Friday, 26 October 2007
Three NSW police officers were sacked as a result of corruption probes in 2006-07, while five more face dismissal.
The Police Integrity Commission (PIC) Annual Report 2006-07 also shows the NSW Police Force disciplined four officers on the commission's recommendation. One of the dumped officers was charged with providing false evidence to the PIC during its investigation of two police officers accused of involvement in supplying illicit drugs.
Another was dismissed following a PIC probe into alleged thefts by a police officer and his associates from automatic teller machines. The third was sacked in January after a long period on suspension for taking illegal drugs, using a firearm and driving a police car while intoxicated, drinking alcohol on duty and other offences.
The five still facing the chop are caught up in a number of investigations, ranging from the assault of a man in custody to the sale of illegal firearms and drugs. There were 55 full investigations open during 2006-07, including 17 major investigations, the report stated. Twenty-five of these were completed over that period.
The probes looked into a range of issues including drug-dealing and use, suspect financial transactions, unauthorised access and release of police information, misuse of authority, and improper relationships with criminals. Two of the more high-profile investigations were into the handling of allegations of a gang rape involving Sydney rugby league stars, and the disappearance of a blood sample belonging to former NSW Supreme Court judge Jeff Shaw after he was stopped for drink-driving.
The report stated the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had looked at seven people referred to him by the PIC, involving 19 recommended charges, and approved proceedings against five of them on 17 charges. Submissions against a further 13 people involving 78 charges were awaiting DPP determination. The PIC received and assessed 1,201 complaints in 2006-07, a five per cent increase from the previous year. Of these complaints, about half were at the more serious end of the scale.
The commission also closely assessed how the risk of misconduct was managed at the NSW police specialist counter-terrorist unit. The report stated the PIC was satisfied with the implementation of its recommendations, such as the inclusion of relevant material from the Wood Royal Commission report in training documents and regular audits to prevent the establishment of dirt files.
However, the report expressed "disappointment" that two recommendations from its 2004 report into bribery - requesting greater use of technology and increased supervision of the execution of search warrants - remained outstanding.
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MCCNSW, AS FROM THE 1ST SEPTEMBER 2008
It has been proposed by the Gov Dept for Protection of the Environment Operations (Noise Control) Regulation 2007, Clause 18, Motor Vehicle & Motor vehicle Accessories (Part 2).
It will be an offence & fine of $200 if:
a) "if the equipment allows the emission of more noise than the original noise control equipment fitted by the vehicle manufacturer, or
b)"If an authorised Officer reasonably believes the equipment has been modified in a way that makes it less effective than it would have been if the modification had not been made". is breached.
It is not known if this will also include, motorcyclist visiting/transiting NSW, but knowing the Government, it may.
Seeing that they lost the Sticker Tax, now the Government are proposing new laws with a fine off $200, simply on an estimate by an authorised Officer that your exhaust is to loud or in his opinion has been modified.
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| NSW DNA POWERS TO BE EXTENDED | | | |
| Sunday, 22 July 2007 | |
| Police in New South Wales will be given greater powers to fight terrorism and other major crime under legislation to be introduced at the next sitting of Parliament. Police will have the power to request DNA from any suspect regardless of the severity of their alleged offence. Warrants could also be issued to search suspected crime scenes for up to 30 days. The state's Attorney-General John Hatzistergos says the laws are merely an extension of those currently in place. "The police currently do have the power to ask suspects to shake their hair and to open their mouths, particularly in relation to drug cases," he said. "What we're doing now is extending that to enable them to be able to take a non-invasive DNA sample such as a hair follicle or a saliva swab." |
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| NSW SPYING SPARKS BIG BROTHER FEARS
Thursday, 25 October 2007 The New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties has slammed the State Government's overhaul of surveillance laws as highly invasive and unnecessary. Premier Morris Iemma announced the new laws yesterday, describing the plan as the biggest-ever shake-up of surveillance legislation. Under the new laws, police will have greater power to install, monitor and retrieve a range of surveillance devices. The changes also include an extension of warrants from 21 to 90 days and retrospective applications for warrants in extreme cases. NSW Council for Civil Liberties president Cameron Murphy says the laws will give NSW Police an unprecedented level of power. "Most people would be frightened to know that police can stick a radioactive isotope on you and track you from location to location," he said. "I think also people would be frightened to know that police can use listening devices and cameras to surveil your every move, every private conversation that you have and they don't even have to go to a judge to obtain permission to do so." Mr Murphy says the changes remove police accountability and could lead to an abuse of power. "This is a step towards NSW becoming a Big Brother state," he said. "You're talking here about allowing the police to conduct intrusive surveillance using listening devices, radio isotopes [and] cameras, and they don't have to go to court to get a warrant until five days afterwards." CAUTIOUS BACKING The Opposition has cautiously welcomed the Government's beefing up of surveillance laws, but admits the changes will give NSW Police unprecedented powers. Shadow attorney-general Greg Smith says police will be making decisions that used to be left to the judiciary. "We're living in a different atmosphere now," he said. "In 1984, there was a very strong push towards civil liberties and protecting privacy of suspects. Now there's much more of a trend of pushing the police tools to the limit." But Mr Smith says it is a constant battle keeping up with crime syndicates and the new legislation should give police the edge. "I will probably support most of it, in the sense that I think dealing with sophisticated criminals, you need every available tool to get evidence," he said. "These guys are very counter-surveillance conscious"
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