More than half of IBAC complaints in 2022 relate to Victoria Police conduct
Victoria’s anti-corruption watchdog is being inundated with complaints about police, following recent concerns officers showed an “astonishing disregard” for the law.s
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Victoria’s anti-corruption watchdog is being overwhelmed with complaints about police conduct, it has been revealed.
New data released by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission shows 68 per cent of all complaints received in 2022 related to Victoria Police.
It comes amid serious concerns raised by the Court of Appeal about the illegal conduct of police it said showed an “astonishing disregard” for the law.
Deputy IBAC Commissioner Kylie Kilgour said the newly released data showed complaints about police had increased by 14 per cent.
“In 2022, IBAC completed 18 police related preliminary inquiries and investigations, in addition to commencing 11 new preliminary inquiries and investigations,” she said.
“This included six days of public hearings for Operation Bredbo, which investigated allegations of serious misconduct by a longstanding Victoria Police officer.”
Ms Kilgour said IBAC made 90 new recommendations regarding strengthening policies and procedures to police following investigations.
Former IBAC commissioner Robert Redlich said last year police corruption complaints were being made at the rate of almost four a day.
But he said resourcing issues meant only a tiny number were ever investigated.
Mr Redlich said IBAC had vast jurisdiction to investigate any complaint that might bring Victoria Police into disrepute.
“It needs to be understood that unlike restrictions for the public sector, which requires reasonable grounds to suspect a crime has been committed, the jurisdiction which attracts an investigation by IBAC of Victorian police conduct is anything at all that might bring the Victoria Police force into disrepute or cause the public to lose confidence in the police,” he said.
“The net result of that is that with IBAC’s resources, we can investigate approximately 2 per cent of the complaints concerning police matters that come to us, and have to refer back to Victoria Police the balance, which in a given year may be as many as 1400 investigations.
“Even with a change in the jurisdiction, so that IBAC would only investigate matters of a more serious order, the aspiration that all such allegations would be conducted by the commission is an aspiration that has never been remotely attainable.”
Mr Redlich said in order to properly investigate police matters, IBAC would need hundreds of investigators at its disposal.
On Friday the Court of Appeal ruled key evidence in the case of a man facing a string of rape and drugs charges was illegally obtained by police.
It found police only discovered and seized during an illegal search of the man’s premises.
“The applicant’s right to privacy was seriously violated over a lengthy period of time and with no apparent consideration given to the illegality of the search and the breach of that right,” the court said.
“It is of real significance that no disciplinary action has been taken against any of the officers and that the prosecution now endeavours to persuade the Court to give its imprimatur to this significant impropriety.
“Whilst it is not determinative to the outcome of this application, we decline to give judicial imprimatur to a search carried out by sworn officers with such astonishing disregard for both the law and the rights of the applicant.
“In our view, and notwithstanding the public interest in pursuing these serious charges, we are not satisfied public interest prevails when balanced against the public interest in deterring police illegality, protecting individual rights and maintaining juridical legitimacy.”
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Originally published as More than half of IBAC complaints in 2022 relate to Victoria Police conduct
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