6th of December 2019

Dear Sir,

We pass on to you comments we received recently from a serving member in response to two articles published by the Community Advocacy Alliance (CAA), the first on the new Hostile Vehicle Policy, and the second relating to Drugs.

What we can tell you about the author of these comments is his gender, and that he has twenty years policing experience. We have no idea of his rank, or whether he is stationed in the metropolitan or a country region.

We do however conclude from his comment, that he is not bitter or twisted, but is an experienced Police member who wants to do his job better.

He writes;

I have read, with great interest a number of your articles.

 The article in regard to vehicle born attacks. What was said in the article was absolutely spot on and I support it 100%.

 The article about drugs is very good. But, and I refer to the point that is made to Police being out on the streets to deal with the drug pushers and addicts. This is fine as long as the process for dealing and processing offenders is streamlined. I’m not sure how much you know how frustrating the processing of offenders method is. To say its prehistoric is an understatement. There is no need for a unit to be tied up from patrolling the streets for a whole shift, and longer because they check a person with warrants, or in the articles case, dealing drugs. But this is the way we do things, and management do not, or do not want to see this. I have been around for long enough to realise that more police on the roads is more effective. So why not do away with the prehistoric processes and get the arresting members back out on to the road where they belong for the shift, with no stress of being tied up and knowing they are going home to their families at the end of the day. It is possible to keep members on the roads and not tied up processing offenders through a revolving door.

 It would be rare for you to gain such insight from an operational member, and that is understandable, but these comments in management terms, are pure gold.

In an organisation driven to be, “Modern”, it is elementary when it is managed from the top down, to create unintended consequences, particularly when throwing technology in all its guises at the problem.

The author nails the issue, the processes; probably designed to do the job better, is having totally the opposite effect. It would seem that VicPol has come full circle with technology and processes theoretically intended to improve the organisation, rapidly becoming its nemesis.

The CAA has been concerned for some time of the lack of a visible Police presence, and we have suspected that the problem is in part technology-based, and the time required by members to sit at a computer amongst other distractions.

However, this member’s comments crystallise the issue.

Importantly, there are other more modern Operational models operating much more efficiently in other jurisdictions. Although it would seem they require sophisticated management skills, nevertheless, they reduce stress on members and substantially improve the operational efficiency by markedly increasing available patrol time and would significantly reduce your overtime budget.

Chief Commissioner, we implore you to implement an audit of the processes required at the coalface and examine alternate operational models to modernise and increase the efficiency of operational Police, not the convenience of the organisation.

The community would laud the payoff of more Police in our community at the expense of organisational nuances.

Ivan W Ray

CEO/Sec.

Community Advocacy Alliance Inc.

6th December 2019.