Police Union reserves praise for outgoing commissioner
ABC Radio, 10 April 2002

The Police union has declined to echo Mr Carr's sentiments.

Police Association president Ian Ball says policing standards are much better than four years ago but he says it is difficult to compare Mr Ryan's standard to previous commissioners.

"I don't look at the past, I am going to look to the future," he said.

"We have got to develop a professional relationship with whoever is the next commissioner of police and to be blunt we are quite heartened by the words of the premier this morning which sort of indicated to us that the next commissioner of police will come from within our own."

Fairfield Councillor Thang Ngo believes Commissioner Ryan's failure to address policing problems in Cabramatta, which were exposed in a parliamentary inquiry, damaged his standing.

"Commissioner Ryan was giving political spin, saying the police had success in Cabramatta when in fact that whole time Cabramatta was burning and I believe that was the time the community saw Mr Ryan for what he was - a good manager but much better at publicity rather than looking after the real causes of crime," he said.