Police Manslaughter: Plausible Deniability v Profession Development

PD: Professional Development or Plausible Deniability?

A memorandum in the pigeon hole for signing. An email requiring acknowledgement as proof of having been read and understood. Professional development sessions designed to cover new legislation and industry requirements in a sterile environment. I have often thought that “PD” was a loose acronym that could apply to plausible deniability. Something that could be used against a worker when not complying with instruction. I have experienced that in workplace scenarios, and after training as a teacher I have understood that learning or understanding is not a one step process. Applying that knowledge can be an even greater step.

So when NSW Police Officer Kristian White was found guilty of Manslaughter this week it brought back many memories of my Police training. Whilst there are many elements that I can still recall, even physical steps involving muscle memory, the modern police officer has additional burdens. When I joined the Police I had a gun and a baton. And my voice. Assessing the levels of force required to control a situation came naturally to me, but not everyone. I had size, a voice, a presence, and after that a baton, then gun. In 14 years I drew my firearm about 4 times. I used my baton on far more occasions. I used physical force, and was injured a number of times. But what would I do now?

The modern police officer may just have too many choices. Presence, voice, baton, Capscium (OS - Oleoresin) Spray, Taser and Firearm. In the heat of the moment, they must now choose the appropriate level of force. That means someone brandishing a knife could be subdued with any of those levels of force. But if they choose the wrong option it could be fatal to the officer. I have seen an armed man taken down by a team of shield wearing tactical police, only for the knife to slip through and slice open the bicep of a colleague. Should they have shot him? After all, he had just killed someone.

After the Ron Levi incident at Bondi I heard calls for police having a “big net to throw over people”. Batman anyone? I have heard many discussions about the handling of the Clare Nowland situation, and I look with older eyes that are no longer in the Police. They are eyes that have worked in other industries and undertaken training in many organisations. What they do see is how training is vastly inadequate in many industries. My question is who will take responsibility and prevent this from happening again? Where is the improvement in training, and the testing of understanding?

I have seen some schools handle Child Protection with disdain, a box ticking exercise at the start of a 2 year cycle, and not have time for the concerned questions of staff wondering if or when they may overstep or need to take action. I have seen memos placed in pigeon holes and through emails that could lead to a breach of duty of care if not adhered to. On a busy day. With hundreds of demands, and not being trained or practised in this process. See why I think it is plausible deniability?

The Police are at an interesting junction that many workplaces are at. Short staffed, under pressure and often in a no win situation. What they cannot keep doing however, is sending Police from the Academy with a few hours of specialized weapon training, and a few hours of psychology and leave it to on the job training, or the Education Officer to roll out additional training. 

Neither can your industry. 

It is not fair to the worker, and it is not fair to society.