Victoria’s elite police unit ‘acted inconsistently with human rights charter’: IBAC
Victoria Police’s elite tactical unit has been running high-risk operations that have resulted in serious injuries and alleged human rights abuses without proper planning, obtaining authorisation to intervene and properly documenting its use of force, according to the state’s peak integrity body.
The latest damning assessment of the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) – which was heavily involved in responding to the 2017 Bourke Street killings by James Gargasoulas – has been released by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC).
In the nightclub shooting incident, IBAC said CIRT officers did not revise their plan to storm the venue and confront the patron despite confirming that the suspect was carrying a plastic imitation gun at the dress-up swingers’ party.
IBAC also said Victoria Police command had rejected the findings of its own internal review into the incident that “demonstrated that there were safer, reasonable and less forceful options available than the tactical response deployed by CIRT”.
At Hares & Hyenas, the report found that CIRT intervened in the hunt for the suspect that was mistakenly believed to have fled into the bookshop without informing police already involved in the operation.
The arresting officer failed to explain to the man, who was later determined to be innocent, why he had been arrested or advise him of his rights.
Police Services around the country are in decline, standards for new recruits are continually lowered to entice new recruits while suspect ethical behaviour is constantly overlooked. Morals, integrity and ethical standards are overlooked, and excuses are constantly proffered for police officers poor behaviour.
If police services around the nation continue to lower standards in order to gain recruitment numbers, then Australians can look forward to deteriorating service. But my concern is (and I believe I have started to see it happen) we will see more outcomes where innocent people are mistakenly targeted and then pay the ultimate price for a substandard police officer who is not fit to hold a gun.
This is just my opinion.
PS: If you enjoy my content, I will think of you while drinking my coffee. –
