MICK KELLY
Acting President WA Police Union
PAO mobility required to provide workload options RECENTLY, THE UNION TOURED THE PERTH WATCH HOUSE and from my observations our Members in that facility are working extremely hard and under pressure. Our PAOs are processing detainee after detainee and by all accounts are doing a superb job. They simply need more help in the form of additional PAOs. To illustrate their workload, during 2019, the Perth Watch House process on average 1,340 detainees per month. This figure has remained consistent in 2020. After speaking to our Members in the watch house, it is the Union’s view that we need an additional 40 police auxiliary officers in that facility. The extra numbers will allow detainees to be processed more efficiently, allow our frontline officers to get back out on the road quicker and ensure our PAO Members have a safer workplace and can take suitable breaks. Over the past 12 months, our Members have dealt with COVID-19 and then, with the lifting of restrictions, the increase in anti-social behaviour in the Northbridge entertainment precinct. The queues of police vehicles on a Friday and Saturday night can be long and while our Members process the detainees as quickly as they can, it takes cars off the road.
The rigors of dealing with detainee after detainee can wear down even the most experienced and resilient PAO and the Union is quite concerned about burn-out within the Perth Watch House and the high attrition and short-term nature of a PAO’s career.
24 POLICE NEWS MARCH 2021
While additional staff will help, one of our priorities in our Pre-Election Submission is 24/7 medical coverage in our major police lock-ups. Currently, the watch house has a nurse but what we have learnt is that they don’t have access to health databases which allows the person to check the health records of detainees. If the current arrangement was enhanced, and expanded to the other major watch houses, this would allow the nurse access to health records, complete the Fitness to Detain assessment and either process the detainee or transfer them for medical attention, if required. The Union strongly believes this would have major benefits for all parties. It means our Members can get back out on the road quicker, it reduces the risk of deaths in custody and it provides medical care to detainees who sadly, very often have not had medical attention for some time. The rigors of dealing with detainee after detainee can wear down even the most experienced and resilient PAO and the Union is quite concerned about burn-out within the Perth Watch House and the high attrition and short-term nature of a PAO’s career. Now naturally, some PAOs transition to become police officers while others hand in their notice to seek alternative employment because they simply have had enough of the stressful working environment in the watch house. What we would like to see is greater mobility for PAOs. Currently, if a custody PAO wanted a break from the watch house to work as a property PAO, they need to resign and apply for that position. It makes no sense. We need to look after our people and if by making it easier to move around we can provide that respite from the watch house for them to return down the track, surely that is a positive for our Members and the WA Police Force?
