August 2009 - The Police Association Victoria

5
Secretary’s Message
By Greg Davies
Street violence
This is, most unfortunately, a major
issue that simply won’t go away
on its own. The State Government
clearly needs to address a range of
issues to rectify this major problem
that plagues the streets of our cities
and towns – and it needs to do
so urgently.
Education is important; but
educating our young people is a
generational process that could
require at least fifteen years to
take effect, and the community
cannot wait fifteen years for
a resolution.
The community needs a review
of licensing laws - we need a review
of the sentencing of those who
are convicted of mindless and
devastating violence - and we need
the immediate injection of sufficient
government funding to provide a
permanent and adequate visible
police presence on the streets of
our cities and towns.
No-one could possibly oppose
the idea of urgently addressing the
major issue that has made Victoria
a national and international object
of condemnation for our apparent
inability to ensure the safety of
our own citizens, going peacefully
about their own business.
What we need most are
politicians who will listen to
the community of law abiding
people in Victoria and increase
police numbers to at least the
national average.
The time for talk is long past –
the community demands positive
action…Now.
TPA members’ online survey –
Your Association, Your say.
One of my key priorities as
Secretary of the Police Association
is to ensure that members’ receive
the highest standards of services
and benefits they need and expect
from their Association.
In order to deliver on this
objective it is important that we
constantly remain in tune with
the needs of members. It is for this
reason that we are about to launch
the first ever comprehensive online
survey of Association members.
To make sure you get what you
want from your Police Association
membership, we encourage you
to complete the online survey and
give us your feedback – good, bad
or indifferent.
Members are assured that your
responses to the survey will be
treated with absolute confidentiality
and that your feedback will be
used to ensure that we deliver the
highest standards of services and
benefits members require from
their Association. As an added
incentive, your participation in the
survey will put you in the running
to win one of several excellent
prizes on offer. Please see page 9 for
further details. We look forward to
your feedback.
Bushfires Royal Commission –
Police Association submission
I’d like to take this opportunity
to thank the many members
who shared their experiences from
the Black Saturday bushfires with us.
This valuable feedback has
led the Association to prepare
a detailed submission to the
2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal
Commission to help members
play their part in making sure
Victoria learns the lessons from
this appalling tragedy so that the
policing role in future bushfire
Members are assured that
your responses to the survey
will be treated with absolute
confidentiality and that your
feedback will be used to ensure
that we deliver the highest
standards of services and
benefits members require from
their Association.
emergencies can be handled as well
as possible.
Inside this edition, we outline
the Police Association’s key
recommendations of our submission
to the Royal Commission. We also
raise some serious questions on
who was actually in charge of
our emergency services on Black
Saturday? We have also expressed
serious concerns in our InBrief
newsletter (37/09) about the
appalling lack of response by the
Brumby Government to the police
communication failures that let us
down on Black Saturday.
Both these concerns are reflected
in our submission to the Royal
Commission which members are
invited to read in its entirety via our
website – www.tpav.org.au.
www.tpav.org.au The Police Association Journal August 2009