Latest News & Updates

Inquiry into Victoria Police’s stop and search policy opens

June 19, 2013

Victoria Police has just opened a public inquiry into two key policies that shape their interactions with the community, particularly culturally and linguistically diverse groups and the Aboriginal community: its field contacts policy (‘stops and searches’) and its cross-cultural training program.

This inquiry is the first of its kind held by Victoria Police. Its outcomes have the potential to improve the interactions of police with Aboriginal, newly arrived and culturally diverse communities not only in Victoria but across Australia, as other police services take note of the Victorian response.

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It’s smarter to invest in diversion than in prisons

May 16, 2013

A review of the evidence shows that prison is costly, has negligible or negative effects on re-offending and, in the case of young people, may inflict long-term damage, thereby squandering the opportunity for rehabilitation and diversion that is presented with young people.[1]

Prison is costly

The cost of new prison infrastructure and expansion of prisons to accommodate an increasing prison population within Victoria is in the hundreds of million of dollars. The 2013–2014 Victorian State Budget committed an extra $131.5 million on top of the $819 million prison funding announced last year to extending the prison system. Despite these budget commitments, it is predicted that Victoria’s prison system will still fall 1,400 beds short of the required capacity by 2016.[2]

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No right to independent police investigation

March 26, 2013

No right to independent police investigation

In a disappointing decision handed down yesterday, the Victorian Supreme Court ruled that there was no right to an independent investigation of a police complaint.

Our client, Mr Nassir Bare, was a 17 year old Ethiopian Australian young man who alleged that a police officer had used excessive force against him in 2009. The allegations included serious assault, being capsicum sprayed while handcuffed, and being subjected to racial slurs by police.

Nassir requested an independent investigation into these allegations to the then Office of Police Integrity (OPI). Nassir had genuine concerns and fears that information about him or his complaint would result in reprisals from local police if internally investigated.

The OPI found that while the complaint warranted investigation, the investigation of the complaint would still be referred back to police. This decision from Justice Williams vindicates a scheme whereby police officers can investigate themselves.

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Stamping out racially discriminatory police practices

February 18, 2013

Today brought very welcome news of a Victoria Police inquiry later in the year into their stop and search practices & cross cultural training.

This inquiry is part of the settlement of the race discrimination case in the Federal Court, initiated by six courageous young African men, who have been assisted by Flemington Kensington Community Legal Centre.

The case relates to allegations from 2005 to 2009 by young men living around the Flemington and Kensington area of regularly being stopped by police for no legitimate policing reason, being subjected to racial discrimination, including assaults, racial taunts and abuse, and racial profiling are commonly made by other young people.

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