New England Police District’s middle and senior management teams converged on Moree this week for their biannual sergeants forum which included the first formal dinner held since the formation of the new District.
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Every six months the District holds a sergeants forum as an opportunity for the middle and senior management to get together and discuss internal processes and work on ways to improve what they do.
“Because of the geographical distance, a lot of our day-to-day dealings is done over the phone, through emails or police radio, so it’s good to get everyone together to come up with ideas on how we can do things better, break down logistical barriers and build better teams,” District Inspector Cheryl Day said.
About 40 members of New England Police District, including inspectors, sergeants and administrative staff from Moree, Boggabilla, Mungindi, Inverell, Glen Innes, Tenterfield, Guyra and Armidale attended the forum, held in Moree from Monday, November 12 to Wednesday, November 14.
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The forum involved presentations from internal departments about technological advancements and improvements that can be used to enhance police out on the field, as well as a debrief session.
A focus was on developing leadership within the organisation, with a full-day presentation on Tuesday by former professional rugby league player and coach Wayne Pearce OAM.
“He’s really good, he has presented to a number of police functions previously,” Inspector Day said.
“He led us through an entire day around leadership, speaking about developing leadership capabilities within our sector and our teams.
“We learnt to focus on getting to know our staff and the strengths and skillsets between staff, and breaking down barriers between personnel.”
Pearce then spoke again on Tuesday night at the formal mess dinner, where he was one of the official guests.
Deputy Commissioner for Regional NSW Gary Worboys was another official guest at Tuesday’s formal dinner, along with New England Police District Commander Superintendent Scott Tanner, Oxley Police District Commander Superintendent Fred Trench, dining president Detective Sergeant Mark Garvey, dining vice president Sergeant Andrew McKay and Moree mayor Katrina Humphries.
The formal dinner was the first old-school military-style mess dinner held since the new Police District was formed at the start of this year, and the first held in Moree for many years.
The dinner was steeped in military traditions, including the introduction of official guests, a flag parade and entertainment by the NSW Police Band.
“It’s a great way to put the town on the map for the other police areas,” Inspector Day said.
“It showcased Moree as a town to other staff in the District, but also other agencies that attended.
“With in-excess of 30-odd people staying in town, it helps boost the town, giving business back to Moree Services Club.
“The flow-on is great to boost the local community which hosts the forum.”