NSW: Upper House passes new police promotions laws

AAP General News (Australia)
12-13-2001
NSW: Upper House passes new police promotions laws

SYDNEY, Dec 13 AAP - New laws governing the NSW police promotions system would guard
against corruption, the Police Association said today.

Under the changes passed through the NSW upper house last night, all applicants will
have to sign a statutory declaration that they have not engaged in misconduct.

The Police Service Amendment (Promotions and Integrity) Bill also requires initial
integrity checks of all successful applicants by the Police Integrity Commission and the
Special Crime and Internal Affairs Command.

NSW Police Association president Ian Ball said promotions were currently based on an
application and one interview.

However, the new laws broke the process into a series of steps, each of which were
scored, he said.

"So in terms of corruption prevention, that will put an end to the ability of people
to just have to worry about one interview," he told AAP.

"They'll have to demonstrate knowledge in a whole series of steps."

Under the new system, promotions will also be fast tracked.

Officers will be able to take up new positions within 21 days of a successful application
instead of enduring the traditional eight-month wait.

NSW Police Minister Michael Costa said the changes would do away with delays which
undermined police morale.

"To date, delays in the promotions systems have been terrible for police morale," he
said in a statement.

"These changes both do away with the delays of the past but also provide better protection
against corruption, prevent time-consuming vexatious appeals and reduce stress for police."

The new laws were coupled with internal police administrative changes that would come
into effect on January 1 next year, Mr Costa said.

"The government's policy is to permanently fill 608 vacancies that have been frozen
as part of the Police Integrity Commission's Operation Jetz inquiry," he said.

Other key changes include:

* immediate temporary appointment of successful applicants, with confirmation following
detailed integrity checks;

* a power for the commissioner to revoke the promotion of an officer found to have
engaged in misconduct in respect to the promotion process.

The new package was developed by the NSW Police Service, the police ministry and the
NSW Police Association, Mr Costa said.

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KEYWORD: POLICE LAWS LEAD

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