more power for power abusing NSW Police?
from AntBlog701

more power for power abusing NSW Police?

During last year's APEC, Government gave NSW Police unprecedented untouchable power. The bad news... it is likely to be permanent.

During APEC last year, Sydney was fenced up and virtually locked down for one person - Mr George W. Bush. Police gained special APEC powers to exclude people from entering city, police were also given extraordinary rights to search people with no reasons required. In plain words, police were allowed to use whatever force they like to whoever they want.

During yesterday's Parliament review of the APEC Meeting (Police Powers) Act 2007, the Police Minister, David Campbell, and the Attorney-General, John Hatzistergos, both seem to have enjoyed such super-power, they love it. They said "declared area powers are appropriate for a more generalist crowd control situation and restricted area powers for those situations of high risk or threat as in the case of APEC".

Power greedy police. Shame on you!

For the record, the police on duty were required by law to wear name tags. During APEC, those untagged police with excessive power pushed the awards winning American photographer Paula Bronstein, smashing her camera lens and bruising on her neck and jaw. (news) Sadly on 18th September 2007, Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione sided with police with an excuse - those name tags were dangerous. What a joke? Thanks to public outrage, he promised that in the future police will be wearing name tags.

Civil liberty groups say the police report is a whitewash. I strongly agree.

NSW Premier promised that APEC Police Powers was a once-off thing. This could well be a lie.

news source:
Tough police powers outlive APEC (The Sydney Morning Herald, 12 March 2008)
7News - 12 March 2008