Tasmania Police Academy
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Tasmania Police is the primary
law enforcement agency A law enforcement agency (LEA) is any government agency responsible for law enforcement within a specific jurisdiction through the employment and deployment of law enforcement officers and their resources. The most common type of law enforcement ...
of the Australian state of
Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...
. Established in 1899, the force has more than 1,300 officers policing Tasmania's population of 571,200 people.


History


Colonial history

Prior to the formation of a unified police force, the
colony of Tasmania The Colony of Tasmania (more commonly referred to simply as "Tasmania") was a British colony that existed on the island of Tasmania from 1856 until 1901, when it federated together with the five other Australian colonies to form the Commonweal ...
(then called
Van Diemen's Land Van Diemen's Land was the colonial name of the island of Tasmania during the European exploration of Australia, European exploration and colonisation of Australia in the 19th century. The Aboriginal Tasmanians, Aboriginal-inhabited island wa ...
) was policed from 1803 under the administration of Lieutenant Governor
David Collins David Collins may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * David Collins (''Dark Shadows''), character in the television series ''Dark Shadows'' * David Collins (''EastEnders''), character in the television series ''EastEnders'' P ...
by a small number of superintendents and overseers, and from 1804 by a civilian body known as the "Night Watch", brought by Collins from
Port Phillip Bay Port Phillip ( Kulin: ''Narm-Narm'') or Port Phillip Bay is a horsehead-shaped enclosed bay on the central coast of southern Victoria, Australia. The bay opens into the Bass Strait via a short, narrow channel known as The Rip, and is comple ...
. The Night Watch was disbanded in 1806 due to ineffectiveness and was replaced by British military patrols. A municipal police force was established at Port Dalrymple ( Launceston) on 19 November 1804, with Thomas Massey as Chief Constable.


Formation

With the introduction of the ''Police Regulation Act 1898'', one unified police force was established which came into being on 1 January 1899. George Richardson was appointed the first Commissioner of the new force, and he quickly implemented several structural changes to the existing municipal policing areas, amalgamating them into 14 districts between a total of 246 police members. The early police officers were to undertake a wide variety of tasks from compiling the
electoral roll An electoral roll (variously called an electoral register, voters roll, voters list, poll book or other description) is a compilation that lists persons who are entitled to vote for particular elections in a particular jurisdiction. The list is ...
in 1903, to tracking missing rifles from the Tasmanian contingent to the
Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...
. Richardson complained frequently about the workload placed upon his officers, until a
Royal Commission A royal commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue in some monarchies. They have been held in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Malaysia, Mauritius and Saudi Arabia. In republics an equi ...
in 1905 recommended his replacement. William Hunt was appointed as Richardson's replacement but died before he could take office, and Colonel John Lord took his place, serving as Commissioner for 16 years with a break to serve with the
First Australian Imperial Force The First Australian Imperial Force (1st AIF) was the main Expeditionary warfare, expeditionary force of the Australian Army during the First World War. It was formed as the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) following United Kingdom of Great Bri ...
during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.


Modernisation and present day

The ''Police Act 1905'' defined and expanded the powers of Tasmania Police, which included liquor and lodging licensing, dog registration, vehicle regulation and disorderly conduct. In October 1917, the force appointed its first female police officer, Kate Campbell, and in 1918 two women were added to police staff primarily to police child protection laws. As of 30 June 2020, around 34 per cent of Tasmania Police officers were female. By 1922, Tasmania Police had 235 police officers. In 2004 the ''Police Regulation Act 1898'' was finally repealed and the new was proclaimed. The new Act retained a number of features of the old Act but the most controversial change was that of the powers of the Commissioner, including powers to test police officers for drugs and alcohol, integrity testing and the power to seek details of an officer's financial position. The powers of the Commissioner may, generally speaking, only be used if there is some sort of suspicion attached to an individual police officer.


Structure

Tasmania Police is part of the
Tasmanian Government The Tasmanian Government is the executive branch of the Australian state of Tasmania. The leader of the party or coalition with the Confidence and supply, confidence of the Tasmanian House of Assembly, House of Assembly, the lower house of the ...
's Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management, which also consists of the
State Emergency Service The State Emergency Service (SES) is the name used by a number of separate civil defence organisations in Australia that provide assistance during and after major incidents. Specifically, the services deal with floods, storms and tsunamis, b ...
, Forensic Science Service Tasmania and the
Tasmania Fire Service The Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) is the Tasmanian Government agency responsible for fire suppression and control for the state of Tasmania and its surrounding islands. Established on 1 November 1979 as a result of enacting the ''Fire Service Ac ...
. The Commissioner of Police also serves as the secretary of the Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management, and the State Emergency Management Controller.


Jurisdiction

The force is divided into three geographical district commands: Southern, Northern and Western. Each district is divided into several geographical divisions, and is administered by a
Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...
. There are 67 police stations across the state, ranging from state-of-the-art urban facilities to regional and remote police houses in the state's highlands, and on King Island and
Flinders Island Flinders Island, the largest island in the Furneaux Group, is a island in the Bass Strait, northeast of the island of Tasmania. Today Flinders Island is part of the state of Tasmania, Australia. It is from Cape Portland, Tasmania, Cape Portl ...
.


Support commands

Tasmania Police comprises four support commands which support the geographical districts: * Education and Training * Operations Support (incorporating Firearms Services, Forensic Services, Investigative and Intelligence Support Services, Marine and Rescue Services, Radio Dispatch Services, Safe Families Coordination Unit, Serious Organised Crime Division, State Community Policing) * Professional Standards * Special Response and Counter-Terrorism (incorporating Policy Development, Emergency and Risk Management, Special Operations Group, Protective Security)


Rank structure

Tasmania Police has a similar rank structure to other policing agencies in Australia.


Commissioners

The following police officers have been promoted in rank and appointed to serve as the commissioner of Tasmania Police:


Tasmania Police Academy

The Tasmania Police Academy is located in the suburb of Rokeby on Hobart's Eastern Shore. Local training of police officers in Tasmania began in 1958 at Sackville Street in Hobart. In 1960, Commissioner Delderfield suggested the establishment of a police training college on Hobart's eastern shore, and the idea was discussed until Commissioner Phil Fletcher managed to get the proposal approved by cabinet on 16 December 1969. Several sites were considered until Rokeby was selected. The main road into the Tasmania Police Academy, Phil Fletcher Drive, was named in his honour. The Academy was officially opened on 6 March 1976 by the
Premier of Tasmania The premier of Tasmania is the head of the Government of Tasmania, executive government in the Australian state of Tasmania. By convention, the leader of the party or political grouping which has majority support in the Tasmanian House of Assem ...
,
Bill Neilson William Arthur Neilson AC (27 August 1925 – 9 November 1989) was Premier of Tasmania from 1975 to 1977. Born in Hobart, and educated at Ogilvie High School, Neilson became a postman before entering politics. He married Jill Benjamin, daugh ...
. The Tasmania Police Academy was the first purpose-built Police Academy in Australia. The Tasmania Police Academy offers training for Tasmania Police recruits, currently serving Tasmania Police officers, and is offered as a community resource to various local community groups.


Equipment


Firearms

The general-issue
Glock 17 Glock (; stylized as GLOCK) is a brand of polymer- framed, short-recoil-operated, striker-fired, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H. The firearm entered Austrian military an ...
9-mm semi-automatic pistol retains the "three-tier" safety features of the original model, and does not include any special features specific to Tasmania Police. Contrary to popular belief, there was never a Glock model specifically developed for use that was unique to Tasmania Police. Tasmania Police underwent a period of individual issue of the weapon until the adoption of the Glock 17 as the standard-issue weapon in 1999. The
Smith & Wesson Model 10 The Smith & Wesson Model 10, previously known as the Smith & Wesson .38 Hand Ejector Model of 1899, the Smith & Wesson Military & Police or the Smith & Wesson Victory Model, is a K-frame revolver. In production since 1899, the Model 10 is a six-s ...
revolver is no longer issued or carried by Tasmania Police. The Glock 19 compact pistol has been issued mainly to traffic sections, and the Glock 26 sub-compact model was adopted as the general-issue sidearm for detectives and covert units. A degree of individual preference of model adopted by the individual officer exists to this day.


Operational equipment

In addition to firearms, police are also equipped with an expandable
baton Baton may refer to: Stick-like objects *Baton, a type of club *Baton (law enforcement) *Baston (weapon), a type of baton used in Arnis and Filipino Martial Arts *Baton charge, a coordinated tactic for dispersing crowds of people *Baton (conducti ...
and
OC spray Pepper spray, oleoresin capsicum spray, OC spray, capsaicin spray, mace, or capsicum spray is a lachrymator (tear gas) product containing as its active ingredient the chemical compound capsaicin, which irritates the eyes with burning and pain ...
. In April 2015, the Multiuse Integrated Protection Vest (MIPV) was issued, a combination of a load bearing vest and a
Ballistic vest A bulletproof vest, also known as a ballistic vest or bullet-resistant vest, is a type of body armor designed to absorb impact and prevent the penetration of firearm projectiles and Fragmentation (weaponry), explosion fragments to the torso. The ...
, with a high visibility over garment, together with a new uniform. Tasmania Police evaluated the use of
taser Taser (stylized in all caps) is a line of handheld conducted energy devices (CED) sold by Axon Enterprise (formerly Taser International). The device fires two small barbed darts intended to puncture the skin and remain attached to the targe ...
stun guns in 2009, but the decision was made not to issue tasers to front-line officers. Currently, only officers of the Special Operations Group and the emergency response team at
Risdon Prison Complex Risdon Prison Complex is an Australian medium to maximum security prison for males located in Risdon Vale near Hobart, Tasmania. The facility is operated by the Tasmanian Prison Service, an agency of the Department of Justice of the Government ...
are authorised to carry tasers. In August 2018, Tasmania Police began the rollout of body worn cameras to frontline officers, as part of a $3.4 million program to deploy them across the whole force over four years.


Vehicles

The first radio-equipped vehicles adopted by Tasmania Police were FX Holden sedans, with ten of these acquired in 1950. Ford Fairlane cars were adopted in 1960 for use by the Criminal Investigative Branch, and over the years various makes of
Holden Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. Founded in Adelaide, it was an automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter that sold cars under its own marque in Australia. It was ...
,
Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...
and
Toyota is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is the List of manuf ...
have been used. Notably the Traffic division adopted Nissan Skyline Silhouette pursuit cars in the late 1980s. Tasmania Police vehicles are based around several platforms, including the Hybrid Toyota Camry, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorrento for general (urban) patrol. The Highway Patrol utilise a variety of makes and models employed on a "best-suitability" basis including Subaru Outback, VW Passat, Kia Stinger and BMW 5 series “M Sport” models.The
Ford Ranger The Ford Ranger is a compact or mid-size pickup marketed globally by Ford over a series of generations, varying between both in-house or outside development and manufacturing — and with a hiatus in North America from 2011–2018. Debutin ...
and Isuzu D Max are currently used as base vehicles for divisional vans, fitted with a custom Varley-brand rotary-moulded, "pod" for transport of prisoners. Divisional vans are also predominantly used as patrol-support vehicles, to transport people under-arrest who have displayed a propensity for violence. The BMW R1200RT-P motorcycle is the primary motorcycle used in Tasmania, to supplement traffic control and enforcement duties, as well as assist with dignitaries and official ceremonial duties. Tasmania Police general patrol vehicles are equipped with
mobile data terminal A mobile data terminal (MDT) or mobile digital computer (MDC) is a computerized device used in emergency services, public transport, taxicabs, package delivery, roadside assistance, and logistics, among other fields, to communicate with a centra ...
s, used to interrogate criminal and traffic databases. They also have a general exemption against the Tasmanian government's "green-fleet" designations, as most vehicles under this designation are unsuitable for policing duties, and do not comply with Australian standards for the minimum requirements for Australian police vehicles.


Tasmania Police Pipe Band

The Tasmania Police Pipe Band was formed in 1969, and wears the Fletcher of Dunans tartan in honour of the Commissioner of Police at the time Mr PW Fletcher. The band is also recognised as the marching band for the
Royal Tasmania Regiment The Royal Tasmania Regiment (RTR) is a Reserve infantry regiment within the Australian Army consisting of a single battalion. Formed in 1960 following a review of military formations in Australia, the Regiment can trace its lineage back to the ...
, and wears the regiment badge with rosette device on its tartan.


Tasmania Police Medal

The Tasmania Police Medal is awarded to sworn officers of the Tasmania Police, for diligent and ethical service. The medal is circular and nickel-silver, with the obverse featuring the outline of Tasmania emblazoned with the heraldic lion in the centre. The words Tasmania Police around the central device, and 'For diligent and ethical service' around the vertical edges. The ribbon is the same as some other state police medals.


See also

*
Tasmania Police Special Operations Group The Special Operations Group (SOG) is the police tactical group of the Tasmania Police. In August 2024, the SOG transitioned from a part-time unit to a full-time unit. Mission The SOG incorporates police officers who, through specific traini ...


References


External links

* {{Law enforcement in Australia Law enforcement agencies of Tasmania Government agencies established in 1899 Emergency services in Tasmania 1899 establishments in Australia