9th November 2018
The death of yet another Police member who lost their fight with coping must be a catalyst for change.
Do not let this death be in vain like so many before.
Do not use the mantra of ‘seek help’ and the other glib blame shifters to divert from the real problem which is clearly a management one. The Stress of the Job is the management not the function. With good management police all cope well with the function, they are resilient.
Show some leadership and take ownership of the issue, take control and fix it because this one might be on you.
These police members would not need to seek help if the organisation was managed properly and a work environment with less stress existed.
Mangers should be less concerned with their career and more concerned and focused on their subordinates and ensure they are properly resourced and supported.
This does not mean that they do less work because it is the environment they work in, not the work itself that is usually espoused as the culprit.
We challenge Premier Andrews and Chief Commissioner Ashton to properly address this issue without applying Band-Aids to placate the electorate with glib excuses. Grow a spine and fix it.
The CAA with over 600 years of executive policing experience has long ago identified the management and organisational failings and provided not just criticism solutions to correct the problem but has been dismissed as irrelevant and out of date.
The CAA is arguably more dedicated to Victoria Police than many VicPol managers who are more career focused than dedicated to the organisation and the police members. It is time that they recognised and the CAA advice needs to be given serious consideration – the current management of VicPol is not all that flash and could do with a hand.
The CAA stands ready to assist because – we care.