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| NEWS > 08 September 2006 |
Other related articles:
Police Ignore Pleas for Help,
Sofia Salva was stopped by police after being seen putting fake temporary tags on the back of her car. Over the next 45 minutes, Salva told police repeatedly that she was pregnant, bleeding, and on her way to the hospital. The officers ignored her.
A videotape of the police stop shows Salva telling the arresting officers several times that she was pregnant and bleeding. One officer responded by saying, "How is that my problem?" The dialogue throughout the video shows much the same tone.
She was held overnight by police, released the next day, and delivered her child premature... Read more
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 Article sourced from
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Radio National and 6:10pm on A
08 September 2006
This article appeared in the above title/site.
To view it in its entirity click this link.
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Police strike over squad shutd
MARK COLVIN: Police in Melbourne walked off the job today, angry at the decision to abolish one of the force's elite crime squads.
The Armed Offenders Squad has been replaced by the newly formed Taskforce Emerald.
It's the third squad to be abolished by Victoria Police in recent years.
Victoria's Chief Commissioner of Police says it's part of a restructure and unrelated to a continuing investigation into alleged corrupt behaviour by members of the squad.
Alison Caldwell reports.
ALISON CALDWELL: The Victoria Police website describes members of the Armed Offenders Squad as some of the "most respected members in the force, esteemed for their investigative experience, forensic expertise and their service excellence".
Known as the hard men of the force, the Armed Offenders Squad investigated armed robberies, non-fatal shootings and gun trafficking.
Today, though, that squad was disbanded, its work taken over by detectives with the newly formed Taskforce Emerald.
Victoria's Chief Commissioner of Police, Christine Nixon, says it's part of new police restructure.
CHRISTINE NIXON: We've, for some time, been looking at the way that we investigate different levels of crime and we decided that the risks involved in continuing in the way of using the Armed Offenders Squad in that sense, was probably too much of a risk to Victoria Police and in some cases to the members.
ALISON CALDWELL: The decision pre-empts the outcome of an investigation into the Armed Offenders Squad by the Government's anti corruption watchdog, the Office of Police Integrity.
Two months ago, the OPI raided the squad's headquarters in St Kilda Road, seizing documents and files.
The Office of Police Integrity is investigating allegations that members of the Armed Offenders Squad intimidated and bashed suspects to force confessions.
At the time, OPI Assistant Director Graham Ashton said it would recommend the squad be disbanded.
GRAHAM ASHTON: We believe that if, at the end of this investigation if we are able to sustain these allegations and show that they have real substance then we'll be recommending to the Chief Commissioner that that squad be abolished.
And if we are able to continue in the manner that we are, we believe that criminal charges would certainly, is certainly one avenue that we would be looking at.
ALISON CALDWELL: Back then Christine Nixon said no decision would be made on the future of the squad, at least not until the OPI had concluded its own investigation.
The OPI's investigation is ongoing, but today the Chief Commissioner of Police said the time had come to disband the squad.
CHRISTINE NIXON: I think we've come to a point that we believe that it's an appropriate step to take now.
We've looked at a whole range of the risks that members face as well as the reputation of Victoria Police and so we believe it's appropriate now to move to this place.
ALISON CALDWELL: The OPI is planning to hold public hearings later this month as part of its investigation.
PM understands several members of the Armed Offenders Squad will be subpoenaed to give evidence at the hearing.
A spokesman from the Office of Police Integrity declined to comment on today's announcement.
Assistant Commissioner Simon Overland says the decision to scrap the squad isn't related to the OPI's investigation.
SIMON OVERLAND: We're not saying that there's corruption there and we've not said that to them and I want to make it quite clear we're not saying that to you.
What we have said to them and what we're saying to you is that there are risks in this area. It's a matter of continuing to manage those risks and we now think the steps we've announced today are a better way of doing that.
ALISON CALDWELL: Angry about today's announcement, 60 police walked off the job in Melbourne.
Police Association Spokesman Paul Mullett.
PAUL MULLETT: It's a sad day in the history of the Victoria Police Force. It's an even sadder day for what is a very proud squad that has served the community significantly for a 35-year period, putting away some of the state's most dangerous and violent offenders.
They're the only ones who'll be clapping their hands, every armed robber in this state.
ALISON CALDWELL: It's the third time a squad's been disbanded in Victoria in recent years, including the Drug Squad and the Major Crime Squad.
The public line from Victoria Police has been that corruption within the force is limited to a few rogue individuals.
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