South Australia Police

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT (14:42): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking questions of the Minister for Police, or a minister representing the Minister for Police perhaps, regarding SAPOL staffing.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT: It has come to my attention that throughout regional and rural South Australia, SAPOL has reduced staffing levels on weekends and public holidays, particularly where local staff are sick or on recreational leave. Given the holiday periods and weekends are often a time when community events and family occasions are held and the consumption of alcohol is higher, this can be a time of significant stress for some people, and there is often an increase in domestic and family violence. These periods are also a time when local police, who have excellent knowledge of local issues, might choose, quite rightly, to take recreational leave. This can make relief staffing of rural and regional police stations in particular a challenge. My questions to the minister are:

1. Can the minister advise whether the SAPOL staffing levels on public holidays, in comparison to standard weekdays, are reduced, the same or increased throughout regional and rural SA?

2. Where local SAPOL staff are on leave over weekends and on public holidays, how does SAPOL procure suitable relief staff?

3. What recruitment strategies are in place from the minister to ensure that we have enough police to provide adequate coverage throughout regional and rural South Australia?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:43): I thank the honourable member for her questions. I will pass them on to our colleague in this place, the police minister, for him to bring back a reply.