South Australia Police Union Votes No Confidence in Top Leadership

South Australia’s police union has passed a vote of “no confidence” in the leadership of the police commissioner and his deputy, despite the top cop saying the move was “not reflective” of the feedback he received from officers.

Delegates of the Police Association of South Australia met on Tuesday to discuss staffing pressures, retention and workforce wellbeing. PASA president Wade Burns said 92 per cent of delegates supported the motion, saying they “have no confidence in [Police Commissioner] Grant Stevens or [Deputy Commissioner] Linda Williams to lead SAPOL to its next phase of reform or to restore workforce confidence”.

Mr Burns said the motion did not require the top brass to leave their roles. “Today’s vote is not about resignation. Today’s vote is about accountability,” he said. “What happens next is for the government, the commissioner and the deputy commissioner.”

In a statement, Commissioner Stevens said he has spoken to SA Premier Peter Malinauskas, who has publicly backed him and the deputy commissioner. “The police union’s step is disappointing because, while the delegates have expressed their opinion, it is not reflective of the daily feedback I receive through my constant interaction with officers on the frontline,” Commissioner Stevens said.

Workforce concerns

Mr Burns said the move reflected a range of concerns officers had, including working conditions, organisational reform, morale and the district policing model. “[An independent] review has found the district policing model is not fit for purpose, it’s failed in its current form and members are still working under that model,” he said. “Their working conditions have deteriorated, resignations are on the up, we’re seeing more police officers leave the occupation of policing to pursue other careers than previously we would’ve seen.”

But Commissioner Stevens said he had previously acknowledged challenges in attracting officers to work in regional SA but noted that “resources are at historic record levels and are continuing to increase”. “Since 2022, my direct engagement with government has resulted in positive resourcing outcomes that have secured funding for 750 new positions – the majority of those being police officers and police security officers (PSOs),” Commissioner Stevens said.

In the 2025-26 budget, the government promised $172 million to grow the state’s police force to 5,000 sworn officers by 2030-31. The commissioner said changes to the policing model were underway. “Last week I announced significant changes to our policing model in response to concerns identified by the workforce, and many other initiatives are being developed and implemented that will reduce demands on frontline officers,” Commissioner Stevens said. “I am focused on continuing to ease the pressure on the workforce, addressing the key issues responsible and introducing meaningful change to address them.”