Report claims Victoria Police engaged in racial profiling during pandemic

The behaviour of Victorian police during the pandemic is under the microscope following the release of an alarming new report.

A concerning new report has claimed Victoria Police engaged in racial profiling when issuing fines during the first year of the Covid pandemic.

The report by Inner Melbourne Community Legal found people of African and Middle Eastern appearance were four times more likely to receive fines for breaching Victorian lockdown rules when allowing for their percentage of the state’s population.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

The report further found certain police operations, including highway patrols and public transport operations, resulted in up to 40 per cent of the total fines being issued to people of African/Middle Eastern appearance.

Melbourne suburbs with a higher number of non-English speaking households also received a higher proportion of fines, particularly on the city’s western and northern fringes.

Lead researcher Tamara Hopkins said the information was gathered from freedom-of-information requests for all Covid fines including information about racial appearance, gender, age and local government area.

“We divided the fines that Victoria Police issued into fines where the offence was visually apparent, for example failing to wear a face mask, and offences that required police to question the individual before they could determine whether an offence had taken place,” Dr Hopkins said.

“We found strong evidence that African/Middle Eastern appearing people were more likely to be issued with a fine that required questioning than white people. This difference in treatment provides evidence of racial profiling by the police against African/Middle Eastern people.”

Victoria Police has been accused of ‘systemic racism’. Picture: Sarah Matray

A spokesperson for Victorian Police told news.com.au they categorically rejected the findings of the report.

“Police were able to apply discretion, however fines were issued for deliberate, blatant and obvious offences,” the spokesman said.

“Victoria Police rejects any suggestion that officers targeted specific ethnic groups for Covid-19 offences. This is simply not true.”

Inner Melbourne Community Legal lawyer Gregor Husper told news.com.au his organisation wanted the fines (many of which are still unpaid) to be waived as well as the introduction of an independent police ombudsman to examine misconduct allegations against the police force.

“The fines are untenable,” he said.

“The report discloses racialised policing in how Covid fines were issued.”

Mr Husper said it wasn’t an example of racism by individual police officers but of “systematic racism in the Victorian police force”.

The Victorian government was criticised during Covid lockdowns over insufficient messaging for culturally and linguistically diverse populations. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

The report comes after sustained criticism of the Victorian government during Covid lockdowns over insufficient messaging for culturally and linguistically diverse populations.

A Victorian Ombudsman inquiry in 2020 also found the hard lockdown of nine North Melbourne and Flemington public housing towers violated human rights laws.

In legal submissions, experts said the heavy police presence traumatised residents, many from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and stoked racist community sentiment.

The Victorian government in May settled a $5 million class action brought by residents.

In May this year Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton issued a formal apology for the force’s actions and injustices against Indigenous people.

The top cop appeared before the Yoorrook Justice Commission where he acknowledged the role of police and the ongoing harm caused towards Indigenous people in Victoria.

[e-mail]