Police minister blames union for holding up evidence in pay dispute

Industrial action by public servants at the state’s crime lab was withholding vital evidence from police investigations, the Police Minister says.

INDUSTRIAL action by public servants at the state’s forensic laboratory is withholding vital evidence from police investigations, says Police Minister Michael Ferguson. Picture: SUPPLIED

INDUSTRIAL action by public servants at the state’s forensic laboratory is withholding vital evidence from police investigations, says Police Minister Michael Ferguson.

Some of the crime reporting being held back contained information which identified criminals, he said. The claims were rejected as false by the state’s public sector union.

Public servants across the state have introduced a series of work bans in support of their claim for a pay rise in excess of the Government’s 2 per cent a year cap.

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Union members at Forensic Science Services Tasmania have placed bans which involve them withholding the calibration of 10 per cent of breathalysers and they are withholding the release of routine reports on test results for minor crimes to Tasmania Police.

Mr Ferguson said 92 crime reports were affected by the bans.

“This action is now placing members of the community at risk by deliberately hampering police investigations,” he said.

Police Minister Michael Ferguson said 92 crime reports were affected by the industrial action bans. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

“Under this action, there are 25 DNA reports that Tasmania Police would be able to immediately act on, but this vital information is being withheld from police, potentially allowing criminals who remain at large to commit more serious crimes.

“I am advised by Tasmania Police that 14 of these reports contain DNA matches that link a person on the DNA database to a crime scene, and 11 reports also contain potentially useful DNA results for investigation.”

He said the union action was allowing criminals to remain on the streets.

CPSU state general secretary Tom Lynch said his members had agreed to provide any information the police needed on request.

“There is no substance to his allegations,” he said. “If any matter is being investigated by a police officer all they need to do is to ring forensics and they will release the data to them.

“The idea the Minister is promoting that there are robbers and murderers wandering the streets because of our bans is ridiculous.”

Mr Lynch said members were taking industrial action because they felt disrespected and undervalued by the Government.