Police understaffing and stress ‘adding to road toll’
Four people died in a single night of road carnage on Tuesday.
As the road toll hits 363 - a seven-year high - the Government has stepped in to provide $22.5 million to make 30 high-risk roads safer by introducing rumble strips and barriers.
But police officer Jon Armstrong believes it’s more than unsafe roads.
In a letter, Armstrong said morale among uniformed front-line officers of the road policing team and motorway teams was at an ‘‘all-time low’’.
Officers were suffering from depression and taking sick leave because of stress, he said.
‘‘This is affecting their ability to effectively carry out their duties and this further compromises road safety.’’
Last year, the government cut 111 officers from the road policing teams. As a result, police said they had no choice but to re-assign those roading positions to other areas of policing.
Armstrong said the redistribution of staff put further pressure on those who remained, and a lack of staff retention was exacerbating the problem.
Police Minister Stuart Nash said morale was low, and stress was high.
‘‘That’s a natural consequence of when you cut numbers and you force a greater responsibility on the men and women you want to be there implementing policy.’’
The latest workplace survey found about 80 per cent of officers liked working for police. However, almost 60 per cent said they were experiencing workplace stress and not delivering on their promises to the public.
The Government plans to increase the number of police officers by 1800 in the next three years.
Nash was confident they could meet the goal, and said these extra officers would help relieve the stress on current resources.
Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter said she was aware of road police funding issues, adding that it would be addressed in the new Government policy statement on transport funding.
In order to mitigate the factors pushing up the road toll, the Government would be looking beyond the $22.5m in short-term funding for those 30 high-risk roads. It would also be developing a new long-term, safety strategy, which included safer speed limits, improving roads, getting more people cycling, walking and into public transport, and getting freight off the road and onto rail and shipping.
‘‘That’s somebody’s loved ones, and somebody’s best friend who’s not going to be around. I hope that everyone, during the holidays, thinks about that when you’re driving.’’
Road policing assistant commissioner Superintendent Sandra Venables said it was ‘‘utterly devastating’’ that so many people had been killed on the roads this year.
The police were ‘‘absolutely committed to reducing death and injury’’ on the roads. ‘‘But at the end of the day, road safety is everybody’s responsibility, every driver and rider.
‘‘We all want to see fewer deaths on our roads and all of police has an important part to play in that.’’
There was no doubt it was ‘‘a demanding and stressful job’’ - it always had been and it always would be. Police have processes in place to support staff under stress.