Tasmanian police officers are pushing for roster reform, and it’s time that Minister Ellis and the government got on board.

Our police officers are incredible individuals, and they form an outstanding team. While their job is rewarding and provides unique opportunities, it also involves stepping into stressful situations and hostile environments. Police officers are abused, spat on, assaulted, and sometimes risk their lives to protect the community.

Staff turnover is a very real problem faced by Tasmania Police. The current cost to train a police officer is more than $160,000, which at the current resignation rate equates to a loss of $6.4 million in training costs every year.

Police stations across the state are stretched to the limit, leading Police Association of Tasmania President Shane Tilley to declare the workforce in “crisis mode” while saying that there’s already a shortage of police.

Tasmania Police are paying millions of dollars a year in overtime payments to staff. The cost of overtime for Tasmania Police was between $3.5 and $5 million in 2022/23.

Shane Tilley has said that implementing effective rosters is a straightforward way to retain officers, which would grow police officer numbers.  A solution is possible, with proper planning Tasmania Police could implement fairer rosters and start to turn around their overtime and retention issues.

It’s time that the Liberal minority government adopted innovative solutions to improve structural problems in the Police Department, not lazy measures like the efficiency dividend that just makes problems worse.

Jen Butler MP
Shadow Minister for Police, Fire and
Emergency Management