INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ACT POLICING CRIME SCENE POWERS AND POWERS TO TARGET, DISRUPT, INVESTIGATE AND PROSECUTE CRIMINAL GANG MEMBERS 6 DECEMBER 2019 ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR TERRY GOLDSWORTHY AND DR GAELLE BROTTO BOND UNIVERSITY 14 University Drive, Robina Qld, 4226 ǀ P: 075595 3057 ǀ E: [email protected] ǀ www.bond.edu.au Independent review of the effectiveness of ACT Policing crime scene powers and powers to target, disrupt, investigate and prosecute criminal gang members © Copyright, Terry Goldsworthy and Gaelle Brotto This work is copyright, however material from this publication may be copied and published by State or Federal Government Agencies without permission of the authors on the condition that the meaning of the material is not altered and the authors are acknowledged as the source of the material. Any other persons or bodies wishing to use material must seek permission. Dr Terry Goldsworthy and Dr Gaelle Brotto Page i 6 December 2019 Independent review of the effectiveness of ACT Policing crime scene powers and powers to target, disrupt, investigate and prosecute criminal gang members ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to acknowledge the staff at the Justice and Community Safety Directorate, ACT Government, and ACT Policing for their assistance in providing the necessary information and data, which add value to this review. We would also like to thank the stakeholders who took the time to provide submissions relating to numerous legislative issues. Without the valuable information you provided, we would not be in a position to comprehensively assess and report on the ACT crime scene’s powers and responses to organised crime. Dr Terry Goldsworthy and Dr Gaelle Brotto Page ii 6 December 2019 Independent review of the effectiveness of ACT Policing crime scene powers and powers to target, disrupt, investigate and prosecute criminal gang members CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................... II G LOSSARY ........................................................................................................ 5 L I ST OF TABLES ................................................................................................. 6 L I ST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................ 7 E XECUTI V E SUMMARY .......................................................................................... 8 SECTI ON 1—INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 9 SECTI ON 2—METHODOLOGY ............................................................................... 10 2.1 The task ....................................................................................................................................................................... 10 2.2 Information from ACT Policing ........................................................................................................................... 12 2.3 Information from other government agencies ............................................................................................. 12 2.4 Consultations with key stakeholders ................................................................................................................ 12 2.5 Academic literature ................................................................................................................................................. 13 2.6 Parliamentary and public debate ....................................................................................................................... 13 2.7 Related laws ............................................................................................................................................................... 13 2.8 Conflict of interest ................................................................................................................................................... 13 SECTI ON 3—CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND OF CRI ME SCEN E P OWERS ............................. 14 3.1 Importance of crime scene powers in criminal investigation .................................................................. 14 3.2 The investigative process—a model ................................................................................................................. 15 3.3 Crime scene stage ................................................................................................................................................... 16 3.4 The international experience regarding crime scene powers ................................................................. 17 3.5 Crime scene powers in other states and territories .................................................................................... 20 SECTI ON 4—OVERVIEW: TH E OPERATION OF CRI ME SCEN E P OWERS ............................. 28 4.1 Increased concern about organised crime and criminal gangs .............................................................. 28 4.2 Immediate background to the new crime scene powers in 2017.......................................................... 28 4.3 The new division 10.4A .......................................................................................................................................... 29 4.4 A qualitative and quantitative analysis of the new crime scene powers ............................................. 34 SECTI ON 5—ORGANISED CRIME IN AUSTRALIA ........................................................ 37 5.1 Defining organised crime ..................................................................................................................................... 37 5.2 The international approaches to organised crime ...................................................................................... 38 a. The North American Approach .......................................................................................................................... 38 b. The European Approach ....................................................................................................................................... 40 c. The New Zealand Approach ................................................................................................................................ 44 d. Effectiveness .............................................................................................................................................................. 45 5.3 Legal approaches to defining organised crime ............................................................................................ 46 5.4 The future of organised crime ............................................................................................................................ 46 SECTI ON 6—OMCG S I N AUSTRALIA ..................................................................... 48 6.1 An examination of the criminality of OMCGs ............................................................................................... 48 6.2 How much crime do OMCGs commit? ............................................................................................................ 49 6.3 OMCGs and the drug markets ............................................................................................................................ 51 6.4 The role of the gang structure in criminal enterprises............................................................................... 52 6.5 Membership issues ................................................................................................................................................. 53 Dr Terry Goldsworthy and Dr Gaelle Brotto Page iii 6 December 2019 Independent review of the effectiveness of ACT Policing crime scene powers and powers to target, disrupt, investigate and prosecute criminal gang members 6.6 Media and OMCGs .................................................................................................................................................. 54 SECTI ON 7—CONSORTING LAWS IN AUSTRALIA ....................................................... 57 7.1 The history of consorting laws in Australia .................................................................................................... 57 7.2 Moral panic and the justification for consorting laws ................................................................................ 58 7.3 Not new—just previously unused ..................................................................................................................... 62 7.4 Consorting Laws, are they effective? ................................................................................................................ 65 7.5 Did anti-association laws already exist? .......................................................................................................... 69 SECTI ON 8—A CURRENT SITUATION REPORT OF OMCG ACTIVITY IN THE ACT ................. 72 8.1 ACT OMCGs memberships ................................................................................................................................... 72 8.2 An examination of OMCG criminality in the ACT ........................................................................................ 74 8.3 OMCGs’ involvement in organised and serious crime in the ACT ......................................................... 77 8.4 OMCGs and the media in the ACT ...................................................................................................................