Peter Northey

Dynamic Leader with 21 years of policing and investigative experience, 10 years of internal investigation and professional standards management. Known for exceptional and dedicated service, once being awarded police officer of the year. Dedicated to upholding the rule of law and placing service above self. Known for going above and beyond job requirements to make lasting impact on his employer and the community. Exceptional integrity, leadership, and problem-solving abilities. In recent months has been lecturing on policing with Charles Sturt University.

Focus Capability 1 – Act with Integrity

My integrity is demonstrated every day through quality reviewing COPS events, cases, charges, and reports. I always represent the organisation in an honest, ethical, and professional manner. My leadership style supports and encourages integrity with my staff, which is demonstrated while supervising at first response jobs and whilst supervising staff interactions with members of the community at the police station. As a General Duties supervisor, I assess the investigation process and manage the charging process whilst an offender is being charged. During the process I can ensure that all staff are aware and understand the legislation and policy framework in which they work. Having a close working relationship with my staff, I ensure that I am always present in the workplace and make myself available to my staff this ensures that I am able to prevent misconduct as well as illegal and inappropriate behaviour.

Focus Capability 2 – Communicate Effectively

Students undergoing the Associate Degree in Policing Practice come from a range of cultural backgrounds, age groups and have different life experiences. When teaching a class of 25 students, I can adapt my teaching strategies to address the diverse needs of the students accordingly. For example, one of my classes has an age range of 19-53 and within that same class there are some students where English is not their first language. I ensure that when teaching, I clearly explain concepts that will be understood by all students. I often like to break the class up into small groups, have them break away and research a particular topic and then come back and educate others in the class. This not only gives the students a break from hearing me talk for long periods, but it also provides students with a new concept of learning and helps them express their views and provides me with their level of understanding. There are three main styles of how students learn: visual, auditory and kinaesthetics. During a lesson, I use a combination of all three styles, this ensures that all my students are given an opportunity to learn the curriculum content in their preferred way of learning. I always encourage class participation during my lessons which not only opens the communication channels but also helps provide another layer of support for those with a diverse background.

 Focus Capability 3 – Commit to Customer Service  

Focus Capability 4 – Deliver Results

In 2022 the NSW Police Force conducted a state-wide police operation, targeting well known DV offenders with the aim of reducing DV related crime. My team were working first response for 2 days and 2 nights of the operation. I took a personal interest and made it a team priority to support the police operation and target the known offenders. At the onset of the operation, I briefed the team of the orders and of my expectations, I also had the DV team supervisor come and provide specialist advice to the staff. I allocated resources from within our team and provided them with the operational objectives. I identified a number of barriers, including other first response jobs which may take priority. I spoke with supervisors from other sections who agreed to assist with first response jobs so together we could provide the operation the resources that it required. During the operation, as well as performing my normal supervision duties, I made myself available to staff to provide support, advice and guidance. I made it a priority to attend as many DV jobs as possible, ensuring that my team were following policy and legislation. At times we had to change plans and place a focus on other areas of crime, but together, we worked as a team and assisted the command in making the most DV arrests in the Southern Region for this police operation. Together we made a positive impact on reducing DV related offences and placed a number of offenders before the courts.

Focus Capability 5 –  Think and Solve Problems

Focus Capability 6 – Project Management

At a team training day in 2022, I spoke to my team about initiatives where they believe the Lake Illawarra Police District could perform better. One of the constables on my team raised a concern about their responsibility to write a running sheet each shift, logging what jobs they attended and what areas they patrolled. It was suggested that police only did this because it had always been done and it was no benefit to anyone to keep this task going. I took this issue on as a personal interest project. I conducted a survey across the southern region and found that all PD’s across the region were still having their GD’s police create running sheets and these sheets were being archived for up to 25 years. I then went and met with the Coordinator at VKG Oak Flats to learn about the information that the CAD system automatically records about a car crew during a shift. I found that CAD already records the same information that was being written by car crews on their running sheet. I found that the information recorded on CAD was far more detailed and accurate than any running sheet that I surveyed. I attended a Police District sergeant’s forum and showed all team leaders the results that I found. I received full support from all of the team leaders across the PD, so I then went and met with the Senior Management team. I was able to take the Senior Management Team through a step-by-step process, showing them how to access all the data on CAD. I had to submit my case study and results to the Senior Management Team and it was supported unanimously. Lake Illawarra Police District is now one of the first commands in the state to not require staff to complete running sheets. I have now shared my project across the Southern Region for other police districts to follow. I am now working on a self-driven project looking at ways to make the charge room paperless.

Focus Capability 7 – Optimise Business Outcomes