NEWS > 17 April 2006

Article sourced from

Sydney Morning Herald - Sydney
17 April 2006

This article appeared in the above title/site.
To view it in its entirity click this link.

Moroney rejects police corrupt

NSW Police Commissioner Ken Moroney has defended his force against claims of corruption, following new research finding whistleblower cops are commonly victimised.

The confidential research, carried out by Urbis Key Young among internal witnesses in the NSW police service, found officers who complained about corruption were often harassed by senior police.

The report, prepared for NSW Police and published today in several newspapers, says officers who complain about corruption are being denied promotional opportunities, transferred against their wishes and given menial jobs.

More than half of the 89 police surveyed said they had been subjected to psychological harassment for "rocking the boat".

Mr Moroney today insisted the NSW police force had improved since the Wood royal commission, held from 1994 to 1997 to investigate corruption in the service.

"The Wood royal commission in the mid-1990s was, I think, perhaps the greatest watershed that we had in our organisation," Mr Moroney told Southern Cross Broadcasting today.

"I truly believe that we are not the same organisation ... that we were, say, a decade ago but that doesn't allow you any complacency."

In an organisation of 18,500 people there was always going to be people who did the wrong thing, he said.

"It's important then that we identify those and take appropriate action," Mr Moroney said.

Opposition police spokesman Mike Gallacher said the report showed that "a climate of fear and intimidation" prevails in the force, despite $100 million being spent on the Wood royal commission.

"It is becoming more and more evident as we speak to people ... that they're just not confident that if they come forward and speak about what's happening in the police service, they themselves are not going to become subject of some harassment or intimidation," Mr Gallacher told reporters.

"We were told that the culture's been changed, we were told that with the royal commission, with the investment that's been made with recruitment, with training ... that these problems had been solved."

He said although positive reforms had been made to the police force since the royal commission, such as the establishment of the Police Integrity Commission, more needed to be done.

"We need to go back and look at what systems need to be put in place so these people can be protected so we can encourage others to come forward," Mr Gallacher said.

Police Minister Carl Scully and Deputy Premier John Watkins both declined to comment on the report.

A statement from NSW Police said: "As this is only a draft report, all recommendations are still being finalised.

"Once the recommendations are complete the final report will be provided to the minister for police for tabling in parliament."

EiP Comments:

* We have no wish to infringe the copyright of any newspaper or periodical. If you feel that we have done so then please contact us with the details and we will remove the article. The articles republished on this site are provided for the purposes of research , private study, criticism , review, and the reporting of current events' We have no wish to infringe the copyright of any newspaper , periodical or other works. If you feel that we have done so then please contact us with the details and where necessary we will remove the work concerned.

Other related articles:

Article sourced from

Sydney Morning Herald - Sydney17 April 2006

Moroney rejects police corrupt

EiP Comments:

Sydney Morning Herald - Sydney
17 April 2006