South Australia’s police commissioner Grant Stevens has spoken publicly for the first time since returning to work after his son Charlie’s tragic death.
Today, his father faced media for the first time, after quietly returning to work a month ago.
“It’s good to be back, there’s a lot still to be done, I have a role to play and I’m happy to play it,” he said.
”My wife Emma made it pretty clear that having me home all day every day was not going to work too well for us, so it’s probably better I’m back at work.”
He is accused of driving away after hitting Stevens and is due back in court in March.
The Stevens family mourned their son’s death partly in public, even as the Commissioner took leave.
But returning to policing inevitably means confronting tragedies facing other families that are similar to his own.
“There are some reminders inherent in the work we do as police, but there are so many more reminders around the place that we confront every single day so this is just another one of them,” Stevens said.
The Commissioner said staying away was never on the agenda.
High on the list of priorities for Stevens is the urgent need to bolster numbers in the force through local and international recruitment.
“It’s no secret that we are facing a challenge, as is every police jurisdiction around Australia with recruiting so that is a major focus,” he said.
Deputy Linda Williams has been relieved of her acting commissioner duties.
Stevens thanked Williams for her work during his leave of absence.
“A lot of good wishes and people are also giving me space to get on with the job so it’s good to be back,” he said.
South Australia Police have appointed a Victorian officer to oversee the crash investigation that killed the commissioner’s son Charlie Stevens.
Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Lineham will temporarily become an SA Police Special Constable to ensure the investigation remains independent.
