Brian Neeson National Police Spokesperson

Monday 4 December 2000

Hawkins demoralises police recruits

The Police Minister's weekly ambush of police recruits is demoralising police and making it harder to attract people to the force, National Police spokesperson Brian Neeson said today.

"The latest reports of police recruits going on the dole and others pulling out of training because courses have been cancelled are appalling.

"George Hawkins has put these police recruits lives in a spin.

"His off-the-wall ideas for saving money are having a real impact on current and future police recruits.

"Police numbers are dropping. Stopping recruits will make matters worse. Is it the Minister's intention to see overall police numbers fall? If so he is following the right recipe.

"Police paying for their own training, a volunteer police force, smaller cars, stopping police visits to schools etc all add up to cost cuts and lower police numbers.

"Nationwide police numbers as a percentage of the population are falling. This will be exacerbated with the latest group of recruits having the rug pulled from under them by having their training cancelled.

"George Hawkins' pre-Christmas musings to save money are sending police morale on a downward slope and are earning him the reputation of Scrooge.

"You can save money anywhere - but what's the point when there aren't any police recruits available because they've got sick of waiting or can't afford to pay for their training.

"George Hawkins must realise he's sending police morale on a downward spiral and stop tossing up ideas that damage morale further," Mr Neeson said.

ENDS

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