NSW Greens MP and Police spokesperson Sylvia Hale has rejected the reported claim by Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione that complaints made against officers by members of the public and colleagues are a form of “red tape” that reduce police efficiency. “A robust public complaints system is absolutely essential to reducing Police corruption and keeping NSW Police accountable to the public it is supposed to serve,” said Ms Hale, who serves on the Parliamentary Committee that oversees the work of the Ombudsman and the Police Integrity Commission.

“Mr Scipione became Police Commissioner at a time when Police have been granted extraordinary powers and indemnity from prosecution for the APEC meeting, but those powers and indemnities terminate tomorrow. He should not expect that level of Police power and lack of Police accountability to continue after APEC.”

“Most NSW Police officers carry out their duties in a highly professional manner but the NSW Police Service does not have an unblemished record in relation to corruption and overstepping their powers when dealing with the public,” she said.

“Police are given coercive powers that are not available to other members of the community. It is imperative that there is a strong public complaints system to ensure those coercive powers are not abused.”

 “The Police will inevitably seek greater powers with less scrutiny because it makes their job easier. It is the role of the government to ensure that Police powers are properly balanced by strong accountability mechanisms to ensure that the citizens of this state are free to live their lives without being subjected to abuse of those powers,” said Ms Hale.

“The government should reject any measure that reduces those accountability measures, particularly after the excessive police presence we have just seen on the streets of Sydney.”

“The APEC security measures were the most authoritarian display of Police powers in this city in recent memory. We must not allow that sort of oppressive policing to become an accepted part of living in NSW,”
said Ms Hale.