'As Commissioner of Police, I am personally committed to ensuring that SAPOL meets the standards set out in this small business service charter. I know that my staff share this commitment. If you have any suggestions on how we can provide better support for small business, we would appreciate hearing from you. In that way, our service can continue to improve'.

Malcolm Hyde
Commissioner of Police
South Australia

SAPOL is committed to:

• excellent service
• the highest ethical standards
• professional and competent business relationships
• paying for goods and services without undue delay
• continuous monitoring and improvement

Our small business clients include:

• businesses as recipients of police services
• suppliers of goods and services to consumers of services
• sponsors of, or participants in, crime prevention programs

Standards of Service

• SAPOL will monitor its service to ensure that it meets the standards set out in this Small Business Charter.
• SAPOL will deal with small businesses courteously, promptly and professionally.
• Where a response is required, all commercial correspondence (except quotations and tender responses) will be replied to or acknowledged within eight working days of receipt by SAPOL.
• All telephone calls will be answered in a prompt and courteous manner.
• SAPOL will ensure that all undisputed accounts are paid within the nominated credit time or within 30 days.
• All appointments with small business clients will be punctually attended to.
• Tender specifications prepared by SAPOL will be written in a manner which encourages fair and open competition.
• SAPOL will respect and maintain the confidentiality of information provided to us by small businesses.

Reporting of Standards

Results of how we perform against our standards are published in the South Australia Police Annual Report each year.
A quarterly report is produced for the Department of Treasury and Finance about South Australia Police performance against repayment schedules.

Excellence

Our Small Business Charter is a 'living' document, reviewed regularly. But if you have a complaint, speak with the manager or relevant officer in charge. Compliments may also be addressed to the manager or officer in charge of the branch or section concerned.

Small business clients whose problems remain unresolved should write to the Commissioner of Police, Malcolm Hyde. Compliments may also be addressed to the Commissioner.

Commissioner of Police
GPO Box 1539
Adelaide SA 5001

Email: sapol.enquiries@police.sa.gov.au

The Police Complaints Authority

The Police Complaints Authority receives and investigates complaints relating to police.

Police Complaints Authority
50 Grenfell Street
GPO Box 464
Adelaide SA 5001

Telephone: (08) 8226 8677
Facsimile: (08) 8226 8674

The Ombudsman

The Ombudsman assists those who have complaints about the administrative actions of government departments or agencies. If you have not attempted to resolve your problem directly with SAPOL, the Ombudsman will request that you do so before your complaint will be formally accepted.

The State Ombudsman of South Australia can be contacted as follows:

The Ombudsman
Floor 5, East Wing,
50 Grenfell Street
Adelaide SA 5000

Telephone: (08) 8226 8699
Toll Free: 1800 182 150
Fax: (08) 8226 8602

Small Business Advocate

If you are not satisfied with our response to your concerns, you may wish to refer the matter to the Office of the Small Business Advocate on (08) 8303 2177 (metropolitan) or 1800 240 489 (country).

The Office of the Small Business Advocate is an independent organisation that negotiates with government agencies to resolve problems on behalf of small business.