The state's police watchdog is suffering from instability, low staff morale, budget constraints, and an uncertain future over its leadership, a parliamentary hearing has heard.
Reginald Blanch, QC, told the committee he hadn't thought of whether he would stay on as the acting chief commissioner of the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission beyond his immediate six-month tenure after the contract of its former head, Michael Adams, QC, wasn't renewed in the midst of a strip-search inquiry.
Law Enforcement Conduct Commission acting chief commissioner Reginald Blanch, QC.Credit: Nic Walker
But Mr Blanch, former chief judge of the District Court and acting head of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, said the LECC would revive hearings into the probe to air evidence of the psychiatric impact that strip searches can have on young people.
"It might also be appropriate to ask the police union whether it wants to have any input into it as to whether there is an effect on young police officers who are required to do it," Mr Blanch said this month.
He also said the refreshed inquiry may address revelations recently published in the Herald that 88 per cent of more than 200,000 personal searches – which include both general searches and strip searches – in 2018 turned up nothing.
Director of investigations in LECC's integrity unit Gary Kirkpatrick, who was also giving evidence before the joint committee on the Ombudsman, the LECC and the Crime Commission, described the figures as "low".
A police drug dog on duty at a Sydney music festival this year.Credit: Isabella Porras
This week NSW Police said 11 of 12 teenagers strip searched at an under-18s music festival were found to be carrying illegal drugs. The festival, Lost City at Sydney Olympic Park, was where the LECC previously heard police had illegally strip-searched three boys in 2019, with nothing subsequently found on them.
Speaking about strip searches generally Mr Blanch said policies resulting from the LECC's ongoing communication with NSW Police as a result of the inquiry had resulted in "a lot less of those searches" and praised the relationship between the two agencies.
Two weeks before Mr Adams' three-year tenure expired the government sacked the watchdog's oversight commissioner, Patrick Saidi, following an investigation into a complaint he levelled against Mr Adams.
In response to a question over the instability regarding the body's management, Mr Blanch said the organisation had been through a "perfect storm of problems" that had since settled, but there were still issues that needed to be sorted out such as the number of commissioners in the LECC.
"Part of the problem arose because, if you did have three people who all wanted to run the place, then obviously you are going to get problems," he said.
Echoing previous concerns, Mr Blanch said the LECC's budgetary constraints would have a "significant impact" on its ability to investigate complaints, with efficiency dividends meaning the agency would have to find savings the equivalent of 15 staff positions.
LECC CEO Michelle O'Brien said the flow-on effect was the agency's staff feared for the future of their employment, which was "quite corrosive for morale".
Asked what needed to happen to stabilise the agency, Terry Buddin, SC, the Inspector of the LECC, said the most important thing was to have the most suitable person as the chief commissioner – but that there was a "limited number of people even in the legal fraternity, who would be both interested and suitable."
In response to questions about whether Mr Adams' termination had anything to do with him previously raising budgetary concerns before a parliamentary inquiry, Mr Buddin replied, "even if I knew, do you think that I would have to answer it? No."