of outback WA gleaned exactly what Members needed. A focus was on safety and efficiency, at the same time placing considerable onus on detainee safety and communications with the police occupants.

Initially, a Ford Ranger with a modified Varley Pod was taken to a variety of areas in regional WA to help commence the future development process. Again Member feedback was vital.

JAD Enterprises in Landsdale was tasked with the 70 Series project and I was recently invited to its engineering workshop to view and test drive the project vehicle.

As officers’ heights vary from 1.5m to beyond 2m, special attention was given to the storable and easily accessible fridge.

I was very impressed with the detail to simple lever and balance principles that the engineers had paid to this issue.

Access to the two heavy spare wheels has also been made easier with considerable attention to manual handling codes of practice.

As requested many years ago by WAPU, a larger rear window is now standard in the Pod. Being able to see country is a very important aspect of long monotonous journeys for detainees.

Although separated from the detainee area of the Pod, constant monitoring and voice communication is available through the secure CCTV system. The Pod has air conditioning and is pressurised to ensure that dust does not enter the compartment.

Although 6m long, the test drive demonstrated how easy the vehicle was to handle; aided by beefed up suspension.

The two detainee actors even enjoyed the drive around the light industrial area.

Induction to the vehicle and pre-bush transfer 4WD training will play an important role in the success of the vehicle. Pre-use inspections are vital and Members should never become complacent about the basic safety aspects of the vehicle.

The shallow roof rack is designed to carry light weight accessories only and is not suitable for additional jerry cans or tyres.

The vehicle is equipped with modern LED emergency lighting and can comfortably carry four officers to tasks when the need arises.

Subject to another extensive road test and Member evaluation, 34 of these vehicles will eventually be rolled out and together with the modified Ford Ranger Varley Pods, will replace the Troopy.

25 POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

NICOLA ROMAN Industrial Officer

Rostering: What’s in a name?

THE INDUSTRIAL TEAM FIELDS A LARGE NUMBER OF CALLS AND EMAILS from Members with questions regarding rostering practices.

… each rostering type places different obligations on WA Police in terms of what shift patterns are permissible, the number of hours that can be rostered in a given week, when overtime is payable and the consultation which must be undertaken when developing the roster.

26 POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

What sort of roster am I on? Is this shift pattern allowed?

Can my roster be changed? When is overtime payable?

Rostering matters are often complex given there are three distinct types of rosters allowable under the WA Police Industrial Agreement 2014. However, if this wasn’t confusing enough, matters are further complicated when those creating the rosters don’t always seem to be aware of the difference in roster types.

Case in point: there are rosters in several different work areas which are incorrectly titled.

So what are the different rostering types and why is it important rosters are labelled correctly?

Simply put, each rostering type places different obligations on WA Police in terms of what shift patterns are permissible, the number of hours that can be rostered in a given week, when overtime is payable and the consultation which must be undertaken when developing the roster.

It is therefore essential Members are aware of the provisions relating to their specific roster type and are able to identify any breaches and report them to the Union.

STANDARD ROSTERS Standard Rosters comprise of shifts which total 40 hours a week or 80 hours per fortnight.

If a Standard Roster is posted weekly, it will include either five eight-hour shifts or four 10-hour shifts. If it is posted fortnightly, it can include a combination of seven, eight, nine or 10-hour shifts to average 80 hours over the posted fortnight.

Interestingly, many Local Policing Team rosters contain hours of duty which conform to Standard Roster arrangements not Extended Settlement Period Roster arrangements, despite the fact they are frequently titled as the latter.

A Standard Roster cannot include any combination of day and night or afternoon and night shifts in a weekly period.

Additionally, the combination of shifts cannot be alternated on a daily basis e.g. day-afternoon-day-afternoon.

WA Police do not need to consult WAPU when developing a Standard Roster arrangement. WAPU will only become involved should there be a breach of the provisions contained in the Industrial Agreement.

EXTENDED SETTLEMENT PERIOD ROSTERS An Extended Settlement Period (ESP) Roster allows WA Police to roster a combination of shift types and lengths and extend the settlement period for up to 12 weeks.

In layman’s terms, this means WA Police can roster in excess of 40 hours a week or 80 hours a fortnight so long as over the settlement period the hours average to 40 hours per week.

For example, the Metropolitan Response Team ESP Roster contains weeks where Members work 50 hours and others where they work only 20 hours to average out to 40 hours per week over the six-week settlement period.

Shift lengths can be seven, eight, nine or 10 hours.

12-hour shifts can only be rostered if approved by the Deputy Commissioner (such as the case at the District Control Centre).

As is the case for Standard Rosters, shifts cannot alternate on a daily basis.

Despite the fact the settlement period is fixed, WA Police is not required to post the rosters for the entire settlement period in advance. The requirement, as for Standard Rosters, is to post the roster on a weekly basis. Whilst Members may receive a roster which indicates all shifts for the entire settlement period, only the first week is regarded as the ‘posted roster’. The rest is simply indicative. Therefore WA Police can amend the roster as necessary, bearing in mind the settlement period is fixed so any changes are likely to be minor (e.g. a change in start time).

During the negotiations for the 2017 Industrial Agreement, WAPU will be pushing for a change in posting requirements for ESP Rosters in order to give Members greater certainty. This will also reduce the administrative burden on WA Police.

The use of an ESP Roster also places an additional requirement on WA Police if they wish to make a significant change to the roster. WA Police must provide four weeks’ notice to Members before the change is affected.

When developing an ESP roster, WA Police must consult both WAPU and affected employees (through WAPU Branches). This ensures we are able to voice concerns early on in the development process and are able to lobby for changes, if necessary.

INDUSTRIAL REPORT

It is therefore essential Members are aware of the provisions relating to their specific roster type and are able to identify any breaches and report them to the Union.

On an ESP arrangement overtime is not payable on all hours in excess of 40 a week, or 80 a fortnight. Instead, Members can claim overtime when they work in excess of their ordinary hours on a shift.

FLEXIBLE ROSTERS Flexible Rosters can include any variation or combination of a minimum of six and a maximum of 12-hour shifts.

WA Police can roster in excess of five shifts a week of 40 hours per week and can also utilise a settlement period.

Flexible Rosters are the only rosters which can utilise 12-hour shifts without requiring sign-off from the Deputy Commissioner.

Flexible Rosters also require endorsement from WAPU prior to implementation. This goes far beyond the requirement of ‘consultation’ for ESP Rosters. Without WAPU’s approval, WA Police are unable to develop a Flexible Roster arrangement.

Additionally, Flexible Rosters are usually trialled in a workplace for a period of 12 weeks. After the trial, 66 per cent of affected employees must vote for the Flexible Roster to continue in order for it to be permanently attached to that workplace.

Flexible Rosters are supported by a Flexible Rostering Agreement which sets out the arrangements in place.

These are renewed on a periodic basis. The use of a written agreement is extremely helpful in educating Members on what is and is not permissible under these arrangements.

Like ESP arrangements, overtime is not payable on all hours in excess of 40 a week, or 80 a fortnight. Instead, Members can claim overtime when they work in excess of their ordinary hours on a shift.

SO WHAT’S IN A NAME? Quite a lot when it comes to rostering! The rostering arrangements are far from simple.

Whilst Members do not need to trouble themselves learning verbatim the entire Hours of Duty clause in the Industrial Agreement (which spans eight pages!), it is important Members are able to identify which rostering arrangement is applicable to their workplace so breaches can be recognised.

WAPU is only able to assist with breaches when they are bought to our attention. With this in mind, if you have any concerns over the rostering practices in your work area, please contact the Industrial Team or your local Branch Official for advice.

EMERGENCY 24/7 DIRECTOR 0438 080 930

639 Murray Street, West Perth WA 6005 PH: (08) 9321 2155 F: (08) 9321 2177

Mick Kelly

EMERGENCY DIRECTOR

WAPU

wapu.org.au admin@wapu.org.au POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

MICK BUCHAN

State Secretary Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU)

OPINION

Right of entry and police intervention AS YOU MAY BE AWARE, the CFMEU covers workers in the construction industry, working on and off building sites.

In WA, we have members working in the North West, down through the Mid-West, out to the Goldfields, in the city block and down to Albany. Our role is to make sure these workers have good conditions, are paid on time, and most importantly come home safely to their families after a day’s work.

In order to carry out our work, we use both State and Federal right of entry laws, these enable us to see our members on the job, listen to their issues and make sure the sites they are working on are safe. These laws enable us to visit members on site and hold discussions with them during their break times provided that we give the occupier of the premises 24 hours’ notice.

If we have had a complaint about safety or have a reasonable belief that there are unsafe practices on site then we can exercise a right of entry without giving any notice at all to the site and can visit at any time during working hours.

These right of entry provisions are a very important tool for the CFMEU in ensuring that our members are neither being ripped off or exposed to unsafe practices in the workplace.

We’ve recently had several instances where employers, untrained in the right of entry provisions, have phoned the police when we attend sites and attempt to exercise our right of entry.

Once police attend the site, we are accused of trespass and this then leaves the attending officers stuck between a rock and a hard place; union officials telling them one thing and employers telling them another.

Quite often, in an attempt to diffuse the situation, the officers on the ground will tell our organisers to leave the premises and we understand why you would do that. What we would ask though is that any officers facing this situation give some thought to why we are there and the rights we have to exercise our right of entry.

Quite often, in an attempt to diffuse the situation, the officers on the ground will tell our organisers to leave the premises and we understand why you would do that.

What we would ask though is that any officers facing this situation give some thought to why we are there and the rights we have to exercise our right of entry.

28 POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

All our organisers carry with them their right of entry permit and they also have copies of any notices we have sent the site. They will be more than happy to show you these upon request. This will only take a minute and for our members could mean the difference between a safe workplace and an unsafe one.

In WA, we’ve recently seen the result of unsafe construction sites when three workers were killed in a single day last November.

The CFMEU understands how dangerous police work is and the role your Union plays in protecting you at work.

The construction game is equally unforgiving and of ten the only protection workers have are Union of ficials making sure that sites are safe.

We are disappointed that employers choose to waste valuable police time, something I’m sure that also frustrates police officers, in using officers to intervene in industrial matters. We would not try and tell police officers how to carry out their duties but would only ask that you bear in mind the rights our officials have and the often difficult job they are doing. It is not an exaggeration to say that a worker’s life may depend upon it.

I’d like to thank George Tilbury for giving me the opportunity to write this piece and secondly, I’d like to make clear the respect that the CFMEU has for the job done by WA Police and your Union.

You stand together and look after your own; in that we’re the same.

DIRECTOR OPINION

KEVIN MCDONALD

Metropolitan Region Director

Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning LIKE ANY PROFESSION, THE degree of job satisfaction felt by a police officer is directly attributable not only to their individual successes, but also from belonging to and being part of a successful organisation.

… it all adds up to a considerable morale problem within our Agency.

A morale problem that needs to be urgently fixed just as much as the escalating crime rates.

Indirectly, that sense of satisfaction goes a long way to mitigating the stress and frustration we all feel from time to time simply by doing our job or dealing with external stakeholders and internal management.

The WA Police Union is always concerned that our Members feel satisfied and contented in their job however, current feedback suggests that many are not! The question is why?

We all feel the s ting when newspapers continually broadcast headlines that year after year Perth is the nation’s crime capital and we live in a city where methamphetamine consumption is twice the national average. The links between illicit drug use and distribution and volume crime are well documented and it’s logical to conclude that if methamphetamine consumption is so profuse, our crime figures will reflect that. Even WA Police senior management admit: “Our own research shows 62 per cent of offenders steal to support a drug habit, and are constantly looking for easy targets.”

Citing an Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) report, in February 2015 The West Australian reported that in all 10 crime categories the ABS tracks – including sexual assault, break-ins, motor vehicle theft, malicious property

damage and face to face threatened assault – WA was found to be worse than the national average. Also, in seven out of the 10 it was the worst in Australia in 2013-2014 and in six of the 10 categories, WA was worse the previous year.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare studies show that through 2013, the national average methamphetamine user was 2.1 per cent of the population but here in the West it was almost double that at 3.8 per cent.

In August last year, the July 2015 crime stats revealed a 19.6 per cent increase from the July 2014 figure.

These figures prompted a swif t response from WA Police in the form of Operation Sweep.

At the time, Deputy Commissioner Stephen Brown said: “The formation of the new Operating Model has the flexibility to rapidly divert in excess of 1,000 officers across the metropolitan area at any time. The increase in available resources, coupled with greater direction and control through our restructure, allows actions like Operation Sweep to apply pressure where it’s needed.”

The nature of drug crime itself (manufacture, sale or possession) is distinguished from other crimes by there being no immediate apparent victim. Drugs are manufactured, purchased and sold like any other commodity, money is made, people get rich quick and everybody’s happy.

Drug crime victims become real down the track where its cancerous tentacles feature in overdoses, robberies, burglaries and assaults.

Illicit drug crime is the pre-eminent parent causal factor crime that ubiquitously sneaks under the radar in terms of statistical reporting and arguably fails to attract adequate attention and resourcing.

At the recent WAPU Annual Conference, former Deputy Commissioner and now CEO of the Australian Crime Commission, Chris Dawson, made it clear in his presentation that drug importation will never be curtailed as long as there is a market for it. In other words, reduce demand and so too will you reduce supply. Maybe this is what is meant by the current WA Police slogan ‘demand reduction’ but somehow I doubt it.

So was Operation Sweep successful?

If you read the regular updates in ‘From the Line’ there’s no doubt about it.

In the November 11 edition, Assistant Commissioner (Metropolitan Region) Kellie Properjohn told us Operation Sweep had successfully reversed the trend in most areas of reported crime.

“The total verified reported crime figures for the Metro Region were decreased by 2.3 per cent by the conclusion of the operation,” she said.

“In the key area of theft reports we experienced a 6.2 per cent reduction.”

Continued page 31 29 POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

JANE BAKER & NICOLA ROMAN Research Officer

Industrial Officer

Network gives women more of a voice within WAPU FOLLOWING THE INAUGURAL WAPU WOMEN’S FORUM HELD LAST YEAR, a report on the Forum’s activities, discussions and observations was provided to the WAPU Board of Directors.

Forum delegates were keen to see the establishment of a network which would enable female Members to have more of a say in their Union and the issues affecting them.

30 POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

The Board actioned five recommendations, encompassing: research into dedicated positions for women on the Board; the development of a charter for a Women’s Network; the appointment of two Women’s Contact Officers from within WAPU; the establishment of a regular women’s conference (or forum); and raising awareness of the Board’s current official observer program.

Following an EOI process, we were the two WAPU Staff elected as the WAPU’s Women’s Contact Officers, as per Recommendation Three.

The role of the Women’s Contact Officer is to: • Support the Women’s Network to set appropriate goals, actions, resources and timeframes to increase women’s active participation in WAPU; • Identify and sponsor women delegates to move into active Union roles; • Assist in the provision of training for all WAPU Branch Officials; • Monitor and report to the WAPU Executive on the representation of women at all levels within the Union; and • Ensure female Members are consulted and their issues addressed when developing WAPU’s industrial priorities.

We are available to assist all Members with queries about female participation in WAPU, including information on WAPU’s newly formed Network of Women (NOW) and the annual Women’s Forum.

However, whilst we possess expertise in a number of fields, Members should only contact us to deal with issues pertaining to women’s involvement in the Union.

If Members have concerns that are industrial, legal or OSH in nature, even as they pertain to gender, Members are encouraged to liaise with the relevant area in WAPU.

WAPU NETWORK OF WOMEN (NOW) The creation of a Women’s Network, WAPU NOW, was seen as one of the key objectives following the Women’s Forum in September 2015.

Forum delegates were keen to see the establishment of a network which would enable female Members to have more of a say in their Union and the issues affecting them.

We have been working hard behind the scenes to develop a Charter for the proposed Network and are pleased to announce the Board of Directors endorsed this Charter at the January Board of Directors Meeting.

This is a fantastic initiative and we would encourage all Members of WAPU (particularly female!) to get involved. Membership is open to financial WAPU Members who agree to support the aims and values of the WAPU NOW. WAPU NOW will aim to: • Educate female WAPU Members on unionism and leadership; • Promote active participation of women; • Initiate projects to increase the developmental opportunities of female Members; • Identify barriers to women’s participation in WAPU activities; • Increase the contribution of women in actively shaping the direction of WAPU; • Provide networking opportunities for female Members; and • Encourage a culture in WAPU that values diversity.

To ensure engagement with the Board of Directors, WAPU NOW is sponsored by Senior Vice President Brandon Shortland who will act as the conduit between the Board of Directors and WAPU NOW.

DIRECTOR OPINION

Continued from page 29

Police Minister Liza Harvey addressing attendees at last year's WAPU Women's Forum.

Mr Shortland will work closely with the Women’s Contact Officers to further the aims of the Network and develop new initiatives which will further increase participation.

The inaugural meeting, at which the Charter will be formally adopted, and a plan of action agreed, will be held on March 9, 2016.

The WAPU Women’s Contact Officers are thrilled to announce Superintendent Kim Travers as the inaugural Chairwomen of WAPU NOW. Kim has served on the Board of Directors and is a staunch supporter of WAPU in particular women’s involvement in the Union for many years.

WAPU NOW will benefit greatly from her passion and expertise and we look forward to working with Kim closely over the next 12 months.

A deputy position will be elected at the inaugural meeting. If any Member is interested in volunteering for this position please get in touch with us prior to the meeting.

This is a fantastic initiative and we would encourage all Members of WAPU (particularly female!) to get involved.

FOR MORE INFORMATION What: WAPU NOW Inaugural Meeting When: 5pm, March 9, 2016 Where: WAPU HQ, 639 Murray St, West Perth RSVP: It is essential all Members interested in attending the inaugural meeting email admin@wapu.org.au before March 1, 2016 to secure their attendance.

Now I’m confused. The West Australian reported in January this year that for each month from July to November 2015 there had been double digit increases for the same crime figures, for 2014.

If the July 2015 crime figure comparison was the catalyst for Operation Sweep and those comparative crime figure blow-outs maintained for each month throughout Sweep, how is that a success?

Current feedback from Members is the community is awash with illicit drugs but resources are continually diverted to Response and other areas and there is no time to tackle drug crime at the local level.

Members tell us they feel like they’re fighting a losing battle with the stress associated with a lack of resources and being pulled from pillar to post, whilst being told to operate leaner.

Combined with the massive ongoing vacancies in districts (general duties and detectives), it all adds up to a considerable morale problem within our Agency. A morale problem that needs to be urgently fixed just as much as the escalating crime rates.

As Bill Gates said: “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”

31 POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

Free legal service for current and retired WAPU Members and their families.

The WA Police Union is partnering with leading law firm Tindall Gask Bentley to provide Members with access to first class legal services.

Established in 1970, TGB has grown to become South Australia’s largest plaintiff law firm and has now expanded into Western Australia.

The firm offers a full range of legal services.

Receive 30 minutes free preliminary advice on all legal matters.

We also offer a 10� discount on any legal fees for: • Workers Compensation*, • Motor Vehicle Accident Compensation*, • Criminal Injuries Compensation*, • Family and Divorce law, • Estates and Estate Planning.

To book an appointment with a lawyer or for more information contact WAPU HQ on (08) 9321 2155.

Level 1, 624 Murray Street West Perth *If you have not made a claim, disregard this publication.

RENEE O’CALLAGHAN & SHAE WATMORE Senior Associate Lawyer Tindall Gask Bentley Lawyers

LEGAL

Who can live in the family home after separation?

SOMETIMES PARTIES TO a marriage or de-facto relationship live separately under the one roof whilst they finalise their property settlement and parenting arrangements.

There are a number of factors that the Court considers when determining whether exclusive occupation should be granted however these guidelines are not the only considerations.

Usually this will occur when the break down of the relationship is amicable.

When the break down of the relationship is acrimonious, the separating couple will commonly argue as to who should have occupancy of the family home. In most cases, one party will remain in the family home and the other party will find alternative living arrangements.

Generally, the family home is registered in both names as joint tenants. As the couple is the joint proprietor of the family home both parties are entitled to live there following separation unless there is a Family Court Order to the contrary.

Commonly, when there is a dispute as to who should live in the former family home, one person may change the locks, effectively locking their former partner out.

In more extreme circumstances, one party may make an application for a violence restraining order with conditions preventing the other party from attending the home or communicating with the other party who remains in the former family home. Violence restraining orders, whilst they may be effective for you to remain in the former family home, may sometimes serve to inflame the situation and create unnecessary legal costs, emotional stress and become a hindrance on entering into fruitful negotiations.

In light of the above, an alternative way to seek exclusive occupation of the former family home would be to make an application to the Family Court of Western Australia for sole use of the former family home and also by way of an injunction preventing the other party from attending the home.

There are a number of factors that the Cour t considers when deter mining whether exclusive occupation should be granted however these guidelines are not the only considerations. They include: 1. Practicality for example realities of everyday family living; 2. Financial capacity and Need for example a person’s financial capacity to meet the costs of relocating and whether alternative accommodation is available for either party.

3. Significance the degree to which the former family home is significant for each of the parties.

4. Children’s Needs for example children’s needs are a paramount consideration. It is common for the parent who has the care of the children to reside with them in the former family home.

5. Hardship to either party or the children for example the financial and emotional hardships of each party, including the children if they are not granted exclusive occupation of the former family home. If the children were to relocate to unsuitable accommodation, the Court may grant exclusive occupation to the parent who has the care of the children.

6. Parties Conduct traditionally the parties’ conduct was a critical factor that the Court would take into consideration when granting exclusive occupation. However the courts view has since changed and conduct is only one of the many considerations that the Court must take into account. In circumstances where a party has been subjected to physical abuse and violence by the other party and is fearful of the violence continuing, the court may grant them exclusive occupation.

7. Registered Owner in the event that only one of the parties is the registered proprietor of the former family home it does not give that party automatic right to sole use of the home.

In summary, the Court must make a decision that is just and equitable in all of the circumstances of the matter.

TGB and WAPU offer a legal service to Members and their families, including free initial family law advice. Contact WAPU HQ on 9321 2155 for details and to arrange an appointment.

33 POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

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MOTORING

Motoring Reviewer

Redesigned from bumper to bumper THE NEWEST TOYOTA CAMRY hits the mark with completely new styling, sharper pricing and a new sports variant.

The transmission offers smooth, quick changes and the paddle shifters add to its sporty feel.

DESIGN

VALUE FOR MONEY

Except for its roof, Camry has undergone a bumper-to-bumper redesign. And it looks extra athletic with a more aggressive grille and new alloys on all models.

Inside is a new dash layout with upgraded instruments and new multifunction display. A smaller steering wheel, with audio and phone function buttons, features across the range.

Seating is roomy and comfortable.

The rear seats feature 60-40 split-fold functionality for storage of longer items. The huge boot comes with a spare wheel under its floor.

Atara SX, a stand-alone sports model, was conceived and engineered in Australia to be the most agile Camry yet. Making it complete are: • Eighteen-inch black alloys.

• Wide low-profile rubber.

• A black mesh grille.

• Boot-lip spoiler.

• Dual exhausts.

With up to $5,000 slashed off equivalent superseded models, entry Altise now has an asking price of $26,490, just $90 more than a 1997 Camry CSi. And it’s a far better car with loads more equipment.

The new sporty Atara SX is $31,990, while the three well-equipped Hybrid models start at $30,490.

Top - of-the -range Atara SL is available in petrol ($37,440) or Hybrid ($40,440).

SAFETY All models score a five-star safety rating and feature: • Seven airbags.

• Traction and stability control systems.

• LED daytime running lights.

• Reversing camera.

• Pre-load differential, which improves stability and enhances steering feel.

Top-spec Atara SL models come with more advanced safety features such as: • Pre-collision alert with the ability to apply the brakes.

• Blind-spot monitoring.

• Lane-departure warning.

• Auto high beam.

• Radar cruise control.

The standard transmission is a six-speed automatic with manual mode.

Atara models gain paddle shifters.

Claimed fuel economy is 7.8 litres/100km with CO2 emissions of 183g/km.

The three Hybrid variants feature a 2.5-litre Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder petrol engine combined with a 650-volt electric motor and generator.

Combined output is an impressive 151kW. Hybrid models use an all-gear CVT transmission; and Hybrid combined fuel economy is 5.2 litres/100km, with CO2 emissions of 121 g/km.

ON THE ROAD The Atara SX feels more powerful than its engine output figures suggest.

The transmission offers smooth, quick changes and the paddle shifters add to its sporty feel.

On bends, SX remains agile and compliant. Its quicker steering ratios are evident. Suspension is firm but the ride is generally good and the cabin remains quiet.

VERDICT This is clearly the best Camry yet and represents better value for money.

STATS Petrol models feature a 2.5-litre DOHC four-cylinder petrol engine, which produces 133kW of power and 231Nm of torque. The addition of dual exhausts on all Atara models squeezes an extra 2kW and 4Nm. 35 POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

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HEALTH

POLICE HEALTH

The hidden secrets of skin cancer THE BODY HAS MANY impressive organs and the skin is right up there with the best.

For a start it’s our biggest organ, weighing in at an impressive 9 kg on average and covering about 2 sq m.

Two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the time they reach 70 and about 2,000 Australians will die from the disease in 2016.

36 POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

It protects other organs, keeps out germs and helps control our temperature. It is also responsible for more cancers than any other part of the body.

Two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the time they reach 70 and about 2,000 Australians will die from the disease in 2016.

And it’s not just skin that is exposed to the sun that’s at risk. Many deadly skin cancers are found in areas that never see the light of day, including the soles of the feet and around the genitals.

There are three main types of skin cancer: Basal cell carcinoma is the most common and least dangerous and is usually found on the head and neck, followed by the upper body. They tend to be red and slightly raised, with a scaly area that can bleed if knocked.

Squamous cell carcinoma also occurs on areas exposed to the sun including the head, neck, hands and forearms. It looks like thickened, red, scaly spots and grows over a period of weeks or months, spreading to other parts of the body if not treated quickly.

Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer and can appear as a new spot or as an existing freckle or mole that changes colour, size or shape.

They tend to be flat with an irregular, smudgy outline and are often more than one colour. They usually grow quickly and if not caught early may spread to other parts of the body and be fatal.

All three of these major skin cancers can be found in areas that never see the sun, although melanoma is the most likely.

So, even though skin cancers can pop up in the most unexpected parts of the body, sun protection remains the principal form of prevention.

NOT JUST THE SUN TO BLAME

KNOWING YOUR OWN SKIN

Medical researchers have proved that UV exposure is the biggest cause of skin cancers and have their theories on other factors that might account for their appearance in hidden areas.

They know a person’s genes play a role with about 10 per cent of melanomas occurring in people with a family history and with a large number of sizable moles. Other factors such as viruses, chemicals and environmental pollutants are also thought to be involved, although further research is needed.

Different sun exposure patterns are also responsible for triggering different types of skin cancer.

Cancer researchers have found that accumulated exposure to UV rays over many years can lead to basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, while intense sun exposure resulting in blistering sunburn is a key cause of melanoma.

Some recent studies are also indicating that serious sunburn can be a factor in basal cell carcinoma.

Whatever the cause, like all cancers early identification is critical.

It’s important to get to know your skin, including the bits that are hard to see, because finding these mutated cells before they spread can be lifesaving.

Self-examination should be routine and it’s also advisable to have regular skin checks by a doctor.

Be aware of new or changing moles, freckles and spots and if you notice anything unusual seek medical advice.

A good way of checking skin spots is to use the ABCDE method: • Asymmetry – unevenness where one half doesn’t match the other.

• Border – the edges are irregular or blurred.

• Colour – not the same all over, including shades of brown, black, red, white or blue.

• Diameter – larger than 6 mm across.

• Evolution – changing in shape or size or becoming raised in a few weeks.

If you have any concerns, see your doctor.

DID YOU KNOW? • Skin cancers represent about 80 per cent of all new cancers diagnosed in Australia every year.

• Melanoma is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among adolescents and young adults. It accounts for more than 25 per cent of all cancers among Australians aged 15 – 29 years.

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POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016 15/01/16 1:04 PM

READ

ONE BREATH: FREEDIVING, DEATH AND THE QUEST TO SHATTER HUMAN LIMITS ADAM SKOLNICK RRP: $32.99

Competitive freediving – diving as deep as possible on a single breath – tests the limits of human ability in one of the most hostile environments on earth.

Even among freedivers, few have ever gone as deep as Nicholas Mevoli. As a child he used diving as a way of escaping a frequently lonely existence. When he discovered competitive freediving, Nick was a prodigy – within a year he was shattering records.

More than that, with his good looks and burning intensity, he became a star. So when Nick arrived at Vertical Blue, the world's premier freediving competition, in 2013 he was widely expected to continue his incredible success.

Instead, that fateful competition turned out to be his last, and suddenly the very future of freediving was called into question.

WATCH

THE HIGH PLACES

BLACK MASS

The dazzling stories in this collection find those moments when people confront the strangeness and mystery of their lives. The revelations of intimidating old friends on holiday. An accident on a dark country road. A marine biologist in conversation with the ghost of Charles Darwin.

The sudden arrival of American parachutists in a Queensland country town. A lottery win.

A farmer troubled by miracles in the middle of a drought . . .

The people in The High Places are jolted into seeing themselves from a fresh and often disconcerting perspective.

Ranging around the world from a remote Pacific island to outback Australia to the tourist haunts of Greece, these stories are written with extraordinary invention, great emotional insight and wry humour.

Each one of them is as rich and rewarding as literature can be.

James ‘Whitey’ Bulger is one of the most feared, the most wanted and the most notorious gangsters in U.S history.

Black Mass is the drama that tells the story of the unholy alliance between Whitey and the FBI. The unholy alliance that spiralled out of control, allowing Whitey to evade law enforcement, consolidate power, and become one of the most ruthless and powerful gangsters in Boston history.

Black Mass is set in 1970’s south Boston and stars Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dakota Johnson, Kevin Bacon and Adam Scott.

Special features include Deepest Cover Darkest Crime, Johnny Depp: Becoming Whitey Bulger and The Manhunt for Whitey Bulger.

FIONA McFARLANE RRP: $32.99

SRP: $39.95 One Disc

SHERLOCK: THE ABOMINABLE BRIDE SRP: $24.95 One Disc

For this year’s Christmas special, Sherlock returns to the original 1800’s setting.

Why is Thomas Ricoletti a little surprised to see his wife dressed in her old wedding gown? Because, just a few hours before, she took her own life …

Mrs Ricoletti's ghost now appears to be prowling the streets with an unslakeable thirst for revenge.

From fog-shrouded Limehouse to the bowels of a ruined church, Holmes, Watson and their friends must use all their cunning to combat an enemy seemingly from beyond the grave!

Stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.

WIN

WIN

We have one copy of One Breath and The High Places to give away courtesy of Penguin Books Australia. To enter, email jessica.porter@wapu.org.au with your name, work address and title of the book. Winners will be drawn on March 7, 2016.

We have five copies of Black Mass and Sherlock: The Abominable Bride to give away courtesy of Roadshow Entertainment. To enter, email jessica.porter@wapu.org.au with your name, work address and title of the movie. Winners will be drawn on March 7, 2016.

POLICE NEWS FBERUARY 2016

SEE

LISTEN

ZOOLANDER 2

HOW TO BE SINGLE

When the world’s most beautiful musical celebrities are systematically assassinated with formerly famous male model Derek Zoolander's iconic “Blue Steel” look on their face, Interpol recruits Derek and his model friend Hansel McDonald to infiltrate a new and different world of high fashion in order to put a stop to it.

Meanwhile, Derek's rival Jacobim Mugatu is set free and is seeking revenge.

This is the highly anticipated sequel to the 2001 film, Zoolander.

Based on the novel of the same name, an author writing a book about bachelorettes becomes entangled in an international affair while conducting hands-on research abroad. The author and her friends are single New Yorkers who would all much rather be in committed relationships.

On a whim, Julie, the writer, decides to write a book about the experiences of single women around the world. She takes a leave of absence from her job as a publicist, jets off to France, and encounters a man named Thomas, who is in an open marriage. Even as she continues her travels to other countries, Julie longs for Thomas, who meets up with her again in Bali, jump-starting a torrid affair.

While Julie is off seeing the world, her friends are back in New York, growing closer to each other as their lives develop in wild ways.

SEASON COMMENCES February 11

SEASON COMMENCES February 18

WIN We have two passes to give away to Zoolander 2 and How to be single.

To enter, email jessica.porter@wapu.org.au with your name, work address and title of the movie. Winners will be drawn on March 7, 2016.

ENTERTAIN ME

BLACKSTAR

WILDFIRE

In his final masterpiece, David Bowie created a seven-track album to serve as a final gift before departing this world.

The album was announced alongside the title track single, Blackstar, and accompanying short film directed by Johan Renck, which features the single in the opening title and credits of the TV show, The Last Panthers.

David Bowie’s single ‘Lazarus’ is the only track on Blackstar that featured in the stage production ‘Lazarus’ written by Bowie and Enda Walsh, which opened on December 7 in New York to great critical acclaim.

People Magazine raves the album has “an esteem-boosting folky spark,” while Entertainment Weekly proclaims 2016 will be the singer’s “biggest year yet.”

Wildfire, which was released January 1, is Rachel’s major label debut and features current single ‘Stand By You’ as well as the chart-topping, multi-platinum hit ‘Fight Song’.

‘Stand By You’ is proving to be another hit for Rachel, hitting number 14 on the ARIA Single Chart and being certified GOLD in Australia. Rachel stunned Australia in November when she performed the latest single on Channel Seven’s X Factor stage and Sunrise.

DAVID BOWIE Out Now

RACHEL PLATTEN Out Now

WIN We have five copies of Blackstar and Wildfire to give away courtesy of Sony Music Australia. To enter, email jessica.porter@wapu.org.au with your name, work address and title of the CD. Winners will be drawn on March 7, 2016.

39 POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

* WAPU SCHOOL HOLIDAY BALLOT APPLICATION APPLICATIONS WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED ON THIS FORM, It can be faxed, emailed or posted to WAPU HQ. Complete and return by Friday 18 March 2016 to: WA Police Union 639 Murray Street, West Perth WA 6005 Fax: 9321 2177 Email: admin@wapu.org.au

Only mark the holiday periods and locations you are prepared to accept in numerical order of preference.

Note: Bookings are available from Saturday (2pm) to Saturday (10am) only.

DECEMBER 2016 / JANUARY 2017 WEEK 1 17.12.16 to 24.12.16

Results to be advised by Friday 25 March 2016 Name (Please Print):

WEEK 2 24.12.16 to 31.12.16

WEEK 3 31.12.16 to 07.01.17

WEEK 4 07.01.17 to 14.01.17

WEEK 5 14.01.17 to 21.01.17

WEEK 6 21.01.17 to 28.01.17

ALBANY

PD No:

BUSSELTON VILLA 4

Address (Home):

BUSSELTON VILLA 11 BUSSELTON VILLA 15

Post Code:

ESPERANCE

Work (Unit/Section):

EXMOUTH KALBARRI UNIT 27

Email (Home):

PORT DENISON

Phone no. (Work):

YALLINGUP

(Mobile):

GOVERNMENT

JUSTICE

LEGAL

MANAGEMENT

PUBLIC SAFETY

TRAINING

SECURITY

WHS

NEW MEMBERS

01 02

WAPU WELCOMES ITS NEWEST MEMBERS Sixty new recruits joined the ranks in January during a twilight graduation ceremony held on Thursday January 14, 2016.

Constable Justyn Stone from Grey Squad and Constable Christopher Hickey from Green Squad were the recipients of the Parade Sergeant’s Award donated by WAPU.

01 Grey Squad 5/2015 Jason ANNEN Jonathan ARLOW Jamie-Lee AUHL Sean BENNETT Jack BOHANNAN Daniel CLEMENTS Bronwyn CLUES Timothy CONNOLLY Adam CROTHERS Samuel ECCLES Taylor EVANS James GARRITY Philip GEACH Robert HUBBARD Brian JOHNSON

Uros JOVICIC Luke KERSEY Rhys MARJORAM Thomas MIRCO Joshua NEWMAN Jose NUNES Allan PATON Morgan PROCTOR Joshua REEDY Joshua SMITH Gabrielle STARBUCK Justyn STONE Meredith TREE Stacey WHITEROAD

02 Green Squad 6/2015 Levi BATEMAN Joshua BUCKLEY Neil CAPELO Jayson CONNELL Michelle CREWS Carly DAVIES Steven DOWD Rebekah EDWARDS Jared EVANS Christopher HICKEY Joshua HILLS Benjamin KANE Paul KELLY Jesse LUND Harrison MARTIN

Ella MAUGHAN Luke MILLER James MOORE Nathan O’REILLY Dinesh PERUMAL Analeise ROCHE Sam RODOEREDA Lars SUTTON Win-marie VILJOEN Sarah WADDELL Jake WAPPLE Jodi WARD Nicole WEST Steven WIMBUSH Branden ZANNINO 41 POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

RETIREMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

VALE

RETIRING MEMBERS

RESIGNING MEMBERS

4722 Michael GOOCH 5214 John MAWSON 5419 William McINERNEY 6829 Drennan MOFFITT

6596 Andrew SMITH 9262 Nicholas WELLS 9712 Jason CALLEJA 10157 Neil HARRISON 10467 Scott WATSON 10492 Simon HAWES 13436 Joel COOK 13741 Stephen HANFORD 14369 Brioni DANIELS

RETIRED 2165 Commander ERIC DAVID BROWN Aged 88 14868 Peter FINLAY 14907 Samantha HENRISSON 15214 Joao MOREIRA 15476 Thomas WELLS 16072 Thomas WEDGE 16083 Emma OSTROWSKI 16090 Heidi THOMAS 99886 Jaiden RANDALL

3052 3/C Sergeant THOMAS JAMES HAWKES Aged 82 4425 1/C Sergeant LANCE NORMAN ULLRICH Aged 75

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POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016

FROM THE ARCHIVES

FEBRUARY 2000 Detective Sergeant Dave Nugent's six month nightmare ended when the DPP offered no evidence at trial in the February 2000 edition of Police News.

The DPP did this because it believed there was no chance of convicting the detective of a possession of amphetamines charge.

The court was told that the drugs were planted in the Member’s filing cabinet during a search of the armed robbery squad office when Det Sgt Nugent was in Melbourne.

Video evidence showed that at one point during the search, there were no drugs in Det Sgt Nugent’s filing cabinet drawer, but 12 minutes later it revealed a packet of white powder on the top of the drawer.

Det Sgt Nugent was charged in June 1999 and was confined to desk duties until his reinstatement on February 4, 2000 after the charge was dismissed.

REGIONAL VISITS President Mike Dean and Treasurer Chris Cassidy undertook a field trip of more than 20 police stations throughout the northern Wheatbelt, Murchison, Gascoyne and Pilbara.

“S c andalously under-funde d budgets and the lack of incentives to make country service attractive” were two of the major issues raised during the trip.

Mr Dean said: “In some instances, the annual budget for tyres for station vehicles is $240! That would barely buy one 4WD tyre.”

“The budget constraints are so bad that some stations ration their vehicles to a tank of fuel a week. Consequently, regular patrolling at such stations has become non-existent.”

THE FIRST WEBSITE The first Police News of the year 2000 also saw the launch of the first Union website.

The first incarnation of the website answered all questions Members might have about WAPU including information on the EBA and holidays homes as well as access to old newsletters and Police News magazines.

43 POLICE NEWS FEBRUARY 2016