The NSW Police Force publishes or contributes to a range of publications outlining its operational capacity, financial position and organisational planning. Please find these listed below.
Annual Reports
- NSW Police Force Annual Report 2024 - 25
- NSW Police Force Annual Report 2023 - 24
- NSW Police Force Annual Report 2022 - 23
- NSW Police Force Annual Report 2021 - 22
- NSW Police Force Annual Report 2020 - 21
- NSW Police Force Annual Report 2019 - 20
- NSW Police Force Annual Report 2018 - 19
- NSW Police Force Annual Report 2017 - 18
- NSW Police Force Annual Report 2016 - 17
- NSW Police Force Annual Report 2015 - 16
The links and content below are hosted on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine website. Please note that this is a third party website, and NSW Police Force does not own or administer it.
Crime Statistics
To find out detailed information about crime statistics in NSW, including statistics for your local area, please visit the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR).
Independent Cultural Review into New South Wales Police Force
The final report of the Independent Cultural Review into the NSW Police Force is now available.
The Review examined the cultural experiences of the NSW Police Force and the current systems and processes in place to prevent and respond to issues of behaviour, culture, and integrity, and provide recommendations of areas of development, and to improve staff experiences.
The Independent Cultural Review was conducted by Kristen Hilton, the former Victorian Human Rights Commissioner.
More than 5000 people contributed to the Review including through online surveys, face-to-face interviews, focus groups and written submissions.
The Review has made 29 recommendations. All recommendations have been accepted either in full or in principle.
Trusted Leadership
Recommendation 1. NSWPF should ensure the composition and functioning of its executive team contains a broader diversity of perspectives, skills and experience to strengthen organisation culture, decision-making and public trust.
1a. Broaden substantive membership to the Commissioner’s Executive Team to include civilian roles with specialist capabilities.
1b. Establish one to two dedicated roles on the Commissioner’s Executive Team for assistant commissioners or executive directors, to be held on a 6-to-12-month rotational basis, to provide exposure to executive decision-making, build leadership capability and foster succession planning.
1c. Establish transparent criteria and processes for additional appointments to the Commissioner’s Executive Team, to ensure merit-based selection and role modelling of inclusive leadership behaviours.
1d. Build a pipeline of more diverse talent for senior leadership roles, including developing measures to address the low representation of women, First Nations staff, and employees from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
1b. Establish one to two dedicated roles on the Commissioner’s Executive Team for assistant commissioners or executive directors, to be held on a 6-to-12-month rotational basis, to provide exposure to executive decision-making, build leadership capability and foster succession planning.
1c. Establish transparent criteria and processes for additional appointments to the Commissioner’s Executive Team, to ensure merit-based selection and role modelling of inclusive leadership behaviours.
1d. Build a pipeline of more diverse talent for senior leadership roles, including developing measures to address the low representation of women, First Nations staff, and employees from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Recommendation 2. To strengthen implementation, NSWPF should incorporate explicit targets and outcome measures into its people and culture strategies, with the Commissioner's Executive Team jointly responsible for driving and monitoring progress.
2a. Establish timebound organisational targets for employee engagement, retention, diversity, respectful workplace behaviours, and successful return to work from psychological injuries.
2b. Ensure that members of the Commissioner’s Executive Team are held accountable for progress through their performance plans.
2b. Ensure that members of the Commissioner’s Executive Team are held accountable for progress through their performance plans.
Recommendation 3. NSWPF should strengthen its leadership performance framework to embed accountability for culture and people management, making these responsibilities central to senior roles.
3a. Integrate explicit key performance indicators into leadership evaluations covering employee engagement, retention, diversity, respectful workplace behaviours, and successful return to work from psychological injuries – these measures must be weighted alongside operational outcomes to ensure cultural leadership is valued equally.
3b. Ensure that the Commissioner’s Executive Team reports publicly on progress against cultural and people related key performance indicators in the NSWPF annual report, demonstrating accountability and continuous improvement.
3c. Introduce 360-degree feedback for senior leaders – recognising that such processes require significant psychological safety, we suggest beginning with the Commissioner’s Executive Team, which will help establish the foundations for broader organisational adoption.
3b. Ensure that the Commissioner’s Executive Team reports publicly on progress against cultural and people related key performance indicators in the NSWPF annual report, demonstrating accountability and continuous improvement.
3c. Introduce 360-degree feedback for senior leaders – recognising that such processes require significant psychological safety, we suggest beginning with the Commissioner’s Executive Team, which will help establish the foundations for broader organisational adoption.
Recommendation 4. NSWPF should establish robust mechanisms to implement and monitor the Cultural Review’s recommendations, ensuring transparency and accountability.
4a. Establish an advisory committee with external independent experts to guide the intent and implementation of the Cultural Review’s recommendations, reporting directly to the Commissioner’s Executive Team.
4b. Commission an independent audit of the Cultural Review’s recommendations within two years, with findings on progress and impact reported publicly.
4c. Develop a clear implementation plan that sets out responsibilities, timelines and measures of success for each recommendation.
4b. Commission an independent audit of the Cultural Review’s recommendations within two years, with findings on progress and impact reported publicly.
4c. Develop a clear implementation plan that sets out responsibilities, timelines and measures of success for each recommendation.
Attraction, recruitment and the Academy
Rec 5. NSWPF should develop and implement a comprehensive recruitment strategy that is mapped to current and future capability requirements, including diversity targets and requires public reporting against procedures.
5a. Set annual recruitment targets based on workforce modelling, regional capability needs and projected exits, with periodic review to reflect operational demand.
5b. Embed measurable diversity goals aligned with the NSW Government Inclusion and Belonging Strategy, supported by targeted attraction initiatives for underrepresented groups.
5c. Publish recruitment outcomes against workforce, attrition and diversity objectives to ensure transparency, accountability and evidence-based refinement.
5d. Evaluate recruitment campaigns to ensure they accurately reflect the reality of general duties policing, drawing on feedback from probationary constables, field training officers and early leavers.
5b. Embed measurable diversity goals aligned with the NSW Government Inclusion and Belonging Strategy, supported by targeted attraction initiatives for underrepresented groups.
5c. Publish recruitment outcomes against workforce, attrition and diversity objectives to ensure transparency, accountability and evidence-based refinement.
5d. Evaluate recruitment campaigns to ensure they accurately reflect the reality of general duties policing, drawing on feedback from probationary constables, field training officers and early leavers.
Rec 6. NSWPF should streamline the recruitment pathway to reduce administrative burden, improve candidate experience and target attraction of priority cohorts.
6a. Introduce an ‘expression of interest’ function on the recruitment homepage to capture candidate details early and enable tailored follow up.
6b. Recalibrate entry testing and vetting processes to ensure they are culturally informed and aligned with contemporary policing demands.
6c. Provide clear, accessible guidance and public FAQs on eligibility, including mental health eligibility requirements, explicitly addressing common misconceptions and aligning messaging with wellbeing commitments.
6d. Ensure transparent communication of the costs to complete training and any financial support available throughout the recruitment process.
6b. Recalibrate entry testing and vetting processes to ensure they are culturally informed and aligned with contemporary policing demands.
6c. Provide clear, accessible guidance and public FAQs on eligibility, including mental health eligibility requirements, explicitly addressing common misconceptions and aligning messaging with wellbeing commitments.
6d. Ensure transparent communication of the costs to complete training and any financial support available throughout the recruitment process.
Rec 7. NSWPF should implement targeted financial supports to reduce early career attrition and encourage applicants in high-need regions.
7a. Provide Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) debt relief or forgiveness for probationary constables who complete their first year of service.
7b. Review financial incentives to ensure they support retention in high-need regions.
7b. Review financial incentives to ensure they support retention in high-need regions.
Rec 8. NSWPF should better integrate wellbeing, cultural inclusion and mental health capability across and probation training.
8a. Position wellbeing as a core capability – ensuring recruits understand hypervigilance, trauma exposure, organisational culture pressures and early warning signs of mental ill health.
8b. Embed mental health readiness and cultural inclusion throughout and probation training – integrating scenario-based learning, de-escalation techniques and communication strategies for engaging individuals in crisis, and strengthening foundational understanding of First Nations and culturally diverse communities.
8c. Expand structured exposure to frontline realities – increasing operational placements, practical readiness for operational systems (i.e. CAD and COPS) and incorporating body worn video and other real-world examples to build situational judgement, critical thinking and confidence in complex environments.
8d. Conduct a formal evaluation within two years – assessing the impact of these enhancements on recruit readiness, cultural capability, wellbeing, retention and early career performance, including the effects of the shortened program and the partnership with Western Sydney University. This information could be used to inform recruitment strategy in future years.
8b. Embed mental health readiness and cultural inclusion throughout and probation training – integrating scenario-based learning, de-escalation techniques and communication strategies for engaging individuals in crisis, and strengthening foundational understanding of First Nations and culturally diverse communities.
8c. Expand structured exposure to frontline realities – increasing operational placements, practical readiness for operational systems (i.e. CAD and COPS) and incorporating body worn video and other real-world examples to build situational judgement, critical thinking and confidence in complex environments.
8d. Conduct a formal evaluation within two years – assessing the impact of these enhancements on recruit readiness, cultural capability, wellbeing, retention and early career performance, including the effects of the shortened program and the partnership with Western Sydney University. This information could be used to inform recruitment strategy in future years.
Talent development and career progression
Rec 9. NSWPF should strengthen the consistency, transparency and impact of its approach to leadership and management development for both sworn and unsworn staff, by ensuring equitable access, targeted capability building, and timely delivery at key career transition points.
9a. Collect and publish participation data (rank, region, diversity, employment type) to identify and address inequities in access to development opportunities.
9b. Establish clear expectations for critical leadership skills at each level, ensuring they are taught through structured learning and built into formal handovers and informal coaching for staff undertaking relieving duties or promotion.
9c. Support a culture of continuous learning by providing protected times within shifts for completion of mandatory training and ensuring that such training is realistic, role specific and scenario based.
9b. Establish clear expectations for critical leadership skills at each level, ensuring they are taught through structured learning and built into formal handovers and informal coaching for staff undertaking relieving duties or promotion.
9c. Support a culture of continuous learning by providing protected times within shifts for completion of mandatory training and ensuring that such training is realistic, role specific and scenario based.
Rec 10. NSWPF should strengthen retention by systematically analysing exit drivers and reviewing schemes and financial incentives that may unintentionally encourage departure.
10a. Integrate insights from exit surveys and separation data into regular command-level reporting to identify emerging trends, hotspots and actionable retention risks.
10b. Seek Treasury support to model targeted retention incentives, including bonuses or other measures.
10b. Seek Treasury support to model targeted retention incentives, including bonuses or other measures.
Rec 11. NSWPF should immediately strengthen the integrity and transparency of promotion decisions through independent oversight and clear governance.
11a. Appoint independent, external senior executives or HR professionals to promotion panels for all roles at superintendent level and above, comprising at least one-third of panel membership.
11b. Require all panel members to declare work history and relationships with applicants, with independent review of conflicts or perceived conflicts.
11c. Ensure superintendent selections are made by assistant commissioners, informed by a regularly reviewed succession plan endorsed by the Commissioner’s Executive Team.
11d. Develop and publish a promotions dashboard showing applications, outcomes and relieving data by rank, gender, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status, culturally and linguistically diverse background, disability status and region, with quarterly reporting to the Commissioner’s Executive Team.
11b. Require all panel members to declare work history and relationships with applicants, with independent review of conflicts or perceived conflicts.
11c. Ensure superintendent selections are made by assistant commissioners, informed by a regularly reviewed succession plan endorsed by the Commissioner’s Executive Team.
11d. Develop and publish a promotions dashboard showing applications, outcomes and relieving data by rank, gender, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status, culturally and linguistically diverse background, disability status and region, with quarterly reporting to the Commissioner’s Executive Team.
Rec 12. NSWPF should ensure that HR decisions taken within commands are being made by people with skills and expertise in people and culture, to strengthen workforce management and support fair, consistent promotion pipelines and processes.
12a. Require that HR duty officers have specific HR training which could be provided for people interested in this stream of leadership.
12b. Ensure HR professionals oversee compliance with conflict-of-interest processes, feedback requirements and data reporting.
12b. Ensure HR professionals oversee compliance with conflict-of-interest processes, feedback requirements and data reporting.
Rec 13. NSWPF should simplify and refocus promotion assessments to prioritise leadership capability, operational readiness and fair access.
13a. Remove the Technical and Operational Knowledge Assessment and replace it with consistent evaluation of leadership capability, behavioural indicators, operational readiness and performance history.
13b. Ensure written applications and capability assessments carry equal weight alongside interviews to reduce reliance on high-stress interview performance.
13c. Establish clear, standardised criteria for shortlisting and targeted questions.
13b. Ensure written applications and capability assessments carry equal weight alongside interviews to reduce reliance on high-stress interview performance.
13c. Establish clear, standardised criteria for shortlisting and targeted questions.
Rec 14. NSWPF should embed structured, actionable feedback and development into all promotion and relieving processes.
14a. Require promotion panels to agree on specific feedback for each interviewed candidate, delivered verbally and documented for HR oversight and local follow through.
14b. Strengthen feedback for officers undertaking relieving opportunities to support leadership development and readiness.
14c. Introduce formal onboarding for first time relieving and newly promoted officers, including structured handovers and training in people management.
14b. Strengthen feedback for officers undertaking relieving opportunities to support leadership development and readiness.
14c. Introduce formal onboarding for first time relieving and newly promoted officers, including structured handovers and training in people management.
Rec 15. NSWPF should ensure equitable access to relieving and promotion opportunities.
15a. Establish regional HR-managed registers to allocate relieving opportunities transparently and equitably across eligible staff.
15b. Require commanders to document and justify allocation of relieving opportunities under six months, demonstrating how decisions balance operational needs, staff development and pipeline building.
15c. Require all advertised relieving roles to explicitly welcome flexible and part-time applicants, with clear criteria for assessing merit irrespective of work arrangements.
15d. Collect and publish annual promotion data by gender, cultural background and region/command to strengthen accountability.
15e. Increase visibility of senior female and culturally diverse role models through structured mentoring, leadership messaging and sponsorship.
15b. Require commanders to document and justify allocation of relieving opportunities under six months, demonstrating how decisions balance operational needs, staff development and pipeline building.
15c. Require all advertised relieving roles to explicitly welcome flexible and part-time applicants, with clear criteria for assessing merit irrespective of work arrangements.
15d. Collect and publish annual promotion data by gender, cultural background and region/command to strengthen accountability.
15e. Increase visibility of senior female and culturally diverse role models through structured mentoring, leadership messaging and sponsorship.
Flexibility in a modern organisation
Rec 16. NSWPF should materially expand access to flexible work, with regional commanders held accountable for approving and enabling arrangements and the Commissioner’s Executive Team monitoring participation, uptake and outcomes quarterly.
16a. Ensure leadership communication positions flexibility as an operational asset – explicitly linking flexible work to improved retention, care for employees, capability and continuity of first response coverage, rather than treating it as a constraint.
16b. Provide formal human resources training for all staff appointed to substantive or relieving HR roles ensuring those roles are supported by skills in workforce management, including flexible work assessment, performance feedback, difficult conversations, procedural fairness, and employee wellbeing.
16c. Embed flexible team leadership in all leadership development programs – equipping supervisors with practical tools to assess requests, manage performance in flexible contexts and design rosters and team workflows that maintain operational readiness.
16d. Develop pilots in frontline and shift-based environments – testing models such as split shifts, micro-flexibility and partial remote work where feasible, with systematic evaluation and dissemination of successful approaches in ways which are easy for leaders to replicate.
16e. Invest in flexible and hybrid delivery of mandatory and optional training – ensuring officers who cannot attend in-person sessions retain access to career development and promotion pathways. This includes ensuring employees returning from periods of caring-related leave have equal access to development opportunities and upskilling.
16f. Monitor employee experience of accessing flexible work.
16b. Provide formal human resources training for all staff appointed to substantive or relieving HR roles ensuring those roles are supported by skills in workforce management, including flexible work assessment, performance feedback, difficult conversations, procedural fairness, and employee wellbeing.
16c. Embed flexible team leadership in all leadership development programs – equipping supervisors with practical tools to assess requests, manage performance in flexible contexts and design rosters and team workflows that maintain operational readiness.
16d. Develop pilots in frontline and shift-based environments – testing models such as split shifts, micro-flexibility and partial remote work where feasible, with systematic evaluation and dissemination of successful approaches in ways which are easy for leaders to replicate.
16e. Invest in flexible and hybrid delivery of mandatory and optional training – ensuring officers who cannot attend in-person sessions retain access to career development and promotion pathways. This includes ensuring employees returning from periods of caring-related leave have equal access to development opportunities and upskilling.
16f. Monitor employee experience of accessing flexible work.
Addressing harmful behaviours
Rec 17. NSWPF should develop and implement a comprehensive two-year prevention strategy aimed at reducing harmful behaviours and promoting a safe, respectful and inclusive culture.
17a. Ensure a systemic, risk-based approach is taken to the strategy, informed by People and Capability Command, Professional Standards Command and Health Safety and Wellbeing Command.
17b. Address known hazards, including bullying, discrimination, harassment, victimisation, incivility, interpersonal conflict, barriers to speaking up and reporting, and heightened risks for marginalised cohorts.
17c. Consult staff in the design process.
17d. Include measurable objectives, timelines, evaluation mechanisms and accountability for outcomes.
17b. Address known hazards, including bullying, discrimination, harassment, victimisation, incivility, interpersonal conflict, barriers to speaking up and reporting, and heightened risks for marginalised cohorts.
17c. Consult staff in the design process.
17d. Include measurable objectives, timelines, evaluation mechanisms and accountability for outcomes.
Rec 18. NSWPF should identify a broader range of harmful behaviours as risks in its existing risk management frameworks and proactively manage harmful behaviours as psychosocial hazards.
18a. Continue to elevate respectful workplace behaviours as a corporate misconduct risk.
18b. Update the Psychosocial Risk Management Framework to include discrimination and victimisation as significant psychosocial hazards.
18b. Update the Psychosocial Risk Management Framework to include discrimination and victimisation as significant psychosocial hazards.
Rec 19. NSWPF should strengthen leadership accountability for harmful behaviours by embedding key performance indicators for respectful workplace behaviours into performance and promotion process.
19a. Ensure that performance evaluations for senior leaders factor in People Matter Employee Survey data on negative workplace behaviours and grievance handling, as well as reportable indicators around complaint timeliness, mandatory training, workplace injury leave and misconduct prevention.
19b. Support leaders who are managing complaints to clearly communicate decisions and outcomes to all relevant parties to reinforce transparency and fairness.
19b. Support leaders who are managing complaints to clearly communicate decisions and outcomes to all relevant parties to reinforce transparency and fairness.
Rec 20. NSWPF should build trust in the complaints process by enhancing its promotion of reporting pathways, resolution options and complaint outcomes for harmful workplace behaviours.
20a. Enhance awareness campaigns for reporting pathways outside the chain of command, especially the role of the Respectful Workplaces and Safe Reporting Unit.
20b. Positively promote the use and benefits of alternative resolution pathways and shift the perception that a decision to ‘decline to investigate’ a complaint may not always mean that no action has been taken – de identified examples of meaningful alternative action should be communicated to the organisation.
20c. Increase transparency in reporting outcomes to the workforce through a regular report detailing complaint numbers, most common allegation types, complaints closed, timeliness, and the number of types of resolution and disciplinary actions taken.
20b. Positively promote the use and benefits of alternative resolution pathways and shift the perception that a decision to ‘decline to investigate’ a complaint may not always mean that no action has been taken – de identified examples of meaningful alternative action should be communicated to the organisation.
20c. Increase transparency in reporting outcomes to the workforce through a regular report detailing complaint numbers, most common allegation types, complaints closed, timeliness, and the number of types of resolution and disciplinary actions taken.
Rec 21. NSWPF should embed greater independence and oversight into the management of harmful workplace behaviour.
21a. Increased audits and checks of harmful workplace behaviour matters by Professional Standards Command to address concerns of inconsistent handling of complaints by commands.
21b. Consider the role of the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission in undertaking more regular reviews of the management and investigation of Respectful Workplace Behaviour matters (Tiers 1, 2 and 3).
21b. Consider the role of the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission in undertaking more regular reviews of the management and investigation of Respectful Workplace Behaviour matters (Tiers 1, 2 and 3).
Rec 22. NSWPF should improve workforce satisfaction in the management of harmful workplace behaviour matters by further embedding person-centred, trauma-informed approaches.
22a. Explicitly update relevant guidelines to spell out what a trauma-informed and victim-centric approach means in the context of harmful workplace behaviour matters– NSWPF has recently adopted this approach in its handling of domestic and family violence.
22b. Enhance training for complaint handlers on person-centred, trauma-informed approaches to complaint handling and investigations which recognise intersectionality.
22c. Broaden the availability of expert advice and support provided to commands and participants in harmful workplace behaviour matters by Professional Standards Command, Respectful Workplace and Safe Reporting Unit, and the Internal Witness Support Unit.
22b. Enhance training for complaint handlers on person-centred, trauma-informed approaches to complaint handling and investigations which recognise intersectionality.
22c. Broaden the availability of expert advice and support provided to commands and participants in harmful workplace behaviour matters by Professional Standards Command, Respectful Workplace and Safe Reporting Unit, and the Internal Witness Support Unit.
Support & Care
Rec 23. NSWPF should build on its investment in mental health by prioritising proactive and preventive support and care and increasing in-house expertise and capacity.
23a. Establish an in-house Critical Incident Support unit staffed by qualified psychologists with expertise in emergency services – the unit should be resourced to respond to critical incidents across the state via a mix of remote and in-person attendance.
23b. Increase the number of mental health clinicians, to ensure they are more visible and available in commands and have active support from all commanders in progressing psychological health initiatives, as well as providing more regular and structured clinical supervision and peer support.
23c. Seek further investment to pilot and evaluate well checks for priority staff including Police Link and radio operators.
23d. Significantly increase the cohort of in-house police psychologists to meet existing and future demand and ensure their workload and role is sustainable.
23e. Increase resources for the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Command so it can conduct more structured and ongoing evaluation of all mental health initiatives, including cost–benefit analyses of proactive initiatives that reduce stigma and normalise psychological support against the costs of injury and related claims.
23b. Increase the number of mental health clinicians, to ensure they are more visible and available in commands and have active support from all commanders in progressing psychological health initiatives, as well as providing more regular and structured clinical supervision and peer support.
23c. Seek further investment to pilot and evaluate well checks for priority staff including Police Link and radio operators.
23d. Significantly increase the cohort of in-house police psychologists to meet existing and future demand and ensure their workload and role is sustainable.
23e. Increase resources for the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Command so it can conduct more structured and ongoing evaluation of all mental health initiatives, including cost–benefit analyses of proactive initiatives that reduce stigma and normalise psychological support against the costs of injury and related claims.
Rec 24. NSWPF should continue to build leadership capability at all levels to reduce stigma and normalise early access to support as injury prevention and a retention measure.
24a. Embed comprehensive and mandatory training across all leadership programs that equips leaders with knowledge, skills and strategies in recognising, preventing and responding to psychosocial risks.
24b. Embed and evaluate mental health education across the employee life cycle to ensure a culture of prevention and early intervention is continuously strengthened.
24c. Expand Project Mentis to increase psychosocial hazard reporting, particularly in relation to organisational stressors and harmful behaviour, and implement more structured evaluation of the program to embed continuous improvement.
24d. Ensure the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Command and commanders encourage and support peer support officers across commands to trial tailored initiatives, such as the Maroubra Peer Welfare Program, with structured evaluation to monitor impact.
24e. Increase visible, senior representation among the peer support officer cohort, so that senior leaders who have recovered from psychological injury are more actively in the network and role model the benefits of early support and treatment and reduce stigma.
24b. Embed and evaluate mental health education across the employee life cycle to ensure a culture of prevention and early intervention is continuously strengthened.
24c. Expand Project Mentis to increase psychosocial hazard reporting, particularly in relation to organisational stressors and harmful behaviour, and implement more structured evaluation of the program to embed continuous improvement.
24d. Ensure the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Command and commanders encourage and support peer support officers across commands to trial tailored initiatives, such as the Maroubra Peer Welfare Program, with structured evaluation to monitor impact.
24e. Increase visible, senior representation among the peer support officer cohort, so that senior leaders who have recovered from psychological injury are more actively in the network and role model the benefits of early support and treatment and reduce stigma.
Rec 25. NSWPF should strengthen recognition and respect for general duties and unsworn employees, including Aboriginal Community Liaison Officers and Multicultural Community Liaison Officers, as critical contributors to policing and community trust.
25a. Introduce more structured induction measures that highlight the work and value of Aboriginal community liaison officer and multicultural community liaison officer roles, including a dedicated training module at the Academy, delivered by liaison officers and consistent induction across police area commands.
25b. Establish formal consultation and collaboration mechanisms with Aboriginal community liaison officers, multicultural community liaison officers and unsworn networks to ensure their expertise is supported, resourced and profiled, and that success stories are shared across commands.
25b. Establish formal consultation and collaboration mechanisms with Aboriginal community liaison officers, multicultural community liaison officers and unsworn networks to ensure their expertise is supported, resourced and profiled, and that success stories are shared across commands.
Modern systems
Rec 26. NSWPF should urgently implement a single, statewide workforce management system that integrates rostering, leave, training, fatigue and wellbeing data, and applies demand-driven principles to align workforce allocation with service needs and risk.
26a. Procure or build a fit-for-purpose platform that replaces fragmented command-level practices and consolidates rostering, leave, training and fatigue data in one system.
26b. Embed demand-based rostering rules into the platform to allow shift swaps and better match staffing to predicted workload, risk profiles and local service demand.
26c. Provide predictable and transparent rosters, with options for varied shift lengths (for example, 8, 10 or 12 hours) and equitable access to respite arrangements, including ‘corro days’.
26d. Use system data to actively monitor fatigue, overtime reliance and inequities in access to leave and relief.
26b. Embed demand-based rostering rules into the platform to allow shift swaps and better match staffing to predicted workload, risk profiles and local service demand.
26c. Provide predictable and transparent rosters, with options for varied shift lengths (for example, 8, 10 or 12 hours) and equitable access to respite arrangements, including ‘corro days’.
26d. Use system data to actively monitor fatigue, overtime reliance and inequities in access to leave and relief.
Rec 27. NSWPF should strengthen workforce data insights through a real-time cultural and workforce intelligence dashboard that supports evidence-based decision-making and embeds accountability across leadership.
27a. Consolidate workforce indicators such as attrition, absenteeism, probation progress, mobility, training completion and wellbeing metrics into a single, accessible dashboard.
27b. Provide commanders and HR inspectors with consistent, real-time data to guide relieving decisions, workload distribution and targeted wellbeing interventions.
27c. Link workforce and cultural metrics to leadership performance frameworks, reviews and organisational reporting to promote transparency and timely intervention.
27d. Use trends and exceptions data to support early identification of cultural, supervision, or workload risks at command and regional levels.
27b. Provide commanders and HR inspectors with consistent, real-time data to guide relieving decisions, workload distribution and targeted wellbeing interventions.
27c. Link workforce and cultural metrics to leadership performance frameworks, reviews and organisational reporting to promote transparency and timely intervention.
27d. Use trends and exceptions data to support early identification of cultural, supervision, or workload risks at command and regional levels.
Rec 28. NSWPF, with NSW Government support, should modernise core policing systems through staged, user-centred upgrades that reduce administrative burden, support frontline effectiveness and professionalise leadership.
28a. Replace legacy systems (including COPS, CAD and court documentation processes) with modular, interoperable technology that reduces duplication, manual entry and error.
28b. Deliver immediate frontline productivity improvements such as digital sign-in, user-friendly GPS-enabled dispatch, and automated body-worn video upload and transcription.
28c. Embed frontline officer input into system design, testing and implementation to ensure usability and adoption.
28d. Establish transparent governance for technology investment decisions, with public reporting on milestones linked to operational efficiency and workforce wellbeing.
28b. Deliver immediate frontline productivity improvements such as digital sign-in, user-friendly GPS-enabled dispatch, and automated body-worn video upload and transcription.
28c. Embed frontline officer input into system design, testing and implementation to ensure usability and adoption.
28d. Establish transparent governance for technology investment decisions, with public reporting on milestones linked to operational efficiency and workforce wellbeing.
Rec 29. NSWPF should expand leadership pathways to recognise external qualifications, cross-sector experience and unsworn roles, and embed clear, competency-based promotion and appointment criteria.
29a. Recognise relevant external qualifications and experience from other public service, first responder, and regulatory agencies as valid pathways into leadership roles, including senior and specialist appointments.
Examples of initiatives already underway to address the key themes, include:
- a review of the promotions process
- the development of a leadership framework
- a review of the recruitment process
- a focus on harmful behaviours through a two-year program designed to educate and stop these behaviours happening; and
- a continued investment in mental health and critical incident support.
A detailed and prioritised implementation plan is being developed which will be overseen by the NSW Police Force’s Audit and Risk Committee.
Final Report of the Independent Cultural Review into the NSW Police Force.