South Australian police who do the wrong thing will now have their misconduct made public for the first time in a change to disciplinary measures.
Key points:
- Police Commissioner Grant Stevens has decided to publicly report police misconduct
- Mr Stevens agreed to reveal officers’ ranks, but not their ages or genders
- The information was requested by the state ombudsman following inquiries by the ABC
The new rules follow an ABC report earlier in the year which revealed mid-level officers breached SAPOL’s code of conduct 32 times in a three-year period, but the details about the misconduct remained wrapped in secrecy.
Commissioner Grant Stevens previously declined to release basic details about police officers at the centre of proven or admitted misconduct, despite a request from the state’s ombudsman.
The request was prompted by a Freedom of Information application lodged by the ABC, asking for a list of proven or admitted breaches under the Police Complaints and Discipline (PCD) Act from 2019 to 2021.
The ABC specifically asked for details of the misconduct, including the officers’ age, gender, rank or branch, and the penalty applied.
Mr Stevens agreed to release the officers’ ranks — but not their ages or genders — to “prevent the disclosure of the identity of the sanctioned employee”.
The disciplinary outcomes against officers will now be published on a quarterly basis on the South Australia Police website, in the same way they are published in the South Australia Police Gazette.
“Any police officer who is subject to disciplinary proceedings has a legal right to confidentiality and that will not be compromised by expanding publication in this manner,” a police spokesperson said.
“This increased level of transparency will strengthen public trust and confidence in the public disciplinary system and better serve its ultimate aim — the protection of the public.”
The latest report, published between January 1 and March 31 this year, revealed a sergeant was fined $1,000 after they “displayed unwanted and physical conduct towards another employee, whilst off duty”.
It also reported a senior constable was reprimanded and fined $600 for contacting another employee and verbally abusing them.
Mr Stevens said sanctions imposed on officers were dependent on the seriousness of the breach, and could range from warnings to employment termination.
“We are an organisation of over 6,000 people. There will be people who make mistakes, who make poor decisions and they’re accountable for those decisions,” he said.
“Our discipline process provides that mechanism to deal with those issues, and we’re now just giving some insight to people through our internet site on the outcomes of those matters.”
The PCD act provides wide-reaching protection of the identity of officers accused of misconduct, and makes it unlawful to publish any information that could reveal their identity.
SA Parliament’s Crime and Public Integrity Committee began examining the operation of the legislation in 2022, and is yet to hand down its recommendations.
The state government previously said it would wait for the committee’s report before considering reform.