NSW Police Association slams claim cops leaking to bikies
The NSW Police Association has today accused the head of the police watchdog of ‘slandering’ honest police after alleging cops were leaking inside information to bikie gangs.
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Furious police have hit back through their union at “inflammatory” comments by the head of the police watchdog that cops must be passing inside information to bikie gangs.
Michael Adams, QC, chief commissioner of the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission, told a parliamentary inquiry on Thursday there was “significant corruption” in the police and officers must be feeding inside information to bikie gangs, who otherwise “could not be the major manufacturers of methamphetamine in NSW”.
The NSW Police Association has today accused the former Supreme Court judge of smearing and “slandering” honest police as part of a political move for more funding as the LECC faces budget cuts.
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Union slams ‘disgusting’ claim cops leaking to bikies
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Tony King, president of the PANSW, said police could not have confidence in the new oversight body, which investigates complaints against police, when its boss has made such “disgusting” allegations.
“The inflammatory comments made by LECC chief commissioner Michael Adams that the scourge of methamphetamine and wider drug trade is not being professionally policed are completely out of order and reflect poorly on both LECC and Mr Adams,” Mr King said today.
“(It) paints a very poor picture of the low standard of objectivity that LECC chooses to operate under.”
He was speaking as 272 new officers graduate today from the Police Academy at Goulburn.
“What confidence can they have in oversight bodies like LECC ...when the LECC’s current head has already slandered them?” Mr King said.
“All Mr Adams has done in his comments on budget constraints... is to provide the ambulance-chasing Greens with another weak excuse to push out a cop-bashing rant.
“In the absence of significant evidential proof we call on Mr Adams to withdraw his comments before his contract expires in March”.
Mr Adams has claimed the LECC’s ability to investigate complaints was under threat from proposed $6 million in cuts to its $22.3 million funding over the next four years.
“We know that there must be significant corruption going on, otherwise, for example, bikie gangs could not be the major manufacturers of methamphetamine in NSW. It can only be done with some degree of inside information,” Mr Adams told the parliamentary committee into budget cuts.
“Now naturally that’s kept very secret. These are highly sophisticated criminals.
“It’s extremely difficult to discover … but you never know when something will arise.”
Originally published as NSW Police Association slams claim cops leaking to bikies