No More Cops Investigating Cops

Dear Premier and Ministers,   
I am writing to urge you to immediately act on the request of the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) and provide them with strengthened powers and greater resources to independently investigate Police misconduct.
I was appalled to see police officers boasting about “pumping” someone and “punching him in the head while he was down” on the 9 February at the Sydney Town Hall protest against Isaac Herzog. 
The recent Four Corners investigation ‘Brutal Force’ exposed horrifying police violence against vulnerable people in NSW — including the cruel, torturous and inhumane treatment of a naked woman experiencing a mental health crisis, and the bashing of vulnerable intoxicated people who were then charged with assault.
Complaints against NSW Police have risen nearly 70 per cent in the last decade, and yet only 2 per cent of the roughly 1,000 internal misconduct findings each year result in charges against officers.
The system of police investigating police is not working. The LECC's Chief Commissioner has described NSW Police's approach to oversight requests as "difficult," "overly defensive," and "erroneous on a range of issues." The current law allows police to withhold information using legal technicalities, to de-identify officers accused of serious misconduct, and to delay the sharing of evidence with investigators. This must change.
I am asking you to progress urgent legislative reform to amend the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission Act to give the LECC the power to compel the NSW Police to provide all relevant information to any investigation, prevent the de-identification of officers involved in misconduct, and to progress other measures for reform requested by the LECC. 
It is also imperative to bolster the LECC's staffing and resources so it can independently investigate a far greater proportion of the complaints it receives, rather than referring them back to police to investigate themselves.
We need a strong police accountability system for community safety, public trust in law enforcement and for police officers themselves. Police officers can only be as good as the system they are responsible for enforcing.

No More Cops Investigating Cops

The independent police watchdog is calling for more powers to investigate police misconduct - but the Police and Labor Premier Chris Minns are pushing back.

The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) have described NSW Police as “difficult” and “defensive”, and a recent independent review has slammed their toxic police culture.

We’ve seen police beat and chemical spray mentally ill naked women on the street, leave victims of domestic violence for dead in the gutter, and treat peaceful protesters with violence and brutality.

Right now, the LECC are investigating the horrific police response at the 9 February Town Hall protest against war criminal Isaac Herzog - and footage is coming to light of police boasting about punching a man while he was down.

When allegations of police violence and misconduct are made, the police investigate! Cops investigating cops is dangerous, it’s not accountability, it’s not the justice the victims of state violence and the community deserve.

Without the powers the LECC need, the Police can hide important material, de-identify officers accused of misconduct and ignore requests for information by the watchdog.

Let’s back in accountability and integrity and demand the Minns Labor Government strengthen the LECC’s powers and bolster its resources. The Police carry weapons of death and they wield enormous state power, our communities need to be able to trust them and the systems that hold them to account.

Will you email the Premier today?

No More Cops Investigating Cops

No More Cops Investigating Cops

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