Officers lured to Australia in a recruitment drive have said colleagues remaining in the UK are being “thrown under a bus” by police chiefs and politicians after a firearms specialist was charged with murder.
The government of Western Australia has received more than 1,000 applications from experienced British officers. It expects to recruit 150 a year amid growing disillusionment among officers serving in the UK.
The controversy about last week’s charging of a London officer over the fatal shooting of Chris Kaba — which led to a number of Met firearms officers refusing to carry guns — highlighted anger among many serving in the police.
Police are restricted from speaking freely to the media in the UK, but those who have moved to Australia offer an insight into the disillusionment among officers.
Among the new recruits to Western Australia, where all officers carry guns, is Anna Miller, 38, a mother of three who used to work for West Yorkshire police.
“As a UK officer I did not feel at all appreciated,” she said. “Over in Australia the community support their cops.”
She continued: “The feeling among myself and my colleagues is officers weren’t backed.
“As a police officer, they [police chiefs] will happily throw you under a bus to present a positive picture to the public. I don’t feel cops feel supported.”
Miller joined the police in 2007 and worked in an eight-strong safeguarding unit investigating domestic and sexual violence. One of her former colleagues has also been accepted by the Australian force and two others are considering applying.
“The biggest thing that the police in the UK could benefit from to improve morale is feeling that the media, the government and everyone has their back a little bit,” she said.
Like most of the British recruits, she has moved to Australia for a better lifestyle for her family but also expects a better policing experience.
Ben Woods, 33, received a national police bravery award for saving the life of a woman while risking his own and was promoted to sergeant aged 28.
He said that while working in the UK “you don’t want to tell people you are a cop any more, because it is something people don’t like”.
Woods joined the Sussex force as a cadet aged 15, becoming a special constable at 19 and a full-time constable at 24.
He called on UK forces to follow the lead of Australia and be more open about the difficulties faced by officers.
“When you get the video of the police officer chucking someone to the floor it would be nice to have the bit before, when he was punched in the face ... the reason why,” he said.
“It would benefit British policing if we could release our body-worn camera footage a lot sooner. That would help the media, the public and the government understand a little bit more about why we make the decisions we make and the actions we take.”
He said senior officers in the UK should be “more vocal” in addressing difficult issues.
“That is just not backing your officers ... but being truthful, honest and accountable, and giving the correct information,” he said. “Let’s get our most senior officers and chief officers more visible to the public and more accountable to [the media].”
Woods also highlighted the extra funding in the Australian force, saying: “It just seems they are getting proper investment in learning development, the cars, the technology.”
Paul Papalia, the Western Australia police minister who led the February recruitment drive, said he was “intent on stealing your best people, unashamedly” to fill vacancies in his own force.
Western Australia is assessing 300 applications, with the first 23 British recruits starting their new duties on Monday. It hopes to add 150 a year for the next five years.
Papalia said the supportive environment — in addition to the sunshine — was demonstrated by the response to an officer involved in the fatal shooting of a 58-year-old grandfather in Kalgoorlie on Friday.
While the minister is waiting for the results of a full investigation, he said: “I can tell you our police officers behaved incredibly well.
“We have body-worn camera imagery of that — I have seen it,” he added. “It confirms they acted entirely in accordance with their protocols and responsibly and properly.
“And sadly they have had to shoot someone. It was for their own protection and they did it absolutely correctly.”
He said the officer was supported by Col Blanch, the commissioner of the Western Australia force, within an hour of the shooting. Roger Cook, the state premier, has also publicly stated that he understood the officers complied with regulations.
“There have been a few shootings this year, not a large number, but on every occasion officers have acted appropriately,” he said. “They are not excused from shooting people. You have got to obey the law.”
