represents the professional and industrial
Interests of police officers in Tasmania.
Police Association membership covers all ranks of sworn police officers in Tasmania and police officers are the only group eligible for membership to the PAT.
The PAT negotiates salary and conditions of service on behalf of its members and protects and ensures the occupational health and safety of police officers in Tasmania.
The PAT is non-political and non-sectarian and is affiliated with the Police Federation of Australia.
Our history
In 1922 the Police Force of Tasmania consisted of 235 police officers.
It was considered by many of those members at that time that salaries and conditions of service were in urgent need of improvement. Approaches to the Police Department and the Government were made but to no avail. Because of these fruitless approaches a group of police officers gathered together for the purpose of forming a Police Association. Similar bodies had been established in the majority of mainland states. The main aim of the organisation was, of course, to be a representative body, which would make formal application to the Government for better salaries and conditions for serving police officers.
Formal recognition of the Tasmania Police Association was given in late 1922 and in January 1923 by notice in the Police Gazette nominations for office bearers to form an Executive Committee were called.
The Committee first met in March 1923 with the first conference of delegates of the Association having state wide representation coming together on the 11th and 12th September, 1923.
In 1967 the Association had grown with the expansion of the Police Force, which had reached 700 in numbers. It was decided that the Association had come of age and that a full time staffing situation was warranted to continue the aims of the Association and to provide a greater liaison with the membership generally. The Association appointed a General Secretary in a full time role.
In 2004 the Association appointed its President on a full time basis. The President must be a serving police officer and is seconded to the Association for the term of their Presidency.
The Organisation
The Executive
Management of the Police Association rests with the Executive who meet monthly. The Executive consists of the President, Vice President, Deputy Vice President, Treasurer, three Trustees and the Branch Chairperson and Branch Secretary from each of the constituted branches of the Association.
The President, Vice President, Deputy Vice President, Treasurer, and the three Trustees are elected biennially by members state-wide.
The Branch Chairperson and Branch Secretary are elected biennially by members of the Branch to which they belong. Three Branch Delegates are also elected to attend and represent their Branches at Conference or Special Conference.
The Branches
The Branches consist of Southern Branch, Northern Branch, Eastern Branch, Western Branch and Officers’ Branch
Branches meet monthly within the branch locality and all members are encouraged to attend the meetings.
Staff
The PAT employ staff who are responsible for the day-to-day business of the Organisation and implementing decisions and policy determined by the Executive. The office staff comprise of the Director, Assistant Director and four Executive Assistants. See our staff here.
The Police Federation of Australia
The Police Association of Tasmania is a branch member of the Police Federation of Australia (PFA).
The PFA, the “National Voice of Policing”, is the national body which brings together members of the eight (8) state, territory and federal police associations and unions across the country. The PFA was formally registered under Federal industrial law on 1 January 1998. The Canberra office was opened by the then Prime Minister of Australia the Hon John Howard, MP on Tuesday, 16 September 2003.
Who are the members?
All police officers who are members of each State, Territory and Federal Police Association and Union are members of the Police Federation of Australia.
How many members does the PFA represent?
As at December 2014 the PFA had 58,535 members, giving it the greatest level of membership density of any union or employee association in Australia.
PFA Federal Council
Federal Council meets once per annum and is made up of delegates of the eight (8) state, territory and federal police associations and unions. It is the supreme decision-making body of the PFA. The number of delegates from each branch is based on one delegate for the first 1,000 members or part thereof and one delegate for each successive 2,500 members or part thereof.
PFA Executive
The PFA Executive is made up of the Presidents from each State, Territory and Federal Branch. The Executive meets four times each year and more often if necessary.
If you require assistance, please get in touch with our friendly staff