The ACT Bar Association says 'dodgy' officers who fail to collect evidence lawfully are partly responsible for failed prosecutions.
The Australian Federal Police has rejected a claim by senior Canberra barristers that a steep drop in the criminal conviction rate is partially due to shoddy police work and a "cowboy" culture among some officers.The ACT Bar Association blames "dodgy" police officers who fail to collect evidence lawfullyThe guilty rate in the ACT Magistrates Court collapsed in recent years, the latest Productivity Commission data shows.
"What you have is a culture within the AFP, which I don't think is being addressed, of police acting illegally or improperly," Mr Pappas said."There are few police who really have a good working knowledge of the Evidence Act … I just don't think they take the time to trouble themselves over it — there's a bit of a cowboy mentality.
"When people are overcharged and they're facing a maximum penalty — let's take, for example, 10 years instead of two years — then the incentive to defend the matter is significantly increased," he said.Deputy Chief Police Officer Peter Crozier says police culture is not the cause of failed prosecutions.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Inattention likely to blame for deadly Tasmanian holiday crash caught on police bodycamA coroner finds speed, weather and road conditions did not contribute a deadly crash that left three teenage children in the car orphaned last year.
Read more »
Westpac to raise variable mortgage rates by 0.5 per cent, matching RBA's rate hikeWestpac takes the lead as the first major bank to pass on the full value of the Reserve Bank’s surprise rise in interest rates to mortgage borrowers.
Read more »
Third person charged over alleged shooting murder of Canberra man Glenn WalewiczA 38-year-old woman is charged with being an accessory after the fact and conspiring to commit aggravated burglary.
Read more »
The Queen’s emotional call to Canberra on the eve of her husband’s funeralThe night before Prince Philip’s funeral in April last year, Governor-General David Hurley sat nervously beside the phone.
Read more »
The Queen’s emotional call to Canberra on the eve of her husband’s funeralThe night before Prince Philip’s funeral in April last year, Governor-General David Hurley sat nervously beside the phone.
Read more »
The Queen’s emotional call to Canberra on the eve of her husband’s funeralThe night before Prince Philip’s funeral in April last year, Governor-General David Hurley sat nervously beside the phone.
Read more »