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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2007-11-22 Daily Xml
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POLICE RESOURCES

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:13): I seek leave to make an explanation before asking the Minister for Police a question about allegations of inappropriate use of police resources.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Earlier this year a whistleblower from within the police force contacted me and made some serious allegations about the improper use of police resources for personal purposes. Recently, I was contacted by another person who has provided some further information that supported the nature of the allegations that were being made against police officers.

The nature of the allegations are as follows: in November last year a patrol of mounted police attended the wedding of one of the members of the mounted police force. Two members of the mounted police force spent many hours on a particular Saturday prior to the November wedding preparing a horse to attend that wedding, and then returned to the patrol base and performed no other duties.

Further allegations indicate that, in approximately late 2005, two police officers attended Callington for the same purpose although, in that instance, the understanding was that they performed a short patrol to offset the expense of travelling such a distance for a private function. Whilst the officers were in attendance, I am informed that the bride rode one of the police horses and had photos taken which were proudly displayed for some period at the Thebarton police barracks. The whistleblower concluded his concerns by saying, 'My experience within'—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. B.V. Finnigan interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: I am disturbed that the Hon. Mr Finnegan knows so much about hooch. I will leave that for him to explain on another occasion to Don Farrell or to Michael Atkinson.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The honourable member will get on with the question.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: The whistleblower concluded his concerns by stating:

My experience within the police department has jaded me, so I do not believe that this matter will be addressed by police management if brought to their attention. I write to you in the hope that this matter will be looked into and perhaps if the mounted has so many members available to it that it could provide those members to support patrol bases where they are so desperately needed rather than attending private functions of its own members.

My questions to the Minister for Police are as follows:

1. What guidelines apply to police officers in terms of using scarce police resources, such as mounted horses, for private purposes such as weddings?

2. Has the minister been made aware of allegations along these lines, and if he has not, will he undertake to ask the Police Commissioner to investigate urgently these allegations, and to provide a written response to me after he has received a reply from the Police Commissioner?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Police, Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning) (15:21): I think I heard the Hon. Rob Lucas say that some of these events happened back in late 2005. Obviously, this matter is of such pressing urgency and this misuse of police resources is so acute that some two years later he has decided to raise it. I am happy to get the information from the Police Commissioner about what guidelines apply to the use of police resources. I can certainly bring that back, but I think that the honourable member would need to provide just a little more information than something that happened in Callington two years ago, if he really expects us to get some meaningful information.

If this is the worst allegation that the honourable member can come up with in relation to the use of police resources—that somebody had a picture of somebody riding a police horse—obviously our police force is a lot better placed than those of other states. Obviously, police resources need to be used for the principal purpose.

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Was I aware back in 2005 of this incident at Callington? No, I was not. I will see what information, if any, the Police Commissioner has and bring back a response.

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