Filthy stinking PIGs
Big rise in complaints against police
THE number of complaints made about police jumped by more than 1000 to 3561 in 2004-05, the Office of Police Integrity reported yesterday.
About 10 per cent of the complaints were assessed as legitimate, with 90 per cent unable to be established on the facts, withdrawn or conciliated.
Of the complaints formally investigated, 16.5 per cent were substantiated.
OPI director George Brouwer said questions about the quality of police investigations had arisen from a number of the complaints, including problems with heavy workloads, inadequate supervision of inexperienced detectives and poor investigative techniques.
The report marks the first anniversary of the OPI, set up by the Bracks Government to counter calls for an independent commission to tackle alleged police corruption.
Mr Brouwer said there had been a "steady influx" of complaints involving allegations of misconduct by police carrying out searches by premises using search warrants.
Of particular concern were the impact of police behaviour of children present during searches, mistreatment of people and damage to property.
Another area of complaint was the overuse of capsicum spray to subdue suspects.
Mr Brouwer said the handling of complaints against police had been reviewed by his office and new systems were being put in place to ensure they were dealt with more quickly.
He said that by the end of 2005-06 he hoped that 70 per cent of investigations carried out by the OPI would be ones that it instigated itself, rather than complaints.
LINKS
www.greenhouse.gov.au
the OPI had uncovered convincing evidence of police involvement in various corrupt activities.
Mr Brouwer's annual report detailed some of the areas of concern, including:
THE prevalence of allegations of theft by police during the execution of search warrants.
IMPROPER association by police with unregistered informers.
INAPPROPRIATE associations of police with private investigators and the private security industry.
CONTINUING and significant inappropriate access to LEAP and other police computerised information systems.
ALLEGATIONS some police are involved in drug dealing or green-lighting the activities of drug dealers.
THE incidence of bullying, predatory behaviour or other intimidation by some individual police members towards other police and to members of the public.
"Convincing evidence illustrating these problems has emerged from investigations of specific cases," the OPI report said.
"They are being, or will be, addressed in OPI's work on systemic issues and on the prevention of corruption and serious misconduct."
The OPI report is critical of a number of Victoria Police management practices.
"Questions about the quality of police investigation have arisen from a number of complaints, many of which have been well-founded," it said.
"Heavy work loads, limited guidance and supervision of less experienced detectives and poor investigative methodology generally emerge as central issues with those complaints which are substantiated.
"I have observed a tolerance on the part of some senior police for management processes and equipment which are long out of date.
"They can make corrupt conduct difficult to detect, even more so to investigate.
The OPI was created by the Bracks Government in November 2004 in response to calls for a royal commission into police corruption and a permanent anti-corruption body.
THE number of complaints made about police jumped by more than 1000 to 3561 in 2004-05, the Office of Police Integrity reported yesterday.
About 10 per cent of the complaints were assessed as legitimate, with 90 per cent unable to be established on the facts, withdrawn or conciliated.
Of the complaints formally investigated, 16.5 per cent were substantiated.
OPI director George Brouwer said questions about the quality of police investigations had arisen from a number of the complaints, including problems with heavy workloads, inadequate supervision of inexperienced detectives and poor investigative techniques.
The report marks the first anniversary of the OPI, set up by the Bracks Government to counter calls for an independent commission to tackle alleged police corruption.
Mr Brouwer said there had been a "steady influx" of complaints involving allegations of misconduct by police carrying out searches by premises using search warrants.
Of particular concern were the impact of police behaviour of children present during searches, mistreatment of people and damage to property.
Another area of complaint was the overuse of capsicum spray to subdue suspects.
Mr Brouwer said the handling of complaints against police had been reviewed by his office and new systems were being put in place to ensure they were dealt with more quickly.
He said that by the end of 2005-06 he hoped that 70 per cent of investigations carried out by the OPI would be ones that it instigated itself, rather than complaints.
LINKS
www.greenhouse.gov.au
the OPI had uncovered convincing evidence of police involvement in various corrupt activities.
Mr Brouwer's annual report detailed some of the areas of concern, including:
THE prevalence of allegations of theft by police during the execution of search warrants.
IMPROPER association by police with unregistered informers.
INAPPROPRIATE associations of police with private investigators and the private security industry.
CONTINUING and significant inappropriate access to LEAP and other police computerised information systems.
ALLEGATIONS some police are involved in drug dealing or green-lighting the activities of drug dealers.
THE incidence of bullying, predatory behaviour or other intimidation by some individual police members towards other police and to members of the public.
"Convincing evidence illustrating these problems has emerged from investigations of specific cases," the OPI report said.
"They are being, or will be, addressed in OPI's work on systemic issues and on the prevention of corruption and serious misconduct."
The OPI report is critical of a number of Victoria Police management practices.
"Questions about the quality of police investigation have arisen from a number of complaints, many of which have been well-founded," it said.
"Heavy work loads, limited guidance and supervision of less experienced detectives and poor investigative methodology generally emerge as central issues with those complaints which are substantiated.
"I have observed a tolerance on the part of some senior police for management processes and equipment which are long out of date.
"They can make corrupt conduct difficult to detect, even more so to investigate.
The OPI was created by the Bracks Government in November 2004 in response to calls for a royal commission into police corruption and a permanent anti-corruption body.
posted by professor rat at 2:27 AM
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