New South Wales Police Force


The New South Wales Police Force is the primary law enforcement agency of the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is a servant of the Crown, independent of Government, although a minister of the Crown has administration. Divided into Police Area Commands, for metropolitan areas of NSW and Police Districts, for regional and country areas of NSW, the NSW Police Force consists of more than 500 local police stations and covers an area of 801,600 square kilometres in a state of some eight million people.
Under the Police Regulation Act, 1862, the organisation of the NSW Police Force was formally established in 1862 with the unification of all existing independent police units in the state. The authority and responsibility of the entire police force was given to the inspector general of police.
The 1990s were a turbulent period in NSW police history. The Royal Commission into the New South Wales Police Service was held between 1995 and 1997. The Royal Commission uncovered hundreds of instances of corruption including: bribery, money laundering, drug trafficking, and falsifying of evidence by police. The police commissioner, Tony Lauer, resigned as the level of corruption in the service became clear and his own position untenable. Peter James Ryan was recruited from the UK. Wide-ranging reforms occurred as a result of the recommendations of the Royal Commission, including the establishment of a permanent Police Integrity Commission.
The current commissioner of the NSW Police Force is Mick Fuller.
As of 30 June 2016, the police force consists of some 16,649 officers.

Mission and authority

The motto of the NSW Police Force is the Latin Culpam poena premit comes. The NSW Police insignia includes the motto. Its coat of arms features the state badge, a soaring Australian wedge-tailed eagle carrying a scroll with the word , a wreath and the St Edwards Crown, the crown of the Queen as the NSW head of state.
The overall mission of the police is to protect life and property and to detect and prevent crime.
Services provided by the New South Wales Police Force include:
Further policing duties performed are traffic control, intelligence analysis and anti-terrorism investigation.
Like all other states of Australia, municipalities and shires in NSW have only very limited law enforcement responsibilities. The police perform the primary law enforcement role in all areas of the state.

History

1788 – Early forms of law enforcement

Law enforcement has existed in various forms since the foundation of the colony of New South Wales at Sydney in 1788. In order to protect the infant town against thieves and petty criminals after dark, Governor Arthur Phillip authorised the formation of a nightwatch in August 1789, consisting of eight of the best-behaved convicts. After his appointment as the new governor of New South Wales, Governor Lachlan Macquarie restructured the police force in January 1811, setting up a basic system of ranks and control and recruiting free men into the force instead of convicts. Police units were under the rule of the district magistrates.

1825 – NSW Mounted Police

After the conflict in 1824 with the Wiradjuri people around Bathurst and Mudgee, British authorities recognised the need for a mounted force to maintain control in frontier areas. As a result, the NSW Mounted Police was formed in the following year. Up until 1850, this force operated as de facto cavalry unit as the troopers were soldiers requisitioned from the British Army. Their main task in this period was to subjugate resisting groups of Aboriginals and capture bushrangers. From 1850 the Mounted Police took on a more civilian role. In 2009, it had 34 horses and was claimed to be the oldest mounted police unit in the world. Another specialist group formed during this time were the Water Police.

1839 – Border Police

By this stage, the NSW government could not afford the cost of maintaining the Mounted Police along the expanding frontiers of the colony. A new frontier police consisting of mounted convict troopers, called the Border Police, was therefore established. The convicts assigned were mostly soldiers who had run afoul of the law. The Border Police was funded by a levy placed on the squatters who had brought livestock into the areas beyond the borders of settlement. In addition to controlling the Aboriginal and bushranger threats, the Border Police were also tasked with resolving land disputes with the squatters.

1848 – Native Police

With the end of convict transportation approaching, the Border Police was dissolved and replaced with another low-cost frontier force called the Native Police. This force consisted of Aboriginal troopers under the command of British officers. Exploiting intertribal hostility, the duty of this force was mostly to crush any Aboriginal resistance to the spread of British settlement. From 1859, the responsibility of the Native Police passed from the NSW government to the newly formed Queensland government.

1862 – Establishment of the police force

As the colony expanded, a more sophisticated form of crime management was called for; this involved unifying all the police units into a single cohesive police force with the centralisation of authority. After a failed attempt made by Act No. 38 of 1850, unified control of the police eventuated in 1862 when the Police Regulation Act was passed, establishing the New South Wales Police Force. The first inspector general of police, John McLerie, was appointed to assume overall authority and responsibility. The Police Regulation Act, passed in 1935, changed the official title to commissioner of police, with its role clearly defined. The position of deputy commissioner was also created.
By 1872, there were seventy police stations throughout the colony in sub-districts, with a total of 803 police officers. In June 1915, the first female police officers were appointed. In 1961, the year before the centenary of the Police Force, the number of members of the force increased to 5717, which rose to a total strength of 15,354 in November 2008.

Bushrangers

After the formation of the New South Wales Police Force in 1862, most crimes were conducted by bushrangers, particularly during the Victorian gold rush years. Constable Byrne almost single-handedly fought off the Ben Hall gang when they attacked a gold escort at Major's Creek on 13 March 1865. Constable O'Grady was taken ill with cholera when, on 9 April 1866, he left his sick-bed to confront the Clarke gang, who were renowned as being the "bloodiest bushrangers" of the colony of NSW and of Australia. Constable Walker was one of the earliest Australian-born mounted troopers to gain fame. He brought Captain Thunderbolt's enduring "bushranging" career to an end by shooting him near Uralla in New England, NSW.
Constable Ernest Charles Day showed courage under fire when he shot and captured bushranger Hobson, who was later hanged. Day later investigated a string of murders involving a hawker, Tommy Moore, by tracing his activities to South Australia, solving one of Australia's earliest serial-killer cases.

Arming

In 1894 a number of unarmed police were seriously injured while attempting to arrest a group of offenders as they attempted to break open a safe in the Union Steamship Company Office in Bridge Street, Sydney. The incident received wide publicity and was known as "Bridge Street Affray". Within 24 hours the premier announced that all police would wear firearms at all times while on duty to prevent the escape of felons and to place them on an equal footing with armed criminals. Previously only police in rural districts had been permitted to carry firearms. Parliament subsequently passed legislation authorising the arming of all members of the NSW Police Force and all Police have carried firearms ever since.

Notable events

NSW police officers have been involved in many notable events in the state's history, including APEC Australia 2007, the 1997 Thredbo landslide, Waterfall train disaster, Grafton bus crash, 1989 Newcastle earthquake, Sydney Hilton bombing, the arrest of serial killer Ivan Milat, the 2004 Redfern riots, the 2005 Macquarie Fields riots and the 2005 Cronulla riots. They were responsible for the security of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and World Youth Day 2008.

Lusher Commission of Inquiry

In 1979, the NSW government of Neville Wran called on Justice Edwin Lusher, a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales to chair a commission of inquiry into police administration.

Police Service Act, 1990

The Police Service Act, 1990 was introduced to replace the Police Regulation Act. The Police Force was consequently renamed to the "New South Wales Police Service", which reflected "community-based policing at the time" of the Greiner government and the public's responsibility in crime control, aided by the police. In accordance with the Police Service Amendment Bill in 2002, the New South Wales Police Service was then renamed again to simply New South Wales Police. The then Minister for Police, Michael Costa, explains: In 2006, the Police Amendment Bill resulted in a name change for the third time, renaming the New South Wales Police to New South Wales Police Force.

Amalgamation of special security units, 1991

In June 1991, the State Protection Group was formed, incorporating the former Special Weapons & Operations Section, the Witness Security Unit, regional Tactical Response Groups and the Rescue Squad. The Security Management Branch and the Bomb Disposal Unit were later included in the group.
The New South Wales Police Force has grown to be the largest in Australia.

Volunteering and NSW Police

After much debate, the NSW Parliament passed the Police Service Amendment Act, 1992, which sought to trial voluntary service within the police force, along the lines of the United Kingdom's special constabularies. The trial was not successful and lapsed with the automatic repeal of the Act in 1994. The successor to this scheme was the Volunteers in Policing program which restricts volunteer participation to non-core administration and community tasks, without enforcement duties or other powers being granted.

Wood Royal Commission

The 1990s were a turbulent period in NSW Police history. The Royal Commission into the New South Wales Police Service was held between 1995 and 1997. The Royal Commission uncovered hundreds of instances of bribery, money laundering, drug trafficking, and falsifying of evidence by police. Then Police Commissioner Tony Lauer resigned as the level of corruption within the service became clear, and his own position became untenable. Peter James Ryan was recruited from the United Kingdom. Wide-ranging reforms occurred as a result of the recommendations of the Royal Commission, including the establishment of a permanent Police Integrity Commission. The royal commissioner was Justice James Roland Wood. The terms of reference were to look into systemic and entrenched corruption within the New South Wales Police; towards the end of the Royal Commission it also investigated alleged paedophile activities within the police service. The Royal Commission uncovered hundreds of instances of bribery, money laundering, drug trafficking, and falsifying of evidence by police. Of particular note was the detective division of the Kings Cross patrol, of which almost all the senior ranks, including the chief detective, were involved in serious and organised corrupt activities, including taking regular bribes from major drug traffickers.

2003 – Police bugging

In 2003, Strike Force Emblems was established in response to allegations that warrants were improperly obtained during Operation Mascot, an investigation into police corruption in the late 1990s. The warrants authorised a large number of people, mostly police officers, to have their private conversations 'bugged'. Nearly a decade later in October 2012, the New South Wales Government announced that the Ombudsman would investigate allegations concerning the conduct of officers in the NSW Police Force, the Crime Commission and the Police Integrity Commission in relation to the matters investigated in Strike Force Emblems which occurred between 1998 and 2002. The final hearings were not completed until 31 March 2015.
The Acting NSW Ombudsman, John McMillan's, report to Parliament was tabled on 20 December 2016.

2015 shooting

On 2 October 2015, 15-year-old Iraqi-Kurdish boy Farhad Khalil Mohammad Jabar shot dead Curtis Cheng, a 58-year-old accountant who worked for the NSW Police Force, outside their Parramatta headquarters. The 15-year-old then shot at responding special constables, and died from their gunfire. NSW Police commissioner Andrew Scipione said "We believe that his actions were politically motivated and therefore linked to terrorism". The attack appears to have similar motives to the 2014 Endeavour Hills stabbings.

Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad

Task Force Gain was created in October 2003 in response to serious crimes committed by people of Middle Eastern background. It was renamed in April 2006 as the 'Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad'. As part of a restructuring of the state's Crime Command, MEOCS will cease to exist as a separate squad in late 2017.

Leadership

The current commissioner of the NSW Police Force is Mick Fuller,, who replaced Andrew Scipione,, on 31 March 2017, with Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson,, Deputy Commissioner Max Mitchell, and Deputy Commissioner Jeff Loy,. The Minister for Police & Emergency Services, David Elliott, is responsible to the Parliament of New South Wales for the police portfolio.
Scipione extended his term as Commissioner at the request of Premier Mike Baird, and was expected to remain until July 2017. He was expected to retire on 2 April 2017. He was retired from the Police Force on 31 March.
On 30 March 2017 it was announced that Assistant Commissioner Mick Fuller would replace Scipione.

Organisation

The headquarters of the New South Wales Police Force is located at 1 Charles Street, Parramatta 2150. The police maintain 432 local police stations, which are coordinated by their respective local area commands.

Divisions

There are three major divisions: Corporate Services, Field Operations and Specialist Operations. Corporate Services is headed by the Deputy Commissioner, who is charged with the management of recruitment and education, firearms, records and information process services, the Security Industry Registry, investment and commercial services, safety, business and technology services, human resources, education services, finance, public affairs and legal services. The current Deputy Commissioner, Corporate Services is Max Mitchell
Field Operations is headed by Deputy Commissioner, is responsible for managing and overseeing the Central Metropolitan, North West Metropolitan, South West Metropolitan, Northern, Southern and Western regions, and the Firearms Registry, Major Events and Incidents Group, and the State Crime Command. The current Deputy Commissioner is Jeff Loy
Specialist Operations is headed by the Deputy Commissioner. It is responsible for a range of specialist groups, including Counter Terrorism & Special Tactics for Specialist Support is Dave Hudson. The Deputy Commissioner for Investigations and Counter Terrorism is Gary Worboys.

Field operations: major events and incidents group

Mounted Police Unit
Founded in September 1825 by state governor Thomas Brisbane, the mounted police were recruited from a British military regiment stationed in NSW at the time, to protect travellers, suppress convict escapees and fight Indigenous Australians. For more than a century they were a key part of policing, since horses were the main form of transport. The NSW Mounted Police Unit is the oldest continuous mounted group in the world. The unit was formed three years before the London Mounted Police and 38 years before the 1873 formation of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Duties include traffic and crowd management, patrols, and ceremonial protocol duties. The 34 horses used today are bay geldings, 15.3 hands high or more, and include a number of former racehorses.

Local Area commands / Police Area Commands

Some Local Area commands have been merged to new Police Area Commands.
These are listed by CAD prefix/vehicle bonnet codes.
In metropolitan areas of the state, Police Area Commands exist, whilst in rural areas, Police Districts exist.
ABAlburyAUAuburnBABarwonBBBotany BayBKBankstown
BLBlue MountainsBNBlacktownBRBarrierBUBurwoodBWBrisbane Water
CACampsieCBCanobolasCCCoffs/ClarenceCEHCentral HunterCFChifley
CMBCumberlandCNCamdenCSCastlereaghCTCampbelltownCUCootamundra
DLDarling RiverDQDeniliquinEBEastern BeachesESEastern SuburbsEWEastwood
FAFairfieldFSFar South CoastGFGriffithGLGladesvilleGVGreen Valley
HBHawkesburyHIThe HillsHMEThe HumeHSHarboursideHVHunter Valley
INVInverellKUKu-Ring-GaiKXKings CrossLELeichhardtLILake Illawarra
LLLachlanLMLake MacquarieLPLiverpoolMCMid North CoastMDMount Druitt
MEMudgeeMFMacquarie FieldsMGLManning/Great LakesMLManlyMNMonaro
MOEMoreeMRMarrickvilleNBNorthern BeachesNCNewcastleNCCNewcastle City
NDNew EnglandNSNorth ShoreNTNewtownOROranaOXOxley
PAParramattaNEPNepeanPTSPort StephensQHQuakers HillRBRose Bay
RFRedfernRHRosehillRMRichmondRTRaymond TerraceRYRyde
SCSydney CitySGSt GeorgeSHSurry HillsSUSutherland ShireSVShoalhaven
TBTweed/ByronTLTuggerah LakesWGWollongongWTWaratahWWWagga Wagga
WYWest Wyalong--------

Specialist squads and groups (listed by CAD prefix / vehicle bonnet codes)

Note: Traffic and Highway Patrol Command uses both Region prefixes for field operations HWP units for vehicles primarily based in that region but these resources do not belong to the region unlike RES/OSG etc. and also traffic prefixes for motorcycles and Command resources such as RBT buses and Strike Force/Traffic Support Group vehicles.
ACDNSW Police AcademyCIUCrash Investigation UnitCLMCentral Metropolitan Region
DOGDog SquadFLTFleet trial vehicleFMSFleet Services
FSGForensic Services GroupICVIn Car Video TrialMEO or MEOCMiddle Eastern Organised Crime Squad
MTDMounted PoliceNTHNorthern RegionNWMNorth West Metropolitan Region
ODNStrike Force OdinOSGPublic Order Operations Support GroupPDTPolice Driver Training
PORSPublic Order & Riot SquadPTCPolice Transport CommandRBTRandom Breath Testing bus
RDTRandom Drug Testing busRES or RPolice RescueSLPSchool Liaison Police
STHSouthern RegionSWMSouth West Metropolitan RegionTLNStrike Force Talon
TOUTactical Operations UnitTRFTraffic and Highway Patrol CommandWTNWestern Region

Rank structure

The New South Wales Police Force is run as a community policing model. All sworn members start at the lowest rank of probationary constable / constable and may work their way up. Promotion beyond senior constable is highly competitive. The following ranks are listed lowest to highest from left as set out in 2002:
RankProbationary
constable		ConstableSenior
constable		Incremental
senior
constable		Leading
senior
constable		SergeantIncremental
sergeant		Senior
sergeant
Insignia

RankInspectorChief
inspector		SuperintendentChief
superintendent		Assistant
commissioner		Deputy
commissioner		Commissioner
Insignia

Constables

All grades of constable perform the same basic range of duties, with the rank only reflecting experience. The rank of probationary constable is held for the first twelve months of service. Following 12 months of satisfactory service and on completion of the associate degree of policing practice via distance education, the probationary constable is confirmed to the rank of constable. Within the force, probationary constables are often referred to as "probies".
Promotion to the rank of senior constable can be obtained after five years service and requires the officer to pass an examination which can cover a broad area of policing knowledge. Incremental senior constable is obtained after ten years of service. Senior constables of all grades are referred to as either "senior constable" or "senior".
Leading Senior Constable is a rank that primarily sees an officer in a training role and belongs to a specific unit or duty type of which there is a limited number with progression to such being competitive and non-transferable. If an LSC transfers from a unit or duty type they revert to their original senior constable rank. To be eligible for LSC an officer must have a minimum of 7 years service, be of the rank of senior constable and undergo a number of tests and selection processes in competition with other applicants.

Non-commissioned officers

Promotion to the rank of sergeant and beyond is achieved by way of a "merit-based" promotion system, whereby officers undertake a series of "pre-qualification assessments" and are placed on a ranked list before gaining promotion. Officers who qualify for a promotion list are given an eligibility mark and are ranked according to order of merit from the highest mark to the lowest. This means that the highest-ranked member on the promotions list will be considered first for the rank and position concerned. Members seeking placement on a promotion list must have spent the requisite time at the rank below, which is at least two years, and must have successfully completed the relevant pre-qualifying assessment examinations, an applicant evaluation and must meet the eligibility program. A new promotion list for each rank or grade is prepared each year, and an applicant who does not accept promotion can remain on a list only for three years before having to requalify for the list.
On promotion to sergeant and senior sergeant, members are issued a warrant of appointment under the commissioner's hand and seal.
A sergeant normally supervises a team of constables during a shift. A detective sergeant is normally in charge of a team in a specific part of either a local area command detectives office or a specialist squad in the State Crime Command.
Senior sergeants are generally attached to "regions" as region training coordinators, region traffic coordinators, region operations coordinator positions or in legal services, professional standards, protocol, education services and perform middle-management duties.
Sergeants and incremental sergeants are referred to as "sergeant"; senior sergeants are referred to as "senior sergeant".

Commissioned officers

On completing at least three years as a sergeant, and the relevant pre-qualification assessments, an officer may be elevated to the rank of "inspector" and issued a certificate of commission under the commissioner's hand and seal. Commissioned officers may be acknowledged by the rank they hold or more commonly as "sir", "ma'am" or "boss".
An inspector oversees sergeants and teams of constables and traditionally performs more administrative work, coordination of policing operations or specialist work. At local area commands, an inspector is allocated to each shift as a "duty officer" and oversees the general running of the police station.
Superintendents are usually "commanders" of local area commands or specialist units.
Assistant commissioners are generally "commanders" of regions or corporate portfolios.
As of 2010, the rank of senior assistant commissioner has been dispensed with. Officers currently holding this rank will retain it until retiring or upon promotion to a higher rank.

Designations

If a New South Wales Police Force officer elects to undertake criminal investigation duties, after a period of exams and assignments, and given experience in a criminal investigation office that officer is given the designation of "detective". As it is a designation and not a rank, the designation comes prior to the rank, i.e. detective constable, or detective senior constable etc. Returning to general duties is common for detectives, and many detectives do seek promotion in the general duties arena. However, while they do not lose their detective's designation if they leave full-time investigation duties, it is customary not to use their designation while performing general or other duties which are not an authorised investigative position. On returning to an authorised position they can use their designation again without having to requalify. There has been some consideration given by the police force in recent years to identify designated detectives performing uniform duties by way of a distinctive badge or uniform embellishment, but this has not been adopted.

Uniform and equipment

Field and service dress

New South Wales Police Force has two uniforms for general duties police officers, one operational and one ceremonial.
Field dress consists of navy blue cargo pants with map pockets, ballooned at the bottom, light blue marle short or long sleeve shirt, navy blue baseball cap with blue and white Sillitoe Tartan, and black general purpose boots. During winter a navy blue Polartec-fleece jacket or leather jacket is worn. Ranks are worn on the shoulders by both NCOs and commissioned ranks.
Service dress consists of general purpose boots, straight leg navy blue trousers, blue marle shirt, antron cap/hat and leather duty jacket. Depending on rank, members may be issued with high-shine polishable lace-up leather boots for ceremonial occasions, similar to that worn by military personnel.
Officers wear a similar uniform when attending court proceedings, this is usually the full-service dress both during summer and winter.
During ceremonial occasions, NSW Police Force College staff, New South Wales Police Force protocol and NSW Police Force field protocol officers generally wear a navy blue ceremonial tunic during official occasions such as attestation parades, medal ceremonies and funerals, etc.
Field protocol officers are issued with a light blue/navy blue lanyard to be worn over the right shoulder and tucked into the right pocket during ceremonial occasions.
Full-time protocol officers and members of the [|VIP] cyclists are entitled to wear a black basketweave Sam Browne belt during ceremonial occasions.
In line with the name change of the organisation back to "NSW Police Force", the current shoulder patch for uniform reads New South Wales Police Force, and has a redesigned and recoloured eagle.

Specialist groups and special events

New South Wales Police Force officers are also entitled to wear mess dress with mess kit for black tie or formal dinners/dances. The dark navy blue trousers and mess jacket with cobalt blue cuffs, epaulettes and lapels clearly identify them as being members of the police.
Specialist units such as the Public Order and Riot Squad, Homicide Squad, Marine Area Command and the State Protection Group Tactical Operations Unit all have different uniform needs and are outfitted accordingly such as Rescue and Bomb Disposal Unit with their white overalls, Tactical Operations Unit with black and Dog Squad with subdued blue. Detectives wear plain clothes.
During ANZAC day marches and United Nations Day marches in Sydney, police officers can be seen alongside their Australian Federal Police counterparts wearing the distinctive United Nations blue beret and full-sized medals, if they have served with the Australian Federal Police in United Nations sanctioned peacekeeping operations.

Arms and appointments

Firearms

Members of the NSW Police are issued with the Glock 22.40-calibre semi-automatic pistol. After the work of Task Force ALPHA 1992 and the research testing and report done by senior constable Darren Stewart recommending the introduction of the Glock 22 superseding the Smith & Wesson.38 calbre model 10 with some specialist sections and plain clothes officers having either the smaller Glock 23 or Glock 27 models available in lieu of the standard model. Members are also issued with a spare magazine for their pistol due to the murder of two officers, armed with 6 shot revolvers, at Crescent Head in 1995 when officers carried the Smith & Wesson Model 10 in.38 Special. Specialist tactical units such as the full-time Tactical Operations Unit are equipped with a variety of specialised firearms for their duties. The Public Order and Riot Squad are issued with a variety of specialist equipment for their roles including Colt M4 Carbine rifles.

Equipment and holsters

In addition to the standard issue firearm, officers are issued with Saflock handcuffs, OC, expandable baton, Motorola XTS3000/XTS5000/XTS2500 or Tait Orca portable radio, and a first-aid kit. Members have access to a fixed baton and Maglite rechargeable torch, which are usually located in all first response police vehicles for each officer "on the truck". There is also access to high ballistic rated overt body armour in every vehicle as required. Specialist tactical officers from elite units such as the State Protection Group and riot officers from the Public Order and Riot Squad have access to a variety of specialised weapons and equipment.
The NSW Police Force has issued TASER electronic control devices which generally are carried by one officer on every first response general duties vehicle. TASER is also issued to some specialist squads. Each Taser X26P issued to police includes an integrated camera to record all deployments of the device as well as any additional video while the device's safety is switched off. The grip used by police may result in no video footage being available; however, audio footage is still "loud and clear". This is due, for safety reasons, to the grip being the same as that used to hold the glock pistol.
The majority of officers carry their equipment on a leather or cordura duty appointment belt. In recent times, there has been a large movement within the police to implement changes in methods of equipment carry to relieve officers with back injuries. This has ranged from trials of lightweight nylon duty belts, to thigh holsters for firearms and load bearing equipment vests. As of 2010, the load-bearing vest has become increasingly prevalent among general duty officers and it is anticipated that this trend will continue. It is believed that the vests are effective in relieving officers of chronic back pain, as it takes most of the weight away from the waist and back area, and distributes it across the frontal area of the officer's torso. In 2017, a new load-bearing vest was introduced the Integrated Light Armour Vest that is level 2 ballistic rated and level 2 stab resistance rated which can be worn without armour and has the option of a hydration pack and a backpack. Also in 2017, a new covert vest was introduced the Covert Light Armour Vest.

Name plates and identification

Each police officer is issued an identification metal badge with a Warrant Card. Behind the police badge, a member has a coloured plastic backing card which helps identify a member's rank in the force, namely:
light blue – constable & senior constable

dark blue – sergeant & senior sergeant

red – inspector & chief inspector

green – superintendent & chief superintendent

white – assistant commissioner, deputy commissioner & commissioner
This colour-coding also occurs on a member's name plate. For administrative officers of all grades and Special Constables, their name plates are gold. Volunteers in Policing wear black nameplates. Civilian staff are not issued with badges; however, Special Constables and civilian forensic staff are issued with warrant cards. Everyone else such as plainclothes police officers is issued an Identification Certificate.

Vehicles

NSW Police Force has the largest government fleet in Australia, with more than 4000 vehicles, on a lease basis. Most LAC response vehicles operate with a fleet made up of Holden Commodores, Ford Falcons and Hyundai Sonatas. Holden Colorados, Ford Rangers, and Hyundai iLoads are all used as caged vehicles or "paddy wagons".
Highway Patrol vehicles usually consist of a combination of marked and unmarked vehicles, including the Holden VF Commodore, Ford Falcon XR6, BMW 530d and Chrysler 300c SRT. The Volvo XC60 and Toyota Land Cruiser are also used in smaller numbers to conduct road policing in rural and alpine areas.
BMW and Yamaha road motorcycles and trail bikes are also used for off-road duty. Other specialist sections and units use a variety of police vehicles including Iveco prisoner vans, Mercedes Sprinter vans, Isuzu trucks, specialist rescue and bomb disposal vehicles, two Lenco BearCat armoured trucks and various Suzuki Jimmy Beach Buggies.

Gallery of police vehicles

Police Aviation Support Branch

The Police Aviation Support Branch, callsign "POLAIR", is an integral part of the police. It provides services as: search and rescue, support for crime investigation, counter-terrorism, and helps with prevention and detection by keeping a visible presence patrolling the skies.
The current fleet is composed of eight aircraft – six helicopters and three fixed-wing aircraft:
Helicopters: Polair 1–5
Fixed-wing aircraft: Polair 6–8
The aircraft are equipped with modern technology and specialist equipment including rescue winches, Nite sun searchlights, forward-looking infrared, high definition video camera system, microwave down-linking of live pictures, digital radio communications and advanced integrated touch screen digital glass cockpits with global positioning satellite navigation systems.
On 6 June 2011, the Commissioner, Andrew Scipione, announced the incorporation of a new helicopter to the fleet. Referred to as PolAir 4, this is a state-of-the-art, twin-engine Eurocopter EC135 P2+ that is fitted with modern blade technology including a "fenestron" tail-rotor to make aircraft operations quieter over urban areas, and a speed of up to. It is planned that the Eurocopter EC135 design will replace the current single-engine models.
The fixed wing Cessna 206H aircraft, callsign Polair 6, is primarily used for aerial speed enforcement along major freeways and highways in the State. It is also used to transport officers and assist with search operations in remote areas of the State.
The much larger Cessna 208 Grand Caravan, callsign Polair 7, provides the police with a long-range heavy lift capability allowing for the transport of cargo, specialist equipment and personnel during extensive search and rescue incidents which is ideal for use in remote locations across the state.
Various other fixed-wing aircraft such as a leased Cessna 500 have been used for major operations including the APEC Australia 2007 security operation. Another was also used during the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000.

Marine Area Command

The Marine Area Command, formerly the Water Police, has responsibility for all coastal areas of NSW, and up to out to sea. Police vessels and personnel are strategically located at important commercial and leisure ports with the base at Balmain on Sydney Harbour. The Command also based at Broken Bay, Newcastle, Port Stephens, Coffs Harbour, Botany Bay, Port Kembla and Eden. It has 123 operational water police, marine intelligence unit, marine crime prevention officer, divers, detectives and the marine operational support team, and employs six civilian engineers and 30 deck hands. The current fleet consists of 11 seagoing craft, including OPV Nemesis, the largest purpose-built police boat in the Southern Hemisphere, and a number of smaller boats.
In January 2013 seven new "class 4" Rigid-hulled inflatable boat watercraft were rolled out across the state to Balmain, Botany Bay and Broken Bay. The new rigid-hulled inflatable boat have two 250 hp four-stroke outboard motors, with a speed of and a range of at, and are fitted with the latest navigation and communication equipment.

Education

NSW Police Academy, Goulburn

The New South Wales Police Academy occupies some 10 hectares at McDermott Drive in the regional town of Goulburn, southwest of Sydney. The primary function is to educate and train police officers from the newly recruited to the senior executive level.
Located in the Memorial & Honour Precincts, the Academy has a number of memorials dedicated to the proud traditions of the New South Wales Police Force, namely the Walls of Remembrance at the College Chapel ; the Rose Garden and Eternal Flame; the NSW Police Force Horse & Dog Memorial; and Heroes' Walk.
The latest aspect to the "proud traditions project" was the installation of the NSW Police Academy Peacekeeping display. The display features a range of memorabilia and photographs from peacekeeping missions which NSW Police Force members have contributed to. The display also features the Dag Hammerskjold Medal belonging to the late Sergeant Ian Ward, on loan from the AFP.

Students

The Academy has a constant stream of recruits. On 30 January 2007 the largest class of police recruits, numbering 799, in Australia were attested on the parade ground. In May 2007, a further 284 recruits were attested. Students are identified by a light blue hat band and light blue epaulettes with the word STUDENT as opposed to rank.

Qualification

The 'Associate Degree of Policing Practice' is awarded to a graduate of the college by its university provider, Charles Sturt University.
However, a prospective student can choose to undertake a Bachelor of Justice Studies directly with Charles Sturt University on a 'civilian' campus for Session 1 for two years and then move onto the Police College to complete policing oriented subjects before attesting probationary constable.
Alternative entry pathways to police are available. Examples are: the three-year Bachelor of Policing course course of the same length offered also by Charles Sturt University. Both of these courses require the final portion to be completed at the Goulburn Police College, alongside common-entry recruits, for the practical components of policing education.

Charles Sturt University campus

Charles Sturt University has a campus on the grounds of the Academy. The School of Policing Practice forms part of the Faculty of Business, Justice and Behavioural Studies. The School also offers the Bachelor of Policing and the Bachelor of Policing.

Symbols and traditions

NSW Police Force Banner

On 29 September 2006, Governor of New South Wales Marie Bashir presented the NSW Police Banner to the New South Wales Police Force at a ceremony adjacent to the NSW Police Force Roll of Honour at the Domain in Sydney, Australia. Later that day, the banner led the NSW Police Force marching contingent at the dedication of the National Police Memorial in Canberra.

Flag and pennants

The Force has an official flag, with the 'Nemesis' logo on a light blue over white bicolour.
The Mounted Police unit carries a swallow-tailed navy blue and white pennant on lances, without the nemesis logo.
The commissioner and the VIP cyclists have a nemesis logo on a light blue over white bicolour pennant on their transportation. The pennant is swallow-tailed.

NSW Police Band

The NSW Police Band was established in 1895 and is the longest-serving uniformed concert band in Australia. It today incorporates ten different ensembles, used for different activities. It is regarded as the "State Band of New South Wales" and is one of only two full-time police bands in existence in the country.

NSW Pipe Band

The pipe band is an auxiliary unit of the band. It was founded in 1946. Its first official engagement was the Newcastle Centenary Celebrations in September 1947. Many ex-members reformed the band in an unofficial capacity during the ANZAC Day march in the early 90s. It has participated in events such as the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Sydney.

Honours and awards

Recognition for the bravery and sacrifice of members of the New South Wales Police Force is expressed through honours and awards. The New South Wales Police Force was the first Australian Police jurisdiction to have one of its members awarded the Imperial Honour, namely the George Cross and the Australian Honour the Cross of Valour. Sergeant 3rd Class Eric George Bailey GC was awarded the George Cross posthumously on 12 January 1945.
New South Wales Police Force also has the distinction in having one of its members being awarded the highest civilian bravery award, namely the Cross of Valour. In its history, only five people have been awarded that award, with a New South Wales Police Officer being the first Australian Police Officer to receive it. On 3 May 1996, the then Detective Senior Constable Sparkes rescued a boy trapped in a flooded underground storm water drain following record rainfalls at Coffs Harbour.

Australian honours and awards

New South Wales Police Force Officers are eligible for the following National Honours and Awards:
New South Wales Police Force also has a number of inservice Honours and Awards, awarded by the Commissioner of New South Wales Police Force. Commissioner Peter Ryan QPM implemented the New South Wales Police Force Commissioner's Olympic Commendation and the New South Wales Police Force Olympic Citation. This award is significant as the New South Wales Police Force is the only police force in the world to be permitted the Olympic Rings to be attached. It has been widely reported and accepted that the Sydney 2000 Olympics was the "Safest Games in modern Olympic history".
Former commissioner Ken Moroney AO APM implemented the Commissioners Community Service Commendation and Community Service Citation in 2002.
Police honours and awards are highly prized partly because they are only awarded to members in small numbers and are rarely issued to general duties police. The only award that was given out in large numbers was the Commissioner's Olympic Citation due to the massive contribution by all members of the force.

Commendations and medals

The above in-service decorations are worn 5 mm below the officer's name plate and are right-sided decorations.

Citations

The following in-service decorations are worn 5 mm above the officer's name plate and are right-sided decorations.
In peacekeeping operations, officers are seconded to the Australian Federal Police and take an oath or affirmation of the AFP. They are then appointed to the rank of senior sergeant, station sergeant, superintendent or commander. Following their service, UN peacekeeping veterans are awarded the United Nations Medal for their particular mission. In addition, under the Australian system of honours and awards, police officers serving with peacekeeping organisations are awarded the Police Overseas Service Medal with the relevant clasp for the prescribed area of service. As of 2008, two clasps to that medal were awarded to members for operations in Cyprus and East Timor.

Cyprus (UNFICYP)

Members were among the first Australian police sent to Cyprus in May 1964 as the first UN police contingent. The UN Civilian Police was established with a three-month mandate to end hostilities between the Greek and Turkish communities and promote peace on the island. The operation is ongoing.
Members were subsequently withdrawn from Cyprus in 1976, along with all other state and territory police following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus on 20 July 1974. During the invasion and preceding it the Australian police were subject to machine gun and mortar fire and Turkish air attack. Some of their personal motor vehicles, motorcycles and personal items at that time were destroyed, lost or stolen. Fortunately, there was no loss of Australian lives at that time. Australian police continued to negotiate between the invading Turkish army, other warring parties and escorted refugees to safety from both sides. Since UNFICYP commenced, a large number of the NSW Police has served in Cyprus alongside other Australian police jurisdictions.

East Timor (UNTAET and UNMISET)

From 2000 to 2005, 45 NSW Police Force officers were involved in the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor and the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor seconded to the Australian Federal Police for their Tour of Duty in East Timor with the United Nations. There have only been three female NSWP officers to serve.
In addition, two New South Wales Police Force officers have been commended for courage for peacekeeping in East Timor, one by the Australian government, and the Australian Federal Police Commissioners Commendation for Bravery. McCann was awarded the Commendation for Brave Conduct for his part in the rescue of 110 vulnerable persons from a village in East Timor after it suffered major flooding. Gilpin was awarded the New South Wales Police Commendation for his part in protecting a member of the community who was being subjected to mob justice. He placed his body in front of the mob, who were armed with machettes and other weapons and managed to extract the victim to safety.
Out of the ten Australian peacekeepers who have died on peacekeeping missions, two were from NSW Police Force while serving with UNFICYP. Sergeant Ian Ward and Inspector Patrick Hackett died in separate incidents in UNFCYP. A total of 124 soldiers and police gave their lives while serving with the UN in Cyprus.

Staffing numbers

Due to the growing number of violent attacks in the state in 2006, then president of the New South Wales Police Association, Bob Pritchard, commented on 7 January 2007, that the state is "very short of police and that there is a need to increase the number of police officers throughout the state significantly".
In 2017 it was widely reported that "NSW now has the lowest number of police officers compared to population of any major state in Australia."