Policing the Australian Outback

[krj]

Curious what kind of set-up Australian LE has for policing the outback (particularly the vast interior region). What kind of area does an isolated post have to cover? Are there regular patrols (seems to me that the distances involved would prohibit that?). What kinds of response times can the public expect in the event of an emergency? Just curious how it works, what kinds of problems officers at those posts face, and how efficiently the current system works.

[oscarmitre]

Originally posted by krj
Curious what kind of set-up Australian LE has for policing the outback (particularly the vast interior region). What kind of area does an isolated post have to cover? Are there regular patrols (seems to me that the distances involved would prohibit that?). What kinds of response times can the public expect in the event of an emergency? Just curious how it works, what kinds of problems officers at those posts face, and how efficiently the current system works.

The Outback spreads over several states so there are several state/territory police forces which cover it. I spent the first few years of my career in my force in the far north of my state (South Australia) back in the early 1970s. Things have changed a little since then but strangely not a huge amount.

It's common to find one or two officer stations in small settlements and of course bigger stations in larger townships. The distances are huge. Think Alaska with sand. Patrols are conducted by road on a regular basis and a patrol can be away from a few days to a week. I am generalising from my own experience here. You either camp out (do not camp under a tree, parrots will crap on the tent) or stay in the shearer's quarters or stationhand's quarters. All forces have the valuable help of community constables, aboriginal officers who might be stationed in small settlements - sometimes by themselves.
Response times are measured in hours or even days. However aircraft are available if needed in urgent cases.

The problems faced are considerable. Indigenous communities have problems with petrol (gasoline) sniffing and drugs use even in isolated areas. Liquor is prohibited in most aboriginal areas and "grog-runners" are a huge problem. Indigenous people and alcohol equals violence.

Perhaps a good site to check is that of the Northern Territory Police. They police a huge amount of outback and are a good model. You can visit their website here http://www.nt.gov.au/pfes/ - it's a Police, Fire and Emergency Services site but you can find the police material there quite easily.

[krj]

Hey, thanks for the reply - interesting stuff.

[oscarmitre]

You're more than welcome and thanks for letting me relive a few memories from some years ago :D

[krj]

A little off topic, but still related to how services are provided to those who live in the middle of nowhere. My sister lives in Mackay Queensland now, but at one time she and her husband lived in far north Qld. (yes, in the middle of nowhere). When she was pregnant with her sons (late '80s) she was under the care of a Flying Doctor.

I had heard about them when I lived over there, but I also lived in Brisbane so there wasn't much call for flying doctors!! :D Curious to know if they still have them, or if some other way of servicing the medical needs of isolated communities (and isolated individuals)has been developed.

[oscarmitre]

Yep the Royal Flying Doctor Service is still going and serving the people in very isolated areas. They are organised on a state/territory basis. I used to work at Coober Pedy, you might have heard of it (opal mining town about 600 miles north of Adelaide). We had a hospital staffed by Bush Church Aid sisters but served by the Flying Doctor (we even had a flying dentist as well). That was back in 1973. However now they have a couple of resident doctors but still augmented by the Flying Docs on occasions.

http://www.rfds.org.au/ - Flying Docs website

Brisbane - home of the famous Breakfast Creek Hotel (had a few off the wood there once).

:D

[NSWCop]

I worked in the Western part of my State for some time (New South Wales). It is an interesting experience! The town I was based in was surrounded by a levee bank. To stop flood waters. When I first got there I laughed. Practically in the middle of a desert, and a levee bank around the town!:cool:

I soon learnt that the levee bank was not an ornament!!:eek:

I loved my time out west, but, as oscarmitre says, indigineous people and alcohol are a bad mix. I soon got used to hearing (in relation to offenders) "he's a great bloke, WHEN HE'S NOT ON THE **** (drinking)!

Wow, another trip down memory lane. Thanks.. :D

[krj]

Originally posted by oscarmitre
(had a few off the wood there once). :D

I'll assume that's a GOOD thing! I've been down in Tennessee for a few years now, and Aussies (all y'all) sound funny to me now! :D ;)

[Pedalin'Cop]

I looked through several of the links and looked at a bunch of the pictures. At the risk of sounding foolish, I didn't observe the police in Australia, Tasmania, or New Zeland carrying side arms? Many of the pics were small so I might not have been able to see them, but are ya'll armed down there?

[NSWCop]

All forces in Australia are armed. (By the way I loved the way you refered to Tasmania seperately - LOL). In some States, like mine, firearms are personal issue. In others (such as Victoria) hand guns are "station issue".

New South Wales, Australian Federal Police (ACT), and Queensland are issued semi-auto pistols. Victoria I believe still has Smith and Wesson wheel guns. Not sure about the other States and Territories.

As far as I am aware, New Zealand Police are not armed on a daily basis, but have access to an armed police squad.

As for actually carrying handguns, regulation vary from State to State. That is, you don't always have to wear your side arm when on duty in some places.

Hope this helps.. :D

[oscarmitre]

Originally posted by krj
I'll assume that's a GOOD thing! I've been down in Tennessee for a few years now, and Aussies (all y'all) sound funny to me now! :D ;)

It's a good thing but you have to be quick! In common with other pubs the Breakfast Creek serves its beer from aluminium kegs but it does offer some out of wooden kegs in the old fashioned manner. It's popular though and you have to get in before the lunchtime crowd to get a beer from the keg - "off the wood". Personally I think it's just an excuse to have a beer early :D

I don't know if they still do it as I haven't been up there for about five or six years.

[oscarmitre]

NSWcop:

I loved my time out west, but, as oscarmitre says, indigineous people and alcohol are a bad mix. I soon got used to hearing (in relation to offenders) "he's a great bloke, WHEN HE'S NOT ON THE **** (drinking)!

That is just so true. At Coober Pedy we would try to get the worse ones sentenced to six or seven days by the Justices of the Peace so we could keep them off the grog for a while and give their families a break. Crude but necessary. One of our regulars would run the cells for us. Got to the point where he'd help charge the prisoners and make sure they were bedded down safely. But the same bloke when he was on the turps changed into a complete and utter lunatic who would fight every time we locked him up. Really sad and for many years successive governments sat on their hands and ignored the problems. Out of sight out of mind.

[Azzuri]

http://www.police.wa.gov.au

This is the Western Australia Police website. Western Australia is the largest single policing jurisdiction in the world (not boasting just a fact).

2.5 million square kilometres. A vast coastline.

Come on over and enjoy!!

:)

[Sleuth]

Interesting site. Can your aborignal people join as regular officers (assuming they otherwise qualify)?

[Azzuri]

Hi Sleuth.

The Aboriginals are able to apply for sworn officer positions, but most go for the APLO (Aboriginal Police Liasion Officer) roles.
They are usually an integral part of the local country and outpost stations.

In many cases, as previous officers have attested to on this forum, attendance at jobs ranges from hours to sometimes days so if there is an APLO plus a sworn officer there they can generally get the job done ok.

:)