Wednesday, September 5, 2012



Calls for Qld. police on drug raids to wear body-mounted video cameras to limit corruption

Failure to dob crooked colleagues will also be penalized

THERE are calls to force police on drug raids to wear body-mounted video cameras after footage surfaced of a rogue detective allegedly pocketing stolen cash.

Incoming Police Commissioner Ian Stewart vowed to sack the officer - who is currently on leave while being investigated by the Crime and Misconduct Commission - if he is found guilty.

Mr Stewart went further in warning other police would face sanctions for turning a blind eye to corruption.

The Courier-Mail can reveal today that the drug squad detective sergeant at the centre of the latest scandal had been oblivious to any secret anti-graft probe until he walked in on senior officers talking about a "rogue cop" and "a rat in the ranks" after an unauthorised leak from internal affairs and the Crime and Misconduct Commission.

The officer reportedly spontaneously vomited in front of his colleagues in a physical reaction of shock.

Shortly after, the officer contacted lawyers and took leave from the QPS. He has spent the past few weeks in Belmont Private Hospital undergoing mental health assessment.

Queensland Police Union and Civil Liberties yesterday joined calls to provide officers in top-level raids with body-worn video cameras.

In July last year, officers in Townsville and Toowoomba wore the clip-on devices in a six-month trial.

Police Union President Ian Leavers said he had been calling for them to be worn as a rule rather than by exception for two years.   "I know if these were used (by police) both the public and the police themselves would have complete faith in their actions," he said.

He said the union was assisting the officer, who had not been formally interviewed or charged, in the preliminary investigation.

Terry O'Gorman, President of the Australian Council for Civil Liberties, backed the calls for police video.

"Every time police kick in doors in top-level raids, they should be wearing these body cameras," said Mr O'Gorman, a criminal lawyer.  "Police stealing money on drug raids was a significant problem pre-Fitzgerald and one that required police to change their procedures.

Mr Stewart sounded a warning to any police who failed to blow the whistle on corruption.

"Stealing is a criminal offence. We cannot have thieves in the Queensland Police Service," he said.   "The future will show that officers not only should come forward and raise those allegations, if they don't, certainly they face very severe penalties themselves.

"Ethics is not something you can turn on and turn off. It's like being pregnant - you can't be half pregnant. You either have your ethics and credibility or you don't."

He promised a speedy investigation.  "There are some minor hold-ups and that deals with the specific case and circumstances that we find ourselves in but as soon as possible this matter will be wrapped up and dealt with," he said.

Mr Stewart will take over from outgoing Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson who retires at the end of October.

SOURCE




6 comments:

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Mrs Accountable said...

Can these video cameras be turned on and off similar to the voice recorder? If so it will only protect the honest cop. But there again, if he has been targeted the investigators can fail to refer to the video, and use some reason for their failure to properly investigate. Ian Stewart's statement sounds great, but once again he is using PR to protect the corporate QPS, and not real live facts when an officer has been targeted and dishonestly investigated. The officers who untruthfully fabricate statements remain untarnished, in fact promoted. I am sure I read that Bree Sonter the officer who blew the whistle on the appalling mistreatment of several members of the public in Airlie Beach was now herself under investigation for "failing to report it earlier" Atkinson was more annoyed with the officer who handed in the video of the officer punched in the bowels of the police station at the coast than he was about the punch. He later even said 'it was ok to punch someone in the head" Double standards once again.

Mrs Accountable said...

The fact that Ian Leavers now comes up with the statement that police should wear body mounted cameras to prevent this happening to me says that he is condoning the fact the officer stole. "Poor man can't resist the temptation? another 2 can't resist the temptation to rape a woman in the back of a squad car, another rapes two women" These are the types you protect while you allow the grubs in the service to lie about facts, while protecting another after he threatens to shoot his supervisor and her dog with his service revolver. But you want to do everything possible to prevent your grubs from giving into temptation. Buy a camera and take away the risk. Yet he will allow dishonest officers to screw an honest one, no history of drugs, theft, and he lamely justifies the stitch up. Your double standards are sickening, Mr Leavers. You pretend to care "I will always protect an officer who makes a mistake when working".
You forgot to add, "if other bullies don't want to work with him, we'll make up facts to discredit him for life" I'll pretend I don't know 2 other officers have lied in the brief of evidence. I'll pretend I don't know that a buddy Deputy will rubber stamp the dishonest investigation. I'll suggest the solicitor says "your honour there is the case of the untruthful investigators", because the Deputy will just ignore it. Then I'll get an A/C to tell him "we're changing the culture of the dog squad, irrespective of the outcome of QCAT you will be transferred out of the dog squad" You rat, why screw him with 6 misconduct charges to force a transfer, and then tell him regardless of the findings "you are changing the culture of the dog squad"Your integrity stinks.

Mrs Accountable said...

and despite this end of October, 2014 the officers who lied still remain in QPS climbing higher. One even states that others believe she should lead another event such as the G20.
Honesty and Integrity and Duty of Care to those under you do not count. Conflict of Interest when doing another's dirty work can be flicked away. Maybe when her children are older she may have reason to question her ethics. May not, water off a duck's back when part of the system.

Anonymous said...

Annastacia Palaszczuk was intimidated by police and now they must wear body cameras. http://www.AnnastaciaPalaszczuk.com

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