aap: NSW police accused of exaggerating knife search figures
A NSW police officer has reportedly complained to the Ombudsman over misuse of the 1998 Police and Public Safety Act, which gives police the power to conduct random knife searches. Police have used the powers recently in conjunction with new sniffer dog laws that allow the use of drug dogs in public places.
[update: The Police Minister has denied he received a complaint, and has requested evidence be presented to the Ombudsman or PIC]
The complaint said police commanders were facing significant pressure to provide "high statistical returns" for their public assertions about the Act. [...] He said the public was already cynical about what was actually achieved by the recent highly-publicised Vikings operations conducted by the state's new police commissioner, Ken Moroney. Mr Tink said there was now a huge question mark over the "hundreds" of knife and drug searches announced after the operations, the most recent of which was yesterday. [...] NSW Council for Liberties president Cameron Murphy said the allegation confirmed police were misusing their search powers. "Police are using these powers as an excuse for nothing more than a fishing expedition," Mr Murphy said. (see www.smh.com.au)