MEDIA RELEASE
Monday 13 May 2024
New laws giving police extraordinary powers to search people for no reason in public places will cause harm to Aboriginal people and other marginalised groups.
“We know that giving police additional powers to stop and search will lead to Aboriginal people being disproportionately and unfairly targeted, impacting the health and well-being of community members and forcing their contact with carceral systems which put them in danger,” said Karly Warner, CEO of the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) Limited (ALS).
Police target Aboriginal people with their existing discretionary powers. Almost 45% of children strip-searched by police are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, despite making up only 6.2% of the population under 18.
The proposal to give police metal detector ‘wanding’ powers in NSW is based on a similar trial in Queensland, which a Griffith University study found has had no impact on violent crime. The study also found no evidence the powers are effective in deterring knife crime, but did uncover evidence of inappropriate use of stereotypes and cultural assumptions by police in choosing who to ‘wand’.
We are all devastated by recent events where people have tragically lost their lives or been injured by knife violence, but the proposed laws would not have prevented those incidents. All they will do is force more Aboriginal people and other marginalised groups into contact with police.”
“Too often we see Aboriginal people – often children – speak up against police targeting and end up with police charging them with a trifecta of offensive language, resist arrest, and assault police, without having done anything wrong in the first place," Ms Warner said.
NSW Police were forced to abandon their controversial Suspect Targeting Management Program (STMP) late last year after the police watchdog found “the consistent overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people as STMP targets indicated the ongoing discriminatory effect of the policy”.
Police discretion is directly linked to the historic all-time high in Aboriginal imprisonment in NSW.
"Police disproportionately subject our communities to punitive practices like strip searches and bail checks, and disproportionately charge us rather than opting for warnings or cautions. The recent increase in police denying bail to Aboriginal people has been nearly double the increase in bail refusals by courts," Ms Warner said.
“Closing the Gap is everyone’s responsibility, but right now, the NSW Government is making choices that are widening the gap instead. This should anger and concern anyone who wants to see an equal and prosperous future for all Australians.”
ENDS
Media contacts:
Alyssa Robinson [email protected] 0427 346 017
Bart Denaro [email protected] 0427 950 312
Both Alyssa and Bart can also be contacted at [email protected]
References:
https://www.lecc.nsw.gov.au/news-and-publications/news/media-release-operation-tepito-final-report
