Jason Lawren on one hundred.
Hey, big day to day Clint. Here in Victoria police are walking off the job.
It's going to impact the police Academy in Glen Wave and also the broad Meadows Police station. It's an escalation of the industrial action the Police Association and police officers are taking. They're looking for a pay rise, a substantial pay rise, twenty four percent in some instances.
Whether they want twenty four you know how it's you're always going with a high number and met halfway.
Give it to them.
Yeah, exactly.
I think there was an offer on the table not so long back of sixteen percent. It's that and also the work day, reducing the work day to an eight and a half hour shift from all of.
Our emergency services.
More money, absolutely. I mean you drive past any emergency service vehicle here in Melbourne and the riding all over the police cars.
They work bloody hard.
Also behind every police officer is a fly at home.
Exactly right. We're talking about this the other day, Jays.
Every time a police officer goes to work, really they're putting themselves out there to protect other people and I can't even imagine what that is like. Having a partner go and do that kind of work. Or it's the same with the army. It's the same with all of those careers. It's must it must be hard for the families at home, you'd be stressed every time they're at work.
Well, Nikki will be able to shed some light on it. Her husband is a police officer and a specialist police Morning, Nikki.
How are you morning, Jason Lauren, thank you so much for having me on No Worries.
Well time we hear about this industrial action quite often. As a family member of someone who works in the force, how does this stuff affect you?
Yeah, so, you know, in summary, really we've been together for eleven years, and so we've been together throughout his time in the academy and now where are you's at at the specialtist unit. And each stage of his career came with its throwing difficulty and strains on our lives, and particularly for the past two years where he's been at the moment. I mean, we have a two year old.
I work in the legal industry. It's you know, it's a busy time for everyone, but this job, his job means that he's almost always at work, on call, at overtime, and there's been countless times where he's been called out during the night times where he's how to rest day what was called out? And you know that can happen
three times a day. And I've also received countless text messages from him saying, you know that he was about to come home, but then he's a job's come up and he's no longer going to be able to come home, and he doesn't know when he'll come home. So it really makes it difficult, especially when you've got a young family and you're trying to work yourself as well.
Niki, that's the that's the physical toll as well. What about the emotional toll that it takes on you personally. What's it like having a husband serve in such a high pressure and high risk.
Hmm, it's it's incredibly difficult. I won't lie if you know. They particularly in his job at the moment, he's in
the self shut of the unit. So they respond to really high conflict jobs and incredibly hostile situations and they do that every day and you don't really see it, and then you you don't hear about it, and it's hard because the conditions of the job and the pay it just it just doesn't meet the standard and it's not sustainable probably long term for us if if he doesn't receive a pay rise unfortunately, which is.
A shame because he's obviously doing it because he loves it.
They absolutely love it. I've never met someone more passionate and his team is more passionate about, you know, protecting the community. And you know, yet looking.
After all lots anybody sitting here going you know, oh, look, do they really deserve money? You think about it. When you need to bring Triple O and need police somewhere, you expect them there as.
A community, we do well. Nikki, thank you so much for jumping on with us today. I mean, this is obviously, Clint, it's a it's a big industrial thing and there's obviously a lot of complexities to it as well.
Yeah, of course, And the government is not just negotiating with police, you know, there's been negotiations on going with paramedics, with nurses and teachers. It's a fine balancing act. Just before you let NICKI go, Nikki, what's your message to say the premiere?
You know, it's it's something that really needs to be addressed and I feel as though my partner and his team and probably all the police in general just don't feel as though they're being heard at the moment. Agreed, Yeah, it's time for a change.
I think I.
Got really annoyed when we were just entrailing in the other week because yeah, I like, you know, with a situation where we're waiting for an ambulance to help an old lady had fallen down at the Bound hotel an hour and a half and a nambo rocked up by himself and she was like, well, you know, if we if it was a priority, I promise the ambulance would have been there. Continue now mate, if it was you and mother lying on the ground for an hour and a half, you would have won them the.
Australia really and the issue is our police officers and paramedics and AMBO workers. They're doing the best they can, yeah, and they're all there to try and help people. So there's obviously, I mean many issues that play here. Hey thirteen twenty four ten. If you are a policeman who who is walking out on the job, Clint, how will it affect people like because it seems scary the police walking out on the job.
I don't want to say it sounds more dramatic than it is, but it is only impacting broad Meadows today and also Glen Waverley, the police training Academy.
So look, if you're want of the robbers in homer Line, that doesn't mean it's free game too.
It's not widespread, but it is certainly an escalation of industrial action and it sends a strong message to the state government that something needs to be done and done now.
Thirteen twenty four ten is our number to join us on the air year.
We love Alvic. We're big supporters of them in here.
Yeah, and you know we're a great job they do.
All the police officers listening.
To this and anybody out there listening at the moment when you want to help, you expect them to be there. So you know, let's chuck them more money, let's give them, you know, better, better conditions. Thirteen twenty four ten is our number if you're all a wigh in on it, especially if you are a police officer. Would love to hear from me this morning. I'm over how we're talking about the cops going on strike today. Certain areas of the Victorian police are walking out over a pay rise dispute.
I'm still going to mate in my name's coffee shop. And they had a situation on the weekend where there's someone down there hassling all the customers and he ring the cops and it took the cops about now to get there. And he wasn't angry at the police. He's just angry at how understaff they are.
Yeah, it seems like all our emergency services are in a similar way.
Yeah, you know, and like eyewitnessed the crime at start of the year, which the cops would see every day, you know, and that's like that stuff stays with you.
Yeah, they do a great job uptorn police officers.
This industrial action just to paint a picture of how you nique it is and historic. It's the first time police in Victoria have walked off the job in a quarter of a century, breaking point, so they need a resolution.
Well, no one will understand it more than Meghan, who is joining us on the air. Your entire family are police officers.
Good morning, Good morning. How are you guys?
Well, Meghan, what's happening in your family?
So my dad has been in the dog for twenty two years, and then my Twistar has been in the dob of about five years, and then my brother in law has been in the job about four years.
Police there are police families. There's a lot of families that are all police officers.
Imagine Mary. Yeah.
So so my dad at the moment has actually been off for a year, and I'm going to try and not get emotional because he's suffering PTSD. And that's what people don't see is the fact that, you know, there is some police officers out there, don't get me wrong, that are very you know, they just put on the uniform just for a bit of power. But there's also people out there that just do it for the good
of their own heart. And that's my dad. And you know, he just took a breaking point and he's been off for a year and he's actually met up with quite a number of police officers that are exact same And I think that the money is going to help with that, but I think there needs to be a lot of things done in Victoria police. Yeah.
Can I ask you what was he struggling with? Was it being burnt out? Over worked?
Being burnt out? It's more, you know, people don't understand that they see stuff that normal people don't see, like they have to go and deliver death messages to parents who have just lost their child in a car accident, or you know, they have someone that's you know, drug intoxicated coming at them with a knife. That's normal.
Not normal.
Is your dad hero?
Oh, he's one of the best mans you'll ever meet. And it's actually been really hard for our family. And I think it's hard because we've also got my sister who's his daughter, who's followed his footsteps, and you're worried
that that's going to happen to them. But there needs to also be more support in regards to counseling as well, because it's all well and good to say that you've got counseling services there for the police officers, but men in that generation will not put their hand up to go I need help, you know what I mean to be compulsory.
Mean, your family obviously do a very great job, and you can hear the stress that that families go through when when other family members who work in the force put themselves on the line.
It's worth pointing out also the Police Association do a significant job in this space as well.
Megan. I hope your dad's doing okay, mate, and I.
Appreciate you guys bringing awareness to this and I think the pay is just a small thing that you obviously help them doing that job.
All right, let's go to Billy. Now, Billy, you are a police officer made. How are you feeling?
Oh, you know, it's it's it's frustrating that it's reached this point. And you know, you just keep hearing the political spin and yet told that it's all happening in good faith from the government's end, and you just sit
your bang in your head against a brick wall. Like you see the slogans on the side of the police cars, one of them, one of them being nine hundred vacancies, nine hundred off sick and your shows, your shows are one of the platforms the organizations using to advertise our career when well, all these vacancies could be filled by the people that are currently off sick and on one of those nine hundred and once once we're off, it's like we're you know, seen as damage goods. And you know,
let's just stand aide, fix it and replace them. And if you don't fix the culture of everything, then.
It's not just about it's not just it's not just you know, the cash here, what else do you want?
I think there's a symbolism to the cash as well. Likes as Meghan just said speaking about the you know, the trauma, like you go into this sort of knowing that you're going to be exposed to that. And you know most of us do bring, particularly in this generation. I know it's changing a little bit, bring a lot of self care to what we do, and you know,
you find a way to get through that stuff. But then when there's moments like this where you don't feel supported by being told, oh, you're not worth this, You're not worth that, you started to question why do.
You do it?
And Clinton, I know you're a big d's man, and you know you had two of your high profile players, you know, exploring options with other clubs. It's it's nine hundred in my football club, so to speak. And in an AFL environment, there'd be an external review immediately to address part life.
If that many people are leaving, Yeah, that's that's a worry. Yeah, it's a sharing with us. I mentioned before, like I witnessed quite a violent crime at the start of the year and it really messed me up and stayed with me and I just I the respect I had for the cops that day was just like, this is just an everyday job for me.
They deal with day in like it really blew me away. Look, there's no doubt that our Victorian police do do a great job. Hopefully they can come to a resolution and.
We're not just a mouthpiece for you know, the Victoria police man. No God, someone from the state government who wants to reach out to us, and we'll happily have them on the show.
Yeah, but let's be honest, no bullshit. I don't want the political chats. If you're going to get on the show, like, at least be honest.
So if you see a police officer walking down the street, yeah, just remind them that they're doing a great job and we're great.
Thank you absolutely, Lauren
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