For the past three years,NSW Police has annually called for applicants who want to leave the force,giving up to $269,000 to each candidate to sweeten the exit.
The only requirement is that the officers have served 10 years on the job and be aged under 67.
NSW Police has a shortage of 1500 officers.Edwina Pickles
Hundreds applied when the capped scheme went live this week. Applicants are chosen on a first-come,first-served basis.
NSW upper house MP and former police officer Rod Roberts said he was concerned about the integrity of the system,especially against a backdrop of a shortage of 1500 officers and 432 on restricted duties.
The NSW Police Association,however,says it assists officers into new careers or retirement after years serving the people of NSW. “The Optional Disengagement Scheme is good for NSW and good for police officers as it assists officers to transition before issues like burnout or injury arise,” said an association spokesperson,who added the current staffing issues are not caused by the scheme.
Any experienced officer can apply to leave the force through the scheme,piloted by the Perrottet government to limit the force’s workers compensation claims,which reached almost $880 million last year.
Hundreds of officers were disappointed last month,when an earlier round of offers were rescinded because proper processes were not followed. Multiple police sources,speaking on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to speak publicly,have told theHerald some officers logged on ahead of the publicised opening time and forced the entire round to be cancelled.
“It’s like queuing up online to buy Taylor Swift tickets,” one senior officer not authorised to speak publicly told theHerald.
“It’s well known you have to be logged in and waiting.”
Significant resources,including a three-person steering committee and consultation with the Australian Taxation Office to obtain a special classification for payouts,were deployed by police to begin the three-year pilot program.
Roberts questioned why the government was allowing serving and experienced officers to disengage.
There have been 457 officers leave under the scheme since it began three years ago.
Fourteen per cent of officers who left the force last year under the scheme were also on the pre-1988 police superannuation scheme,which entitles officers to a life-long pension of up to 72.25 per cent of their final salary on top of other payouts.
“It flies in the face of common sense,” Roberts said. “It[understaffing] is in a bad state at the moment.”
The police association,however,said the scheme provided long-serving officers with needed support. “The current staffing issues are not caused by ODS:the shortfall in staffing and vacancies are far above the number of officers that will leave the NSWPF through the three years of the ODS,” the spokesperson said.
The association’s president Kevin Morton said pay and conditions were the key to retaining experienced police and attracting recruits.
NSW Police and Police Minister Yasmin Catley declined to comment.
