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| NEWS > 07 April 2011 |
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Australia: When the police are the wrong people to investigate
Almost 2½ years since 15-year-old Tyler Cassidy was shot by Victoria Police, the public hearing into his death has concluded. While Coroner Jennifer Coate will issue her findings and recommendations on the case in due course, urgent action is required to reform police training and the investigation of police-related deaths if we are to avoid a repetition of this tragic event and enhance integrity and confidence in policing.
Police officers often face difficult situations in which they must protect not only themselves from death or injury, but also the public and the person directly in... Read more
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Herald Sun
07 April 2011
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Victoria Police
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Australia: Victoria Police accused of anti-Aboriginalracism
THE Victoria police force has been accused of rampant racism against Aborigines - by officers within its ranks.
Several police Aboriginal liaison officers unloaded on their fellow officers to the Office of Police Integrity.
One told the OPI there was "endemic racism and prejudices" in the force.
Another said: "Racism by police. This is common in the area. Management talk the talk but don't walk the walk."
And a former assistant commissioner told the OPI he was horrified to discover police in one region reduced the number of complaints against them by refusing to attend any calls to the Aboriginal community on Friday and Saturday nights.
An OPI report yesterday claimed there was a serious problem regarding racist attitudes by some officers that needed "immediate attention by Victoria Police".
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An aboriginal justice group today said the forces needed more aboriginal liaison officers across the state to tackle the problem.
Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation national president Peter Lewis told the heraldsun.com.au he had heard of many cases of racism among aboriginal communities, and said the racism in the police force must be tackled through education.
“In some regions a lot more work needs to be done,” he said.
That included liaison officers being stationed throughout the state.
The revelations come on top of the recent OPI probe into a racist and pornographic email scandal that rocked the force. Eight officers were sacked and at least another 13 were demoted or fined over the scandal.
Three officers were involved in circulating video footage of an Indian man being electrocuted and suggesting it could be a way to fix Melbourne's Indian student problem.
In the latest report on relations between police and Aborigines, OPI director Michael Strong said the situation had improved since a 2003 report highlighted problems between law officers and the Aboriginal community.
He commended police initiatives in Shepparton and Echuca as a model for statewide action.
"I am pleased to report there have been significant improvements in police-Koori relations in some areas and some wonderful initiatives implemented by committed individuals," Mr Strong said.
But his report concluded there was still a lot more work to be done.
Police Association secretary Greg Davies said the OPI report was relying on the views of a tiny number of people.
Only 35 per cent of police Aboriginal liaison officers responded to the survey on which the report was based.
"The overwhelming majority of police members view racism of any kind as totally abhorrent," Sen-Sgt Davies said.
A police spokesman said it was nonsense to suggest racism was rife.
"Of course we can never guarantee that one-off incidents of racism will not occur. But these incidents are isolated and never tolerated," he said.
"Victoria Police has made substantial efforts to improve relations with the Koori community through local and regional liaison programs.
"As the OPI report notes, significant progress has been made, but we recognise that we still have a way to go."
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