WAPU Police News December 2015

DECEMBER 2015

Annual Conference 2015 The motions on notice, summary and social snaps

Son follows father to the frontline

Wally Leslie joined WA Police in 1952 and last October his son, Phil, followed in his footsteps

Perth detainees on Meth More than 40 per cent of Perth detainees test positive to methamphetamines

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE

WA

POLICE UNION

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DEC 2015

POLICE NEWS THE MAGAZINE FOR THE WA POLICE UNION

CONTENTS

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16

Complete coverage of the 79th WAPU Annual Conference.

Wally Leslie joined WA Police in 1952 and last October his son, Phil, followed in his footsteps.

Annual Conference 2015

13

18

Social snaps of the Annual Conference Dinner.

More than 40 per cent of Perth detainees test positive to methamphetamines.

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Annual Conference Dinner

Blue Knights looking to expand The Blue Knights are on the lookout for new members to join their club.

4 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

Son follows father to the frontline

Methamphetamine in Perth

WAPU 79th Annual Conference motions on notice Outcomes of this year’s motions on notice.

06 WAPU DIRECTORS AND STAFF 08 PRESIDENT’S REPORT 22 INDUSTRIAL REPORT 23 FIELD REPORT 24 WAPU OPINION 39 LEGAL 41 MOTORING 44 ENTERTAINMENT 46 HEALTH 47 MEMBER BENEFITS 48 NEW MEMBERS 49 R ETIREMENTS, RESIGNATIONS AND VALE 50 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 on 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 President George Tilbury delivers his Opening Address at Annual Conference. ABOVE Senior Constable Matt Butcher addresses Annual Conference.

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 DECEMBER 2015

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

BRANCH PRESIDENTS Academy

John Seidner

Air Wing

John Raphael

Armadale

Steve Flanagan

Avon

Dave Flaherty

Bunbury Australind Gareth Reed Central Great Southern

Kallum Bond

Central Midlands

Peter Toia

Central West Coast

Jason Clark

Commissioned Officers

Mike Green

Curtin

Andie Fagan

Eastern Goldfields

Dave Curtis

East Kimberley

Lyndon Ganzer (Vice President)

East Metropolitan

(Vice President)

Eastern Wheatbelt

Shawn Vieceli

Fortescue

Amber Collier

Gascoyne

Jon Ellis

Geraldton

Michael Hall

Great Southern

Todd White

Cliff Daurat

Intelligence Services Contact WAPU HQ Leeuwin Naturaliste David Holmberg

MICHAEL HENDERSON Director 0448 803 155

MARK JOHNSON Director 0488 352 525

KEVIN McDONALD Director 0447 817 181

PETER McGEE Director 0418 938 354

MICHAEL PATERSON Director 0412 224 374

PETER POTTHOFF Director 0407 476 679

HARRY RUSSELL Director 0412 585 429

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 Goldfields

Kurt Weedon

North Pilbara

Aaron Ogg

North West Metropolitan

Kym Buller

Peel North

Warren Dowbysch

Peel South

Harry Russell

Perth Police Centre

Aaron Hickey

Perth Watch House

Fiona McPherson

Professional Standards

Scott Sulley

Prosecuting

Jarred Gerace

South East Eyre

Andre Michalski

South East Metropolitan

Kareene Santoro

South Metropolitan Julian Donohoe

JANE BAKER Research Officer

DAVE LAMPARD Field Officer

DEAN GIACOMINI Field Officer

TARRYN SMITH Accounts Officer

PENNY BROWN Member Services Officer

NIKKI PAGE Administration Officer

South West Hinterland

Ross Adam

Traffic Support

Paul Gale

Upper Great Robert Southern Jonas-Green West Kimberley

Craig Johnson

West Pilbara

Doug Holt

Western Suburbs

Chris Fox

7

POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

GEORGE TILBURY President

Annual Conference 2015 THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT RECENT EVENTS IN FRANCE have again hammered home the reality that we are always at risk, even more so, if you are a police officer.

Fittingly, the focus for this year’s Annual Conference was terrorism and methamphetamines.

Our guest speakers focused on these topics and provided advice on how we as police officers can deal with these two rapidly growing issues and help protect our community.

In the past 12 months, there have been three terrorist attacks on Australian soil.

Whilst these attacks have all occurred on the east coast, WA is not immune from terrorism given the increasing prevalence of lone wolf attacks.

We have been working with WA Police to ensure the safety of all police officers is maximised and I want to take this opportunity to again remind you to look after yourselves and your colleagues on the frontline.

Being vigilant and working together will go a long way to ensuring you all arrive home safely at the end of the day to see your loved ones.

Further coverage on Annual Conference can be found on pages 10 to 14.

RYAN MARRON We have put the State Government on notice about Constable Ryan Marron.

Ryan and his family are currently battling with the Government to get an ex-gratia payment so that he can continue to live with dignity and security.

This fight has taken a significant toll on Ryan, his partner Toni, and his parents Tom and Sandra.

One of the stark realities of policing in Western Australia is that we are not covered by workers’ compensation and we are the only ones in Australia not to have this protection.

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Unfortunately, due to the immeasurable toll this journey has taken on them, Ryan and Toni could not attend Annual Conference, so Ryan’s father Tom appeared on their behalf.

Ryan contracted Murray Valley Encephalitis while relieving at the Balgo Multi-Function Policing Facility in April 2011.

Since then he has been totally reliant on others for 24/7 care.

We have assisted Ryan to make an application for an exgratia payment to Government which was lodged in July 2014.

WAPU believes the Government should fairly compensate Ryan for being injured in the line of duty and we will not rest until this matter is resolved.

A motion was passed at Conference, instructing us to take whatever action is necessary to ensure that Ryan is appropriately compensated by the State Government for the catastrophic work-related injuries he sustained.

At the time of going to print, the Attorney-General was still considering Ryan’s application.

ARMED IN COURTS After almost a year of lobbying, our #ArmedInCourts campaign has succeeded in overturning years of tradition and convinced the judiciary to finally make some concessions for police officers to be armed in court complexes.

For the first time, police officers across the State will now be able to wear their baton, handcuffs and radio in all courtrooms.

While our ultimate goal is to have police officers fully armed with their full array of accoutrements at all times, it is important to note that this concession is a good starting point. What seems logical to us and imperative to ensure your safety, doesn’t necessarily resonate with those who have the power to restrict your force options inside court complexes. Some would say that many of the Judiciary still hold 19th Century views, so any progress is good progress and don’t for one minute think that this hasn’t been hard fought!

In practical terms, police officers in many courts will now be able to be fully armed right up to the courtroom doors and only have to remove some force options prior to giving evidence.

PRESIDENT'S REPORT

01 02

WA Police is working on the installation of secure areas at court complexes, so that you can all travel to and from court with your full accoutrements and be in a position to immediately deal with any incident, should one arise.

WAPU will continue to lobby for further concessions to maximise your safety, but sadly, I fear it will take a major catastrophic incident inside a court for this to occur.

I sincerely hope it doesn’t, but if it does, it better not be a police officer or there will be hell to pay!

IT’S TOUGH ENOUGH Last month, we officially launched our It’s Tough Enough campaign.

This campaign exposes the general public to some of the realities of policing and I hope it will build support for the work police officers do in our community.

One of the stark realities of policing in Western Australia is that we are not covered by workers’ compensation and we are the only ones in Australia not to have this protection.

Police officers are looked after while they’re working, but if they’re injured in the line of duty and then medically retired, they are thrown on the scrapheap. This must change!

Twelve months ago we launched Project Recompense which made 14 recommendations and the response from the State Government and WA Police to our research has thus far been underwhelming.

Police officers need a tailored workers’ compensation scheme, in addition to our current conditions, because unlike other public sector and emergency services workers, we are excluded from a range of legislative protections.

The launch video for It’s Tough Enough is a warts and all presentation and I make no apologies for demonstrating a small portion of the confrontations some police officers regularly encounter.

Being a police officer in the current climate, with the threat of terrorism and the widespread use of methamphetamines, is tougher than ever before and I couldn’t think of a better way to show how tough the job really is.

The five-minute video entitled The Crackhouse Experience takes members of the public, our recruits, through a “real-life” call out to a disturbance.

The recruits experience the dangerous and dynamic incidents that police officers face first-hand every day.

This is the first time we have ventured into this space and it has been a massive hit with more than one million views.

I ask that you all share and like this video and others that will follow about The Crackhouse Experience to help build support for our campaign.

We will be pushing our It’s Tough Enough campaign right through until the March 2017 State Election where we will fight for a better deal for our Members on a number of fronts, one of which will be a tailored compensation scheme for those who are injured whilst serving Western Australia and then medically retired.

For more information on the campaign, please visit www.itstoughenough.com.au or our Facebook page.

01 & 02 The Crackhouse Experience has been viewed more than one million times.

THANK YOU Finally, I would like to thank you, our Members, for your continued support of WAPU. I look forward to serving as your President for another three years and improving your working conditions.

Being a police officer is tough enough but I know having the support of WAPU makes it that little bit easier.

Like us, most of you will be working over the busy festive season, so I hope you get to spend some time with your loved ones and enjoy a very Merry Christmas and have a fantastic New Year!

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01 02

THE 79TH WAPU ANNUAL CONFERENCE

BY JESSICA PORTER

03 04

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Methamphetamines and terrorism were the hot topics for the 79th WAPU Annual Conference, officially opened

by Police Minister Liza Harvey.

01 President George Tilbury makes his opening address. 02 Police Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan pledges to support Constable Ryan Marron until his ex-gratia application is resolved. 03 Australian Crime Commission Chief Executive Officer Chris Dawson is interviewed by the media after his address to Conference. 04 Police Minister Liza Harvey.

The two themes were chosen as WAPU believes they are the two single-greatest challenges Members are facing on the frontline.

Guest speakers including Australian Crime Commission (ACC) Chief Executive Officer Chris Dawson and terrorism, safety and security expert Rob Redenbach explained how these two scourges are infiltrating our communities and what that means for the people protecting them.

During the opening address, Commissioner of Police Karl O’Callaghan said the risk to officers had increased dramatically because of the increased use of methamphetamines.

“George [Tilbury] has already mentioned that we are facing a very, very complex work environment at the moment,” Mr O’Callaghan said.

“Two things are really driving that; one being ice. We know that it’s driving crime; we know that it’s driving violence; driving psychosis,” he said.

The methamphetamine market was growing due to the higher price importers could achieve in Australia, compared to other nations.

According to an ACC report, significant changes in the nature and scale of the methamphetamine market has occurred since 2010, and particularly since 2013.

The average street price per gram of methamphetamine in China is US$80 compared to Australia, which can fetch prices of US$500.

The other issue that is making the jobs of police officers tougher, is the increased threat of home-grown terrorism, according to Mr O’Callaghan.

“The terrorism environment that we are facing has lifted the risk to police officers.

“There’s no doubt about that and it is a concern for me as your police commissioner and it’s a concern for your Union about what we can do when police officers have been identified in Australia, and law enforcement officers generally, as ISIS targets.”

ACC CEO Chris Dawson said while threats to WA police officers were not specific, officers should still take extra caution.

“The threats in Western Australia are the same as those in other parts of Australia. You’ve got terrorist organisations such as ISIL who have overtly nominated Australia, Canada, France, the US and other countries,” he said.

Mr Dawson said due to their visible frontline duties, police officers have been singled out by terrorists “in their

warped thinking and ideology” as appropriate targets.

“We should not be underestimating that the reach of international terrorism leaves Western Australia immune.

It does not. There is a change in the threat level and we must all be very vigilant.”

Mr Dawson also spoke about the ways in which the ACC was taking on terrorists.

He said the ACC had extensive powers at the fingertips of investigators, including the use of covert coercive examinations, telecommunications interception, surveillance devices, controlled operations, assumed identities and the use of Crimes Act (Commonwealth) search warrants.

Mr Dawson said the ACC had recently identified a person of interest with links to a terrorist organisation and a coercive interview with the suspect was granted.

He said the person of interest did not cooperate with investigators and refused to talk.

As a result of this, the suspect was found in contempt and under the powers of the ACC, the man was able to be held indefinitely at an undisclosed prison.

After serving some time in this prison, Mr Dawson said the man changed his mind and cooperated with ACC investigators.

However, methamphetamine and terrorism weren’t the only issues discussed. The need for a suitable workers’ compensation style scheme for police officers was also mentioned by both the Commissioner and Police Minister.

Mrs Harvey said steps to develop a workers’ compensation scheme for police were progressing.

“It’s overdue,” Mrs Harvey told Delegates.

“I know it will involve extensive consultation with a myriad of both internal and external stakeholders, including your Union and I look forward to consideration of all aspects of this.”

Mr O’Callaghan was more comprehensive in his approach and said a number of hard questions, including the entitlement to medical benefits, would have to be asked.

“There are some real stumbling blocks with a workers’ compensation system,” he said.

“I know George said we need a compensation scheme in addition to our benefits. I know that insurers will ask questions about your benefits and whether it’s an add-on or if it combines and rolls together. I’m not saying I have a position on any of those things, but those parts of the equation are really complicated and won’t be resolved in the next 12 months I can tell you that. ▷

11 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

05 Annual Conference Delegates. 06 Constable Ryan Marron’s father Tom and President George Tilbury address the media. 07 Sen. Const. Matt Butcher speaks about his injuries as a result of a brawl in 2008. 08 Sen. Const. Matt Butcher’s speech received a standing ovation.

05 06

“We have said as a WA police force that he is not to be disadvantaged …”

07 08

12 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

“Very soon we will need to have a very direct conversation about what aspects of your existing entitlements might be rolled into a compensation scheme, and whether you like that, or whether you need something else. So there’s a lot to do yet.”

Workers’ compensation would also ensure that ex-gratia payments would not need to be applied for if officers were seriously injured and could not work. Officers like Constable Ryan Marron.

Mrs Harvey told Annual Conference that she has been speaking with Attorney-General Michael Mischin, who would ultimately take any offer to Cabinet for approval.

“I’m in constant communication with the Attorney-General to ensure that the Government can be responding in an appropriate timeframe as part of those negotiations,” Mrs Harvey said.

“They are difficult, but when you look at our history… we support police officers. I certainly am doing everything I can with respect to the Ryan Marron issue to have that resolved as quickly as possible.”

Constable Marron’s father Tom attended the opening of Conference and proceeded to tell the media that an ex-gratia payment would make the world of difference to his family.

“I think it will give him some normality so that he and Toni, his partner, can get a house together.

He will need 24/7 care, so their life will be very difficult,” Mr Marron said.

Mr O’Callaghan said “it’s only fair” that Constable Marron’s claim was resolved.

“I entirely support what George and what the Minister has said about resolving the issue with Ryan Marron. We have said as a WA police force that he is not to be disadvantaged and will be entitled to his full working entitlements until the Government sorts that out,” Mr O’Callaghan told Conference.

Annual Conference was also able to hear Senior Constable Matt Butcher’s inspiring story of surviving a brutal attack and years of rehabilitation.

His story, which was featured in the last edition of Police News, received a standing ovation from the crowd.

Delegates admired Sen. Const. Butcher’s honesty and frankness about his reaction to being told he would be partially paralysed and his rehabilitation journey in the Shenton Park Rehabilitation Hospital.

Smiles spread across the faces in the crowd as Sen. Const. Butcher told of his encounters with little people (a hallucination he was having after his brain

injury) and his invention of “The Clubhouse” (the name of his room at the rehabilitation centre).

Those looks turned to disgust as Sen. Const.

Butcher told the crowd of his dismayed reaction to being sued by the father of the man who was responsible for his life-long injury.

Apart from shining a light on major issues facing our Members, Annual Conference was also used to highlight the individual work and service of some of our Members.

Five Members were awarded for five or more years’ service as a Branch Official and all have been instrumental in running their respective Branches.

From planning and facilitating meetings, to assisting Members with their issues and dealing with District Management on behalf of Members, the outstanding individuals were; Director and previous Branch Official with the Fortescue and Eastern Goldfields Branch Dave Curtis; South Metropolitan Branch Secretary Julian Donohoe; North West Metropolitan President Kym Buller; and Murchison Branch President and former Official at the Central West Coast Branch Matt Fogarty.

Annual Conference Dinner also recognised the outstanding work of one particular individual who was named the 2015 recipient of the DowdDempsey Award.

Avon Branch Annual Conference Delegate and President Dave Flaherty was recognised for his service to the Members of his Branch and WAPU. WAPU President George Tilbury said Sergeant Flaherty regularly went above and beyond to assist Members with AC Warnings, MAPs, area reviews, personal challenges and housing issues.

He assisted two Members, who after receiving attraction payments and moving location, were subject to recovery action. Sgt Flaherty lobbied the District Superintendent and payment recovery was rightly stopped.

Sgt Flaherty also attended a District workshop and provided advice to the Wheatbelt District Office to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes for acceptable standards of accommodation provided for Members who must travel to undertake compulsory training.

“Sgt Flaherty is a long serving Branch Official and a credit to WAPU,” Mr Tilbury said.

Motions debated at the WAPU 79th Annual Conference and the outcomes are on pages 25 to 37.

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79th Annual Conference Dinner TUESDAY 24 NOVEMBER PARMELIA HILTON HOTEL

06 05

01 Dave Flaherty and Harry Arnott. 02 Stephen and Cathy McDonald. 03 Annual Conference Dinner. 04 Paul and Alison Hunt. 05 Kelly Cordwell, Debra Hutchinson, Ian Clarke and John Gillespie. 06 Mike Thomas, Emmet Lynch and Peter McGee. 07 Rob Johnson, Steve and Mary Brown and Scott Sulley. 08 Scott Slawinski, Eddie Leong and Shayne Knox. 09 Warren Dowbysch, Aaron Ogg, Lynden Ganzer, Julian Donohoe, Gerard Cartner. 10 Sarah Jane and Paige Hobbs from Alongside.

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10 08 09

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13 14

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18 19

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11 Greg and Michelle Roberts with Mark Folkard. 12 Sean and Nicola Roman. 13 Service Pin recipients Matt Fogarty, Julian Donohoe and Dave Curtis with George Tilbury.

14 Penny Brown and Craig Fordham. 15 Tarryn and Sam Smith. 16 Liza Harvey, Mick Kelly and Val Doherty. 17 Emcee Peter Rowsthorn. 18 George Tilbury presents Dave Flaherty with the 2015 Dowd Dempsey Award. 19 Steven Glover and Emma Matson.

20 Katrina and Matt Butcher. 21 Joe Newbold, Keith Carmody and Peter Eley.

14 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

01 02

Blue Knights looking to expand Blue Knights are looking for more members to join the largest law enforcement motorcycle club in the world.

01 Custom paint job depicting the Blue Knights image.

02 Members, wives, partners and retired police officers who ride with the Blue Knights.

The club was founded in the USA in 1974 by a handful of friends and has grown to 18,000 members from more than 30 countries.

Blue Knights in Australia was founded in 1978 and now has six Chapters nationwide with more than 300 members.

Where ever you may go, be it the Eastern States or abroad, you will always find members to share some local knowledge and look after you while you are there.

Blue Knights Chapter 1 Vice President Senior Constable John Littleton, who joined the club in 2012, said the club has 35 members and always on the lookout for more.

“Our primary aim is to promote motorcycling and motorcycle safety with people that enjoy riding and share a common bond being police officers,” Sen. Const. Littleton said.

“On a monthly basis, the club does a day ride to a country town like Toodyay, York or Dwellingup as they are a nice riding distance.

There are occasional rides a little further with overnight stays.

“Our ride calendar consists of midweek twilight rides down the coast, a monthly meeting and a new midweek day time ride for those that are retired or have the day off.

“There is also a weekly open invitation to have a coffee at Dome Victoria Park.”

The club also assists in training with units within WA Police such as Gang Crime and become the Dirty Dingoes for the day, pushing the officers to the edge of what they can expect from OMCG. Blue Knights have participated in the National Memorial Ride of Remembrance in September since 2012, raising in excess of $20,000 for Police Legacy.

In 2013 and 2014 members of Australia I and Australia IV worked the Cannon Foods promotion at the Perth Royal Show and raised in excess of $15,000 for a charity for sick kids.

Next year, the Blue Knights will be promoting a charity ride from Perth to Mandurah. Previous rides have attracted more than 200 riders and supported Make a Wish and other charities.

People who are interested in joining the Blue Knights need to be serving, retired or resigned police officers who have a motorcycle license and, of course, a motorcycle.

If you are interested in joining Blue Knights International Motorcycle Club please contact Sen. Const. Littleton or visit www.bkaus1.com.

15 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

01

Son follows father to the frontline BY STEVEN GLOVER

Wally Leslie joined WA Police in 1952 and in October his son, Phil, followed in his footsteps.

In the 63 years between their graduations, 13,185 police officers have started their careers in policing, something which blows Phil away.

“Some of my early childhood memories of Dad were seeing him come home from work in uniform, riding the police motorbike up the driveway or visiting him at work at a small country station,” Phil said.

“As a child, I always wanted to follow in the steps of my father but never really took that final step until recently.”

Phil applied to join WA Police at the age of 48, 29 years after his father’s retirement in 1986.

16 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

“I initially spoke to Dad about joining WA Police when I was in my late 20s but being a typical protective parent, he wasn’t too keen on the idea due to the dangers I would encounter on a daily basis,” Phil said.

“I suppose as he spent all his life keeping people safe, he wanted nothing less for his children.

“Although at that time I listened to Dad’s advice and didn’t apply, the burning desire to join was always there.

I hit a point in my life where I thought that if I didn’t apply now, then I may always be wondering ‘what if?’

“I decided not to tell my parents of my potential career change until after the selection process, in the chance I was unsuccessful. But when I was selected and told my Dad, he couldn’t have been more proud as he knew how much it meant to me.”

Phil said the Academy process was challenging.

“It's been a long time since I've had to stay up late at night studying for an exam,” he said.

“I've never been good with computers so learning the IT side of things was a challenge in itself.

“Luckily, there were some young guys in our squad who were willing to assist me when I was struggling.

“But to finally think now that all that is behind me and a new challenge awaits is exciting.”

Phil’s first posting is to TEG 2 which mirrors his father’s career as Wally too started in traffic and spent the majority of his career there.

“Dad was telling me about a time when he was doing point duty on Barrack Street and two trams were coming in opposite directions. Normally one would stop while the other passes the police officer, but they both continued through which caught dad out so he had to jump onto one of the moving trams so he wouldn't get cleaned up by the other.

“I'm sure I will face my own dangerous situations in traffic, but one thing is for sure, I know I won't have to dodge trams.”

As well as working in traffic, Wally also worked throughout the State including small towns such as Marble Bar, Leonora and Gingin. Later he worked in Karratha, Bunbury and Albany as the officer in charge before being promoted to Superintendent.

Wally said he felt extremely proud to see his son graduate and it was a great experience.

His best bit of advice for Phil and his fellow recruits was just do your job honestly and professionally.

For Phil, the greatest moment of this experience was seeing his father attend his graduation.

“He was one of the first to walk onto the parade ground to congratulate me and to see him smile at me was a special feeling,” Phil said.

He now moves out of the Academy and into his career in policing and he hopes to do the best job he can.

“Coming from a retail background, I have seen numerous elderly ladies have their purses stolen by heartless thieves, so to now be able to play my part to help bring those types of people to justice will be rewarding,” Phil told Police News.

“Most of the public only deal with a police officer during a time of ordeal in their life, so to have someone walk away feeling more at ease and better about the situation than what they started with, would give me a sense of satisfaction that I am helping in a small way.”

02 03

“He was one of the first to walk onto the parade ground to congratulate me and to see him smile at me was a special feeling.”

01 Wally and Phil Leslie. 02 Phil during the March past. 03 Phil is congratulated by Commissioner of Police Karl O'Callaghan.

17 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

Methamphetamine in Perth: PERSPECTIVES FROM DUMA POLICE DETAINEES

EILEEN PATTERSON, SUSAN GOLDSMID & ALEXANDRA GANNONI AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF CRIMINOLOGY

18 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

Methamphetamine is of national concern (ACC 2014); but what does this statement mean to frontline police officers? In real terms, it means that frontline police are required, on an increasingly frequent basis, to engage with methamphetamine users.

This presents a number of challenges to police. First, methamphetamine intoxication and withdrawal can impede an individual’s ability to follow police directions. Second, use is associated with behavioural and psychological disturbances, including aggression, which can increase the risk of harm for the police and members of the community. Third, the user is at an increased risk of serious physical harms when in custody due to the effects of intoxication or withdrawal. These risks may be exacerbated by physical exertion during interactions with police or due to use of restraint by police. Being armed with information about what methamphetamine is, the nature and extent of use of methamphetamine among Perth police detainees, and details of the Perth methamphetamine market can assist police to identify risks to themselves and others.

The Australian Institute of Criminology’s (AIC) Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program interviews police detainees at selected police stations and watch houses across Australia on a quarterly basis. The Perth Watch House is one of the DUMA data collection sites. Detainees present at the Perth Watch House during data collection are asked to complete an interviewer-assisted self-report survey about their use of alcohol and other drugs and offending habits. Urine samples are also requested during two data collections per year. Urine samples are subjected to urinalysis, at an independent toxicology laboratory, to detect the presence of a number of licit and illicit drugs, including methamphetamine. Participation in DUMA is voluntary and confidential. Since the program commenced in 1999, 52,859 detainees have been interviewed and 37,774 urine samples have been collected nationally. The data presented in this report was collected during quarter one (January) and quarter two (April) of 2015 at the Perth Watch House.

In 2015, 1,111 police detainees were interviewed in Perth.

They were, on average, 32 years of age. The majority of detainees interviewed were male (approximately 80 per cent), which is representative of the gender composition of the overall Australian detainee population.

What is methamphetamine?

Methamphetamine is a derivative of amphetamine, differing from amphetamine only in the presence of an extra methyl group on the compound. Currently, methamphetamine is the most readily available form of amphetamine in Australia.

Methamphetamine comes in various forms, with crystalline methamphetamine (also known as ‘ice’ or ‘crystal meth’) being the most potent form. In recent years, Australia has experienced a rise in the availability of ‘ice’. Whilst debate still surrounds whether the number of methamphetamine users is increasing in the general population, it appears that those who are using methamphetamine, are using purer forms of the drug and are using methamphetamine more frequently (AIHW 2015). This is likely to increase the potential for the user, and those in contact with the user, to experience harms.

Methamphetamine is a stimulant, as is cocaine. It hastens the messages from the user’s brain to their body, resulting in feelings of alertness, confidence, energy and wakefulness (ADF 2014). However, unlike cocaine, which has a half-life (i.e., the amount of time that it takes for half of the dose consumed to be eliminated from the user’s body) of one to three hours, the half-life of methamphetamine is eight to 13 hours (Barr et al. 2006). For police this means that they will be required to manage the effects of intoxication and withdrawal of users in custody over a much longer period of time.

Methamphetamine use has been associated with anxiety, mood disturbances, paranoia, visual or auditory hallucinations, delusions and psychosis (McKetin et al. 2013). Psychosis is a state where the mind loses contact with reality. These symptoms, and intoxication itself, can result in the user having difficulties with communication and interpersonal interactions (Sommers & Baskin-Sommers 2006). It is through the intensification of emotions, heightened arousal or difficulties communicating that an increased risk of violence or aggression may occur (Sommers & Baskin-Sommers 2006). Methamphetamine use is also associated with physical harms for the user such as elevated blood pressure, increased pulse, raised temperature, cardiac arrhythmias and myocardial ischemia (Henry-Edwards et al. 2003).

Perth police detainees have described methamphetamine as causing users to “see crazy stuff” and as “send[ing] people loopy” (Quarter 3, 2014). ▷

19 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

In 2015, 43 per cent of Perth detainees tested positive to methamphetamine, via urinalysis.

Methamphetamine use among Perth police detainees

amped’, or ‘burnt out’ in the last 12 months. This suggests that approximately one in four users reported consuming a dangerous amount of methamphetamine or consuming methamphetamine over prolonged periods of time.

TRENDS IN METHAMPHETAMINE USE Since 2009, there has been a steady increase in methamphetamine use among Perth police detainees (see Figure 1). In 2015, 43 per cent of Perth detainees tested positive to methamphetamine, via urinalysis. This is the highest rate of use recorded for Perth since the DUMA program commenced in 1999. The rise in methamphetamine use does not reflect an overall rise in drug use, as the proportion of Perth detainees testing positive to other drugs (such as, cocaine, cannabis, heroin) have remained relatively stable or decreased throughout this period.

FORMS OF METHAMPHETAMINE ‘Ice’ (48 per cent) or ‘white rock’ (47 per cent) were the most common forms of methamphetamine that Perth police detainees reported consuming on their last occasion of use (see Figure 2). A small proportion of users reported having consumed a powder (3 per cent) or liquid (1 per cent) form of methamphetamine. Two per cent of detainees reported using some other form of methamphetamine, descriptions included coloured rock and shard forms.

HEALTH HARMS AND METHAMPHETAMINE Almost a quarter of Perth police detainees (26 per cent) who had used methamphetamine, reported having overdosed, ‘over-

FIGURE 1.

Perth detainees who tested positive to methamphetamine, 1999–2015 (%)

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30

AVAILABILITY OF METHAMPHETAMINE In 2015, Perth police detainees rated the availability of methamphetamine, on average, at a nine on a 10 point scale (where one is extremely hard to get and 10 is readily available or overabundant). A detainee described this high level of availability as, “compared to methamphetamine, all other drugs are hardly available” (Quarter 4, 2014). Another detainee explained that “…every house either sells it or is using methamphetamine” (Quarter 1, 2015).

Based on police detainee reports, it appears that this high level of availability is being maintained over time. In 2015, only 10 per cent of methamphetamine using detainees reported that availability had decreased in the three months prior to being interviewed by the DUMA program, with the majority (58 per cent) reporting that availability had not changed. The remaining 25 per cent reported that availability had increased.

FIGURE 2.

Perth detainees, by form of methamphetamine consumed on last occasion of use, 2015 (%)

POWDER OTHER TYPE

2%

3%

WHITE ROCK

ICE

47%

47%

LIQUID

1%

20 10 0

The Perth Methamphetamine Market

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Note: Data from 2015 was taken from the first quarter only (January–March) Source: AIC DUMA Collection 1999–2015 [computer file]

20 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

Note: • Data from 2015 was taken from the first and second quarters only (January–June) • Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding • Only methamphetamine users included in analysis Source: AIC DUMA Collection 2015 [computer file]

… police in contact with methamphetamine users are at an increased risk of exposure to blood borne diseases, and need to take appropriate precautions to minimise this risk.

QUALITY OF METHAMPHETAMINE

Based on police detainee reports, it appears that this high level of availability is being maintained over time.

On average, detainees in Perth rated the quality of methamphetamine at seven out of 10 (where one is extremely poor/impure quality and 10 is excellent purity). In 2015, approximately one in four detainees (25 per cent) reported that the quality of methamphetamine in Perth had decreased in the three months prior to interview. Detainees made comments such as the “quality has declined” (Quarter 2, 2014) and that methamphetamine “is now [poor] quality” (Quarter 1, 2015).

However, the majority of detainees (43 per cent) reported that quality had been stable in the three months prior to interview. A small minority (18 per cent) reported that quality had improved.

PRICE OF METHAMPHETAMINE Detainees were also asked whether the price of methamphetamine had changed recently. Almost half of detainees interviewed (49 per cent) reported that the price of methamphetamine had stayed the same recently. This was followed by 20 per cent of detainees who stated that it had become more expensive, 16 per cent stated that the price had decreased, and 5 per cent stated that the price fluctuated.

One detainee who reported that the price had decreased stated, “[You’re] now able to obtain more [methamphetamine] for $50. A point is still $100… [it] has not gone back down, but you can buy more for $50 than use[d] to be possible, quantity wise” (Quarter 2, 2015).This comment may explain why there is variation in reports of price fluctuations among some Perth police detainees. Fluctuations in price may be dependent on the quantity being purchased. Alternatively, one detainee interviewed in June 2015 explained that the decrease in price of methamphetamine was due to the number of dealers selling ice having increased. In support of this explanation, 57 per cent of police detainees reported that the number of sellers in the market had increased in the three months prior to being interviewed by the DUMA program. As more and more sellers enter the market, price can be forced down due to competition or due to enforcement swamping – a phenomenon where the risk of arrest is reduced when the number of sellers increases as police have more targets to pursue (Caulkins & Reuter 2006; Moore et al. 2005). Other factors that can influence price include the quantity of the methamphetamine.

Minimising risks during interactions with methamphetamine users In 2015, almost half of all police detainees (43 per cent) at the Perth Watch House, who provided urine samples to the DUMA program, tested positive to methamphetamine. This means that frontline police and watch house auxiliary staff are likely to be in regular contact with methamphetamine users. Identifying risks and implementing harm minimisation strategies can reduce the potential risk of harm for the police, the auxiliary staff and the user.

As a Perth police detainee interviewed in 2015 summed it up: “[methamphetamine] is destroying lives” (Quarter 1, 2015). Users of methamphetamine are at an increased risk of contracting blood borne diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C from sharing needles and risky sexual behaviours (Kaye & Darke 2000). Approximately 60 per cent of methamphetamine users interviewed at the Perth Watch House in 2015 reported having injected methamphetamine in the last 12 months. Therefore, police in contact with methamphetamine users are at an increased risk of exposure to blood borne diseases, and need to take appropriate precautions to minimise this risk.

The National Drug Strategy guidelines for police services suggest a number of strategies to reduce risks associated with psychological and physical side effects of use. These include: • Seeking medical assessment for persons identified as intoxicated with a psycho-stimulant substance, such as methamphetamine; • Using minimal physical restraint to avoid increasing the user’s body temperature, which can lead to severe medical complications; • Continuous calm and clear communication with the user, which may assist in de-escalating situations, and avoiding hostile language which may prompt or exacerbate aggression; • Formalised accurate assessments of the user when they are in custody to ensure that any signs of psycho-stimulant toxicity are not overlooked; and • Continued observation for six to eight hours whilst the user is in custody to ensure that if deterioration takes place, this is responded to immediately.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The AIC would like to extend our gratitude to WA Police, without their continued support the DUMA program would not be possible.

In particular, we would like to thank the police officers and auxiliary staff who facilitated access to detainees.

A full list of references used in this article is available at www.wapu.org.au.

21 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

INDUSTRIAL REPORT

CRAIG FORDHAM Industrial Officer

Proposed workers’ compensation and your industrial entitlements IN DECEMBER LAST YEAR, WAPU RELEASED A REPORT TO GOVERNMENT in an effort to draw attention to the plight of officers who left WA Police due to a work-related illness or injury.

The report, titled Project Recompense, was the result of a two-year investigation which highlighted the lack of assistance available to former officers who suffer loss of earnings, permanent impairment and ongoing expenses associated with a workplace injury. Arising from Project Recompense were a number of recommendations which sought, amongst other things, the introduction of a compensation scheme for police officers similar in intent and structure to the workers’ compensation scheme currently available to almost every other worker in Western Australia.

A full copy of Project Recompense and the resulting recommendations is available on the WAPU website.

More recently, WAPU has launched the It’s Tough Enough campaign to raise community awareness of the unique risks that police must face each day, all without the protection of a suitable compensation scheme.

Generally speaking, there has been unanimous support behind our push seeking adequate compensation for injured officers. However, WAPU is aware that some Members are concerned that a compensation scheme will necessarily come at the cost of existing medical and sick leave entitlements.

COMPENSATION IS NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR EXISTING ENTITLEMENTS It has been suggested that the Industrial Agreement provisions relating to sick leave and medical expenses were developed as a substitute for workers’ compensation benefits. This perception may have fuelled a notion that these provisions must be removed or watered down to make room for a suitable compensation scheme. In particular, the Commissioner has made comments in the media to the effect that the introduction of a compensation scheme “would involve a trade-off”.

That is not WAPU’s position. We do not advocate the removal of benefits currently afforded to serving Members in order to create a separate benefit for permanently injured officers.

In our view, the current medical and sick leave entitlements contained in the Industrial Agreement properly reflect the unique duties and risks undertaken by sworn officers.

We merely seek the introduction of a compensation scheme that gives police a similar protection to that enjoyed by the majority of the working community.

NO CURRENT PROPOSAL IN PLACE

We do not advocate the removal of benefits currently afforded to serving Members in order to create a separate benefit for permanently injured officers.

22 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

Our goal is to see the introduction of a system that is similar in structure and intent to the existing workers’ compensation scheme. However, we do not necessarily wish to integrate serving police officers into the current scheme.

We have asked Government to propose a scheme that appropriately recognises the unique conditions that apply to sworn officers. We have also recommended that any proposal should not adversely affect a Member’s ability to access sick leave and/or other medical benefits.

To date, we are yet to receive a proposal based on our recommendations. With the support of our Members and the wider community, we hope this situation will change in the near future.

DAVE LAMPARD

FIELD REPORT

Field Officer

Sworn Safety and Health Reps – a valuable resource ONE OF THE MOST ENJOYABLE ASPECTS OF PRESENTING WAPU’S ROLE to the Safety and Health Representative Course at the Police Academy is the incredible diversity involved in providing an essential service to the public.

Managers need to recognise that their SHR are there to help them recognise hazards and assist them with advice on eliminating or, at the very least, mitigating risks.

Not many occupations have such an expansive role in keeping the community safe and bringing villains to account.

Activities such as attending court to give evidence have meandered along for over 160 years.

In that time, not much attention has been paid to ensuring the protection of unarmed, uniformed police officers when they are travelling to and from court complexes as well as when they are inside the building.

The recent increase to the terror level for police has changed this archaic tradition forever.

In the past, Members have had to intervene to keep feuding families apart or provide additional protection to witnesses where violent and dangerous criminals are involved in proceedings. They have been forced to do this unarmed and they have also had to intervene, unarmed, when judges, magistrates or court officials have been threatened with harm.

This is one of the very rare occasions where another jurisdiction can override the rules and directions of the Commissioner of Police.

Since January, we have been campaigning to allow police officers to wear their accoutrements in and around court complexes. As part of that campaign, we requested Safety and Health Representatives (SHR) to identified potential hazards.

The OSH Act at Section 5(e) provides that employee representative organisations, in this case WAPU, have an important role to play in keeping pace with emerging Occupational Safety and Health trends and, where necessary, providing input that allows suitable control measures to be developed to address the hazards and risks identified.

Providing our Members with use of force options in and around court complexes is a case in question.

The difficulty for all SHR is providing advice and recognising that there are situations where there are conflicting demands made to comply with OSH principles and the need to carry out unplanned dangerous duties. This is something I emphasise during WAPU OSH presentations.

People to people skills are not covered during the five day SHR course and it is very difficult to have this as part of the training module.

For policing, it is vital that the SHR develops these skills to ensure that they can perform the role effectively.

Managers need to recognise that their SHR are there to help them recognise hazards and assist them with advice on eliminating or, at the very least, mitigating risks.

The legislators recognised that there would be occasions where an SHR was subdued in their role due to fear of discrimination or other punitive disciplinary or management action against them. Section 35A of the OSH Act makes it an offence to engage in such activities.

WAPU encourages sworn SHR to be active in their WAPU Branch and help the Branch develop motions of OSH significance.

Often the issues are common to other workplaces and WA Police has, by proportion, the highest number of qualified SHR in the workforce.

Regular transfer and tenure means that they cannot carry the role automatically to another workplace however, they still retain the skills and should always be strong contenders when the new workplace needs to elect a replacement or additional SHR.

23 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

WAPU OPINION

KEVIN MCDONALD

Metropolitan Region Director

A road to nowhere A COUPLE OF MY ARTICLES published during 2015 lamented a fairly bleak future for police officers seeking promotion.

The current promotion system has no discernible structure, is basically a free-for-all lucky dip and operational experience is not necessary. Detractors complain the process encourages applicants to pay professionals to ghost-write their applications, is plagued by nepotism, favouritism and rewards sycophants.

It is of course extremely difficult to persuade a senior management cadre dominated by people who have significantly benefitted from the current systems, that there is a need to change.

24 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

Sadly, these are not the only signs that a police career with WA Police is a like being a passenger on a ship without a rudder. When it comes to exerting some influence over what you want to do, where you want to work and for how long, the same can be said for transfers.

Unlike the promotion system, the transfer system does have an identifiable structure however, it is beset with a host of similar problems and has at its epicentre a savage little creature known as tenure. Tenure is the means giving effect to broad based, management initiated transfer – or no transfer depending upon your predicament.

In its public advertising, WA Police promote a diverse police career with an assortment of job options, training, education opportunities and career paths available. It’s only after people are engaged and become sworn police that a realisation emerges of an occupation where there are in fact no clear pathways and they have little or no control over where they work, what they do or how they can get to where they want to go.

Since becoming a WAPU Director, I have witnessed a range of discriminatory, biased and unfair practices going on in the area of transfers.

Sole and multiple applicants for like to like vacancies requiring no essential or desirable criteria, are routinely rejected because ad hoc selection panels, untrained in human resource management, decided they weren’t up to the job. This is despite

these applicants being seasoned professionals and more than capable of being upskilled in new areas.

Or occasions when highly sought after vacancies arise and the chair of the selection panel is also the primary referee for an applicant and sees no conflict of interest. There are no prizes for guessing who got the job! Members would be surprised to learn just how much of this goes on.

Another more (arguably) recent phenomenon is the management practice of eschewing the transfer process completely.

This occurs when the powers that be decide, for reasons best known to themselves, to parachute a chosen son or daughter into a vacancy without advertising it. This is a secretive process that undermines confidence in management, erodes morale and leaves a bitter taste with everyone.

Bullying, nepotism, bias, intimidation and discrimination are relics of a bygone industrial era but sadly, steadfastly remain hallmarks of WA Police and are shamelessly protected by a see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil senior management culture. They are workplace relics that present perhaps some of the greatest challenges to WAPU which is prevented by industrial legislation from challenging transfers in the WA Industrial Relations Commission.

The transfer system is about to undergo major change and it is expected that in the future, transfer decisions will be made from a centralised unit with no input from individual business areas.

This might sound good in theory however, for it to work, it will still require a strong input from the

sworn element. Selection input from actual practitioners, particularly in the uniquely specialised field that is policing, is critical in any future transfer arrangements.

Everybody knows (or should know) that there are no perfect promotion or transfer systems in the HR world.

But they should also know there are infinitely better systems than those we currently use.

It is of course extremely difficult to persuade a senior management cadre dominated by people who have significantly benefitted from the current systems, that there is a need to change. Many senior managers (sworn and unsworn) I’ve tried to discuss ideas with are a closed shop.

They don’t want to know, because they know better.

I sincerely hope that our current crop of young and enthusiastic Members eventually get a promotion and transfer system that is much fairer, removes discrimination, nepotism and the like, rewards operational experience and hard work and most of all, gives everyone a fighting chance to have some tangible input into their own careers and aspirations.

With no rudder and sails that blow in all directions depending on the hot air emanating from whoever is wielding the authority over your hopes and ambitions, you could end up anywhere from Utopia to Timbuktu.

Have a Merry Christmas!

MOTIONS ON NOTICE 79TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2015 1.0 CORPORATE MOTIONS 1.1 EXECUTIVE

Conference directs that Rule 6.1(d) be amended to introduce conduct exclusions for Members seeking to stand for Director positions. (d) To be eligible to nominate for election to the Board a person must:

(1) be a Member (other than a Retired Member or a Life Member who has retired);

(2) be free of any debts or arrears to the Union;

(3) have attended at least four branch meetings in the preceding 12 months;

(4) be stationed in the Region for which they nominate at the time of their nomination.

(5) not to have been found in Breach of the Rules on grounds of misappropriation of funds of the Union, a substantial breach of the Rules, gross misbehaviour or gross neglect of duty as a Director, in the 3 years preceding the election.

Explanation Due to issues arising during the registration of alterations to the PFA Branch rules, the wording of clause 6.1(f), which precluded Directors from standing for election if they had resigned mid-term (other than for acceptable reasons as defined by the Rules) was found to conflict with provisions and principles of the Fair Work Act. That Rule will be struck out as part of this batch of alterations as if it is retained, the WAPU rules will remain inconsistent with the PFA Branch rules. To enable the re-issuance of a Section 71 Certificate to enable, inter alia, a single election process this sub-rule needs to be removed.

The changes proposed here for Rule 6.1(d) do conform with PFA Branch rules, and will assist in the Section 71 Certificate approval process and provide as much protection possible that can be afforded within the Fair Work Commission’s interpretation of organisational democratic control.

Moved: B Shortland Seconded: M Gill CARRIED

1.2 EXECUTIVE Conference directs that Rule 6.1(f) be deleted to allow realignment of WAPU and PFA Branch rules.

Current provision: (f) Members who have themselves resigned from the Board within the previous term for reasons other than transfer as per Rule 6.3 (a)(1), illness, injury, incapacity or other such reason for which that Board deemed, at the time of resignation to be reasonable, shall not be eligible for re-election at any bi-election within that term or for the next full election for the Board.

EXPLANATION Due to issues arising during the registration of alterations to the PFA Branch rules, the current wording of clause 6.1(f) is, and will remain, inconsistent with the PFA Branch rules. To enable the re-issuance of a Section 71 Certificate to enable, inter alia, a single election process this sub-rule needs to be removed.

It should be noted that the changes proposed for Rule 6.1(d), which do conform with the PFA Branch rules, will assist in the Section 71 Certificate approval process and provide as much protection possible that can be afforded within the Fair Work Commission’s interpretation of organisational democratic control.

Moved: H Russell Seconded: P McGee CARRIED

1.3 EXECUTIVE Conference directs that redundant Rule 6.1(h) be deleted.

Current provision: (h) (1) – Transitional Rule – Board of Directors Term of Office The term of office of a Director holding office at the 2013 Annual Conference or a Director subsequently filling a vacancy in accordance with Rule 6.3 - Board of Directors - Vacancies shall hold office until the dissolution of the Annual Conference of November 2015 only, following which this transitional rule will cease to have effect and the Rules relevant to the Establishment of the Board of Directors as provided for in Rule 6.1 and any other relevant rules as amended at the 2013 Annual Conference will have effect.

EXPLANATION Rule 6.1 (h) was a transitional rule to enable the extension of the 2012 elected Board of Directors’ Term during the transitional period of change to annual conference dates from June to November. This process has been completed and the relevant timeframe elapsed, so this rule is now redundant.

Moved: B Shortland Seconded: M Kelly CARRIED

1.4 EXECUTIVE Conference directs that Rule 8.1(k) be amended to reflect contemporary challenges in convening Branch meetings in the one month prior to annual conference. (k) Upon receipt of the Branches agenda items, the Board shall prepare the agenda for Annual Conference, and the agenda shall be given to the Branches at least 30 days before the Annual Conference. The Branches shall should endeavour to then meet to discuss the Annual Conference agenda prior to the Annual Conference. ▷ 25 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

EXPLANATION The current wording of Rule 8.1(k) places an absolute requirement on Branches to meet before their Delegate attends Annual Conference. Such strict wording does not provide any capacity for Branches who, for any number of reasons, are not be able to convene a formal meeting in the 30 days provided.

Moved: M Gill CARRIED

Seconded: P McGee

1.5 EXECUTIVE Conference directs that Rule 13 (a) be amended to complement and support the introduction of conduct exclusions for Members seeking to stand for Director positions. (a) The Board may expel from the Union, suspend for a specified period or may remove from office any Member who in the opinion of the Board has been shown to the Board’s satisfaction to have been responsible for:

(1) any material or persistent breach of these Rules;

(2) misappropriation of the funds of the Union;

(3) conduct detrimental to the interests of the Union or of its Members and/or likely to bring the Union into disrepute or to cause it to suffer financial loss;

(4) divulging the correspondence or business of the Union to persons not entitled to such information; and

(5) aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring the commission of any of the acts mentioned in this Rule;

(6) gross misbehaviour, or gross neglect of duties, as a Director.

EXPLANATION Changes at rule 6.1(d) which introduce preclusions on Members standing for election based on conduct, necessitate those conduct issues to be defined/articulated within the Rules. Accordingly these provisions are introduced into the Disciplinary section of the rules. This provides Members connected to such conduct matters to also have access to dispute resolution/appeal avenues.

In conjunction with proposed changes to rule 6.3, this alteration will provide the Board with discretion to consider whether a Director’s position will cease due to circumstances leading to their absence from meetings.

Moved: H Arnott Seconded: D Curtis CARRIED

1.6 EXECUTIVE Conference directs that Rule 6.3 be amended to provide the Board of Directors discretion to terminate a Director’s position due to their absence.

6.3 Board of Directors - Vacancies (a) A member holding office as a Director shall cease to hold that office in the event of:

(1) resigning from the position;

(2) ceasing to be a member of the Union;

(4)(3) being absent or partially absent from three special meetings unless that Director forwards an apology to WA Police Union;

(5)(4) being transferred from the Region in which the Director is based.

26 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

(b) Subject to Rule 13, a member holding office may cease to hold office in the event of:

(3) being absent or partially absent, from three scheduled monthly board meetings within a twelve month period (July 1 to June 30) unless that Director;

• Is on annual or long service leave and is travelling outside of their normal residential area, • Is on Sick Leave absent due to illness,

• Has urgent family or personal matters,

• Has been officially summonsed to a Court or other place or

• Is absent, because he/she is officially representing the WA Police Union at an event and such absence is approved by the WA Police Union; EXPLANATION The current wording of Rule 6.3 does not provide a Director with an appeal against their position ceasing in the prescribed circumstances. To assist the delivery of procedural fairness and natural justice, this change provides the Board with discretion to assess particular circumstances as well as providing the affected Member with the relevant processes afforded under Rule 13 – Discipline.

The change to the ‘Sick Leave’ aspect provides for circumstances where a Director may be unable to attend a Meeting due to illness when they are not on sick leave (such as when on weekly leave).

Moved: H Russell Seconded: M Kelly CARRIED

1.7 EXECUTIVE Conference directs that Rule 13 be amended to introduce a new sub-rule (b) to provide clarity to proposed alterations of Rule 13(a). (b) For the purposes of this Rule gross misbehaviour and gross neglect of duty, as a Director includes, but is not limited to:

(1) being absent or partially absent, from three scheduled monthly board meetings within a twelve month period (July 1 to June 30) unless that Director;

• Is on annual or long service leave and is travelling outside of their normal residential area,

• Is absent due to illness,

• Has urgent family or personal matters,

• Has been officially summonsed to a Court or other place or

• Is absent, because he/she is officially representing the WA Police Union at an event and such absence is approved by the WA Police Union;

(2) being absent or partially absent from three special meetings unless that Director forwards an apology to WA Police Union.

EXPLANATION This provision mirrors the part of Rule 6.3(3), which articulates the conduct grounds for a Director to be deemed to have ceased to hold their office.

Incorporating this provision under the Discipline section of the Rules provides a definition of gross misbehaviour and gross neglect of duty, an objective required to support changes to Rule 6.1(d).

Moved: P McGee Seconded: B Shortland CARRIED

1.8 EXECUTIVE Conference directs that Rule 14 be amended to provide permit Special General Meetings to pass Rule alteration proposals. (a) Should the Board or any Branch desire to make an Alteration to these Rules no Alteration shall be made unless the Alteration has been approved by a vote of the majority of the Members present at the Annual Conference or Special General Meeting.

EXPLANATION Current provisions limit the endorsement of proposed rule alterations to the Annual Conference. Recent issues associated with rule alterations in the federal area have highlighted problems with the current approval process.

This proposed change provides opportunity for Special General Meetings to be convened for the purposes of endorsing rule changes. This fits with the purpose and intent of the rules covering Special General Meetings, specifically sub-rule 6.3(b): A Special General Meeting may only be called to discuss a matter or matters of a nature which can not be reasonably postponed until the Annual Conference.

No change is proposed for the rules covering Special General Meetings, nor are any other changes proposed for Rule 14, other than the ability to call a Special General Meeting for the purposes of endorsing a rule change that cannot wait until Annual Conference.

Moved: B Shortland Seconded: H Arnott CARRIED

1.9 EXECUTIVE Conference directs that Rule 7.5(h) be amended to recognise the formation of a key governance function of the Board – Risk and Audit Committee, which is to be chaired by the Treasurer.

7.5 Duties of the Treasurer

The Treasurer shall:

a) keep a general oversight of the financial position of the Union;

b) exercise proper control over the management of Union;

c) ensure accounting records are kept in accordance with proper accounting principles and truly record and explain the financial transactions and financial position of the Union;

d) present to each meeting of the Board appropriate accounting reports indicating the status of the funds and financial position of the Union, or other relevant reports as required by the Board;

e) present to each Annual Conference an audited balance sheet of the assets and liabilities, a statement of the receipts and expenditure and a statement of the sources and application of funds of the Union;

f) be entitled to inspect the books of the Union at any time and in the event of any irregularity shall immediately make a report to the President;

g) be an ex officio member of each committee established by the Board;

h) chair the Union’s Risk and Audit Committee;

h i) assist the President prepare a report for the Annual Conference;

i j) assist the President in the preparation of an annual budget as well as the monitoring and control of the approved budget; and

j k) be entitled to call for a full audit at any given time.

EXPLANATION WAPU has recently undergone a review using external HR Consultant, KelsenHR. This review identified that a key governance function of the Board could be enhanced by creating a Risk and Audit Committee, which should be Chaired by the Treasurer and convened at least quarterly.

Therefore the Rules of the Union require changing to reflect the Treasurer’s new role and responsibilities in this area and the creation of this Committee.

Moved: B Shortland Seconded: L Garratt CARRIED

1.10 EXECUTIVE Conference directs that Rule 7.7 be amended to recognise the re-organisation of the Union’s management team’s roles and responsibilities, in this case, that of the Secretary.

7.7 Duties of the Secretary

The Secretary shall:

a) in the conduct of the day to day business of the Union, report to, be accountable to and take direction from the President;

b) ensure he or she maintains a full knowledge of the Union affairs and shall be competent to discharge all duties assigned to the Secretary from time to time by the President;

c) keep all correspondence, documents, books and accounts electronic records relating to the general business of the Union;

d) arrange all meetings of the Union, the Board and Committees other than Branch meetings;

e) attend all of the Board meetings and Annual Conference of the Union in an advisory role only but shall not be allowed to vote;

f) overview the receipt of all moneys on behalf of the Union and shall see that such moneys are paid promptly into the Union’s accounts at a reputable financial institution chosen by the Board;

g f) be the custodian of all moveable property of the Union and shall hand over to the Board all such property, books, documents and monies electronic records belonging to the Union within 24 hours after being requested to do so;

h g) ensure that the affairs of the Union are conducted to comply with the requirements of the Act;

i h) shall supply a copy of the provisions of the Act to each Director upon the Director’s election to office which relate to:

j) i) the duties of officers of organisations; and ii) the accounting records of organisations.

k i) s hall produce all books, vouchers, or other documents and accounting records, no matter how stored, for inspection at Board meetings or to the Auditor when requested;

j) shall attend Risk and Audit Committee meetings in an advisory role only, but shall not be allowed to vote.

k) shall deliver to the Registrar:

i) Balance sheet of the assets and liabilities of the Union as audited; and

ii) A statement of receipts and expenditure of the Union for the financial year;

and

iii) Cash flow statement of the Union for the financial year. ▷ 27 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

EXPLANATION WAPU has recently undergone a review using an external HR Consultant, KelsenHR. This review has identified that there are areas of management duplication between the Secretary and Finance Manager’s roles and responsibilities. In order to remove such duplication and to streamline processing, all financial functions have been removed from the Secretary’s role and re-assigned to the Financial Manager and Treasurer.

In addition, these changes are proposed to increase the clarity of the role and responsibilities of the Secretary in terms of the obligations placed on this role under the Industrial Relations Act 1979 (WA).

Moved: H Russell Seconded: P McGee CARRIED

1.11 EXECUTIVE Conferences directs that new rule 7.8 be introduced to recognise the reorganisation of the Union’s management team’s roles and responsibilities, in this case, that of the Finance Manager.

7.8 Duties of the Finance Manager

The Finance Manager shall:

a) Keep all accounts relating to the general business of the Union;

b) Overview the receipt of all monies on behalf of the Union and shall see that such monies are paid promptly in to the Union accounts at a reputable financial institution chosen by the Board;

c) shall hand over to the Board all such monies belonging to the Union within 24 hours after being requested to do so;

d) Shall supply a copy of the accounting records of the Union upon the Director’s election to office; and

e) Shall produce all accounting records, no matter how stored, for inspection at Board meetings or to the Auditor when requested;

f) Shall attend Risk and Audit Committee meetings in an advisory role only, but shall not be allowed to vote.

EXPLANATION WAPU has recently undergone a review using an external HR Consultant, KelsenHR. This review has identified that there are areas of management duplication between the Secretary and Finance Manager’s roles and responsibilities. In order to remove such duplication and to streamline processing, all financial functions have been removed from the Secretary’s role and re-assigned to the Financial Manager and Treasurer.

Moved: M Gill CARRIED

Conference directs that Rule 6.1(b) be amended to change identification of Regions from nouns to adjectives and correct other misspelt names. (b) The Board shall comprise 15 Directors, of which 11 who hold office shall be from the Metropolitan Region and one each from the Northern (Kimberley/Pilbara) Region, Central (Mid West–Gascoyne) Region, Eastern (Goldfields/Esperance) Region and Southern (Southwest/ Wheatbelt/Great Southern) Region.

28

Moved: D Curtis Seconded: B Shortland CARRIED

1.13 NORTH WEST METROPOLITAN BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to amend the WAPU Constitution to establish a number of dedicated positions for women on the Board of Directors. The number of positions should be calculated so as to recognise the proportion of female membership of WAPU. EXPLANATION The motion is to establish a truer representative body for all WAPU members by establishing a dedicated position on the board for female members only. The current female membership stands at 22%. Female members find it more difficult to be voted onto the Board, so therefore a position on the Board should be dedicated for female nominations only as representation of this group.

WITHDRAWN

1.14 EASTERN WHEATBELT BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to seek an alteration to the WAPU Constitution, specifically 6.1(b) which relates to the makeup of the board and the designated Regions.

In this instance, we urge that the Wheatbelt Branches of WAPU be considered for removal from the South Region and be included in the Central Region.

EXPLANATION The South Region currently extends from Dalwallinu to Albany, has responsibility for ten branches, and crosses three policing districts.

Conversely, the Central Region has responsibility for only four branches, all located within the single district.

In an effort to strike a better balance for the Directors of both regions, the three Wheatbelt WAPU Branches could be absorbed into the Central Region, which would then give both Directors responsibility for seven branches each.

Seconded: M Henderson

1.12 EXECUTIVE

POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

EXPLANATION These Constitutional changes appropriately name the Regions and correct misspelt locations.

Eastern Wheatbelt Branch emphasises that this motion is not about the performances of either Directors, but to provide equity in responsibilities between regions.

Moved: S Vieceli Seconded: M Johnson CARRIED

2.0 INDUSTRIAL MOTIONS

2.1 BUNBURY AUSTRALIND BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police to change the long service leave provisions so that previous time of employment is included when Members re-engage after a short time frame of absence, when determining their current long service leave entitlements.

EXPLANATION When Members separate from WA Police prior to their 10 year provision of long service leave and go to the private sector, the accrued entitlements are lost within a very short time frame.

If those Members seek to re-engage or re-join WA Police, the accrued time is not considered when determining their long service leave entitlements and the Member has to do another 10 years before becoming eligible.

This Branch believes a more appropriate approach would be to include previous accrual of long service leave where the Member has been absent from WA Police for less than a year.

Moved: D Groenenberg Seconded: D Flaherty CARRIED

2.2 LOWER SOUTH WEST BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby Government to re-evaluate the heating allowance in the south of the State.

EXPLANATION This Branch realises that this motion has been up and has been defeated many times. However, due to rising electricity costs, the cost to run a reverse cycle air-conditioner is exactly the same as running an air conditioner in the Kimberley or Pilbara.

The cold weather lasts for at least six months of the year. Not all properties are fitted with wood fires. Even if they are, the cost of wood is also expensive. There are multiple examples of children becoming ill with cold due to the extreme weather conditions.

Moved: G Cartner Seconded: M Johnson CARRIED

2.4 FORTESCUE BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police / Government to review the GROH rent policy (GROH Tenant Rent Setting Framework -TRSF).

EXPLANATION GROH rent rose by $20.00 per fortnight in July 2015, after also increasing in July 2014. These rises are in contradiction to District Allowance (44 per cent decrease) and rent prices throughout the State which have steadily fallen.

Moved: A Collier Seconded: D Curtis CARRIED

2.5 NORTH PILBARA BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Department of Housing that officers living in GROH housing be provided, in writing, information on the grounds and the procedure for issuing a breach via the Department of Commerce relating to maintenance issues. The information should be provided at the commencement of their tenancy and include contact details for their local Department of Commerce branch.

EXPLANATION Tenants in GROH housing are covered by the Residential Tenancies Act. Tenants can require a defined timeframe for maintenance or repairs. If there is no maintenance or timeframe provided within two weeks, tenants can issue a breach of the tenancy agreement through their local Department of Commerce Consumer Protection office. Officers have been directed to report any maintenance issues (sometimes up to three times in writing) before raising the issue through their OIC. This can result in repairs taking months to be addressed and finalised. By implementing this procedure lessors are held accountable for providing maintenance within the required timeframe.

Moved: A Ogg Seconded: M Johnson CARRIED

2.6 NORTH PILBARA BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Department of Housing that officers be provided an application form to receive an allowance or compensation for the duration that their GROH property is without an essential service. The application should be actioned on the same day to prevent considerable risk, loss, inconvenience and stress on the occupants.

2.3 EAST KIMBERLEY BRANCH

EXPLANATION The difference in housing between towns and officers is extreme. Some officers have brand new houses while others have older poorer quality houses. There is no set size with single officers given 4x2 and couples 2x1.

The system of you get what the previous officer had does not work and the quality of houses needs to be across the board.

EXPLANATION Tenants are entitled to reimbursement for reasonable expenses incurred in arranging urgent repairs, where the lessor was unable to arrange the repairs in the required time frame, under section 43(3) Residential Tenancies Act. Tenants should also have the option of arranging maintenance and repairs for essential services (such as ovens and air conditioners) where the lessor has breached the tenancy agreement. By providing an application form, the officers have a written record of what required urgent attention, what steps were taken to alert GROH and what costs were incurred by the tenant.

Moved: L Ganzer Seconded: M Henderson CARRIED

Moved: A Ogg CARRIED â–ˇ

Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Government to improve the standard of housing across Western Australia.

Seconded: P McGee

29 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

2.7 EAST KIMBERLEY BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police to review the cost pricing for the Free Pass to the Coast.

EXPLANATION Officers in the East Kimberley have an allowance of up to $1200 for their Free Pass to the Coast. A return flight from Kununurra to Perth at six weeks’ notice is often more than $1200.

WITHDRAWN

2.8 EAST KIMBERLEY BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Government to review the air conditioning subsidy.

EXPLANATION The allowance differs between all stations in the East Kimberley when the temperature does not differ that much. In particular, Wyndham receives night allowances from September to May and day allowances from August to May. Kununurra receives night allowances from September to March and day allowances from September to May. Moved: L Ganzer Seconded: P McGee CARRIED

2.9 FORTESCUE BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Government to review the current air conditioner policy.

EXPLANATION The policy is out of date and needs reviewing to bring it up to current standards.

WITHDRAWN

2.10 MURCHISON BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police to change the Industrial Agreement at Clause 12(11) Weekends off Duty, to include the word complete. “Where practicable, an employee should be allowed four rostered complete weekends off duty over each period of twelve weeks.”

Explanation Whilst the Industrial Agreement, specifically the table located in 29(10), allows for this type of claim, in practice it has been denied. 29(10(iii)) of the Agreement allows the employer to decide on the method of transport. This is impacting on Members in regional areas where the number of flights are being reduced in this economic climate. In Derby for instance, flights by the only air service provider have now been reduced to three days a week. This impacts on when members can leave town when commencing leave when the preference is to be able to utilise the travel concession as soon as they commence leave. To access a proper air service, Members are being forced to drive 220km (440km return) to fly from Broome, if they wish to depart as soon as they commence leave, which is financially impacting Members.

Moved: S Knox Seconded: M Folkard CARRIED

2.12 WEST KIMBERLEY BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police to introduce a system where a Member’s annual leave travel concession is paid automatically on the anniversary date unless the Member elects to travel early and is approved by the employer under existing provisions of the Agreement.

EXPLANATION The paperwork process associated with submitting travel concessions is both time consuming for both the Member and the employer. Under the current arrangement, the actual concession is not paid to the Member until the pay period immediately before the travel. This leaves Members out of pocket, especially those Members booking travel well in advance, until the concession is paid along with other costs such as credit card interest.

As it stands, a Member is required to sign a declaration once they have returned from using the concession so from a governance point of view this should be sufficient to meet accountability issues. Along with a benefit to Members, this has the potential to reduce a large amount of red tape for the Agency.

Moved: S Knox Seconded: B Shortland CARRIED

2.13 GREAT SOUTHERN BRANCH EXPLANATION Weekend as defined by the Oxford Dictionary is Saturday and Sunday.

Having the word complete is to ensure that employees are not rostered into their weekend off. A complete weekend will be from 0001 Saturday until 2359 Sunday. Being a full 48-hour period.

Moved: M Fogarty Seconded: M Johnson CARRIED

2.11 WEST KIMBERLEY BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police to properly utilise the discretion they hold and provide for the ability to claim both mileage and airfares when a Member is utilising their annual travel concession.

30 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police to pay higher duties allowance and other like allowances to a police officer or police auxiliary officer who acts in a higher position for each shift worked.

EXPLANATION Officers who are required to fill supervisory positions on an ad hoc basis either due to rostering or operational needs are held accountable for the decisions they make. Therefore they should receive appropriate remuneration in line with the duties performed.

There should also be some record of those duties to allow officers to refer to them in applications. For example, apply for position/promotion to find that someone else thought that they were in charge at your incident/example.

Recently, the Australian Nursing Federation won the following allowances in their last award. Similar allowances should be included in our next Industrial Agreement negotiations. An officer be paid a higher duties allowance for any period of one day or more when working in any position classified higher than their substantive position.

With the introduction of the requirements for police officers to utilise corporate credit cards to purchase meals and accommodation, rather than claiming travel allowance, there is increased pressure on police officers to find meal options, especially in relation to breakfast and lunch, which fall within the allocated meal rate for that meal at a vendor who accepts credit cards.

An officer who performs the full duties and accepts the full responsibilities of the higher position, be paid an allowance equal to the difference between their own salary and the salary the officer would receive, if the officer were permanently appointed to the position in which the officer is so directed to act.

A number of businesses in the Perth CBD do not have ‘healthy’ options for a food and drink purchase which fall within the allocated meal rates for breakfast and lunch. Furthermore in some cases vendors do not accept credit card purchases of food and beverages under $20.00. This forces officers to consider patronage to fast food businesses who have food and beverage options which fall within the meal allowance rates and still accept credit card purchases under $20.00.

An officer who does not perform the full duties and/or does not accept the full responsibilities of the higher position, will paid such proportion of the allowance in line with the duties and responsibilities performed.

The employer will advise the employee of the proportion of duties to be undertaken before the employee commences duties in the higher position.

Shift Co-ordination Allowance Any officer who is directed to act as a designated Shift Co-ordinator for the whole shift will be paid a higher duties allowance to the rate prescribed a Sergeant increment 1. Unless that position is normally assigned to an officer of a more senior rank, then the officer should be paid at that rate.

On road/Incident Supervisor Allowance Any officer who is directed to act as a designated on road/Incident Supervisor for the whole shift will be paid a higher duties allowance to the rate prescribed a Sergeant increment 1. Unless that position is normally assigned to an officer of a more senior rank, then the officer should be paid at that rate Responsibility Allowance A constable who undertakes the responsibility for a police station when there is no sergeant or above on duty, be paid a responsibility allowance. The allowance is calculated as the difference in the base rate for the constable and the first increment for a sergeant. Penalty rates are not included in this allowance.

Any period of acting on higher duties, whether paid or not, be recorded in the employee’s personnel records and be recognised as experience for developmental/promotional opportunities.

Moved: T White Seconded: D Curtis CARRIED

2.14 GREAT SOUTHERN BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police to review the rates of allowances, such as overtime meals and travel allowance meals, to adjust the rates to accommodate the actual cost of meals and accommodation.

EXPLANATION The meal allowance and travel allowance rates contained in our Industrial Agreement have not increased since 2010, yet the cost of living and accommodation has increased exponentially.

In an environment where police officers are encouraged to stay fit and eat healthy, the alternative is promoted by the restrictive nature of the meal allowance rates and corporate credit card use policy.

Moved: T White Seconded: D Flaherty CARRIED

2.15 FORTESCUE BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police to allow officers relieving at remote locations other than MFPF’s, to claim meals and incidental allowances instead of using a WA Police purchasing card.

EXPLANATION WA Police Travel Policy enforces the use of WA Police purchasing cards to pay for meals and accommodation whilst travelling, the only exception is if an officer is required to relieve at, or has been assigned to an MFPF for any other operational function. Areas such as Nullagine do not have the facilities to purchase suitable meals and/or accommodation as per what is entitled to Members.

Due to the current situation, Nullagine struggles to get relief officers.

Officers using the current accommodation have to purchase all their food prior to arriving at Nullagine as the local store has limited items for sale and is very expensive.

This accommodation will no longer be available as of Christmas this year, due to being overtaken by the mines and the only other place to stay is the Nullagine Hotel which does not provide breakfast and the other meals provided are limited in choice. The rooms are substandard and are also expensive.

Moved: A Collier Seconded: S Knox CARRIED

2.16 PROSECUTING BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police to provide an allowance for prosecutors.

EXPLANATION At the forefront of our proposals is providing recognition and reward for a prosecutor’s experience, training and tertiary qualifications which will enable the Prosecuting Branch to retain its experienced and qualified prosecutors. ▷

31 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

Members appointed as prosecutors work day shift Monday to Friday with an occasional court on Saturdays and consequently, the work does not generally attract shift allowances.

A number of officers also have family responsibilities and are often required to pay for child care when they are deployed at short notice. Being away from their normal routine should be adequately compensated.

Members in the Prosecuting Branch generally undertake private studies to assist them in delivering the professional services expected and the provision of an allowance will encourage them to undertake appropriate studies.

Moved: M Hall CARRIED

Seconded: A Ogg

2.19 CENTRAL MIDLANDS BRANCH Moved: N Crook Seconded: T White LOST

2.17 PROSECUTING BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police and Government to introduce a ‘pension’ scheme for officers if they are required to retire at 55 years of age, including ongoing superannuation contributions and to provide payment until superannuation can be accessed at 65 years of age.

EXPLANATION In the event, the Commissioner of Police is successful in requiring a retirement age of 55 for sworn officers, there is currently no provision for access to superannuation or any other reasonable means of income for retired officers.

Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police to review the entitlements relating to preferential placement after completing tenure at certain regional WA locations, specifically to allow for placement at either regional or metropolitan locations.

EXPLANATION The current provisions relating to Moora Police Station, allow only for preferential consideration to a metropolitan position only. A Member who completes tenure at Moora Police Station should also have the choice of a preferred regional location.

Moved: M Walker Seconded: D Flaherty CARRIED

2.20 UPPER GREAT SOUTHERN BRANCH Additionally, access to superannuation accessed at 55 years of age, with no further contributions will severely limit the size of the fund. Superannuation is a scheme to allow working Australians to retire with a reasonable “nest egg”, 10 years less payments will be at the detriment of Members.

Moved: N Crook Seconded: M Walker CARRIED

Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Government to approve payment of the retention allowance to all OICs. EXPLANATION Currently, OICs are paid an allowance to compensate for the responsibilities undertaken as an OIC such as after-hours phone calls and management of the station. Staff at stations that attract the attraction and retention payments are not expected to be on call, are paid for overtime and recalls.

2.18 GERALDTON BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to commence negotiations with WA Police to change the Country Deployment Allowance as encompassed in the Clause 17 “Additional Allowances” Industrial Agreement 2014, subclause (16) “Country Deployment Allowance” and replace with “Disruption Allowance”.

The new wording should be “Employees sent anywhere in Regional WA away from their normal place of abode will be paid a Disruption Allowance equivalent to the afternoon shift and night shift penalty or be paid the “on call allowance of $7.13 for each hour they are not on duty” for each day they are away from their home.

Explanation Police officers are often sent to other regional WA locations to conduct business on behalf of the WA Police. All meals and accommodation are paid for by the WA Police, however officers are not compensated for the hours off duty. Officers are not able to interact with their families, walk their dogs, attend sporting or gym facilities or any other regular social activity as per their normal routine. Officers do not have access to a private vehicle and should not be expected to simply sit in their hotel rooms for the 16 hours off duty. Often it is the local licensed premises that staff attend to socialise.

32 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

Staff receive the retention allowance for staying the required time, OICs should be duly compensated as well.

Moved: K Morrow Seconded: M Johnson CARRIED

2.21 PEEL NORTH BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to include into the next round of EBA negotiations to re-visit the definition of “weekends rostered off duty” – In addition to the four weekends off in 12-week cycle add – one of the weekends to be a complete weekend off duty.”

EXPLANATION There is no industrial definition of a “weekend” at present and officers are working until the early hours of a Saturday (0200-0700 hours), and then starting one of their allocated weekends off, requiring the first day to be a complete rest day and not being able to enjoy their weekend off. The dictionary definition is Midnight on Friday to Midnight on Sunday which would allow a complete 48-hour clear break.

WITHDRAWN

2.22 PEEL NORTH BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors, in the next round of IA negotiations, to adjust Clause 12(8)(a-c), missed meal rate Schedule F, Item F15 be increased from $6.35 to $25.00, when the missed meal is incurred during a night shift.

EXPLANATION Response staff are continually being asked to work through allocated meal breaks by DCCs, increasing fatigue levels and are not being adequately compensated.

Moved: W Dowbysch Seconded: A Maher CARRIED

2.23 CENTRAL WEST COAST BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police / Government to review the locality allowance per annum, such that every station has a minimum of $1200, to assist with cost of living pressure due to living outside of the Perth metropolitan area.

EXPLANATION Regardless of the ‘desirability’ of the location, every town outside of the metropolitan area has increased cost of living expenses and as such, this should be addressed. A minimum of $1200 ($100 per month) in locality allowance for every police station in regional WA would go towards addressing this pressure.

Moved: J Clark Seconded: M Johnson CARRIED

3.0 LEGAL MOTIONS 3.1 EXECUTIVE

Conference directs the Board of Directors to take whatever action is necessary to ensure police officers can wear their accoutrements in Western Australian court complexes.

EXPLANATION In January 2015, the terrorism alert for police was increased to high.

Following this increase, WAPU wrote to Police Minister Liza Harvey and Commissioner of Police Karl O’Callaghan for their support to allow police officers to wear their accoutrements in Western Australian court complexes in an effort to maximise police officer safety.

WAPU outlined concerns relating to the current environment and the greater risk of ‘lone wolf attacks’, which should result in everything being done to maximise police officer safety. WAPU also suggested to Minister Harvey that the Attorney-General may have to be involved in the process.

WAPU wrote to Chief Justice Wayne Martin in June 2015 asking him to remove the long standing instruction as well as highlighting situations where unarmed police officers had to deal with incidents when they were not appropriately equipped to do so.

In August 2015, the NSW Government decided to allow its police officers to wear their guns in court complexes. NSW police officers were already allowed to carry their non-lethal accoutrements into courts.

After the decision, WAPU increased its efforts to allow police officers to be armed in courts by going to the media to highlight the issue and publicising incidents as they occurred.

WAPU’s #ArmedInCourts campaign gained significant coverage on mainstream and social media.

On 31 August 2015, the Heads of Jurisdictions for Western Australia’s courts met and decided a detailed report would be prepared on police officers wearing their accoutrements in court complexes, before a decision is made.

The next Heads of Jurisdictions meeting is scheduled in November 2015.

Moved: B Shortland Seconded: W Adamson CARRIED

3.2 EXECUTIVE Conference directs the Board of Directors to take whatever action is necessary to ensure that Constable Ryan Marron is appropriately compensated by Government for the catastrophic work-related injuries he sustained whilst relieving at Balgo in 2011.

EXPLANATION Constable Ryan Marron contracted Murray Valley Encephalitis while relieving at the Balgo MFPF in April 2011 and since then has been totally reliant on others for 24/7 care.

The WA Police Union assisted Constable Marron to make an application for an ex gratia payment to Government which was lodged on 4 July 2014.

The Attorney-General has been considering this application for more than 15 months, which is totally unacceptable. No real progress has been made and this matter needs to be resolved immediately to ensure Ryan’s health and wellbeing is put first.

The WA Police Union believes the Government should fairly compensate Constable Marron for being injured in the line of duty and we will not rest until this matter is satisfactorily resolved.

Moved: P McGee Seconded: M Johnson CARRIED

3.3 EXECUTIVE Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Government to ensure no one convicted and sentenced under the Road Traffic (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 2012 for evading police will be eligible for parole prior to serving the mandatory minimum term of six months imprisonment.

EXPLANATION Section 60 of the Road Traffic Act defines that a mandatory minimum sentence of six months’ imprisonment must be given to anyone found guilty of reckless driving in circumstances of aggravation as referred to in section 49AB(1)(c) in the Road Traffic (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 2012 (escaping from police pursuit).

However, Members have informed WAPU that offenders rarely serve the minimum sentence. ▷ 33 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

In 2014, a legislative amendment that passed parliament saw the loophole which allowed offenders to get out on parole before serving their minimum sentence for assaulting a police officer closed. A similar amendment is required in this instance to ensure that a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment applies.

Moved: H Russell Seconded: D Curtis CARRIED

3.6 SOUTH WEST HINTERLAND BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police to afford Members a right of reply within the Management Intervention Model.

EXPLANATION At present, the current Management Intervention Model (MIM) does not afford officers the right of reply for any internal investigations matters where the MIM is involved.

3.4 BUNBURY AUSTRALIND BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Government to amend the Police Act to remove the unfettered power of the Commissioner of Police to transfer police officers.

Given that the scope of findings are based on the balance of probabilities and not beyond reasonable doubt, this does not allow for any scope within the realms of procedural fairness and natural justice.

EXPLANATION Most Members have a belief that they sign up to serve anywhere in the State at the desire of the Commissioner of Police. This notion is no longer a reflection of the contemporary world. Members desire to be treated as employees with families and responsibilities outside the Agency.

Amending the Police Act would ensure clarity around the issue and require the Commissioner of Police to negotiate in a meaningful manner with Members around deployment.

The MIM in its entirety has very little consistency across the Agency from one district to the other. Examples have been identified in all districts where the MIM has been used as a form of punishment rather than a corrective measure for behaviour risks.

Moved: D Groenenberg Seconded: H Arnott CARRIED

3.5 BUNBURY AUSTRALIND BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Government to review the Police Act to ensure it is suitable for a contemporary policing environment.

EXPLANATION The current Police Act is a quaint artefact of an emerging police force with little relevance to the current WA Police. Items like the oath of office and undertaking duties in a vigorous manner may make for the imaginings of tradition and longing for a simpler time of six foot, six inch policemen with handlebar moustaches and penny farthings but not amphetamine-fuelled violence and ballistics vests.

The current Police Act has been amended over the years in a piecemeal manner leaving a collection of unconnected sections with major powers moved to more suitable legislation (e.g. CIA). Further, the Police Manual and current practice appear to contradict the Police Act (for example, read the section on OICs leaving town).

Unlike in the past, the Police Act and Regulations appear to have little relevance to current officers, many of whom would have never looked at its provisions.

Employment conditions for police officers should be the same as other government employees, based on industrial agreements and not dictated by the Commissioner of Police.

Moved: D Groenenberg Seconded: H Arnott LOST 34 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

It is apparent that different District Offices who deal with similar issues are worlds apart in the interpretation and application of the MIM. This vast gap has caused hardship, animosity and extreme stress for officers and families and has diminished the faith of frontline officers in the process of MIM. It has also eroded the confidence in the senior management teams that administer the process which is open to abuse by overzealous and undertrained senior police managers, who use the MIM as a form of punishment rather than a measure of corrective behaviour.

Moved: D Jackson Seconded: B Shortland CARRIED

4.0 OPERATIONAL MOTIONS

4.1 PEEL NORTH BRANCH

Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police to fully resource all LPT and Response Business Units with the required level of staffing, vehicles and equipment to enable them to adequately carry out their duties.

Explanation Response Units are borrowing vehicles from LPT Units, officers are having to go on patrol with only one portable radio in a vehicle. Court and training are impacting on how many vehicles Response can put out on day shifts.

LPTs are having to take up the slack on tasking and case files are mounting.

Moved: W Dowbysch Seconded: M Folkard CARRIED

4.2 PEEL NORTH BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police to immediately fill all outstanding I5 FTE positions at Metropolitan Detective Offices.

Explanation Rockingham and Mandurah Detectives’ offices have been three and four staff down on allocated numbers since the 1 September 2014 reform change over, with added responsibilities under the Metropolitan Operating Model including 24/7 crime response car, weekday and weekend shift work, pro-active and serious investigations and the added impost of increased supervision of uniformed staff being used to backfill vacancies. Permanent staff are being forced to shoulder the extra work load, causing added stress and fatigue.

Moved: W Dowbysch Seconded: B Shortland CARRIED

Allowing sound to also be recorded can give an accurate account of the incident and show demeanour of both the subject and officer.

Moved: D Curtis Seconded: L Garratt LOST

4.6 EASTERN WHEATBELT BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police to review the lack of reliefs being provided to two officer stations in regional WA, with a view to officer safety and response times, rather than cost savings and keeping staff at the larger centres being, the current objective of the respective districts.

4.3 LOWER SOUTH WEST BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to vigorously lobby the Commissioner of Police to ensure that all Response Teams are given sufficient staff to adequately perform their tasks and to allow for rest for the staff on the frontline.

EXPLANATION Self-explanatory.

Moved: G Cartner Seconded: A Maher CARRIED

4.4 PERTH WATCH HOUSE BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police to review the decision made to remove the Band 3 PAO Custody Supervisor position and re-consider its reinstatement.

EXPLANATION The Band 3 position is still something that PAOs and sergeants would like to see reinstated. The explanation received from the Commissioner of Police that WA Police was unable to attract applications with the necessary breadth and depth of experience is somewhat outdated.

When the Band 3 was removed the PAO role was approximately two years old however, the PAO role is approaching its sixth year. The Membership feels that this review needs to be revisited. The removal of this position also removes the pathway for development and promotion. More staff have gained experience in the position and staff are still acting in these positions endlessly, surely this experience is crucial with providing the requirements of this role.

Moved: F McPherson Seconded: P McGee CARRIED

4.5 NORTH EASTERN GOLDFIELDS BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police to implement the use of video recording devices for Members whilst conducting their duties.

EXPLANATION Members are continually subject to scrutiny and complaints by the general public and wearing a recording device would offer protection from such allegations. Recording the unfolding events when dealing with a subject can also reduce the number of “Not Guilty” briefs as the recording can be made available to the offenders defence counsel.

EXPLANATION It seems the current mindset is that there is no benefit to relieving the smaller stations, as they do not incur a significant amount of tasks and thus there is little value in relieving those positions; the greater need is the bigger centres.

Whilst it is understood that there are bigger issues in those centres. This opinion belittles the roles of those officers in small stations and holds little regard for their safety or response times whilst awaiting backup from the nearest available station. This is often well over 30 minutes away.

All officers are being urged to be security and safety conscious, yet this policy is in complete opposition to that ethos.

Moved: S Vieceli Seconded: H Arnott CARRIED

4.7 EASTERN WHEATBELT BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police to give immediate consideration towards allowing officers at small regional stations to take all accoutrements home, as currently permitted by motorcycle officers and dog handlers.

EXPLANATION Given the current alert status for security across all police agencies, there is a forgotten safety issue specific to officers in regional small stations.

These officers are often approached at their homes by the public and demanded to intervene in domestics or altercations, which can be on the way to the police station.

They are also called to respond to their station alarms, despite having no accoutrements to call upon, should there actually be a threat at the station. Allowing these officers to retain their equipment at home during rostered work periods, would mean they are ready to respond, intervene and defend themselves from their home.

Moved: S Vieceli Seconded: B Shortland CARRIED

4.8 PROSECUTING BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police that should a time limit be imposed for testing on the CS3 Deployment Readiness Test, it is to be realistically graduated for age. ▷ 35 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

EXPLANATION Members are concerned the Commissioner of Police will use the CS3 DRT as a vehicle to remove aging officers from WA Police.

Moved: N Crook Seconded: M Gill CARRIED

4.9 CENTRAL WEST COAST BRANCH The Central West Coast Branch directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police / Government to introduce policy that there is adequate equipment such as firearms, tasers, vehicles etc. at every police station to equip every officer in WA Police.

EXPLANATION A recent incident involving a stolen vehicle being driven through Jurien Bay highlighted that there was not enough firearms to equip every officer.

Also, the need to ensure that each station has enough vehicles for the number of officers at a station so that there would not be a need for an officer to use their own vehicle, in order assist at an incident.

Moved: J Clark Seconded: M Folkard CARRIED

4.10 CENTRAL WEST COAST BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police / Government to review that if required to do so, that at least two officers are required to look after a prisoner if held in a police station for any period of time, especially if being held overnight prior to conveyance to a lock up.

EXPLANATION It should not be put upon one officer to be responsible for the wellbeing, health and safety of a prisoner, the responsibility should be shared between at least two officers.

Moved: J Clark Seconded: B Shortland CARRIED

4.11 SOUTH WEST HINTERLAND

Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police to update regional stations in regards to the new communication system coming online. We also request a timeframe in regards to it being rolled out and what issues the new digital system will resolve, inclusive of the many issues with TADIS being used in regional areas.

EXPLANATION The South West District has the digital radio system being used on the coast. However, the inland smaller, isolated stations are still analogue.

This is continually putting our Members at risk as we have to rely on the Operations Room at Bunbury being manned should we ever need assistance, knowing that staff at Bunbury also run a 24-hour station.

In particular, the insecure radio network at Collie, is scanned and listened to 24/7 by a collection of local people, most of them wanting to know police whereabouts for all the wrong reasons.

36 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

When driving under emergency conditions to attend crash scenes, we constantly find ourselves with no communications to either Bunbury or other outstations. We currently have no ability to communicate with other emergency services, making scene attendance difficult and high risk.

Moved: D Jackson Seconded: J Donohoe CARRIED

4.12 TRAFFIC SUPPORT BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police to change the policy on vehicle replacement and change all Class 1 vehicles at 90,000 kms.

EXPLANATION Class 1 vehicles are driven under extreme conditions due to the nature of traffic patrol work and Members of the Traffic Support Branch feel that keeping the vehicles to 120,000 kms is a dangerous practice and is placing them at risk due to possible vehicle failure.

Moved: P Gale Seconded: M Johnson CARRIED

4.13 TRAFFIC SUPPORT BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police in regards to the inconsistencies in the issuing of priorities; and wide variations in associated conditions; issued to Members by the Police Operations Control Centre (POCC).

EXPLANATION The query regards the inconsistencies in the issue of priorities and wide variations in associated conditions which are issued to Members by Police Operations Control Centre (POCC), when responding to urgent tasking/ incidents. The concern being that alterations may be unnecessary and confusing to Members responding to incidents, thereby creating unnecessary risk to and occurrences of policy breach by Members.

Moved: P Gale Seconded: M Johnson CARRIED

5.0 WELFARE MOTIONS

5.1 MIRRABOOKA BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police to introduce an “After a critical incident, all officers involved are to have assessments and six weeks after the assessment, follow up assessments”.

EXPLANATION With the recent number of suicides of serving and recently retired Officers, the Agency is duty bound to look after our Members. It appears that these recent cases are Post Traumatic Stress Disorder related. The research from Project Recompense further underpins this request. By making psychology assessments mandatory, it will remove any stigma and further look after the mental health of our Members.

Moved: M Folkard Seconded: A Maher CARRIED

5.2 MIRRABOOKA BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to report back to Members at the 2016 WAPU Annual Conference as to what has happened to the 14 Recommendations from Project Recompense to ensure all of the recommendations are implemented by the Agency and Commissioner of Police.

EXPLANATION With the recent number of suicides of recently retired officers, the Agency is duty bound to look after our Members. It appears that these recent cases are Post Traumatic Stress Disorder related. The research from Project Recompense further under pins this request.

Moved: M Folkard Seconded: D Flaherty CARRIED

5.3 GREAT SOUTHERN BRANCH Conference directs the Board of Directors to lobby the Commissioner of Police to have a Mental Health Course created specifically for police officers for the unique and often traumatic job they do, to assist them in identifying and dealing with any mental health disorders they may experience as a result.

EXPLANATION During their careers, however long or short, police officers are exposed to traumatic events of varying levels.

Previously, there has been no training or information sessions either on entering the job or during a police officer’s career, to assist them with the mental side effects from attending traumatic incidents. Despite claims in a recent broadcast, the Mental Health First Aid Course was designed and implemented to assist attending officers in identifying and helping members of the community who may be suffering from mental health disorders.

Health and Welfare Services are provided however, often police officers face issues they don’t understand and feel they can sort things out themselves. Sadly, this all too often leads to self-medicating with things such as alcohol.

With recent tragic events involving police officers committing suicide, it is long overdue for the Commissioner of Police to seriously address this issue and provide police officers with tailored courses and information sessions to help them identify, understand and deal with mental health disorders, they may experience during their careers such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Depression and Anxiety.

This will have the added benefit of training officers to possibly identify and help colleagues going through mental health issues and may reduce the incidents of police suicide.

WITHDRAWN

* 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 22 January 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.

OCTOBER 2016 WEEK 1 24.09.16 to 01.10.16

Results to be advised by Friday 29 January 2016

WEEK 2 01.10.16 to 08.10.16

EITHER WEEK

ALBANY

Name (Please Print):

BUSSELTON VILLA 4

PD No:

BUSSELTON VILLA 11

Address (Home):

BUSSELTON VILLA 15 Post Code: Work (Unit/Section):

ESPERANCE EXMOUTH KALBARRI UNIT 27

Email (Home): Phone no. (Work): (Mobile):

KALBARRI UNIT 71 PORT DENISON YALLINGUP

37 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

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.

FIONA FAGAN

LEGAL

Wills and Estates Lawyer Tindall Gask Bentley Lawyers

Blended families: Inheritance claims for step children A COMMON PROBLEM WITH blended families is the tracing of the inheritance from a parent to a step parent.

The natural reaction of a Will maker is to leave everything to their spouse, and then if their spouse doesn’t survive them, to their children equally. Unfortunately, if you are part of a blended family the division of your estate is not as simple.

Gifting your whole estate to a step parent gives the step children no security in respect to their inheritance.

Those children can never expect to receive their parent’s inheritance through the step parent. Even if the couple made identical Wills, there is nothing stopping the surviving spouse amending their Will later. More often than not, the surviving spouse will amend their Will as their circumstances change. They may lose touch with their previous spouse’s children, remarry or move overseas.

Gifting your whole estate to a step parent gives the step children no security in respect to their inheritance. Those children can never expect to receive their parent’s inheritance through the step parent.

Failure to recognise this in Will drafting could result in the children of the deceased spouse making a claim because they were not, and will not be, adequately provided for.

There are a number of options available to blended families which could accommodate both the spouse and the children; including a right of residence or life interest in the matrimonial home which would allow the surviving spouse to live in the property until their passing and then the property is transferred to the children.

You are not related to your stepparent, once your parent has passed away you have no right to make a claim on your step mother or step father’s estate (there are only very limited circumstances where a step child can make a claim on their step parent’s estate in Western Australia).

Jointly owned property with any third party will automatically go to the surviving party upon death and will not form part of an Estate, if the ownership structure is as joint tenants.

So it could be that there is no estate to make a claim on.

Your inheritance from your parent will likely flow onto your step parent’s children and in this event you can not make a claim or do anything to recover your parent’s inheritance.

In order to avoid such claims being made on your estate, you should seek advice from a lawyer specialising in Wills and Estates to ensure that your Will is drafted effectively.

Conversely, if you are a child of a blended family where the spouse has been left everything, it is important for you to ensure your claim is made immediately after your parent’s passing, if a claim can be made.

A Family Provision claim must be made within six months from the date of the Grant of the Probate or Letters of Administration. The court may grant an extension of time depending on the reasons for the delay and other factors.

TGB can assist Will makers to understand their obligation to their children and their current spouses and assist claimants to make a claim on their parent’s estate.

TGB has a free legal service available for WAPU Members and their families. To arrange an appointment, contact WAPU HQ on 9321 2155.

39 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

Package a new car and save on tax

Proud supporters of

Your Package Includes Finance, Fuel, Insurance, Servicing, Tyres & Registration

Mention this advert prior to completing your contract and get a bonus Fitbit Charge HR or an iPad Mini when your new vehicle is delivered!

Did you know that as a police officer, you have priority access to salary packaging your next car?

Let the team at Fleet Network show you how to save thousands when buying your next new car.

It’s all about getting the most out of your salary and paying less in tax.

It’s worth a call – it’s your salary, after all.

1300 738 601 www.fleetnetwork.com.au/bonus Fleet Network Pty Ltd. To qualify for this offer you must mention this advertisement to Fleet Network prior to the completion of your initial contract. Vehicle must be new and supplied by Fleet Network. Not valid in conjunction with any other current Fleet Network offers. Employees should consult their employer’s salary packaging policy before entering into a contract. *Subject to Employer policy. Vehicle for illustration purposes only.

Bought to you by

MOTORING

FLEET NETWORK

The stress-free way to buy a new car ANTHONY PYMM IS A Sergeant at Armadale Police Station and is a second-time customer with Fleet Network.

Anthony has been extremely happy with the personalised service and the benefits he has received from salary packaging both his Commodores.

“Salary packaging is definitely the way to go for us. All the running costs are deducted straight from my pay so there’s no stress with budgeting and you can get a new car every five years if you want. I had the old model Commodore and recently upgraded to a 2015 SV6 Storm Commodore, we love it,” Anthony said.

Anthony knew that he wanted to upgrade to the new model Commodore, so all he had to do was choose the colour and accessories to package with the car and Fleet Network were able to get a quote back to him the same day.

“The service from Fleet Network was really quick and professional, no hassles at all. They even helped by trading-in my old Commodore. All I had to do was give them a few photos and the history of the car and they gave me a trade-in price over the phone, simple!

It even covered the residual payment left on my first car, so the changeover didn’t cost me anything,” he said.

SALARY PACKAGING, A GREAT WAY TO SAVE ON TAX Brad has made his English Staffy very happy with the purchase of his new Jeep Wrangler Overland, and they are looking forward to many days at the beach in his new car this summer.

Based at the Geraldton Police Station as a First Class Constable, Brad Snashall has just received his second salary packaged car through Fleet Network.

“The team at Fleet Network are great! They always go above and beyond to get you what you want in a vehicle. Even if problems arise and something isn't quite up to scratch, they will ensure it’s sorted and up to standard in a jiffy. They even organised a hire car for me at no charge, when further work was required on my Jeep,” Brad said.

Brad enjoyed the stress-free process of buying his new car.

Fleet Network arranged for all of the accessories to be added to the Jeep before he picked it up and included these extra costs in the package price of the car.

“As this is my second car with Fleet Network, I have really seen the tax benefits of one payment coming from my pre-tax salary each cycle covering finance, fuel and other maintenance costs. It makes budgeting really easy,” he said.

Brad said that he is always recommending Fleet Network to his colleagues, especially those who are looking for a transfer to regional WA, as Fleet Network are really accommodating and they make the process very easy.

Speak to Fleet Network today on 1300 738 601 to get an obligationfree quote and see how you can save thousands through salary packaging. www.fleetnetwork.com.au 41 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

CHIROPRACTIC & PERFORMANCE CENTRE

VALID FOR

WA POLICE ALL CONSULTS ARE FULLY REINBURSED BY THE HEALTH AND WELFARE BRANCH VIA GP REFERRAL

Are you dealing with neck or back pain?

Require assistance with holster/belt ямБtting?

Realigning accoutrements?

CONCESSION

RATES

Poor quality sleep from nightshift?

Shoulder complaints?

FREE

Low energy?

*

INITIAL ASSESSMENT

www.vervechiro.com.au T: (08) 9367 5969

F: (08) 9367 5975

E: admin@vervechiro.com.au

Address: Suite 5 /77 South Terrace, Como WA 6152

42 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

*using NASA TECHNOLOGY (EMG/muscle function and stress testing)

DR RYAN GLEESON

Founder and Principal Verve Chiropractic and Performance Centre

WELLNESS

Remove your pain and regain your life LOWER BACK PAIN IS AN EVER increasing ailment robbing police officers of their quality of life. Whether that be working in constant discomfort, inability to sit or stand for prolonged periods, or being unable to train and get your body working in a capacity to perform all the tasks you desire.

Have you considered there could be more to it than simply a muscle problem? What controls the muscles? It is the central nervous system.

So who would you see to sort this out?

There is a long list of contributing factors such as heavy belts, incorrect belt positioning, prolonged sitting/ standing, poor posture, excess body weight, incorrect biomechanics, the inability to engage the abdominal core muscles, amongst many other factors.

So what are we doing about it?

Waiting for it to go away and “sort itself out”. Couple of quick visits to the physio or massage therapist rub it out?

Just enough to get you back to what you were doing.

Have you considered there could be more to it than simply a muscle problem? What controls the muscles?

It is the central nervous system. So who would you see to sort this out?

The team at Verve Chiropractic and Performance Centre do not solely focus on bones going or popping out of position and cracking them back into the “right” position. This is a very outdated model of chiropractic and has been shown not to be 100 per cent correct.

The team at Verve Chiropractic focus on spinal and nervous system function.

Pain is part of the nervous system and something we treat very well, however it is only 10 per cent of the nervous system. Only 10 per cent of the nerves in your body can feel pain.

So what do the other 90 per cent do?

They control the muscles and as well as the internal organs such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver and digestive system. They also control the quality of your sleep, energy levels, immune system, balance, mood and pretty much every function in your body.

Chances are your nervous system is not functioning as well and you wouldn’t even know.

So how do you objectively know how you are functioning and if there are any underlying problems?

The doctors at Verve Chiropractic utilise modern scanning technology created by NASA. The electromyography (EMG) scan measures how the signals are going from your spine to your muscles to assess how well they are functioning.

The stress scan (gold standard which can measure adrenal stress balance), functional movement screen and a thorough history are the other outcome measures adopted in the initial consult so the doctors can objectively see what is going on.

Verve believes that simply listening to a health practitioner’s advice with no measureable data is hardly the foundation of an effective care plan.

All scans are performed again for every progress report to see the measurable difference and how the care plan has benefitted the client.

So if you are experiencing lower back pain, shoulder problems, sciatica, pins and needles, poor sleep quality, low energy, a rundown immune system or have any digestive issues, there is a big chance your nervous system is under performing and contributing to these issues. This is what Verve Chiropractic focuses on.

WHERE TO FROM HERE? If you are suffering any of these issues or simply want a check up, Verve has an offer for any WAPU Member.

Ver ve will conduct a free initial consultation ($100 value) and further treatments at concession rates (15 per cent off). ALL CONSULTS ARE FULLY REINBURSED BY THE HEALTH AND SAFETY BRANCH VIA GP REFERRAL.

Contact Verve Chiropractic and Performance Centre of 9367 5969 or admin@vervechiro.com.au to book your initial consultation or any relevant questions.

43 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

READ

WATCH

TOM CLANCY'S COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

THINGS YOUR DOG WANTS YOU TO KNOW

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.

A floating natural gas facility in Lithuania is blown up. A Venezuelan prosecutor is assassinated. An attack on a Russian troop train kills dozens. A chaotic world is the best camouflage for a series of seemingly unrelated attacks.

Only one man recognizes an ominous pattern in the reports. US President Jack Ryan sees a guiding hand in the worldwide chaos.

Faced with collapsing energy prices, the Russian economy depends on expansion abroad.

But it's a strategy that has been thwarted by the United States in the past. And now it seems the Russian Leader Volodin, fearful of losing his grip on power, is pursuing his ambitions more indirectly.

While Jack Ryan's intelligence agencies race to uncover the truth, he struggles to unite a fractious coalition of Western nations against the schemes of the Russian dictator.

What is it that your dog is trying to say . . . and are you listening?

Expert dog behaviourist Laura Vissaritis (with able assistance from her bull terrier Chester) introduces Dognitive Therapy, an approach that teaches you how to understand the world from your dog's point of view.

Insights into the canine mind combined with practical advice to solve common problems will help you bond with your dog in a whole new way. Your dog will be happier, healthier . . . and better behaved.

The book features photography from former WA police officer and crime analyst Alex Cearns.

So, if you want a smart dog, you've got to be a smart owner!

Henry Cavill (Man of Steel) stars as Napoleon Solo opposite Armie Hammer (The Social Network) as Illya Kuryakin in director Guy Ritchie’s action adventure The Man from U.N.C.L.E., a fresh take on the popular 1960s television series.

Set against the backdrop of the early 1960s, at the height of the Cold War, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. centres on CIA agent Solo and KGB agent Kuryakin.

Forced to put aside longstanding hostilities, the two team up on a joint mission to stop a mysterious international criminal organisation.

The duo’s only lead is the daughter of a vanished German scientist, who is the key to infiltrating the criminal organisation.

Together, they must race against time to find him and prevent a worldwide nuclear catastrophe.

Also stars Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki and Hugh Grant.

MARK GREANEY RRP: $32.99

LAURA VISSARITIS RRP: $19.99

WIN We have one copy of Tom Clancy's Commander-in-Chief and Things Your Dog Wants You to Know 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 January 8, 2016.

POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

SRP: $39.95 One Disc

SURVIVOR SRP: $29.95 One Disc

A State Department employee newly posted to the American embassy in London is charged with reviewing passport and visa applications.

After her entire team is killed in a bomb blast, she instantly finds herself in the line of fire: targeted for death, framed for crimes she didn't commit, discredited and on the run.

She must now fight to clear her name and prevent a catastrophic terrorist attack planned for New Year’s Eve in New York’s Times Square.

Survivor was directed by James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) and stars Mila Jovovich, Pierce Brosnan and Dylan McDermott.

WIN We have five copies of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Survivor 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 January 8, 2016.

SEE

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS

SEASON COMMENCES 17 December The Star Wars saga continues with this seventh entry – the first under the Walt Disney Co. umbrella.

The film will act as the start of a new trilogy set after the events of Return of the Jedi.

J.J. Abrams directs from a script

by Michael Arndt.

The Force Awakens is set thirty years after defeating the Galactic Empire, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and his allies face a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and his army of Stormtroopers.

LISTEN

ENTERTAIN ME

SELF-TITLED

NINE

SEASON COMMENCES 14 January

CYRUS Out Now

Upset about moving from a big city to a small town, teenager Zach Cooper (Dylan Minnette) finds a silver lining when he meets the beautiful girl, Hannah (Odeya Rush), living right next door. But every silver lining has a cloud, and Zach’s comes when he learns that Hannah has a mysterious dad who is revealed to be R. L. Stine (Jack Black), the author of the bestselling Goosebumps series.

It turns out that there is a reason why Stine is so strange… he is a prisoner of his own imagination – the monsters that his books made famous are real, and Stine protects his readers by keeping them locked up in their books. When Zach unintentionally unleashes the monsters from their manuscripts and they begin to terrorize the town, it’s suddenly up to Stine, Zach, and Hannah to get all of them back in the books where they belong.

Following Cyrus taking out The X Factor title for 2015 as broadcast on Seven Network, Sony Music Entertainment Australia is pleased to announce that CYRUS’ debut single ‘Stone’ is available to download and stream through digital retailers now.

Cyrus has also released his selftitled debut album on 9 December 2015, featuring re-recorded studio tracks of some of his incredible performances on the show including ‘Jealous’, ‘In The Air Tonight’ and ‘Don’t,’ as well as his winning single, ‘Stone’. The album also features ‘Dancing On My Own’, the song that Cyrus performed in the 5 seat challenge that earned him his place in the Top 12 this year!

‘Stone’ was written by TMS – Sean Douglas, Tom Barnes, Peter Kelleher, Ben Kohn (Little Mix ‘Wings’, Jess Glynne’s ‘Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself’ and Emilie Sande’s ‘Read All About It, Pt. III’) and Bobby Andonov.

Nine is an album of beauty and complexity, which on the surface first blossoms as melodic pop affair, but which slowly reveals its complexities and maturity.

Samantha Jade is proud of her passion for pop music, and doesn’t shy away from the wide appeal of her musical style. The songs on offer aren’t trendy, of-the-moment, producer-stamped recordings, but instead deliver fresh, catchy, and instantly-dynamic hooks that revel in joy and positivity.

“When we started to make this album my team at Sony asked me what kind of record I wanted to make and I told them I wanted to make a pop record because that’s what I love. I wanted to make pop music that wasn’t too in your face, and had an influence from a number of styles and tempos. I like all different sides of pop music so I really wanted some diversity from the songs I included on the album.”

GOOSEBUMPS

WIN We have two passes to give away to Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Goosebumps.

To enter, email jessica.porter@wapu.org.au with your name, work address and title of the movie. Winners will be drawn on January 8, 2016.

SAMANTHA JADE Out Now

WIN We have five copies of CYRUS and Nine 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 January 8, 2016.

45 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

Bought to you by

HEALTH

POLICE HEALTH

Missing muscle: ease up and it goes WE’VE ALL HEARD THE PHRASE ‘use it or lose it’ in terms of our brain. Now new research shows just how relevant the saying is when it comes to muscle strength.

It turns out that a holiday spent relaxing on a beach in Bali can undo months of hard work toiling and sweating in a gym.

Even two days of physical inactivity can negatively impact metabolic processes such as insulin sensitivity.

It’s long been known that muscle tone deteriorates without regular exercise, but a Danish study has revealed that the impact is much greater than anyone ever imagined.

In just two weeks of having one leg immobilised, young people who workout regularly can lose a staggering 30 per cent of their strength – or nearly half a kilogram of muscle on average.

The outcome isn't that much better for active older people who are injured or decide to have a break from their exercise regime. The University of Copenhagen found that in two weeks their strength drops by 25 per cent.

Even though the percentage is smaller, researchers believe the outcome on the elderly is even more critical because they start with less muscle. As a result, it can have a greater impact on their general health and quality of life.

Equally depressing is the length of time it takes to recover lost muscle mass after full fitness training resumes – about three times longer than the period of inaction.

JUST KEEP MOVING The Danish research puts a figure on previous studies that show no matter how physically active you are now, the benefits don’t last once you stop.

Even two days of physical inactivity can negatively impact metabolic processes such as insulin sensitivity.

After two to three weeks of no exercise, heart strength is also affected.

46 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

Over time with no stimulation, the body composition is altered resulting in more body fat and less muscle.

The good news is that even if you can't maintain your normal exercise routine, doing a little bit is much better than doing nothing.

If work or travel interferes with your fitness program, squeezing in a couple of hours of exercise a week will ensure you keep your hard-earned gains.

It’s also important that you don’t slack off as you get older.

A gradual loss of lean muscle with advancing age affects our ability to remain healthy and function independently, and can shorten lives.

Muscle loss with age is a condition known as sarcopenia and is increasingly recognised as a serious health problem afflicting millions of people.

Sarcopenia generally starts when people reach 40 and accelerates after about 75. The condition is more common in people who do not exercise and have poor diets with too little protein.

Hormonal factors can also be involved which is why all adults over 40 should have annual blood tests.

Once again, exercise is important as it stimulates the release of hormones that promote healthy muscle mass.

Even simple activities such as walking and gardening have a positive impact.

TAKING THE PAIN OUT OF EXERCISE Before embarking on a new exercise regime, it’s a good idea to see your doctor for a check-up and get advice from a trainer.

The aim is to exercise safely and remain injury-free. If it’s enjoyable, you’re more likely to keep going.

That involves understanding basic techniques and listening to your body.

Many p e ople wor k out to o intensely and risk injury, which is where good advice is important. A fitness advisor can help you plan workout goals that are appropriate for your age and fitness level.

Research shows that mild to moderate activity will help improve your health. Set realistic expectations and be kind to yourself. You really don’t have to suffer pain to be fit and healthy.

The key is consistency – make time for regular exercise even if your schedule is hectic.

POLICE HEALTH COVER Various fitness-related health conditions are covered by your Police Health policy, including physiotherapy and exercise physiology. We offer comprehensive cover for people attending hospital with a sports injury and there are no exclusions, restrictions, excesses or co-payments.

Cover for physiotherapy and exercise physiology includes an $850 combined annual treatment limit per person, with an exercise physiology sublimit of $400 per person or $800 per family.

There is also an additional rollover benefit for physiotherapy of $1,700 per person. The cover is subject to waiting periods and conditions.

SAVE with WAPU Member benefits www.wapu.org.au Looking for the perfect gift for the Golfer in your life this Christmas?

MEMBER BENEFITS

Check out more Member benefits online at the WAPU website

Visit www.OptiGolfWA.com.au/WAPU to purchase online

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47 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

NEW MEMBERS

WAPU WELCOMES ITS NEWEST MEMBERS Gold Squad 3/2015 Jozsef BALCZER Peter BURBRIDGE Elizabeth CORNFORTH Joseph DALLISON Lauren DIXON Joanne ELWILL Matthew EPIS David GRAINGER Kieren HOBSON Alexander HOLLOWAY Nolan LEIPOLDT Tyler LILLEYMAN Cameron McDOUGALL Steven MILLAR Emma PARR Georgia PAYNE Keagan PICADO Gemma PICK Michelle REID Jacob SODEN Andrew STEAR Kristen TOBIASSEN Jonathon TRIMBLE Chi TRUONG Hugh VALLANCE Nikolas WAKELY David WEBSTER Emily WOODLAND

Blue Squad 4/2015 Charlotte ALEXANDER Chloe APPLETON Stephen CALDWELL Jeremy CARTER David DOW Amanda EMERSON Bruce GAIDA Lucilla GRAINGER Natasha HAYNES James KETTERINGHAM Russell KING Sean-Edward LARSON-PEARSE Phillip LESLIE Ben MARTIN Nathanael MATTHEWS Rhys McINTOSH Grant NELSON Seljana NONKOVIC Melanie PITOUT Eric RICHARDS Joshua ROBERTS Benjamin SCUDDER Vasa SERAFIN Isabelle SKALA Sharna THOMPSON Benjamin TURNER Timothy WRIGHT Jin WU

01

48 POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

01 Transitional 2/2015 Debra AMAIRA Steven BALL Joanne BARNES Warren BEADLE Paul BELL Gordon BLACK Christopher BOOTH Teresa BOOTH Michelle BRINDLEY Westley BUNN Ashley CLARKE Allen COTTAGE Geoffrey CRUICKSHANKS Paul DAVEY Heather DOUGLAS Sarah EDWARDS-RUSHWORTH Paul GRANT Christopher HISCOCK Matthew HOLLEDGE Jonathan HUGHES Stuart IRWIN Kevin JAMES Brett MURDOCK Alex ROWBOTTOM Ben SHAW Joanne SMITH Kate TAYLOR John TODD Warren TRABUCCHI

RETIREMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

VALE

RETIRED 4505 1/C Sergeant BARRY THOMAS McCABE Aged 69

RETIRING MEMBERS 5115 Ian KEMP 5483 Garry HADWIGER 5687 Colin TOWNSEND 9205 Julie MARSH

GOVERNMENT

RESIGNING MEMBERS 9331 Jeremy DROWN 9792 Christopher ADAMS 11162 Andrea ANDERSON 11473 Lisa WHITELEY 12061 Katie VOS 12475 Jason BURNHAM 12932 Paul ACTON 12951 Beverley SMITH 13205 Christopher MADEN 14155 Siobhan MONKHOUSE

JUSTICE

LEGAL

2758 Chief Superintendent ROBIN HAROLD TAYLOR Aged 82 3092 Superintendent ARCHIE DOUGLAS GRANT Aged 78

14354 Neil FLETCHER 15103 Pauline TERWEY 15244 Josip PERKOVIC 15458 Simon BARCHAM 15731 Robert LYDON 15820 William MERRICK 15904 Geoffrey CRUICKSHANKS 16006 Jack HANNINGTON 99873 Joshua LAING

MANAGEMENT

PUBLIC SAFETY

5309 Constable EAN JOHN POLLARD Aged 69 2416 Superintendent KENNETH ERIC THOMAS Aged 85

TRAINING

SECURITY

WHS

POLICE NEWS DECEMBER 2015

FROM THE ARCHIVES

DECEMBER 1999 CHRISTMAS CHEER The last edition for 1999, saw Union President Michael Dean round off the year by reporting a change in attitude from the WA Police administration.

He said: “An important aspect of this is its apparent willingness to show goodwill and to negotiate.

“While it remains to be seen whether this is a lasting change or is only temporary, we would certainly welcome such a permanent cultural alteration.”

FAREWELLS Police News bid farewell to Detective Superintendent Keith Taylor and WA’s longest serving cop; Sergeant Tim O’Keeffe.

Detective Superintendent Taylor wrote an article to Members, people he had been proud to call his friends, informing them of his resignation after 35 years in the job.

Taylor said it was with unimaginable regret and not a little bitterness that he was leaving the job however, he still retained a passionate love of policing.

He spent 28 years in the old CIB, beginning as a probationary detective and finished as a Superintendent.

“I am proud to say I did not waver from my career in that field and was always prepared to defend the Branch and its Members to my last breath,” he said. “Some have said that this brought about, literally, ‘my last breath’.”

Sgt Tim O’Keeffe retired after 37 years’ service to WA Police after graduating as a 22-year-old and being posting to several locations including Roe Street, Innaloo, Kalgoorlie, Moora, Gosnells, Cranbrook, Cockburn, Central, City and finally the Family Court. While in Kalgoorlie he also relieved and served at Coolgardie, Kambalda, Boulder, Laverton, Warburton and Giles.

In his retirement Sgt O’Keeffe hoped to play golf and travel to Broome and Darwin.

BUNBURY COPS ON BIKES Bunbury embraced police officers on bikes in 1999 with 14 officers including two Aboriginal police liaison officers making up its pushbike patrol.

Christmas has come early!

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Call Fleetcare today on 1300

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or visit fleetcare.com.au/police