Police forbidden pub charity

By GREGG WYCHERLEY

Police have been banned from taking donations from pub charities - two weeks before the charities have to disclose details of recipients.

Police headquarters has warned staff not to apply for poker machine money for funding voluntary community initiatives and officers' sports teams.

Police public affairs manager Michael Player said police had to be seen to be acting responsibly, with no hint of conflict of interest.

"We want to make it clear that police shouldn't be seeking funding from organisations that we have an enforcement or regulatory relationship with."

The Government is reviewing gambling policy. From October, pub charities will have to publish a list of recipients in a newspaper.

Gaming machines are licensed by the Department of Internal Affairs and pub charities are required to distribute at least 33 per cent of their net profits to the community. The activities generate millions of dollars.

A Weekend Herald investigation in July revealed widespread breaches of licensing conditions among such charities.

Mr Player said the change to police regulations was timely, but not directly linked to the new publishing requirement.

He would not say how much money police had received from the charities, but the sum was "not insubstantial."

Police Association president Greg O'Connor said police needed guidelines on funding for sports teams and community groups, but he was against a blanket ban.