In May 2023, LECC described a pattern of consistent, systemic noncooperation from NSW Police, effectively thwarting or delaying many of LECC's attempts at investigation. As a result, LECC described some of its own powers as merely 'illusory': “In every critical incident investigation to date, involved police officers have refused to consent to the commission investigator being present or to remotely observe their interviews.”

In New South Wales, the number of official complaints each year of police misconduct have more than tripled since 2015–16.

https://web.archive.org/web/20231023104458/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/23/nsw-police-watchdog-routinely-denied-access-to-internal-officer-interviews-report-finds

#NSWpolice #LECC #NSWpol #corruption #transparency #PoliceWatchdog #PoliceAbuse #ACAB

The police watchdog is called the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission, or #LECC. LECC ought never be mentioned without also mentioning that the former #Coalition government established it in 2017 with such insufficient funding that it only has the resources to investigate 1-2% of the thousands of complaints made against NSW Police each year. Enormous numbers of complaints, including those involving serious #corruption, are either completely unaddressed or handed over for police to investigate themselves.

The Coalition founded LECC in 2017 as a replacement for multiple prior police accountability organisations, including the Police Integrity Commission (PIC) that was set up after the Woods Royal Commission confirmed longstanding allegations of serious and non-isolated police corruption in NSW. As it was being set up, the Police Union and relevant government minister sought to prevent anyone who worked at PIC from being hired for LECC, according to testimony under oath in 2018 from the newly appointed LECC head to parliamentary committee (claims denied by the then police minister).

#WoodsRoyalCommission #PoliceCorruption #PoliceAbuse #transparency #PoliceWatchdog #NSWpol #NSWpolice