SAPOL commissioner rejects outback police shortage plan
The SAPOL commissioner has rejected a plan to attract more officers to the understaffed Coober Pedy police station. This decision comes amid ongoing staffing shortages and retention issues in the outback town. The police union believes the recommendations could help address these long-standing problems.
- ▪Coober Pedy is experiencing significant police staffing shortages, operating with less than half its required manpower.
- ▪The South Australian Employment Tribunal made non-binding recommendations to attract more officers, which included various incentives.
- ▪Commissioner Grant Stevens rejected the recommendations, citing budget constraints and potential inequities across regional locations.
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SAPOL commissioner rejects incentive plan to attract officers to 'understaffed' outback townBy Declan Durrant and George YankovichABC North and West SATopic:PoliceWed 27 May 2026 at 6:01amWed 27 May 2026 at 6:01amWed 27 May 2026 at 6:01amCoober Pedy, about 645km south of Alice Springs, and about 850km north of Adelaide, is experiencing police staffing shortages and retention issues. (ABC News: Haidarr Jones)In short:South Australia Police Commissioner Grant Stevens has rejected non-binding recommendations from the Employment Tribunal to attract more officers to the understaffed Coober Pedy station.The station is continuing to struggle with staffing issues, previously operating "with less than half its required manpower".What's next?The state's police union says it still believes the…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at ABC News (Australia).