Don’t rely on the police, says NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb
In an interview, Webb said the Kuma case was isolated and unique and did not represent the “routine behavior” of police officers.
“I hope the community remembers all the good things the police do every day and doesn’t see this as an opportunity to attack the police,” she said.
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She knew the public was questioning why a stun gun had been used on Ms Nowland, who was carrying a steak knife and using a walker, but said, There can be misjudgments,” he said.
Webb supported the use of tasers, despite concerns that they could cause “lazy cop” syndrome (police readily relying on tasers). “I’m sure the use of firearms has decreased as Tasers become available and are likely to save lives,” she said.
Asked if the investigation took longer because the suspect was a police officer, Webb said, “We are conducting this investigation like any other investigation in this situation.”
The LECC released a report this week expressing concern over police mental health training, saying it was “currently very limited”. Webb said he was also concerned that police were being called to address issues that private health care staff were unable to resolve.
“It’s a police officer’s job, not a police officer’s job, but we were called there,” Webb said. “People with dementia need special care, attention and understanding.”
The Secretary’s own mother has advanced dementia.
Former LECC Commissioner Patrick Saidy also said on Thursday: Criticism of a woman who lost her brother After being tased more than a dozen times, he questioned, “Is there anyone in the know who believes it is appropriate for the police to investigate on their own?”
Saidi left the body after lodging a complaint with the Appellate Body.
“There are too many flaws in a system like this,” Saidi said. “The effectiveness of the current system can be seen, among other things, in how few police are actually prosecuted for unlawful use of force.”
On Wednesday, the LECC released an unusual statement in response to the proposal that it should take over the Cooma investigation, saying it could only launch its own investigation at the request of the police chief, but that there was no such request. .
Webb said police were very sensitive to conflicts of interest during their inquiry and did not agree that the LECC was in custody.
Webb said no when asked if he planned to release the study further to the LECC.
“The LECC certainly has very strong powers,” she said. “They already have a lot of power and they use it a lot. They already have pretty strong and heavy surveillance.”
Webb said he used remote police to investigate serious incidents. The case involved homicide detectives, but not Cooma and Quang Biyan officers.
“We are very conscious of trying to be as objective as possible in this organization,” she said.
The Redfern Legal Center will attend Thursday’s LECC hearing on a case involving a 14-year-old Aboriginal boy. Senior attorney Samantha Lee said the unlawful use of police is of great public concern.
“New South Wales Police need to receive greater scrutiny and oversight on this matter,” she said. “The power of the police is huge, so oversight, transparency and accountability are vital, not only for the benefit of the community but also for the police.”
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https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/don-t-turn-on-police-over-taser-tragedy-says-commissioner-20230524-p5db0b.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_national_nsw Don’t rely on the police, says NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb