Police and policing

Crimes Amendment (Ramming of Police Vehicles) Bill 2017

Liberty Victoria is opposed to the Crimes Amendment (Ramming of Police Vehicles) Bill 2017 (“the Bill”).

We note that the Bill has been introduced by the Coalition Opposition.

There is simply no need for the Bill. It forms part of the law and order auction leading up to the next State election.

Plan to turn protection officers into police condemned by rights group

Giving greater powers to Protection Service Officers is unnecessary, inappropriate and potentially harmful, Liberty Victoria warned today.

The president of the human rights group, Jessie Taylor, added, “This is particularly so where there is little evidence as to the effectiveness of Protection Service Officers (PSOs) in fulfilling their functions and insufficient data to assess whether or not they have any impact at all upon crime rates.”

Justice Legislation Amendment (Protective Services Officers and Other Matters) Bill 2017

Liberty Victoria is opposed to the proposed expansion of the powers of Protection Services Officers (PSOs) through the measures set out in the Justice Legislation Amendment (Protective Services Officers and Other Matters) Bill 2017.

Educate senior police on racism, human rights group urges

A reluctance to acknowledge the existence of racial profiling and a misunderstanding of how racism can be part of police practice underscores the need for better education in the Victoria Police, Liberty Victoria said today.

This follows a call by the Law Institute of Victoria for police to be required to have written consent before stopping and searching people deemed to be suspicious.

Both Liberty’s statement and the lawyers’ comments were in submissions to an inquiry after complaints by men with an African background in the Flemington area.