NSW Police radio operators to be relocated from Penrith, sparking mass resignation fears – Daily Telegraph 19/11/2021
NSW Police have revealed plans to strip Sydney’s west of radio operators, sparking mass resignation fears that could bring havoc to an already struggling operation.
Western Sydney-based police operators have hit out at a decision that would see as many as 70 jobs stripped from the city’s west and relocated to the Sydney CBD.
Operators of the NSW Police radio facility, based in Penrith, were told via email this month their office would be closed and jobs amalgamated into the Surry Hills headquarters in February.
“Staff will not be offered redundancy or redeployment within the Police,” one operator, who did not wish to be named, said. “If you want a job, Sydney is where it will be.”
A Public Service Association delegate said the decision would see mass resignations of highly-skilled operators, “which will cripple the response and operations of NSW Police”.
“Radio operators are an essential service, but the government are planning to ruin their lives,” the delegate said.
“The certain effect of this brain-fart of a decision is the majority of them will quit — if you move all their jobs to Surry Hills they will find other work.”
The delegate said it would take police operations “at least a year” to train and replace the operators who resign.
“I have been here since 1993 and this is the craziest thing I have seen,” he said.
“They are ripping good jobs out of far western Sydney.
“They are already 20 staff down statewide already and if they lose any more it will cripple the operations of NSW Police.”
Meanwhile, PSA general secretary Stewart Little said the union had lodged a dispute over the lack of consultation with staff.
“It is astonishing and a lack of respect for these representatives,” he said.
“It is appalling.
“These are jobs being stripped from Western Sydney when the government is campaigning on decentralisation of public servants.”
The Penrith Radio Dispatch Centre is one of five across the state, under the leadership of NSW Police assistant commissioner Stacey Maloney providing 24 hour, 7 days per week radio coverage throughout the state.
The operators provide emergency response to major incidents by co-ordinating the initial response and tasking of combat agencies.
A NSW Police spokeswoman told the Penrith Press a “proposal has been put forward to merge the Penrith and Sydney Radio Operations Centres (ROC) into a Metropolitan ROC”.
“The move is required to consolidate radio operations and support the field,” she said.
“The current ROC space will be utilised to accommodate additional first response police at Nepean PAC.
“It is proposed all existing staff attached to Penrith ROC will be relocated to Sydney ROC, which would occur in early 2022.
“Staff have been invited to provide any feedback regarding the proposal by Tuesday 30 November 2021.”
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/penrith-press/nsw-police-radio-operators-to-be-relocated-from-penrith-sparking-mass-resignation-fears/news-story/a163af8eb968be13d81c36cf77cfa385