Civilian Oversight of Police in Australia

• NCJ Number: 181125
• Author(s): Colleen Lewis; Tim Prenzler
• Editor(s): Adam Graycar
• Date Published: 1999
• Length: 6 pages
• Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: Australian Institute of Criminology Trends & Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice No. 141 (December 1999).

Annotation

A survey of oversight bodies in Australia, conducted in 1999 to assess complaints made against police, found the favored model was for a body chiefly concerned with auditing police investigations of complaints but with little scope for control beyond making recommendations.

Abstract

While most oversight bodies had investigative powers, in almost all cases their major function was to monitor and review investigations conducted by the police. Police departments tended to deal more with minor disciplinary matters, while external oversight bodies investigated more serious matters. The majority of oversight bodies restricted their activities to overseeing complaint investigations. A substantial majority of complaints could not be substantiated following a brief assessment; less than 20 percent were formally investigated, and about 60 percent resulted in an adverse finding. Despite the perception of independence from police, only a small number of alleged police misconduct cases were investigated directly by oversight bodies. Rather, most oversight bodies were involved in auditing police responses. 12 references and 8 tables