Taskforce Deliver 2018 Investigation Into the Falsification of Preliminary
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For Official Use Only Taskforce Deliver 2018 Investigation into the falsification of Preliminary Breath Tests within Victoria Police Neil Comrie AO APM 9 November 2018 1 For Official Use Only Table of contents 1 Executive Summary .............................................................................................. 5 1.1 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................. 5 1.2 Recommendations ................................................................................................................. 10 2 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 13 2.1 Terms of Reference ............................................................................................................... 13 2.2 Approach to the investigation ............................................................................................... 14 2.3 Preliminary breath testing terminology ................................................................................ 16 2.4 Abbreviations and acronyms ................................................................................................. 17 3 Context: the preliminary breath testing regime in Victoria .................................. 19 3.1 Evolution of the PBT regime in Victoria................................................................................. 19 3.2 PBT devices – models, functions and operations .................................................................. 21 3.3 Road safety strategy .............................................................................................................. 26 4 TAC funding arrangements ................................................................................. 29 4.1 TAC funding for Victoria Police road safety enforcement ..................................................... 29 4.2 Local Enhanced Enforcement Program ................................................................................. 29 4.3 Centrally Planned Activities ................................................................................................... 29 4.4 Requirement for Program Audit ............................................................................................ 30 5 Complaint and initial response ........................................................................... 31 5.1 Details of complaint ............................................................................................................... 31 5.2 Initial response ...................................................................................................................... 32 6 The investigation ................................................................................................ 38 6.1 Taskforce Deliver established ................................................................................................ 38 6.2 Investigation rationale ........................................................................................................... 38 6.3 Consultation with members – facilitated discussions ........................................................... 40 6.4 Member submissions ............................................................................................................ 42 6.5 Ongoing data analysis ............................................................................................................ 44 6.6 Consultation with Strategic Investment, Reporting and Audit ............................................. 47 6.7 Consultation with Road Policing Command .......................................................................... 48 6.8 Consultation with Regional Commands ................................................................................ 49 6.9 Other Command and internal consultations ......................................................................... 53 6.10 Other research ....................................................................................................................... 53 2 For Official Use Only 6.11 Literature review ................................................................................................................... 56 7 The practice of falsification ................................................................................. 58 7.1 The evolution of PBT falsification practice ............................................................................ 58 8 Quantitative performance targets ....................................................................... 59 8.1 Victoria Police service delivery requirements for PBTs ......................................................... 59 8.2 Tasking & Coordination ......................................................................................................... 62 9 Consequences of the pursuit of quantity over quality .......................................... 66 9.1 Learnings from facilitated discussions with members .......................................................... 66 9.2 Why were tests falsified? ...................................................................................................... 66 9.3 Awareness of Victoria Police PBT measures .......................................................................... 67 9.4 Frontline perceptions - what was driving the PBT focus? ..................................................... 68 9.5 Was pressure applied? .......................................................................................................... 69 9.6 The futility of speaking up ..................................................................................................... 69 9.7 Other perverse behaviours detailed...................................................................................... 70 9.8 The most egregious examples ............................................................................................... 70 9.9 What might a more tactical approach to PBT activity provide? ............................................ 71 9.10 PBT activity times - further analysis ...................................................................................... 72 9.11 TAC collision data - further analysis ...................................................................................... 73 9.12 Performance measures - what do the experts say? .............................................................. 73 9.13 Specific responses from performance measure experts ....................................................... 75 9.14 Insights from incidences of PBT falsification in other jurisdictions ....................................... 75 9.15 Optimising PBT enforcement strategies – advice from MUARC ........................................... 76 9.16 Future road policing strategy and PBTs ................................................................................. 76 10 Issues arising from the investigation ................................................................... 78 10.1 Road safety strategy .............................................................................................................. 78 10.2 Qualitative measures ............................................................................................................. 78 10.3 Evidence-based, intelligence-led ........................................................................................... 79 10.4 Deterrence – general v specific ............................................................................................. 79 10.5 Drug testing ........................................................................................................................... 81 10.6 Technological advancements and opportunities .................................................................. 84 10.7 Changes in societal attitudes and conduct ............................................................................ 87 10.8 Vehicle interception and PBTs ............................................................................................... 91 10.9 Enhanced supervisory and accountability practices regarding PBT ...................................... 92 10.10 Governance and accountability ............................................................................................. 95 3 For Official Use Only 10.11 Consideration of TAC funded activities ................................................................................. 97 10.12 Assessment of TAC funded alcohol / drug impaired driving operations ............................... 99 10.13 National Road Safety Strategy ............................................................................................. 100 11 Ethics and integrity ........................................................................................... 101 11.1 Previous Victoria Police investigations ................................................................................ 101 11.2 Ethical failure evident in PBT falsifications .......................................................................... 104 11.3 Training in ethics relating to PBTs ....................................................................................... 106 11.4 Applying an ethical lens ....................................................................................................... 107 11.5 Devolving decision-making to align ethical responsibility with decisions and actions