DOCSLIB.ORG

An Effective System for Investigating Complaints Against Police

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
An Effective System for Investigating Complaints Against Police An Effective System for Investigating Complaints Against Police A study of human rights compliance in police complaint models in the US, Canada, UK, Northern Ireland and Australia August 2009 By Tamar Hopkins Victorian Law Foundation Community Legal Centre Fellow 2008-2009 Monash University Honorary Fellow Principal Solicitor Flemington & Kensington Community Legal Centre 1 Contents Executive Summary .......................................................................................................... 7 RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................................. 8 Chapter 1 ......................................................................................................................... 14 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 14 The human rights standards ...................................................................................... 18 An example .................................................................................................................. 19 The purpose of investigation ...................................................................................... 19 Chapter 2 ......................................................................................................................... 22 The Human Rights Framework – The Duty to Investigate......................................... 22 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 22 2.2 The Content of the Duty to Investigate ................................................................... 23 2.2.1 Threshold Issue ................................................................................................ 25 2.3 The Committee Against Torture ............................................................................. 29 2.4 The Human Rights Committee ............................................................................... 29 2.5 The UN Force and Firearms Principles .................................................................. 31 2.6 UN Principles on Extra-Legal Executions ......................................................... 31 2.7 Application to Victoria ........................................................................................... 33 Chapter 3 ......................................................................................................................... 34 Independence ................................................................................................................... 34 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 34 3.2 Police investigating police ...................................................................................... 35 1. Institutional, organisational and hierarchical independence ................................. 37 2. Practical/functional/cultural independence, (willingness to act) .......................... 41 3. Legal and Political Independence ......................................................................... 47 Recommendations arising from this Chapter .......................................................... 49 Chapter 4 ......................................................................................................................... 51 Adequacy of Investigation .............................................................................................. 51 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 51 4.2 Capacity to lead to criminal or disciplinary outcomes.......................................... 51 4.3 The importance of time ........................................................................................... 54 4.4 Thoroughness .......................................................................................................... 55 4.5 Provision of cameras in Police Stations ................................................................. 57 4.6 Independence from prosecutions of complainants ................................................. 58 4.7 The need for uncontaminated police statements .................................................... 59 4.8 Questioning techniques ........................................................................................... 61 4.9 Standards of Proof................................................................................................... 61 4.10 Unlawful use of force............................................................................................ 64 4.11 Role of Mediation/Settlement ............................................................................... 66 4.12 Appeals ................................................................................................................ 68 4.13 Body that makes the decision about the complaint ............................................... 70 4.14 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 70 4.14 Recommendations arising from this Chapter ........................................................ 70 Chapter 5 ......................................................................................................................... 73 Public Scrutiny ................................................................................................................ 73 Introduction 5.1 ............................................................................................................. 73 2 5.2 Public Scrutiny of Complaint Data ......................................................................... 74 5.3 Transparency in individual decision-making .......................................................... 78 5.4 Public investigations ............................................................................................... 79 5.5 Public Disciplinary hearings ................................................................................... 79 5.6 Recommendations arising from this Chapter .......................................................... 79 Chapter 6 ......................................................................................................................... 81 Effective participation of the victim .............................................................................. 81 6.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 81 6.2 Inhibitions on filing complaints ............................................................................. 81 6.3 Legal practitioner views on complaint systems ...................................................... 84 6.3.1 What do complainant advocates specify is the problem? ................................ 85 6.3.2 Provision of Statement by Complainants ......................................................... 87 6.3.3 The need to outreach to complainants ............................................................. 88 6.4 Protection of Complainants..................................................................................... 88 6.5 Provision of information to the complainant .......................................................... 90 6.6 Release of complaint history of police officer ........................................................ 93 6.7 Involvement of the Victim in the investigative process.......................................... 94 6.7.1 Participation in the Investigation ..................................................................... 95 6.7.2 Legal Aid ......................................................................................................... 96 6.7.3 Cross-examination of evidence ........................................................................ 96 6.8 Proceeding with complaints that have been withdrawn ......................................... 98 6.9 Recommendations arising from this Chapter ......................................................... 98 Chapter 7 ....................................................................................................................... 101 Complaints Against Police in Victoria ........................................................................ 101 PART A – Corruption and human rights ............................................................... 101 7.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 101 7.2 The Current Complaint Scheme........................................................................ 104 7.3 Critique of OPI position .................................................................................... 107 7.3.1 Number of staff dedicated to complaints ...................................................... 107 7.3.2 Failure to investigate complaints ................................................................... 107 7.3.3 Audits and classification of complaints ........................................................ 107 7.3.4. Use public telephone polling to gauge success ............................................. 108 7.3.5. Failure on an individual level ....................................................................... 109 7.3.6. The public interest test .................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 1996 Human Rights Report: United Kingdom Page 1 of 10
    1996 Human Rights Report: United Kingdom Page 1 of 10 The State Department web site below is a permanent electro information released prior to January 20, 2001. Please see w material released since President George W. Bush took offic This site is not updated so external links may no longer func us with any questions about finding information. NOTE: External links to other Internet sites should not be co endorsement of the views contained therein. U.S. Department of State United Kingdom Report on Human Rights Practices for 1996 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, January 30, 1997. United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) is a longstanding, constitutional monarchy with a democratic, parliamentary government. A lower legislative chamber (the House of Commons), the center of parliamentary power, is elected in periodic multiparty elections. An upper chamber (the House of Lords), with the power to revise and delay implementation of laws, is made up of hereditary and life peers and senior clergy of the established Church of England. There is an independent judiciary, but Parliament may overrule its decisions. Throughout the United Kingdom, police forces are responsive to, and under the effective control of, civilian officials. The Security Service Act of 1996, giving the intelligence agency MI-5 jurisdiction to act in support of other law enforcement agencies in the prevention and detection of serious domestic crime, received royal assent in July. In some areas of Northern Ireland, because of continued terrorist violence, army units operated to reinforce the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC).
    [Show full text]
  • Racist Violence in the United Kingdom
    RACIST VIOLENCE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM Human Rights Watch/Helsinki Human Rights Watch New York AAA Washington AAA London AAA Brussels Copyright 8 April 1997 by Human Rights Watch. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. ISBN 1-56432-202-5 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 96-77750 Addresses for Human Rights Watch 485 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10017-6104 Tel: (212) 972-8400, Fax: (212) 972-0905, E-mail: [email protected] 1522 K Street, N.W., #910, Washington, DC 20005-1202 Tel: (202) 371-6592, Fax: (202) 371-0124, E-mail: [email protected] 33 Islington High Street, N1 9LH London, UK Tel: (171) 713-1995, Fax: (171) 713-1800, E-mail: [email protected] 15 Rue Van Campenhout, 1000 Brussels, Belgium Tel: (2) 732-2009, Fax: (2) 732-0471, E-mail: [email protected] Web Site Address: http://www.hrw.org Gopher Address://gopher.humanrights.org:5000/11/int/hrw Listserv address: To subscribe to the list, send an e-mail message to [email protected] with Asubscribe hrw-news@ in the body of the message (leave the subject line blank). HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH Human Rights Watch conducts regular, systematic investigations of human rights abuses in some seventy countries around the world. Our reputation for timely, reliable disclosures has made us an essential source of information for those concerned with human rights. We address the human rights practices of governments of all political stripes, of all geopolitical alignments, and of all ethnic and religious persuasions. Human Rights Watch defends freedom of thought and expression, due process and equal protection of the law, and a vigorous civil society; we document and denounce murders, disappearances, torture, arbitrary imprisonment, discrimination, and other abuses of internationally recognized human rights.
    [Show full text]
  • The Alex Cameron Diecast and Toy Collection Wednesday 9Th May 2018 at 10:00 Viewing: Tuesday 8Th May 10:00-16:00 Morning of Auction from 9:00 Or by Appointment
    Hugo Marsh Neil Thomas Plant (Director) Shuttleworth (Director) (Director) The Alex Cameron Diecast and Toy Collection Wednesday 9th May 2018 at 10:00 Viewing: Tuesday 8th May 10:00-16:00 Morning of auction from 9:00 or by appointment Saleroom One 81 Greenham Business Park NEWBURY RG19 6HW Telephone: 01635 580595 Dave Kemp Bob Leggett Fax: 0871 714 6905 Fine Diecast Toys, Trains & Figures Email: [email protected] www.specialauctionservices.com Dominic Foster Toys Bid Here Without Being Here All you need is your computer and an internet connection and you can make real-time bids in real-world auctions at the-saleroom.com. You don’t have to be a computer whizz. All you have to do is visit www.the-saleroom.com and register to bid - its just like being in the auction room. A live audio feed means you hear the auctioneer at the same time as other bidders. You see the lots on your computer screen as they appear in the auction room, and the auctioneer is aware of your bids the moment you make them. Just register and click to bid! Order of Auction Lots Dinky Toys 1-38 Corgi Toys 39-53 Matchbox 54-75 Lone Star & D.C.M.T. 76-110 Other British Diecast 111-151 French Diecast 152-168 German Diecast 152-168 Italian Diecast 183-197 Japanese Diecast 198-208 North American Diecast 209-223 Other Diecast & Models 224-315 Hong Kong Plastics 316-362 British Plastics 363-390 French Plastics 391-460 American Plastics 461-476 Other Plastics 477-537 Tinplate & Other Toys 538-610 Lot 565 Buyers Premium: 17.5% plus Value Added Tax making a total of 21% of the Hammer Price Internet Buyers Premium: 20.5% plus Value Added Tax making a total of 24.6% of the Hammer Price 2 www.specialauctionservices.com Courtesy of Daniel Celerin-Rouzeau and Model Collector magazine (L) and Diecast Collector magazine (R) Alex Cameron was born in Stirling and , with brother Ewen , lived his whole life in the beautiful Stirlingshire countryside, growing up in the picturesque cottage built by his father.
    [Show full text]
  • The Use of Taser Weapons by Western Australia Police
    CORRUPTION AND CRIME COMMISSION ® THE USE OF TASER WEAPONS BY WESTERN AUSTRALIA POLICE 4 October 2010 CCC Use of Taser (Cover).indd 1 24/09/2010 2:53:13 PM ISBN: 978-0-9805052-3-8 © 2010 Copyright in this work is held by the Corruption and Crime Commission (“the Commission”). Division 3 of the Copyright Act 1968 (Commonwealth) recognises that limited further use of this material can occur for the purposes of “fair dealing”, for example, study, research or criticism. Should you wish to make use of this material other than as permitted by the Copyright Act 1968 please write to the Commission at the postal address below. This report and further information about the Commission can be found on the Commission Website at www.ccc.wa.gov.au. Corruption and Crime Commission Postal Address PO Box 7667 Cloisters Square PERTH WA 6850 Telephone (08) 9215 4888 1800 809 000 (Toll Free for callers outside the Perth metropolitan area.) Facsimile (08) 9215 4884 Email [email protected] Office Hours 8.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., Monday to Friday. Special Needs Services If you have a speech or hearing difficulty, contact the Commission via the National Relay Service (NRS) on 133 677 for assistance or visit the NRS Website, www.relayservice.com.au. NRS is an Australia-wide telephone service available at no additional charge. The Commission Toll Free number is 1800 809 000. If your preferred language is a language other than English, contact the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) for assistance. TIS provides a free, national 24 hours a day, seven days a week telephone interpreting service on 13 14 50.
    [Show full text]
  • The Welfare of Vulnerable People in Police Custody
    The welfare of vulnerable people in police custody March 2015 © HMIC 2015 ISBN: 978-1-78246-781-6 www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmic Contents Glossary .................................................................................................................... 5 Executive summary ................................................................................................ 16 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 16 Inspection commission ......................................................................................... 16 Approach .............................................................................................................. 16 Findings ................................................................................................................ 17 The nature of vulnerability ................................................................................. 17 First point of contact and diversion .................................................................... 18 In the custody suite33 ....................................................................................... 19 Release or transfer from police custody ............................................................ 20 BAME detainees ............................................................................................... 21 Leadership, governance and accountability ...................................................... 21 Partnership working .........................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • A HISTORY of the DUBLIN METROPOLITAN POLICE and ITS COLONIAL LEGACY Anastasia Dukova World Histories of Crime, Culture and Violence
    W H C, C V A HISTORY OF THE DUBLIN METROPOLITAN POLICE AND ITS COLONIAL LEGACY Anastasia Dukova World Histories of Crime, Culture and Violence Series Editors Marianna Muravyeva University of Helsinki Finland Raisa Maria Toivo University of Tampere Finland Palgrave’s World Histories of Crime, Culture and Violence seeks to pub- lish research monographs, collections of scholarly essays, multi- authored books, and Palgrave Pivots addressing themes and issues of interdisciplin- ary histories of crime, criminal justice, criminal policy, culture and vio- lence globally and on a wide chronological scale (from the ancient to the modern period). It focuses on interdisciplinary studies, historically con- textualized, across various cultures and spaces employing a wide range of methodologies and conceptual frameworks. More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/14383 Anastasia Dukova A History of the Dublin Metropolitan Police and its Colonial Legacy Anastasia Dukova Brisbane , Australia World Histories of Crime, Culture and Violence ISBN 978-1-137-55581-6 ISBN 978-1-137-55582-3 (eBook) DOI 10.1057/978-1-137-55582-3 Library of Congress Control Number: 2016953884 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2016 The author(s) has/have asserted their right(s) to be identifi ed as the author(s) of this workin accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifi cally the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfi lms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed.
    [Show full text]
  • The Police, the Public, and the Pursuit of Trust
    Dorian Schaap The police, the public, and the pursuit of trust A cross-national, dynamic study of trust in the police and police trust-building strategies Public trust in the police is a matter of great importance for police organizations and govern- ments all over Europe. The police, the public, and the pursuit of trust offers a unique perspective on both citizens’ trust in the police and police trust- building strategies from internationally comparative and dynamic angles. It applies rigorous statistical analyses and in-depth case study research. This book assesses differences and developments in trust in the police across Europe over the past decades. Guided by three theoretical perspectives – instrumentalism, proximity policing and procedural justice – , it also examines what factors on the national and individual level can explain trust in the police. These fi ndings are contrasted with the invention and development of police trust- building strategies in England & Wales, Denmark and the Netherlands. The book inquires how and when trust in the police was fi rst defi ned as a policy problem, what solutions or strategies have since been formulated to address it, and how we can understand differences between these three countries. The author shows that trust in the police cannot be understood without taking into account police trust-building strategies, nor can these strategies be grasped without an appreciation of national and local context and history. This study will appeal to all readers with an interest in the relationship between citizens and the police, including scholars, policy makers and police offi cers. ISBN 978-94-6236-845-3 9 789462 368453 The police, the public, and the pursuit of trust The commercial edition of this book is published by Eleven International Publishing.
    [Show full text]
  • The Use of Private Security Services for Policing
    The Use of Private Security Services for Policing by Ruth Montgomery and Curt Taylor Griffiths RESEARCH REPORT: 2015–R041 RESEARCH DIVISION www.publicsafety.gc.ca Abstract This paper examines the intersections between private security and public policing, with an emphasis on those functions that private security are now performing that have traditionally been performed by the public police, as well as cooperative efforts between public police and private security. The research included a literature review of the roles, responsibilities of private and public policing in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, a review of relevant Canadian legislation, and interviews with key individuals in Canadian government, private security, policing, and police governance organizations. Author’s Note The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Public Safety Canada. Correspondence concerning this report should be addressed to: Research Division Public Safety Canada 340 Laurier Avenue West Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0P8 Email: [email protected]. Acknowledgements The project team would like to thank those individuals who were interviewed for the study. Their candid and insightful observations on the state of private security in Canada comprise a core component of this report. Product Information © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2016 Cat. PS113-1/2015-45E-PDF ISBN Number: 978-0-660-03495-9 THE USE OF PRIVATE SECURITY IN POLICING PUBLIC SAFETY CANADA 2 Table of Contents The Transformation of Policing and Growth of Private Industry ................................. 6 Core Policing ............................................................................................................................ 6 The Growth of the Private Security Industry ............................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Randomly Selected Racial/Ethnic Profiling in Sweden Illustration:Ossian Theselius
    RANDOMLY SELECTED RACIAL/ETHNIC PROFILING IN SWEDEN ILLUSTRATION: OSSIAN THESELIUS ILLUSTRATION: Civil Rights Defenders in collaboration with The Department of Criminology, Stockholm University December 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword ___________________________________________________________________ 3 Summary ___________________________________________________________________ 4 1. Introduction ______________________________________________________________ 6 2. What is racial/ethnic profiling ________________________________________________ 7 3. What knowledge is there about racial/ethnic profiling in Sweden ___________________ 9 4. How can racial/ethnic profiling be understood? ________________________________ 11 5. How has the study been carried out? _________________________________________ 13 6. Experiences of racial/ethnic profiling _________________________________________ 16 Between questions and answers: “It can’t be a coincidence” _____________________ 16 Between humiliation and resistance: “It’s to degrade you” ________________________ 17 Between criminalisation and crime: “We need the police” ________________________ 19 Between reasons: “In what way did I look suspicious?” __________________________ 22 Between past and present: “We knew that the police was stopping Roma” __________ 23 Between abuse and a cup of tea: “Am I part of a threat against Sweden?” ___________ 24 7. Four arguments about racial/ethnic profiling ___________________________________ 26 A rebuttal: Colour-blind police work __________________________________________
    [Show full text]
  • Stop & Search 2: Are the Police Using Them Effectively and Fairly?
    Stop and search powers 2: are the police using them effectively and fairly? March 2015 © HMIC 2015 ISBN: 978-1-78246-791-5 www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmic Contents Executive summary .................................................................................................. 4 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 12 Methodology ........................................................................................................... 14 Part 1: Progress on recommendations made in HMIC’s 2013 report, Stop and search powers: Are the police using them effectively and fairly? ..................... 16 Recommendation 1 from 2013 ............................................................................. 16 Recommendation 2 from 2013 ............................................................................. 21 Recommendation 3 from 2013 ............................................................................. 26 Recommendation 4 from 2013 ............................................................................. 29 Recommendation 5 from 2013 ............................................................................. 31 Recommendation 6 from 2013 ............................................................................. 32 Recommendation 7 from 2013 ............................................................................. 34 Recommendation 8 from 2013 ............................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • British Ltofar and Econo™
    British Ltofar and Econo™ The Rhythms of Interaction with Mobile Technologies Tales from the Police Daniele Nicola Pica Department of Information Systems London School of Economics and Political Science Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE United Kingdom June 2006 Dissertation submitted in the fulfillment of the requirement for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the faculty of Economics at the University of London UMI Number: U228626 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U228626 Published by ProQuest LLC 2014. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 TO MY MOTHER A bstr a c t This dissertation is concerned with understanding the dynamics surrounding the usage of Mobile Information and Communication Technologies (MICT) within the context of the police force in the United Kingdom. The opportunities arising from MICT and their rapid uptake have led to a great number of texts studying their impact and effectiveness. However, these studies have a superficial understanding of the context of use of MICT, are mainly concerned with improving the efficiency of one particular police task, and consider little usage of MICT as a technological, organizational or individual failure.
    [Show full text]
  • An Effective System for Investigating Complaints Against Police
    An Effective System for Investigating Complaints Against Police A study of human rights compliance in police complaint models in the US, Canada, UK, Northern Ireland and Australia By Tamar Hopkins Victorian Law Foundation Community Legal Centre Fellow 2008-2009 Monash University Honorary Fellow Principal Solicitor Flemington & Kensington Community Legal Centre 1 CONTENTS: Executive Summary and Recommendations p 5 Chapter 1 - Introduction p 12 Chapter 2 - The duty to investigate – a human rights framework p 23 Chapter 3 - Independence p 31 Chapter 4 - Adequacy p 48 Chapter 5 - Public scrutiny p 72 Chapter 6 - Involvement of the victim p 80 Chapter 7 - Complaints against police in Victoria Australia p 100 Chapter 8 - Recommendations for Victoria p 136 Appendix 1- List of organisations and people consulted p 140 Appendix 2- Civil litigation as a police accountability mechanism p 142 Bibliography p 156 Chapter Two contains an analysis of the human rights principles that have emerged in overseas courts and committees concerning investigation of police complaints. The core principles emerging from these cases have been identified by the European Commission of Human Rights rapporteur on police complaints as: Independence, Adequacy, Promptness, Transparency/Public Scrutiny and Effective involvement of the victim or family. I use these principles as a structure for this report. Chapters Three to Six draw out the practical implications of each of these principles and makes recommendations that will ensure compliance. These chapters will draw on case law, interviews with police complaint agencies and advocates, reports, media and Inquiry findings in each of the jurisdictions studied. Chapter Seven explores the current Victorian police complaint system and in particular its treatment of complaints from Flemington from 2006- 2009.
    [Show full text]