The numbers of South Australian police officers are to be examined by a new taskforce to make recommendations on police resourcing and numbers over the next 10-15 years.
Announcing the appointments to the Premier’s Taskforce, Premier Peter Malinauskas said it included representatives from Government, South Australia Police (SAPOL) and the Police Association of South Australia (PASA), with meetings to begin in August.
President of PASA, Mark Carroll said there were not enough staff members for the district policing model to work effectively.
Mr Carroll said SAPOL needed to recruit 90 officers, with a further 120 regularly off-duty due to COVID.
Commissioner of SAPOL, Grant Stevens said SA Police was doing what it could to try and recruit more people to fill positions.
“That’s just a harsh reality that we are all dealing with,” Commissioner Stevens said.
“We are struggling to maintain numbers and we are looking at the reasons for that,” he said.
Mr Malinauskas said the Taskforce would identify and highlight areas of community safety which created growing demand with a focus on domestic and family violence.
“Matters to be considered in recommending future policing resources include population and census data, metropolitan and regional expansion, crime rates, socioeconomic status and current police demand and recruitment policies, among other considerations,” Mr Malinauskas said.
He said the Taskforce’s membership will be made up of 12 members, including the Chief Executive of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Damien Walker; Minister for Police, Joe Szakacs; Commissioner of SAPOL, Grant Stevens; President of PASA, Mark Carroll; Deputy President of PASA, Wade Burns; Assistant Secretary of PASA, Steve Whetton; Officer in Charge Commissioner’s Support Branch at SAPOL, Simon Watkins; Assistant Commissioner at SAPOL, Noel Bamford; Director Human Resources Service at SAPOL, Kim-Sherie Summers; Director Business Service at SAPOL, Stephen Johinke; and Commissioner for Public Sector Employment, Erma Ranieri; and a workforce planning expert to be nominated.
