For anyone new to this page; it displays a relatively up-to-date listings of changes to our news
items.
We try to place notices here regarding upcoming events, scheduled
appointments, or problems and solutions that may affect all our
RPA members; but we strongly rely on you (the members) timely
news to let us know what is happening!
If and when problems
are reported by our members and if they are/can be resolved; we will place a notice here.
We would like to think that current news items will remain for 1-2 weeks.
THE union representing
the state's most senior police -
including Police Commissioner Andrew
Scipione - yesterday passed an
unprecedented vote of no confidence in
the force's anti-corruption body.
The angry rebuke from the
state's leading 900 officers came after a
run of 13 scathing reports by Police
Integrity Commission inspector Peter Moss,
including a recommendation that commission
officers face criminal charges for breaching
phone-tapping laws. Despite the threat of
legal action, the PIC has so far refused to
act on any recommendation.
The senior officers in the
Commissioned Police Officers' Branch of the
Police Association said they had lost
confidence in the PIC because it had
repeatedly been found to have denied natural
justice to officers.
A final straw was believed
to be the PIC's recommendation to sack one
of the state's most respected homicide
detectives, Paul Jacob, who investigated the
murders of model Caroline Byrne and surgeon
Victor Chang, and murders by "granny killer"
John Wayne Glover.
Mr Scipione
refused to follow the
recommendation and ordered
an internal report, which
found the PIC's reasoning to
have been flawed.
The vote of
no confidence will have no
actual effect on the
operations of the PIC but is
expected to put pressure on
both the State Government
and the Opposition to make
their plans for the future
of the controversial body
clear.
Commissioned Police
Officers' Branch chairman
Superintendent Clint Pheeney
said senior police also
called for just one
independent oversight body
instead of the PIC and
Ombudsman. A review ordered
by the Government a year ago
has yet to be made public
Congratulations are extended to the following receiptants
for the award of 'Medal of the Order of Australia' in the
2010 Australia Day Awards:
Kevin William JONES of
Townsend, NSW a member of the Northern Rivers Branch for
'Services to the community through a range of sporting,
agricultural and veteran's organisations' and George Ernest BRENNAN of
Gladesville, a member of the Sydney Branch for 'Services to
youth through the Scouting movement'
'Modern Framing' is a picture framing business located at
Unit 2, No. 44 Norman Street, Peakhurst. Mr Paul Egnow of
the business, is offering all serving and retired police and
their families and friends; a considerable discount on any
picture or memorabilia framing which you need doing. Don't
hesitate to visit his website at:
www.modernframing.com.au to
view samples of his work or email him at:
modernframing@bigpond.com .
Guaranteed discount prices!
If you will be paying
your annual dues by way of an electronic transfer; the RPA
of NSW Police Credit Union number quoted in the last edition
of the RPA Gazette is wrong.
The correct account
number is 70483.
If transferring funds
from a PCU account; add S1 to that number
Federal pensions are
indexed against the Consumer Price Index (CPI) twice a year,
but the Police Superannuation Pension is only indexed once a
year. For some years we have been making representations to
the state government to introduce twice yearly CPI increases
for our pensions to place us on an equal footing with
federal pensioners. They have always refused to do this with
the excuse that the administration cost would be too high.
Unions NSW are
organising a postal campaign to state members of parliament
with the hope that they can convince the government to
change their thinking and to introduce twice yearly CPI
increases. Your association is supporting this campaign and
attached is a pro forma letter that we would ask you to
submit to your local state member. Even if you do not
receive the police superannuation pension, support your
former colleagues who do and take part in this campaign.
It is pointed out that
if we are successful in obtaining twice yearly CPI
increases, it will mean that you will receive an increase
every 6 months instead of the total increase once a year.
The Retired Police
Association of NSW Inc. now has a 1300 number, which means
that you can call us from anywhere within Australia for the
cost of a local call.
Back on the 5
February 2002 (seems like a long time ago, doesn't it?); serving police with at least 10 years of diligent
and ethical service were awarded a new medal, the NSW Police
Medal. Those who had retired prior to that date were
ineligible for the award. Since then, this association has
been making representations to extend the commencement date to
allow retirees to apply.
As you know, Commissioner Andrew Scipione APM decided that all living retired NSW police, on
application; will be awarded this prestigious medal provided
they meet the required integrity pre-requisites.
In this regard,
it has been decided that those former retired police officers
who may now seek the award of the Police Medal, will be required
to complete a Statutory Declaration indicating that during their
period of service with the NSW Police Force, the did not
participate in any unlawful activity and this carried out all
their police duties in a diligent and ethical manner.
To qualify for this medal, you must be a serving or past serving Reservist or a former
National Serviceman and served in the armed services for a period of 4
years, or completed the initial enlistment period which ever is the
lesser. For further information and the application forms,
visit the internet at:
www.rfd.org.au/site/medal.asp
The National Police Memorial was dedicated on National
Police Remembrance Day, in 2006 in Canberra. Serving
and retired police from all states were in attendance and marched in
procession leading to the memorial.
To qualify for a
part aged pension from the 20 September 2007, the income and assets
tests have been dramatically increased.
The first qualification is
that you have reached pensionable age. Then, if a married couple has a
combined annual income of less than $64,792 and assets (other than
the home) not exceeding $839,500, they may be eligible. Once
qualified, fringe benefits automatically follow. For single members the
qualifying amounts are, not more than $38,759.50 income and assets
not exceeding $650,250. If you are not a home-owner, or have
dependant children, the asset limits are even higher. If you believe that
you may qualify for a part aged pension, in addition to your police
superannuation pension, you should make inquiries directly to your
local Centre Link office.
Vale Messages
which are normally listed on our regular Vale page; are now
transferred as a matter of course to a separate page every twelve months
(as at December 31st). To view them, visit the
'Past
Vales' page on this site.
Our Webmaster Paul Petith
(a former member of 31 years); runs classes in basic computing in the Mortdale Shopping Centre down
in the St. George area.
All ages are enjoying a new freedom they never knew existed! Up
until now, approximately 950 mature age students have passed through
his classroom.
If you know someone
who would benefit from an introduction to computing, (irrespective
of age); you can call Paul on his mobile No. 0407 070400 and find
out booking details.
Consistently, mums
and dads, grandma's and grandpa's are being given hand-me-down computers
from members of their family with the intention of interesting them
in this new form of communication.
Why wait any longer?
Why stop mum and dad from being able to email all your family
members who are probably spread all over the world by now?
And guess
what...........?
Family members are not going/willing/able to be able to teach
Mum/Dad/Grandpa/Grandma how to use
it!
Give Paul a call on
his mobile: 0407 070400 or email him on....
Don't forget that the 'power' of the computer is the best way to get
your message across! With the increase in members being
on-line and the ease with which you can; get information and
'spread-the-news'; why not use our medium to get your all-important 'News
Items' across to thousands of other retired police. All
you have to do, is either go to our 'Contact-Us' page and submit the
information or send us a simple
E-mail
to our State Secretary, by clicking on this spot right now!
This information will be immediately transmitted to Barry Hocking who will vet it and seek confirmation from
the Committee of Management to publish the information.
