The PANSW has for some time now been advocating on your behalf regarding the excessive workload being experienced by members. The PANSW formally wrote to the Commissioner last week highlighting the significant workload and work intensity pressures members are currently experiencing within NSWPF. Today the monthly meeting between the PANSW Senior Management and the Commissioners Executive Team (CET) which consisted of the Acting Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioners was held where this important topic was discussed.
The PANSW again raised the memberships' ongoing concerns around the increasing workload pressures at the front line of Policing and the reduced numbers of staff available to share that workload.
The Acting Commissioner has today confirmed the Commissioners instructions to Commanders that except for Commissioners Priority Operations such as of Operation Amarok (Domestic Violence), and Strike Force Sweetenham (Aggravated BES and associated Youth Gang crime) all Region Based Operations that are unavoidable are staffed via standalone Pro-Active Resources only.
The PANSW in our correspondence recommended that those that are unavoidable are also managed via way of overtime/Cancelled Rest Days until staffing numbers can be bolstered.
The PANSW also reconfirmed their prior advice to branches that calls for assistance from the public should be prioritized and completed before ANY other Policing duties are performed.
No General Duties First Response officer should be performing a proactive tasking whilst calls for assistance are being called or are acknowledged without attendance on the CAD system.
We continue to work with the NSW Police and Government around recruitment incentives and reducing the excessive workload currently being felt by our members. We are actively working on a suite of options via the use of technology, policy change and reallocation of workload to other agencies where possible.
We look forward to the further changes we will see as a result of the numerous projects and reviews that are underway including into the two major call for service requests, Domestic Violence and Mental Health along with Core Policing functions which the PANSW will be advocating on your behalf.
Further updates will be provided to members, as more information comes to hand.