New South Wales Police Force
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| New South Wales Police Force | |
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| Culpam Poena Premit Comes ("Punishment Follows Guilt Swiftly") |
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| Established: | 1862 |
| Headed by: | Commissioner Ken Moroney |
| Ministry: | Police |
| Headquarters: | 1 Charles Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150 |
| Stations: | 500+ |
| Employees: | 18,500 |
| Major units: | |
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The New South Wales Police Force (NSWPOL)(NSW Police Force; previously New South Wales Police Service & New South Wales Police) is the primary law enforcement agency in the State of New South Wales, Australia. It is an agency of the Government of New South Wales within the New South Wales Ministry for Police. Divided into eighty Local Area Commands (LAC),[1] the NSW Police Force consists of over five hundred local police stations and covers an area of 801,600 square kilometres whilst serving the state's population of seven million people.[2]
Under the Police Regulation Act (1862), the organisation of the New South Wales Police Force was formally established in 1862 with the unification of all existing independent police units within New South Wales. The authority and responsibility of the entire police force was given to the Inspector General of Police.[3] Presently, the Commissioner of Police controls the police force.
The current Commissioner of the New South Wales Police Force is Ken Moroney APM and the Cabinet Minister of the State Government responsible for the New South Wales Police Force portfolio is John Watkins. As of 2006, the New South Wales Police Force consists of approximately 14,454 officers.[1] However, due to the growing number of violent attacks in the state in 2006, the president of the New South Wales Police Association, Bob Pritchard, commented on January 7, 2007, that the state is "very short of police and that there is a need to increase the number of police officers throughout the state significantly".[4]
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[edit] Mission and authority
The motto of the New South Wales Police Force is Culpam Poena Premit Comes. When translated from Latin to English, it means "Punishment Follows Guilt Swiftly". The insignia of the NSW Police Force also depicts this sentiment. Its coat of arms features the state badge of New South Wales, a soaring eagle carrying a scroll with the word Nemesis, a wreath and the Crown of the Queen of Australia.[5]
The overall mission of the New South Wales Police Force is to protect the community and property of the state of New South Wales. Services provided by the NSW Police include:[2]
- Preventing, detecting and investigating crime;
- Monitoring and promoting road safety;
- Maintaining social order; and
- Performing and coordinating emergency and rescue operations.
Further policing duties performed are traffic control, intelligence analysis and anti-terrorist negotiation.
Like all other States of Australia, municipalities and shires in New South Wales have no or very limited law enforcement responsibilities. The Australian Federal Police is relatively unobtrusive and is not very visible in the day to day lives of New South Welsh residents. Therefore, state police forces—the NSW Police Force included—are much more powerful and ubiquitous than equivalent state or provincial police forces in other federal nations such as the United States or Canada, where the total law enforcement task is more evenly shared among three or four tiers of government. The NSW Police Force are arguably the highest profile police jurisdiction in the country.
Authoritative powers of the New South Wales Police Force are controlled and described by the law as set out by the State Government. When exercising their powers, the police officers must adhere to the legislation imposed on the police body, the New South Wales Police Force policies, procedures and other documents such as the Aboriginal Policy Statement and Strategic Plan, the Youth Policy Statement and the Disability Action Plan.[6]
[edit] History
The New South Wales Police Force has existed in various forms since the foundation of the colony of New South Wales at Sydney in 1788. In order to protect the infant town against thieves and petty criminals after dark, Governor Arthur Phillip authorised the formation of a nightwatch in August 1789, consisting of eight of the best-behaved convicts.[7] After his appointment as the new governor of New South Wales, Governor Lachlan Macquarie restructured the police force in January 1811, setting up a basic system of ranks and control. Police units were under the rule of the district magistrates.
Responding to the various forms of crime, a number of independent specialised units were set up. The earliest of these units formed was the Mounted Police. Established in 1825, the Mounted Police was amongst the most important police units created to keep the settlers safe and to guard road transportation. Other specialist groups formed during this time were the Water Police (formed in 1832), the Border Police (formed in 1839) and the Native Police (formed in 1848).[7]
As the colony expanded, a more sophisticated form of crime management was called for, which involved unifying all the police units into a single cohesive police force with the centralisation of authority. After a failed attempt made by Act No. 38 of 1850, a unified control of the police finally eventuated in 1862 when the Police Regulation Act (1862) was passed, establishing the New South Wales Police Force. An Inspector General of Police was appointed to assume the authority and responsibility of the entire police force, the first of whom being John McLerie. The Police Regulation (Amendment) Act, passed in 1935, changed the official title of Inspector General of Police to Commissioner of Police with its role clearly defined. In addition, the position of Deputy Commissioner was also created.[8]
By 1872, seventy police stations existed throughout the colony in various sub-districts with a total of 803 police officers. In 1915, the first female police officers were appointed. The number of members of the Police Force increased to 5717 in 1961. The Police Force celebrated its centenary the following year, which now maintains 507 police stations in New South Wales.[9]
In 1990, the Police Service Act was introduced to replace the Police Regulation Act. The New South Wales Police Force was consequently renamed to the New South Wales Police Service, which reflected "community-based policing at the time" of the Greiner Government[10] and the public's responsilibity in crime control, aided by the police.[11] In accordance with the Police Service Amendment (NSW Police) Bill in 2002, the New South Wales Police Service was then renamed again to simply New South Wales Police.[12] The then Minister for Police, Michael Costa, explains:[13]
"NSW Police" is the name on which everybody signed off and it is the name with which we were to come to the Parliament... I do not believe we need the word "service" in the name of the police force. I do not accept the argument that we need the word "service" in a community-based policing approach.
In 2006, the Police Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill resulted in a name change for the third time, renaming the New South Wales Police to New South Wales Police Force.[14]
The New South Wales Police Force has grown to be the largest in Australia and the highest paid.[2]
[edit] Organisation
The headquarters of the New South Wales Police Force is located at 1 Charles Street, Parramatta 2150. The New South Wales Police Force maintains over 500 local police stations coordinated by their respective Local Area Commands.
The New South Wales Police Force College, whose primary function is to educate and train police officers from the newly recruited to the senior executive level, is located at McDermott Drive, Goulburn 2580. The Associate Degree of Policing Practice is awarded to a graduate of the college by its university provider, Charles Sturt University.[15]
[edit] Divisions
The New South Wales Police Force consists of three major divisions: Corporate Services, Field Operations and Specialist Operations.[16]
The Corporate Services of the New South Wales Police Force is headed by the Executive Director (Corporate Services), who is charged with the management of recruitment and education, firearms, records and information process services, Security Industry Registry (SIR), investment and commercial services, safety, business and technology services, human resources, education services, finance and legal services which includes Police Prosecutors.
The Field Operations of the New South Wales Police Force, headed by the New South Wales Police Force Deputy Commissioner (Field Operations), is responsible for managing and overseeing the North West Metropolitan region, South West Metropolitan region, Central Metropolitan region, Southern Metropolitan region, Northern Metropolitan region, Western Metropolitan region, State Crime Command, Traffic Services, APEC Police Security Command and Special Projects.
The Specialist Operations of the New South Wales Police Force, headed by the Deputy Commissioner (Specialist Operations), is responsible for a range of specialist groups of the police force. These groups include Operations Communications & Information Group, Forensics Services Group, Special Services Group, Counter Terriorism and Public Order Management, Public Affairs Branch and Professional Standards Command.
[edit] Rank structure
The New South Wales Police Force is run in a para-military structure. Promotion to the Rank of Sergeant is based upon a "merit based" promotion system, although it has been open to widespread criticism amongst serving members, as experience, qualifications and mastery of practice is not taken into account[citation needed]. The following ranks are listed from lowest to highest as set out in 2002:[17]
- Constable
- Senior Constable
- Incremental Senior Constable (Over ten years of service)
- Sergeant
- Incremental Sergeant (Formerly 7th Year Sergeant)
- Senior Sergeant
- Inspector
- Chief Inspector
- Superintendent
- Chief Superintendent
- Assistant Commissioner
- Deputy Commissioner
- Commissioner of Police
If a New South Wales Police Force Officer elects to undertake Criminal Investigation duties, after a period of exams and assignments, and given experience in a criminal investigation office that officer is given the designation of Detective. As it is a designation and not a rank, the Designation comes prior to the Rank, i.e., Detective Constable, or Detective Senior Constable etc. Returning to General Duties (uniform) is common for Detectives, and many Detectives do seek promotion in the General Duties arena. However, they do not have the designation of "Detective" after leaving criminal investigation.
Leading Senior Constable (LSC) is a position listed in the Rank structure but it is not a Rank per sae. It is only open for Senior Constables to apply for and is not a permanent position. If a member transfers to another duty type or station, the officer is then relieved of the position of LSC. It primarily is a position for Field Training Officers who oversees the training and development of inexperienced Probationary Constables or Constables.
As members can be promoted to the Rank of Sergeant at seven years, many less experienced members look towards the career practitioner for advice. As far as career or master practitioners are concerned, the Rank of Incremental Senior Constable (commonly known as a "barred up Senior Constable", due to a bar above two chevrons on the members rank slide) cannot be overlooked in terms of experience, longevity and mastery of practice is concerned. It is not uncommon to see Incremental Senior Constables with over 35 years service in operational or "front line" policing activities.
[edit] Uniform and equipment
[edit] Working and ceremonial dress
New South Wales Police Force has two uniforms for general duties police officers, one operational and one ceremonial.
The Operational New South Wales Police Force Uniform consists of navy blue cargo pants with map pockets, ballooned at the bottom, light blue marle short or long sleeve shirt, navy blue baseball cap with blue and white Sillitoe Tartan(fluorescent yellow caps were worn by the (now defunct) seconded Central Business District Street Policing Unit - a High Visibility unit in the City of Sydney and general purpose boots. During winter the leather duty jacket is worn mostly in the Sydney Metro area, whilst in the rural or provincial areas of the state, a navy blue Polartec jacket is worn.
The Ceremonial Uniform consists of G.P. Boots, Straight Leg Navy Blue Trousers, Tie, Blue Marle Shirt and Leather Duty Jacket. NSW Police Force College Staff, New South Wales Police Force Protocol and NSW Police Force Assistant Protocol Officers generally wear a Navy Blue Ceremonial Tunic during official occasions such as Attestation Parades (passing out parades), medal ceremonies and funerals etc. New South Wales Police Force Assistant Protocol Officers are issued with a light blue/navy blue lanyard to be worn over the right shoulder and tucked into the right pocket during ceremonial occasions.
[edit] Specialist groups and special events
New South Wales Police Force Officers are also entitled to wear Mess dress with Mess kit for black tie or formal dinners/dances. The dark navy blue trousers and mess jacket with cobalt blue cuffs, epaulettes (with ranks) and lapels clearly identify them as being members of the New South Wales Police Force.
Specialist units such as the Public Order and Riot Squad, Air Wing, Marine Area Command and the State Protection Group Tactical Operations Unit all have different uniform needs and are outfitted accordingly such as New South Wales Police Force Rescue Squad with their white overalls, Tactical Operations Unit (TOU) with black and Dog Squad with subdued blue. Detectives wear plain clothes.
During ANZAC day marches and United Nations Day marches in Sydney, New South Wales Police Force Officers can be seen alongside their Australian Federal Police counterparts wearing the distinctive United Nations blue beret and full sized medals, if they have served with the Australian Federal Police in United Nations sanctioned peacekeeping operations.
[edit] Equipment
Members of the NSW Police are issued with the Glock 22. Members are also issued with a spare magazine for their pistol, Saflock (mark IV & V) handcuffs, O.C. (capsicum spray), ASP expandable baton, Motorola XTS 3000 III UHF radio, and a first aid kit. Members also carry a Police Issue Long Baton in crowd control environments. Each police officer is issued an identification metal badge with a Warrant Card. New South Wales patrol officers are not issued with taser weaponry.
[edit] Notable incidents and arrests
After the formation of the New South Wales Police Force in 1862, the majority of crimes the police were faced with were conducted by bushrangers, particularly during the Victorian gold rush years. Constable Byrne, almost single-handed, fought off the Ben Hall gang when they attacked a gold escort at Major's Creek on March 13, 1865. Constable O'Grady was taken ill with cholera when, on April 9, 1866, he left his sick bed to confront the Clarke gang, who were renowned as being the "bloodiest bushrangers" of the Colony of New South Wales and that of Australia. Constable Walker was one of the earliest Australian-born mounted troopers to gain fame. He brought Captain Thunderbolt's enduring "bushranging" career to an end by shooting him near Uralla in New England, New South Wales.
Constable Ernest Charles Day (later the Inspector General of Police) showed courage under fire when he shot and captured Bushranger Hobson. Hobson was later hanged. Day later investigated a string of murders involving a hawker Tommy Moore by tracing his activities to South Australia and solved one of Australia's earliest cases of serial killers.
(Cited: Melrose, A (1911)The trooper police of Australia. London)
NSW Police Force officers have been at heart of many famous, and infamous, events in NSW's history including the 1997 Thredbo landslide, Waterfall train disaster, Grafton bus crash, 1989 Newcastle earthquake, Sydney Hilton bombing, the arrest of serial killer Ivan Milat, the 2004 Redfern riots and 2005 Macquarie Fields riots to name but a few.
[edit] Criticism
[edit] Wood Royal Commission
This concentration of policing power in the New South Wales Police is thought to have led to the multi-generational and endemic levels of corruption, graft and vice that were revealed to the public in the 1990s at the Wood Royal Commission, a State-sponsored judicial inquiry into police corruption led by Justice James Wood of the New South Wales Supreme Court. This Royal Commission, which lasted approximately two years, uncovered crimes and institutionalised corruption throughout the NSW Police Service (as it was then known) by a small number of officers, most notably detectives. This unexpected discovery by the Royal Commission led to a widening of its terms of reference to include the investigation of paedophilia and sex crimes outside the Police Service and implicated members of the legal fraternity. However, critics of the Royal Commission argue that it should have had a wider terms of reference, namely the New South Wales Parliament and New South Wales Criminal Justice System but considering the political ramifications that would have resulted, this did not occur.
The biggest impact of the Wood Royal Commission was the uprooting of many corrupt detectives in the force (which, despite the almost daily revelations of depravity and criminality, consisted of only a small minority of the total Police Service) and the establishment of the Police Integrity Commission - an independent, permanent tribunal with some judicial powers that now stands as a permanent watchdog over police corruption, but is not part of the NSW Police (unlike the old Internal Affairs Bureau).
[edit] Honours and awards
Recognition for the bravery and sacrifice of members of the New South Wales Police Force is expressed through honours and awards. The New South Wales Police Force was the first Australian Police jurisdiction to have one of its members awarded the Imperial Honour, namely the George Cross and the Australian Honour the Cross of Valour. Sergeant 3rd Class Eric George BAILEY GC was awarded the George Cross posthumously on the January 12, 1945.
New South Wales Police Force also has the distinction in having one of its members being awarded the highest civilian bravery award, namely the Cross of Valour. In its history, only five people have been awarded that award, with a New South Wales Police Officer being the first Australian Police Officer to receive it. On the May 3, 1996, the then Detective Senior Constable Sparkes rescued a boy trapped in a flooded underground storm water drain following record rainfalls at Coffs Harbour.
Members of the New South Wales Police Force have been awarded the four levels of Australian Bravery Decorations, namely Cross of Valour, Star of Courage, Bravery Medal and the Commendation for Brave Conduct.
[edit] Australian honours and awards
New South Wales Police Force Officers are eligible for the following National Honours and Awards:
- Australian Bravery Decorations, namely the Cross of Valour (CV), Star of Courage (SC), Bravery Medal (BM) and the Commendation for Brave Conduct.
- Australian Police Medal (APM) (This Medal is awarded for distinguished service);
- Police Overseas Service Medal (This Medal was established in 1991 to recognise service with international peacekeeping organisations by officers of Australian police forces. The Governor-General makes awards of the Medal on the recommendation of the Chief Officer of an Australian police force.);
- National Medal (The National Medal is awarded for diligent long service to the community in hazardous circumstances, including in times of emergency and national disaster, in direct protection of life and property);
- Campaign Medals such as United Nations Medal For Service.
Australian Honours and Awards are worn as left sided decorations.
[edit] Internal New South Wales Police honours and awards
New South Wales Police Force also has a number of inservice Honours and Awards, awarded by the Commissioner of New South Wales Police Force. Commissioner Peter Ryan QPM implemented the New South Wales Police Force Commissioner's Olympic Commendation and the New South Wales Police Force Olympic Citation. This award is significant as the New South Wales Police Force is the only police force in the world to be permitted the Olympic Rings to be attached. It has been widely reported and accepted that the Sydney 2000 Olympics was the "Safest Games in modern Olympic history".
New South Wales Police Force Commissioner Ken Moroney AO APM implemented the Commissioners Community Service Commendation and Community Service Citation in 2002.
New South Wales Police Force Honours and Awards are regarded by members of the New South Wales Police Force to be highly prized due to the fact that they are only awarded to members in small numbers. The only award that was given out in large numbers was the Commissioner's Olympic Citation due to the massive contribution by all members of the force.
[edit] Commendations and medals
- New South Wales Police Force Valour Award (VA);
- New South Wales Police Force Commissioners Commendation (Courage);
- New South Wales Police Force Commissioners Commendation (Service);
- New South Wales Police Force Commissioners Olympic Commendation;
- New South Wales Police Force Commissioners Community Service Commendation;
- New South Wales Police Force Medal for Diligent and Ethical Service.
The above in-service decorations are worn 5 mm below the officers' name plate and are right sided decorations.
[edit] Citations
The following in-service decorations are worn 5mm above the officers' name plate and are right sided decorations.
- New South Wales Police Force Unit Citation - metal device, with silver laurel leaf surround, with light blue enamel centre (maximum 3 further awards are indicated by silver stars;
- New South Wales Police Force Commissioner's Olympic Citation - metal device, with silver laurel leaf surround, with navy blue enamel centre and silver Olympic rings in centre;
- New South Wales Police Force Commissioner's Community Service Citation (maximum 1 further award indicated by one silver star) - metal device, with silver laurel leaf surround, with white enamel centre.
[edit] Peacekeeping
In peacekeeping operations, New South Wales Police Force Officers are seconded to the Australian Federal Police and take an Oath or Affirmation of the AFP. They are then appointed to the Rank of Senior Sergeant, Station Sergeant, Superintendent or Commander. Following their service, UN Peacekeeping Veterans are awarded the United Nations Medal for their particular Mission. In addition, under the Australian System of Honours and Awards, police officers serving with peacekeeping organisations are awarded the Police Overseas Service Medal with the relevant clasp for the prescribed area of service.
Since UNICYP commenced, a large number of the NSW Police has served in Cyprus alongside other Australian police jurisdictions. From 2002 to 2005, 45 NSW Police Force Officers were involved in UNTAET and UNMISET seconded to the Australian Federal Police for their Tour of Duty in East Timor with the United Nations.
In addition, two New South Wales Police Force Officers have been commended for courage for Peacekeeping in East Timor, one by the Australian Government, and the Australian Federal Police Commissioners Commendation for Bravery (Station Sergeant David McCann OAM - UNMISET) and one by the New South Wales Police Force Commissioner (Senior Sergeant Mark Aubrey Gilpin - UNTAET). Station Sergeant McCann was awarded the Commendation for Brave Conduct for his part in the rescue of 110 vulnerable persons from a village in East Timor after it suffered major flooding. Senior Sergeant Gilpin was awarded the New South Wales Police Commendation (courage) for his part in protecting a member of the community who was being subjected to mob justice. He placed his body in front of the mob, who were armed with machettes and other weapons and managed to extract the victim to safety.
Out of the ten Australian peacekeepers who have died on peacekeeping missions, two were from New South Wales Police Force whilst serving with UNICYP. Sergeant Ian Ward and Inspector Patrick Hackett died in separate incidents in UNFCYP.
[edit] See also
- List of New South Wales Police killed in the line of duty
- State Protection Group
- List of Commissioners of New South Wales Police
- Tactical Response Group (TRG)
- Special Weapons and Operations Squad (SWOS)
[edit] References
- ^ a b Company Profile of the New South Wales Police. Graduate Careers Australia.
- ^ a b c Profile of the NSW Police. New South Wales Police.
- ^ Archives in Brief 20 - Police service records. State Records NSW. Retrieved on January 7, 2007.
- ^ "NSW Police Association to push for officer numbers boost". ABC News. January 7, 2007. Retrieved on January 7, 2007.
- ^ Hunter, I, The Meaning of the Police Insignia. Retrieved on January 6, 2007.
- ^ Code of Practice for CRIME. New South Wales Police.
- ^ a b Police. State records NSW. Retrieved on January 15, 2007.
- ^ New South Wales Police Force. State Records NSW. Retrieved on January 15, 2007.
- ^ The NSW Police Force Chronology of the First Hundred Years. The Thin Blue Line. Retrieved on January 15, 2007.
- ^ Legislative Assembly Hansard, Wednesday, 25 October 2006, Corrected Copy. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved on January 15, 2007.
- ^ Van Krieken, R, "Crime, government and civilization: Rethinking Elias in Criminology". Retrieved on January 15, 2007.
- ^ Police Service Amendment (NSW Police) Bill 2002 explanatory notes. Australasian Legal Information Institute. Retrieved on January 15, 2007.
- ^ Police Service Amendment (NSW Police) Bill Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved on January 15, 2007.
- ^ Police Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2006 explanatory notes. Australasian Legal Information Institute. Retrieved on January 15, 2007.
- ^ Goulburn - School of Policing Studies. Charles Sturt University.
- ^ Official NSW Police website organizational structure chart.
- ^ Ranks and insignia. The Thin Blue Line.
[edit] External links
- NSW Police website
- Rank insignia of the NSW Police
- www.policensw.com — Unofficial site with much information about the NSW Police
- National Police Memorial website
- Union for NSW Police
- Badge History of NSW Police
Executive: Monarchy • Governor • Premier • Government agencies
Legislative: Parliament • Legislative Assembly • Legislative Council • Electoral districts • MLAs • MLCs
Legislative Elections: 1995 • 1999 • 2003 • 2007
Judicial: High Court of Australia • Supreme Court • District Court • Local Court • Other Courts and Tribunals
