Australian police response times

I'm not suggesting a police state, just much tougher laws. Also my family would never even be remotely involved with anything that would cause them to be locked up unjustly. Rape? murder? bashing and raping old ladies? i don't think so..And 99.9% of decent, innocent ppl wouldn't be eigher.

The rotten eggs need to be crushed not paroled. Its ridiculous.

 

First they came for the socialists...

 

He may be innocent but that doesn't mean he didn't do the crime.

 

And then the terrorists....

 

That doesn't make sense, do you mean the fact that he was 'found' innocent? Also I would have thought the fact that he successfully sued them twice might tell you something (you have to have a pretty strong case to do that), and also the fact that he is a solicitor and so a fairly upstanding person.

 

I don't remember that from my high school history lesson. Oh wait, it's coming back to me. Weren't the IRA unionists? close enough to terrorists.

 

These events are not even something to compare if your talking Police response times and it appears like a cheap shot at aussie cops.

In the UK you had an active attack unfolding on public streets and if this occurred in Australia it would be first response officers attending something like this and would likely have a similar response time.

The lint and Malaysian airlines both involved persons in persons inside a strong hold where specialist Police were called in and there is an advantage in assessing the situation and not running in guns blazing.

 

I don't know this case or who you are referring to, but as we know not all that are guilty get convicted.

The fact that he is a solicitor is irrelevant. Plenty of solicitors serving time now

 

Yes, but you have bypassed my point that he successfully sued the police twice which should be telling you something as you have to have a pretty strong case to do that.

Here's another example of NSW police picking on the wrong person (another lawyer):


http://www.smh.com.au/national/compensation-for-lawyer-after-wrongful-arrest-20091005-gjfk.html


Compensation for lawyer after wrongful arrest

• Bellinda Kontominas

A LAWYER has won $40,000 in compensation after NSW police wrongfully arrested her and then falsified official documents, alleging she had committed a terrorist act.

Andrea Turner, 57, was arrested on December 30 last year when a senior constable mistakenly believed Ms Turner had taken a photograph of her conducting a routine patrol of a train with a junior colleague.

• 
  After unjust arrest ... when Andrea Turner lodged a complaint, police records were falsified, the judge found Photo: Peter Rae
  

Ms Turner, a practising criminal lawyer, had been on her way to a bushwalk in the Royal National Park.

None of the police officers involved has been reprimanded over the incident and there has been no internal investigation.

''Don't take my photo. If you take my photo I will put you on your arse so fast it will not be funny,'' the junior officer had said.

The other told Ms Turner: ''You're obviously a bloke.''

Ms Turner was asked for identification and when she refused, was told to get off the train at the next station or be ''dragged off''.

The senior constable told her she was being arrested for taking a photograph of an officer in the execution of her duty.

Ms Turner denied taking a photograph and pointed out it was not an offence to do so. As was her legal right, she again declined to provide identification.

She was then detained for 30 minutes in front of a crowd of onlookers at Kogarah station.

Ms Turner successfully sued the state of NSW for wrongful arrest and false imprisonment in the District Court, telling the Herald: ''How could I have backed down when I tell my own clients, 'That is thuggery, that is unlawful behaviour and you can't let them get away with it'?''

The state had admitted liability for the incident, but did not accept it should pay aggravated or exemplary damages.

Awarding Ms Turner $20,000 in aggravated and exemplary damages, Judge Anthony Garling found she had displayed no signs of aggression during her arrest and there was no suggestion that the officers had needed to use force.

Yet three police officers were called in as back-up before she was escorted off the platform. Another five - including two detectives - also arrived on the scene.

Despite several phone calls to their superiors, none of them knew which offence, if any, Ms Turner had committed.

''It was an unjust arrest, it was a wrong arrest,'' Judge Garling said.

Without explanation, Ms Turner was freed without charge.

But what happened next was even more serious, with Ms Turner falsely accused of a ''terrorist act'', Judge Garling found.

Police had decided not to pursue the matter or formally record the incident in the police COPS system. But later the same day Ms Turner called the police station to complain about her treatment.

''The police officer then decided to lessen whatever complaint could be made against her by falsifying a public record, that is, by alleging that the plaintiff committed an offence which is related to railway property, not to photographing the police officer,'' Judge Garling said.

The senior constable had written in the falsified COPS entry: ''It should be noted that at the time of dealing with the person of interest police were unaware of the exact offence. It is an offence to take photos on railway property under the new terrorism laws.''

The judge said: ''This lady was sitting on a train going for a bushwalk when the police mistakenly did what they did. In no way could [it] be suggested that it related to terrorism.'' He criticised the police force for not removing or amending the falsified COPS entry or apologising to Ms Turner.

In a statement NSW Police said it would treat the judge's comments seriously. ''The matter will be investigated and any issues identified as a result of that investigation will be addressed.''

 

I am not sure that this has anything to do with my comments.

My comments are that not everyone that beats a charge is actually innocent. Look at that recent Melbourne terrorist shot dead. He was previously charged with a terrorism offence but got off. Does that mean he didn't do it or that the charges couldn't hold up for various reasons?

e.g. I rob a shop, police arrest me, but cannot prove it in court and I get off. I am legally innocent, but guilty of the crime because I did it.

 

Yes but they didn't successfully sue for wrongful arrest (where the standard of proof is much higher for the claimant if you look at the case law). Why do you continually (and obtusely) bypass this point?

 

I don't understand what you point is?

My point is that anyone that gets off a charge doesn't mean they didn't do the crime.

 

Yes everyone knows that, but you have to admit that in this case (and the other example) it looks like the police were wrong. Why are you stuck on the same (obvious) point?

 

How hard is a coppers job ? I have no sympathy for people who keep pulling this card. Just like the professions of teaching and the military who unfortunately are celebrated in most countries for their 'sacrifices' and the oh so hard job they do. I wonder if it really is a personal sacrifice. It's a job. You chose it. And you probably knew the asks the job demanded. I think people from all these professions like to carry on under this garb where society thinks they are paid too less to do a tough job.

I agree the laws are too soft. Earlier, when a house got broken into, the cops would say do you have CCTV footage ? No ? Sorry mate, we'll see what we can do. And do nothing. Now most houses in Darwin have a CCTV, including mine. The cops literally know where the offenders live and where to grab them - get them to court - the judge slaps the wrist and off they go committing more crime. A war veteran recently said he found it easier to sleep in Vietnam during the war than to sleep in Darwin in the current crime wave.

This is the country my children will grow up in and I am very concerned about laws and policing - especially immigrants who have grown up in war torn countries. I would think to such minds, it is normal to commit crime. If someone hasn't known what a lawful society is, how would they be expected to fit into such a society ? I have no idea if the Refugees integration programmes teach this stuff - even if they do I wonder how effective it will be to disrupt deep ****** alignment towards crime. Personally, I have written to the department and the minister about this and suggested a 3 strike policy for individuals who have adopted Australian citizenship. Commit a third crime and be stripped off the citizenship and shipped back. If not to their country of birth to the NATO refugee camps.

I think what I am worried about is the lack of preparedness our cops have. I think tony Abbott is right when two days ago he called for specialist military commandos for terrorist attacks. Its shameful we haven't thought about it till now. Like someone else mentioned the cops prevented suicide - for them to be able to do this - someone at some time would have thought its necessary to train the police to deal with mental health issues and suicide prevention - or the cops would just reach scene and not know what to do. i think police must be relieved from dealing with terrorists and let specialists take over in such cases. I am sure the coppers are busy err well doing something productive for the society.

 

All the lefty hug everyone people are humans with an opinion. May not be in line with what you are comfortable with. If you do not have enough attention span to focus on what is being discussed instead of name calling, I have no value for your opinion

 

Yes, but the general duties police are the ones most likely to be on the spot when a terrorist incident occurs, and least they are armed here. I think actually you need them to be more enabled to deal with terrorists, eg carry long arms in patrol cars, more training etc.

 

Oh dude, don't feed the trolls!

 

Ps...to anyone not in the loop Darwin is having a bit of a crime wave at the moment. Since the **** that is Don Dale the little cherubs have been out in force.

The magistrates here are frustrating lenient but then again the jails are frustratingly full..and the reoffending rate is super high.

Then there is the social lie of the land. NT attacts a lot of mercenaries, missionaries and Misfits, alcohol is a huuuuuuge issue then there is the almost unsolvable problem of indigenous disadvantage.....

Probably worth putting into a bit of context for you mob down south...

I totally get why @aussieB is frustrated... certainly not alone.

 

So no worries you have gone from police response times, to:

Police attend the scene, arrest the crooks and bring the offender to court to get a slap on the wrist.

Not sure if you aware, that's not the fault of police.

Yet you still seem fit to suggest that police are doing 'something' useful.

I wonder if you also think police laugh and cheer every time someone gets off with a slap with a wet lettuce?

So what are you saying?

As for terrorism incidents, police jurisdictions are being trained in active armed offender scenarios.

Maybe you should take a read of them,

Also Victoria crime stats can be viewed online at any time - but I think the way they are reported is flawed.

 

I don't know anything about that case so cannot comment on whether the police were wrong or not.

I am not stuck on this point, i am only answering your replies.