Tasmania Police
Encyclopedia
Tasmania Police is the police force of the Australia
n state
of Tasmania
. Established in 1899, the force has over 1,200 officers policing Tasmania's population of about half a million people.
's Department of Police and Emergency Management, which also consists of the State Emergency Service
, Forensic Science Service Tasmania and the Tasmania Fire Service
.
The force is divided into four geographical District Commands: Southern, Eastern, Northern and Western. Each district is divided into several geographical divisions, and is administered by a Commander
.
There are 73 police stations across the state.
on Hobart's Eastern Shore.
Local training of police officers in Tasmania began in 1958 at Sackville Street in Hobart. In 1960, Commissioner Delderfield suggested the establishment of a police training college on Hobart's eastern shore, and the idea was discussed until Commissioner Phil Fletcher managed to get the proposal approved by Cabinet on 16 December 1969. Several sites were considered until Rokeby was selected.
The main road into the Tasmania Police Academy, Phil Fletcher Drive, was named in his honour.
The Academy was officially opened on 6 March 1976 by the Premier of Tasmania, Bill Neilson
. Tasmania Police had the first purpose-built Police Academy in Australia.
Today, the Tasmania Police Academy offers training for Tasmania Police recruits, currently-serving Tasmania Police officers, and is offered as a community resource to various local community groups.
) was policed from 1803 under the administration of Lieutenant Governor David Collins
by a small number of superintendents and overseers, and from 1804 by a civilian body known as the "Night Watch", brought by Collins from Port Phillip Bay
. The Night Watch was disbanded in 1806 due to ineffectiveness and was replaced by British military patrols. A municipal police force was established at Port Dalrymple (Launceston
) on 19 November 1804, with Thomas Massey as Chief Constable.
With the introduction of the Police Regulation Act 1898, one unified police force was established which came into being on 1 January 1899. George Richardson was appointed the first Commissioner of the new force, and he quickly implemented several structural changes to the existing municipal policing areas, amalgamating them into 14 districts between a total of 246 police members.
The early police officers were to undertake a wide variety of tasks from compiling the electoral roll in 1903, to tracking missing rifles from the Tasmanian contingent to the Second Boer War
. Richardson complained frequently about the workload placed upon his officers, until a Royal Commission
in 1905 recommended his replacement. William Hunt was appointed as Richardson's replacement but died before he could take office, and Colonel John Lord took his place, serving as Commissioner for 16 years with a break to serve with the First Australian Imperial Force
during World War I
.
The Police Act 1905 defined and expanded the powers of Tasmania Police, which included liquor and lodging licensing, dog registration, vehicle regulation and disorderly conduct.
In October 1917, the force appointed its first female police officer, Kate Campbell, and in 1918 two women were added to police staff primarily to police child protection laws. As of 30 June 2011, around 29 per cent of Tasmania Police officers were female.
In 2004 the Police Regulation Act 1898 was finally repealed and the new Police Service Act 2003 was proclaimed. The new Act retained a number of features of the old Act but the most controversial change was that of the powers of the Commissioner, including powers to test police officers for drugs and alcohol, integrity testing and the power to seek details of an officer's financial position. The powers of the Commissioner may, generally speaking, only be used if there is some sort of suspicion attached to an individual police officer.
The Tasmanian Police Association was established in 1921, and in 1935 the Attorney-General wrote to the Commissioner stating that preference for transfers and promotion was to be given to members of the association. In addition to its social aspects, the Association also negotiated long-service leave arrangements for officers.
Ranks (and titles where applicable) are as follows:
Model 17 retains the "three-tier" safety features of the original Model 17, and does not include any special features specific to Tasmania Police. Contrary to popular belief, there was never a Glock model specifically developed for use that was unique to Tasmania Police.
Tasmania Police underwent a period of individual issue of the weapon (in concert with the Smith & Wesson Model 10 .38 calibre revolver), until adopting the Model 17 as the standard-issue operational weapon in 1999 (the Model 10 S&W is no longer issued, or carried by Tasmania Police officers).
The Model 19 (Compact 9mm) was then generally issued mainly to Traffic Sections, and the Model 26 (Sub-compact 9mm) was adopted as the general-issue sidearm for detectives and covert units. A degree of individual preference of model adopted by the individual officer exists to this day.
Tasmania Police evaluated the use of Taser
stun guns in 2009, but the decision was made not to issue Tasers to front-line officers. Currently, only officers of the Special Operations Group
and the emergency response team at HM Prison Risdon
are authorised to carry Tasers.
, OC spray
. Ballistic vests are also carried by all Tasmania Police officers, with both hard and soft body-armour options.
Many Tasmania Police general patrol vehicles are now equipped with data terminals, used for dispatch, and interrogation of criminal and traffic databases.
and Ford Falcon
for general (urban) patrol. Various other makes and models are employed on a "best-suitability" basis for rural, investigative, personnel transport and general inquiry roles. The Ford Ranger
and Toyota Hilux
are currently used as base vehicles for divisional vans
, fitted with a custom Vawdrey-brand rotary-molded, "custody cell" for transport of prisoners. Divisional vans are also predominantly used as patrol-support vehicles, to transport people under-arrest who have displayed a propensity for violence.
Tasmania Police vehicles have a general exemption against the Tasmanian Government's "Green-Fleet" designations, as most vehicles under this designation are unsuitable for policing duties, and do not comply with Australian standards for the minimum requirements for Australian police vehicles.
Tasmania Police currently employ the BMW R1200RT-P
motorcycle to supplement traffic control and enforcement duties.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n state
States and territories of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
of Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. Established in 1899, the force has over 1,200 officers policing Tasmania's population of about half a million people.
Structure
Tasmania Police is part of the Tasmanian governmentGovernment of Tasmania
The form of the Government of Tasmania is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
's Department of Police and Emergency Management, which also consists of the State Emergency Service
State Emergency Service
A State Emergency Service is an Australian volunteer organisation that provides emergency help during and after declared disasters. The SES is also the primary or secondary agency for emergencies, such as storm damage,flood damage, building damage, traffic hazards and road crash rescue...
, Forensic Science Service Tasmania and the Tasmania Fire Service
Tasmania Fire Service
The Tasmania Fire Service was created in 1979 following the passing of the 'Fire Service Act 1979' on the 1st Of November 1979.It involved abolishing the State Fire Authority, the Rural Fires Board and 22 Urban Fire Brigades....
.
State Headquarters
The Commissioner of Police also serves as the Secretary of the Department of Police and Emergency Management, and the State Emergency Management Controller.Support Commands
Tasmania Police comprises five Support Commands which support the geographical districts:- Executive Support
- Operations Support – located in Hobart and manages the following functions:
- Cold Case Unit
- Firearms Services
- Forensic Procedures Compliance Unit
- Forensic Services
- Fraud & e-Crime Investigation ServicesFraud & e-Crime Investigation ServicesFraud & e-Crime Investigation Services is a Division/Section within the Operations Support Command of Tasmania Police and commenced on the 1st of September 2010 ....
- Investigation Support Services
- Marine and Rescue Services
- Radio Dispatch Services
- Specialist Capability Group (incorporating Dignitary Protection, Special Operations GroupSpecial Operations Group of the Tasmania PoliceThe Special Operations Group is the Police Tactical Group of the Australian Tasmania Police. SOG is a highly trained group within the Tasmania Police Service, made up of current serving Tasmania Police members from varied sections and branches.-Mission:...
, Bomb Response Group, Hostage Negotiation, Police Technical Unit, Explosive Dog Detector Unit) - State Community Policing Services
- State Intelligence Services
- State-wide Traffic Coordinator
- Human Resources
- Professional Standards (previously Internal Investigations)
- Counter-Terrorism Unit
Geographical Commands
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
.
There are 73 police stations across the state.
Tasmania Police Academy
The Tasmania Police Academy is located in the suburb of RokebyRokeby, Tasmania
Rokeby is a suburb of Hobart, capital of Tasmania, Australia. It is located on the eastern shore of the Derwent River and is part of the City of Clarence Local Government Area....
on Hobart's Eastern Shore.
Local training of police officers in Tasmania began in 1958 at Sackville Street in Hobart. In 1960, Commissioner Delderfield suggested the establishment of a police training college on Hobart's eastern shore, and the idea was discussed until Commissioner Phil Fletcher managed to get the proposal approved by Cabinet on 16 December 1969. Several sites were considered until Rokeby was selected.
The main road into the Tasmania Police Academy, Phil Fletcher Drive, was named in his honour.
The Academy was officially opened on 6 March 1976 by the Premier of Tasmania, Bill Neilson
Bill Neilson
William Arthur "Bill" Neilson AC was Premier of Tasmania from 1975 to 1977.Born in Hobart, Tasmania, and educated at Ogilvie High School, Neilson became a postman. He married Jill Benjamin, daughter of Phyllis Benjamin, in Melbourne in 1948...
. Tasmania Police had the first purpose-built Police Academy in Australia.
Today, the Tasmania Police Academy offers training for Tasmania Police recruits, currently-serving Tasmania Police officers, and is offered as a community resource to various local community groups.
History
Prior to the formation of a unified police force, Tasmania (then called Van Diemen's LandVan Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by most Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to land on the shores of Tasmania...
) was policed from 1803 under the administration of Lieutenant Governor David Collins
David Collins (governor)
Colonel David Collins was the first Lieutenant Governor of the Colony of Van Diemens Land, founded in 1804, which in 1901 became the state of Tasmania in the Commonwealth of Australia.-Early life and military career:...
by a small number of superintendents and overseers, and from 1804 by a civilian body known as the "Night Watch", brought by Collins from Port Phillip Bay
Port Phillip
Port Phillip Port Phillip Port Phillip (also commonly referred to as Port Phillip Bay or (locally) just The Bay, is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia; it is the location of Melbourne. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for...
. The Night Watch was disbanded in 1806 due to ineffectiveness and was replaced by British military patrols. A municipal police force was established at Port Dalrymple (Launceston
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
) on 19 November 1804, with Thomas Massey as Chief Constable.
With the introduction of the Police Regulation Act 1898, one unified police force was established which came into being on 1 January 1899. George Richardson was appointed the first Commissioner of the new force, and he quickly implemented several structural changes to the existing municipal policing areas, amalgamating them into 14 districts between a total of 246 police members.
The early police officers were to undertake a wide variety of tasks from compiling the electoral roll in 1903, to tracking missing rifles from the Tasmanian contingent to the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
. Richardson complained frequently about the workload placed upon his officers, until a Royal Commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
in 1905 recommended his replacement. William Hunt was appointed as Richardson's replacement but died before he could take office, and Colonel John Lord took his place, serving as Commissioner for 16 years with a break to serve with the First Australian Imperial Force
First Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
The Police Act 1905 defined and expanded the powers of Tasmania Police, which included liquor and lodging licensing, dog registration, vehicle regulation and disorderly conduct.
In October 1917, the force appointed its first female police officer, Kate Campbell, and in 1918 two women were added to police staff primarily to police child protection laws. As of 30 June 2011, around 29 per cent of Tasmania Police officers were female.
In 2004 the Police Regulation Act 1898 was finally repealed and the new Police Service Act 2003 was proclaimed. The new Act retained a number of features of the old Act but the most controversial change was that of the powers of the Commissioner, including powers to test police officers for drugs and alcohol, integrity testing and the power to seek details of an officer's financial position. The powers of the Commissioner may, generally speaking, only be used if there is some sort of suspicion attached to an individual police officer.
The Tasmanian Police Association was established in 1921, and in 1935 the Attorney-General wrote to the Commissioner stating that preference for transfers and promotion was to be given to members of the association. In addition to its social aspects, the Association also negotiated long-service leave arrangements for officers.
Commissioners of Tasmania Police
- George Richardson: appointed 1 January 1899, retired 1 Jan 1905.
- Colonel John E C Lord: Born 8 May 1870, acting commissioner from 1905-06. Appointed July 1906. On 10 February 1916 granted leave of absence to serve with the 40th Tasmanian Battalion AIF. Returned on 4 August 1919. Retired 24 November 1940.
- Walter Oakes, MBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
RVMRoyal Victorian OrderThe Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
: Born Tasmania 29 June 1878, joined Tasmania Police 7 May 1900. Resigned in 1913, served in Army, returned as a Detective Sergeant in 1918. Appointed Commissioner 25 November 1940, retired 26 June 1944. - Harry Hill: Born Tasmania 7 October 1884. Joined Tasmania Police 18 May 1907. Appointed Commissioner 27 June 1944, retired 17 October 1949.
- Malcolm Dowling: Born Tasmania 19 June 1888, joined Tasmania Police 11 July 1910. Appointed Commissioner 18 October 1949, retired 31 December 1952.
- William Delderfield MVO: Born UK 6 February 1901, joined South Australia PoliceSouth Australia PoliceThe South Australia Police is the police force of the Australian state of South Australia. It is an agency of the Government of South Australia within the South Australian Department of Justice.-History:...
1 April 1922. Deputy Commissioner of Tasmania Police 1 December 1949. Appointed Commissioner 1 January 1953, retired 25 September 1965. - Philip Fletcher, CBE, MVO: Born Victoria 8 July 1914. Joined Tasmania Police 8 October 1935. Appointed Commissioner 25 September 1965, retired 8 July 1974.
- Eric Knowles, QPM: Born 23 August 1914. Joined Tasmania Police 1940. Appointed Commissioner 9 July 1974. Died in office January 1977.
- Max Robinson, AO, QPM: Born 21 February 1929. Joined NSW Police as cadet 1945, transferred to ACT PoliceAustralian Capital Territory PoliceACT Policing is the portfolio of the Australian Federal Police responsible for providing policing services to the Australian Capital Territory...
1948. Appointed Commissioner 14 April 1977, took up position 7 May 1977. Retired 31 January 1988. - William (Bill) Horman, APM: Born 15 August 1939, joined Victoria PoliceVictoria PoliceVictoria Police is the primary law enforcement agency of Victoria, Australia. , the Victoria Police has over 12,190 sworn members, along with over 400 recruits, reservists and Protective Service Officers, and over 2,900 civilian staff across 393 police stations.-Early history:The Victoria Police...
1956, Vanuatu PoliceLaw enforcement in VanuatuVanuatu has a small mobile military force as well as a national police service, the Ni-Vanuatu Police or Vanuatu Police Force , headquartered in Port Vila....
in 1981, Deputy Director Australian Bureau of Criminal Intelligence 1983. Appointed Commissioner 1 February 1988, retired 30 March 1991. - John Johnson, APM: Born 12 July 1936. Joined Victoria Police 10 May 1957, ACT PoliceAustralian Capital Territory PoliceACT Policing is the portfolio of the Australian Federal Police responsible for providing policing services to the Australian Capital Territory...
20 October 1958. Appointed Commissioner 1 July 1991, retired 12 July 1996. - Richard McCreadie, AO, APM: Born 22 April 1946. Joined Tasmania Police 15 October 1964, Deputy Commissioner January 1991, appointed Commissioner August 1996, retired 7 March 2008.
- Jack Johnston, APM: Joined Tasmania Police 9 February 1968, Deputy Commissioner 1996, appointed Commissioner 8 March 2008. Stood down and bailed to appear in the Tasmanian Supreme Court on 2 February over allegations he disclosed official secrets. His predecessor, Richard McCreadie, was appointed as Acting Commissioner in October 2008, however McCreadie's interim re-appointment was withdrawn after it was realised that Tasmania's Police Services Act states that in circumstances where the Commissioner was not available, that the deputy police commissioner should take his place.
- Darren Hine, APM: Career with Tasmania Police, previously Deputy Commissioner, appointed Commissioner 11 October 2010. Was previously acting Commissioner between 2008 and 2010.
Ranks
Tasmania Police has several ranks, some of which have various titles within that rank. Officers are promoted from one rank to another, however movement between designations within each rank is by completing parts of the promotion process, and comes automatically upon completing that part of the process. This promotion process has been in effect since 2003.Ranks (and titles where applicable) are as follows:
Non-Commissioned Ranks
- Trainee Constable
- Special Constable
- Constable
- First Class Constable
- Senior Constable
- Senior Constable Qualified (Qualified for Sergeant)
- Sergeant
- Senior Sergeant (Qualified for Inspector)
Commissioned Officers
- Inspector
- Commander
- Assistant Commissioner
- Deputy Commissioner
- Commissioner
Firearms
The general-issue GlockGlock pistol
The Glock pistol, sometimes referred to by the manufacturer as Glock "Safe Action" Pistol, is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Glock Ges.m.b.H., located in Deutsch-Wagram, Austria. The company's founder, engineer Gaston Glock, had no experience with firearm design or...
Model 17 retains the "three-tier" safety features of the original Model 17, and does not include any special features specific to Tasmania Police. Contrary to popular belief, there was never a Glock model specifically developed for use that was unique to Tasmania Police.
Tasmania Police underwent a period of individual issue of the weapon (in concert with the Smith & Wesson Model 10 .38 calibre revolver), until adopting the Model 17 as the standard-issue operational weapon in 1999 (the Model 10 S&W is no longer issued, or carried by Tasmania Police officers).
The Model 19 (Compact 9mm) was then generally issued mainly to Traffic Sections, and the Model 26 (Sub-compact 9mm) was adopted as the general-issue sidearm for detectives and covert units. A degree of individual preference of model adopted by the individual officer exists to this day.
Tasmania Police evaluated the use of Taser
Taser
A Taser is an electroshock weapon that uses electrical current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles. Its manufacturer, Taser International, calls the effects "neuromuscular incapacitation" and the devices' mechanism "Electro-Muscular Disruption technology"...
stun guns in 2009, but the decision was made not to issue Tasers to front-line officers. Currently, only officers of the Special Operations Group
Special Operations Group of the Tasmania Police
The Special Operations Group is the Police Tactical Group of the Australian Tasmania Police. SOG is a highly trained group within the Tasmania Police Service, made up of current serving Tasmania Police members from varied sections and branches.-Mission:...
and the emergency response team at HM Prison Risdon
HM Prison Risdon
HM Prison Risdon is a jail in Risdon Vale, Tasmania, Australia. Dubbed The Pink Palace, it was opened in 1960 when male prisoners moved from the Campbell Street Gaol in central Hobart. Female prisoners were moved to the complex three years later. When built, the buildings were painted pale pink,...
are authorised to carry Tasers.
Operational equipment
In addition to firearms, police are also equipped with an expandable batonBaton (law enforcement)
A truncheon or baton is essentially a club of less than arm's length made of wood, plastic, or metal...
, OC spray
Pepper spray
Pepper spray, also known as OC spray , OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears...
. Ballistic vests are also carried by all Tasmania Police officers, with both hard and soft body-armour options.
Many Tasmania Police general patrol vehicles are now equipped with data terminals, used for dispatch, and interrogation of criminal and traffic databases.
Vehicles
Tasmania Police vehicles are based around the Holden CommodoreHolden Commodore
The Holden Commodore is an automobile manufactured since 1978 by the Holden subsidiary of General Motors in Australia, and, formerly, in New Zealand. In the mid-1970s, Holden established proposals to replace the long-serving Kingswood nameplate with a smaller, Opel-based model...
and Ford Falcon
Ford Falcon
The Ford Falcon is a full-size car which has been manufactured by Ford Australia since 1960. Each model from the XA series of 1972 onward has been designed, developed and built in Australia and/or New Zealand, following the phasing out of the American Falcon of 1960–71 which had been re-engineered...
for general (urban) patrol. Various other makes and models are employed on a "best-suitability" basis for rural, investigative, personnel transport and general inquiry roles. The Ford Ranger
Ford Ranger
The Ford Ranger is a pickup truck produced by the Ford Motor Company. The "Ranger" name had previously been used for a premium styling package on the F-Series full-sized pickup trucks since 1965. The name was moved to this line of North American compact trucks for the 1983 model year.In North...
and Toyota Hilux
Toyota Hilux
The Toyota Hilux is a series of compact pickup trucks produced and marketed by the Toyota Motor Corporation. Most countries used the Hilux name for the entire life of the series but in North America, the Hilux name was retired in 1976 in favor of Truck, Pickup Truck, or Compact Truck...
are currently used as base vehicles for divisional vans
Police van
A police van is a type of vehicle operated by police forces. Police vans are usually employed for the transportation of prisoners inside a specially adapted cell in the vehicle, or for the rapid transportation of a number of officers to an incident.- History :Early police vans were in the form of...
, fitted with a custom Vawdrey-brand rotary-molded, "custody cell" for transport of prisoners. Divisional vans are also predominantly used as patrol-support vehicles, to transport people under-arrest who have displayed a propensity for violence.
Tasmania Police vehicles have a general exemption against the Tasmanian Government's "Green-Fleet" designations, as most vehicles under this designation are unsuitable for policing duties, and do not comply with Australian standards for the minimum requirements for Australian police vehicles.
Tasmania Police currently employ the BMW R1200RT-P
BMW r1200rt
The BMW R1200RT is a touring motorcycle that was introduced in 2005 by BMW Motorrad to replace the R1150RT model. It features a flat-twin engine with a six-speed gearbox and shaft drive.-Previous RT models, 1970s to 2004:...
motorcycle to supplement traffic control and enforcement duties.