Review of police pursuits conducted by ACT Policing Page 1 of 148 in the Australian Capital Territory CONTACT OFFICER FOR THIS REPORT Coordinator Ministerial, Policy & Performance ACT Policing GPO Box 401 Canberra ACT 2601 Telephone: (02) 6264 9480 Email: [email protected] GENERAL CONTACT DETAILS Post Written requests for information can be sent to: Coordinator Ministerial, Policy & Performance ACT Policing GPO Box 401 Canberra ACT 2601 Telephone For general information about the AFP, telephone AFP National Headquarters on (02) 6131 3000. People who are hearing impaired can contact the AFP through telephone typewriter facility on (02) 6256 7700. For general enquiries regarding the content of this report please contact (02) 6264 9460. Internet Information about ACT Policing can be found at the ACT Policing website www.police.act.gov.au where an electronic version of this report can be found. For Freedom of Information requests contact (02) 6131 6131, [email protected] or go to afp.gov.au. © Commonwealth of Australia (Australian Federal Police) 2015 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth), no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from ACT Policing. Review of police pursuits conducted by ACT Policing Page 2 of 148 in the Australian Capital Territory CONTENTS TERMS OF REFERENCE .............................................................................................. 6 ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................. 10 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................ 11 RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................................. 14 1. PREFACE ........................................................................................................... 21 2. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 27 2.1 PURPOSE .................................................................................................. 27 2.2 SCOPE ...................................................................................................... 27 2.3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................. 28 2.4 CIRCULATION OF DRAFT .......................................................................... 28 3. CURRENT OPERATING CONTEXT ....................................................................... 29 3.1 PURSUITS & URGENT DUTY DRIVING ....................................................... 29 3.2 PROVISION OF ACT POLICING SERVICES TO THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY .............................................................................................. 30 3.3 ADEQUACY OF CURRENT OPERATIONAL PRACTICES ................................ 31 3.3.1 Review of Pursuits .............................................................................. 31 3.3.2 Review of compliance with the AFP Guideline ......................................... 35 3.3.3 Case Study Analysis ........................................................................... 45 3.3.4 Current AFP Governance Framework ..................................................... 52 3.3.5 ACT Policing - Police Pursuit Review Committee ..................................... 58 3.3.6 Workplace Health and Safety compliance .............................................. 61 3.4 ADEQUACY OF CURRENT LEGISLATION TO SANCTION OFFENDERS OR CHANGE BEHAVIOURS ........................................................................................... 61 3.4.1 ACT Policing prosecutions and court outcomes ........................................ 61 3.4.2 ACT Legislation pertaining to pursuits .................................................... 62 3.5 CURRENT AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGY .................................................. 65 3.5.1 Automated Vehicle Locator .................................................................. 65 3.5.2 Enterprise Mobility Solution project....................................................... 65 3.5.3 Emerging technologies ........................................................................ 66 4. JURISDICTIONAL REVIEW ................................................................................ 67 4.1 ANZPAA PURSUIT PRINCIPLES ................................................................ 67 4.2 JURISDICTIONAL COMPARISON............................................................... 67 4.2.1 Jurisdictional Review – New South Wales .............................................. 68 4.2.2. Jurisdictional Review - Queensland ....................................................... 70 4.2.3 Jurisdictional Review - Tasmania .......................................................... 71 4.2.4 Jurisdictional Review – Victoria ............................................................ 71 4.2.5 Other Jurisdictions .............................................................................. 72 5. RECENT CORONIAL INQUEST OUTCOMES .......................................................... 73 5.1 AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY .......................................................... 73 5.1.1 Benjamin Peter HAYES ........................................................................ 73 5.1.2 Clea Kathleen ROSE ............................................................................ 73 5.1.3 Heather Jean FREEMAN ....................................................................... 75 Review of police pursuits conducted by ACT Policing Page 3 of 148 in the Australian Capital Territory 5.1.4 Brody and Scott OPPELAAR, Samantha FORD & Justin WILLIAMS ............. 75 5.1.5 Linda COX ......................................................................................... 77 5.2 NEW SOUTH WALES ................................................................................. 78 5.2.1 Hamish RAJ ....................................................................................... 78 5.2.2 Syke SASSINE ................................................................................... 78 5.3 VICTORIA ................................................................................................. 80 5.3.1 Sarah Louise BOOTH ........................................................................... 80 5.4 CORONIAL OUTCOMES – LIMITED PURSUIT POLICY MODEL .................... 82 5.4.1 Conclusion ......................................................................................... 83 6. STAKEHOLDERS & INTEREST GROUPS .............................................................. 84 6.1 KEY GOVERNMENT STAKEHOLDERS .......................................................... 84 6.1.1 ACT Justice and Community Safety Directorate ...................................... 84 6.1.2 ACT Director of Public Prosecutions ....................................................... 84 6.1.3 ACT Policing Coroner’s Officer .............................................................. 84 6.2 COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS ................................................................... 84 6.2.1 The Rose Family ................................................................................. 84 6.3 INTEREST GROUPS ................................................................................... 85 6.3.1 The Law Society of New South Wales .................................................... 85 6.3.2 Criminal Lawyers Association Northern Territory ..................................... 86 6.3.3 Alternative Law Journal ....................................................................... 86 6.3.4 John Cadogan .................................................................................... 86 7. LEGISLATIVE REFORM PROPOSAL ..................................................................... 88 7.1 SUMMARY ................................................................................................ 88 7.1.1 Background ........................................................................................ 88 7.1.2 Operational context ............................................................................ 88 7.1.3 Conclusion ......................................................................................... 89 7.2 PROPOSED LEGISLATIVE REFORMS .......................................................... 89 7.2.1 Context of reforms ............................................................................. 90 7.2.2 Progress of reforms ............................................................................ 91 7.3 PROPOSED PURSUIT LEGISLATION .......................................................... 91 7.4 OFFENCE - FAILING TO STOP ................................................................... 92 7.4.1 s.109 RT (Safety & Traffic Management) Regulation 2000 ....................... 93 7.4.2 New South Wales Legislation ............................................................... 94 7.4.3 Proposed amendment ......................................................................... 94 7.4.4 Conclusion ......................................................................................... 95 7.5 OFFENCES ARISING FROM PURSUITS ...................................................... 96 7.5.1 Dangerous Driving - Discussion ............................................................ 96 7.5.2 Furious, reckless and dangerous driving ................................................ 98 7.5.3