POLICE INVESTIGATING THEIR OWN MUST END says ALSWA
The Aboriginal Legal Service of WA Limited (ALSWA) is outraged that investigations into the alleged misconduct of police officers is still dealt with internally.
Amidst the worldwide Black Lives Matter movement, ALSWA says that Indigenous people continue to be unfairly targeted and over-policed in WA.
“We are disgusted at the 2018 CCTV footage which has surfaced, showing an officer dragging a handcuffed Indigenous boy across the ground causing the teenager’s head to hit the pavement” (The Guardian)” said ALSWA CEO Dennis Eggington.
ALSWA said that the footage, taken outside of the Perth train station, was extremely disturbing and should be concerning for all who see it. “This boy is not an ALSWA client but his experience is similar to other complaints that our service has received over the years. There is a long history of excessive force used against our people, not just in WA, but across the country” said Mr. Eggington.
ALSWA said that there must be an independent body established to investigate complaints against the police. “Would the police officer in this case have escaped sanction if the matter had been reviewed independently? Sadly we will never know” said Mr. Eggington.
ALSWA Media Enquiries to Jodi Hoffmann ALSWA Media Officer 0428 948 610.