Statement from Commissioner Karen Webb regarding the new award agreement
Tuesday, 26 November 2024 11:22:40 AM
Today is a great day for officers of the NSW Police Force.
This historic deal will revolutionise the working conditions of our police, making them among the highest paid in the country. The pay rise will be back dated to July this year with officers seeing the benefits shortly after Christmas.
I am delighted officers have overwhelmingly embraced this offer. It certainly reflects their value and they are worth every cent.
This is about recognising the intrinsic worth of our police who risk their lives to protect our community every single day.
In my opinion they are the best in the world with one of the toughest jobs, and they deserve to be recognised for the extraordinary work they do.
The NSW Police Association and the NSW Government played a crucial role in securing the deal and I would like to thank them for their work to get this agreement over the line.
The reforms bring sweeping changes beyond a record pay rise. The new agreement also encompasses a consolidation of pay scales, a modernisation of allowances, formalisation of domestic and family violence leave arrangements, and an additional one-off bonus payment to select officers to recognise leadership and retention.
It removes barriers to flexible work arrangements that will greatly assist police juggling a career and family commitments.
We cannot afford to lose the critical level of experience across this organisation. This is about supporting the thousands of officers who cannot work full-time and ensuring they have enough flexibility to stay in the job. We cannot underestimate the importance of that experience to the community of NSW.
In addition to retention, recruitment is also critically important to increase the strength of our frontline and relieve pressure.
I am pleased to report that news of the deal has already had an effect on application numbers, with more than 70 lodged in the past week. That’s approximately double what we would normally see.
So, today, I want to say to those who may be considering a career as a police officer – it’s the best job in the world, and there’s never been a better time to apply.