NEWSFLASH: NSW Police clear NSW Police of wrongdoing over missing name badges
Tuesday September 18th 2007, 2:19 pm

We don’t need no steeeenking badges!

Badgeless APEC police cleared

New South Wales police officers who took off their identification badges during APEC protests will escape punishment after a police inquiry found they feared the pins on the badges could be used against them.

Photographs taken during the main APEC protest on Saturday, September 8, showed officers wearing badgeless uniforms.

The revelation sparked public criticism, including suggestions police were told not to wear their name tags so protesters could not identify them.

State Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione ordered an inquiry, which has found that officers had real concerns about the pins on badges being used against them.

In a statement, Mr Scipione rejected the idea that officers were following instructions when they chose not to wear badges.

But he said identification was compulsory and police would wear overalls with velcro name tags in the future.

“We have no issue with them being identified as they carry out their duties,” he said in the statement. “I want to again thank all of the police involved in making the police response to APEC such a success.”

The state Opposition Leader, Barry O’Farrell, says velcro badges on police uniforms would be a sensible move.

The Commish apparently has been reading mgk and Suki Has An Opinion… but don’t the cops already have velcro name badges? What’s that black strip on all the uniforms missing their name badges?

Thank GOD the NSW Police can give the NSW Police the benefit of the doubt, otherwise Sydney would be in ruins from all those violet protesters!

And yes, indeed- the police response to APEC was a success- only 11 comedians broke the thick blue line.

-weez


6 Comments so far
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A policy of the bosses?

So, did John Howard order the name badges off? He’s the boss.

The NSW police have exonerated themselves. Now let’s see if a real independent inquiry will.

This ain’t over yet, folks.

Comment by weez 09.18.07 @ 6:48 pm

Strange isn’t it how inquiries designed to exonerate invariably take only days, but those finding a problem takes months if not years.

Comment by Ian 09.18.07 @ 7:32 pm

Yes indeed, Ian… it’s plain and obvious that the outcome of this one was known before it started, much less ended.

For interested parties, the correct avenue for complaints about NSW Police is via the NSW Ombudsman’s office.

Comment by weez 09.19.07 @ 7:13 am

See also the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

Comment by weez 09.19.07 @ 7:38 am

Inquiry urged into APEC police

The New South Wales Greens have introduced a motion in the Upper House to establish a public inquiry into the actions of the police in the lead-up to and during the APEC summit.

The motion calls for the inquiry to investigate allegations of the use of unreasonable force, unlawful arrests and breach of police rules and procedures.

Greens MP Sylvia Hale has told the Upper House the police operation during APEC was an unprecedented infringement on the civil liberties of thousands of people.

“This Parliament established the regime of powers under which the police operated during APEC, with both minsters and shadow assuring the citizens of this state they would not be abused,” she said.

“With many citizens expressing concerns about the extent and use of those powers, it is incumbent upon this Parliament to respond openly and urgently to that concern.”

Comment by weez 09.26.07 @ 6:34 pm

[…] discovery of certain materials from the cops, which will give an insight into the heavy-handed policing farce that was the Sydney APEC […]

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