Our police officers deserve better pay

Dear Minister,

We the community, believe our police deserve better pay. It has been long overdue. I am sure you will agree that they have a very tough job and it is a disgrace that a football player gets better pay and better benefits. Our police officers make sacrifices, unfortunately it can be the ultimate sacrifice and in return they receive the following:

 Low pay
 Lack of support from both the community and the government
 Often get spat on, things thrown at them such as fecal matter (human or animal)
 Verbally and physically abused, quite often by those that they help
 Shot at, sometimes fatally
 Long shifts with little or no breaks
 Miss out quality family time
 Work public and religious holidays
 At a high risk of ‘burn out’ , stress and mental illness such as Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

These are just a few issues they face every day. With a shortage of new equipment such as the load baring vests and tough laws such as the NSW Last Drinks Campaign, police officers are more likely to get injured and assaulted whilst on the job resulting in the loss of income and fewer police out on the streets in the communities in which they serve.

We ask you Minister to please support them and increase their pay. They often have families to support and have mortgages to pay off. If they get sick, what would then happen to them and their families?

Although they will never be paid their true worth, let’s make it worthwhile for them to do the job and keep them doing what a wonderful job they do, by paying them an increased wage they are all worthy of.