A third of cases involving use of force by ACT police were escalated by officers, ombudsman finds
A third of cases involving the use of force by police in the ACT involved situations being unnecessarily escalated by the "unprofessional behaviour" of officers, a report has found.
The ACT Ombudsman analysed more than 6,200 use-of-force reports and 200 clips of body-worn camera vision and CCTV recorded between January 2019 and December 2023.
Officers drew, aimed or discharged a taser more than 1,600 times during that period.
A firearm was used in almost 320 incidents, and a baton was used almost 260 times.
Ombudsman Iain Anderson said the investigation had uncovered cases where the police response had "unnecessarily inflamed situations", resulting in poor outcomes.
"While we have seen some excellent conduct by officers, handling difficult interactions with care and respect, we are concerned at the unprofessional conduct, offensive and abusive language, and unnecessary aggression displayed by some officers, the seniority of whom does not appear to have been a determining factor," he said in the report.
Mr Anderson said while force was sometimes necessary to uphold safety, misusing it eroded community trust.
"It also has the potential to disproportionately impact vulnerable members of the ACT community, including young people, First Nations people and those experiencing mental health challenges," he said.
About 17 per cent of use-of-force cases involved a mental health incident and 10 per cent involved an intoxicated person.
Police officers reported experiencing injuries in 21 per cent of confrontations, ranging from minor injuries, like bruises or scratches, to major injuries including serious head knocks or broken bones.
In one case highlighted by the ombudsman, police stopped a suspected drink driver, threw him to the ground, handcuffed him and left him face down in the gutter.
The matter was heard in the ACT Magistrates Court in 2022, where Magistrate James Lawton took aim at the officers' unlawful use of force.
"Removing the defendant from his car without giving him opportunity to comply and then throwing him to the ground were outrageous," he said.
"The actions of these officers [were] deplorable and should be denounced.
"A strong message must be sent that this behaviour will not be tolerated."
In another case criticised by the ombudsman, police arrested a heavily intoxicated 16-year-old boy who had fallen off a bench with his pants tangled around his ankles.
The teenager had sworn repeatedly at police but had not displayed physical aggression before he was grabbed, rolled over and handcuffed, the report found.
As the situation escalated, the boy spat at police and was pepper sprayed.
He was denied his request to have his eyes washed out, with an officer telling him "No! Don't f***ing spit at us, c***."
The ombudsman made 13 recommendations to improve the use of force in the ACT.
They include better equipping officers to engage with intoxicated people and those experiencing a mental health crisis.
The Ombudsman has also called for extra safeguards around the way young people are handcuffed.
Other recommendations relate to improving the use of body-worn cameras.
"By not reliably collecting audio and visual [body-worn camera] evidence, ACT Policing is failing to comply with the law and undermining the legislative intent of promoting accountability and protecting the safety of both police officers and members of the community," the ombudsman's report said.
ACT Policing has fully accepted two of the report's recommendations, partially accepted eight and not accepted three.
In a letter of response to the ombudsman, ACT Chief Police Officer Scott Lee said the investigation overlooked the many times officers were able to de-escalate situations without needing to use force.
He said in most cases, force is used reasonably and proportionately.
"Where you identified officer conduct lacking and not appropriately dealt with, I would like to assure you that ACT Policing members are held to account."
Deputy Commissioner Lee said behaviour in the report would be reviewed, noting several cases had already been referred to the Professional Standards Unit.
Sanctions for officers found to have engaged in misconduct range from verbal counselling to criminal charges.
In September 2024, ACT Policing announced the establishment of an Operations Safety Practices Committee, to "further enhance rigour around the use of force by members".
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Australian
an hour ago
- The Australian
AFP raids multimillion-dollar Double Bay home dressed in hi-vis
Wild footage shows a man being escorted away from a home in one of Sydney's most exclusive suburbs by undercover police officers dressed up as tradies. Police swarmed a home on Holt Street in Double Bay on Friday afternoon, with officers dressed in riot gear following two men dressed in orange hi-vis shirts as they led the man to a waiting police car. Wild footage has shown undercover AFP officers raiding a multimillion-dollar home in one of Sydney's most exclusive suburbs, with some dressed as tradies. Picture: NewsWire A neighbour who watched the incident unfold said he had been working from home when 'a series of really loud bashing and crashing sounds' could be heard nearby. 'A number of cars have pulled up in a hurry and a bunch of undercover cops dressed as tradies jumped out with guns and radios and whatnot,' the neighbour said. Wild footage has shown undercover AFP officers raiding a multimillion-dollar home in one of Sydney's most exclusive suburbs, with some dressed as tradies. Picture: NewsWire 'Some crew in substantial SWAT gear were basically just belting on the door, just ramming it trying to get access and during this time more and more police are coming out of the woodwork.' As the situation developed, the neighbour said the street became a hub of police activity. 'There's a lot of them moving around in unmarked vehicles and they're just trying to lock the whole area down,' he said. The neighbour said the lavish mansion where the raid took place rarely draws attention, although gatherings seem to take place there relatively frequently. An officer loiters out the front of the luxury home as investigators comb through the premises. Picture: NewsWire / Jeremy Piper 'They'd host a lot of family affairs at the house, always low-key, nothing gnarly … but it was the kind of place where they'd have lot of shindigs.' Police conducted the operation as part of an alleged cocaine bust, The Daily Telegraph reported. The exterior of the luxury home which was raided by the AFP on Friday. Picture: NewsWire / Jeremy Piper An unmarked police car blocked off the street with its lights flashing, and armed officers were seen stationed around the area. A spokesman for the Australian Federal Police confirmed officers had executed a search warrant at the premises 'as part of an ongoing criminal investigation'. 'A man has been arrested,' the spokesman said. 'There is no current threat to the community. Further comment will be made at an appropriate time.' More to come
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Major question looms over investigation into ‘suspicious' death of Melbourne woman
How a woman reported missing came to suffer injuries consistent with a serious assault before she died in hospital is the subject of a police probe, with her death being treated as 'suspicious'. A woman in her 60s was reported missing by her neighbour on June 14, just a week after the neighbour had seen her with an unknown man outside her Noble Park home in Melbourne's southeast. The neighbour hadn't been able to contact her since spotting her with the man on June 7. The woman was found at Dandenong Hospital on June 16, with a Victoria Police spokesperson revealing she had injuries that appeared consistent with being seriously assaulted. Police were able to speak with the woman before she died in hospital days later on June 20. Her death is being treated as suspicious: the homicide squad have been called in to investigate. 'The exact circumstances surrounding the incident which led to her being injured are still being determined,' a Victoria Police spokesperson said. 'However detectives from the Homicide Squad are investigating and her death is being treated as suspicious.' Police have spoken to a 62-year-old Endeavour Hills man, who was known to the woman, regarding the incident, but he was released pending further inquiries. The woman's next of kin have not yet been notified of her death.
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
Horror moment Brisbane bus driver is attacked by passenger
Disturbing footage has captured the moment a Brisbane bus driver was brutally attacked by a passenger. Footage captured the moment a bus driver was repeatedly punched by a man on a busy bus. The video, shared to social media overnight, shows a man appearing to briefly get off the bus before going back to land a final punch. A Queensland Police spokesperson told NewsWire an incident on a bus shortly after 6pm on Friday night in Southbank was being investigated. The matter was reported to police on Saturday afternoon, the spokesperson said. No charges have been laid over the incident. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner called the incident 'deeply disturbing' in a post to social media on Saturday afternoon. 'No one deserves to face violence in their workplace, especially from a single individual whose reckless actions endangered the safety of everyone on board,' Mr Schrinner wrote. 'My thoughts are with the bus driver who was subjected to this appalling and completely unacceptable attack while simply doing his job.' Mr Schrinner added Brisbane was a 'friendly city' where everyone deserved to feel safe. 'While we have strong safety protections for our bus drivers, we shouldn't need them which is why we continue to stand up for Brisbane against crime to keep our community safe,' he said. The video was circulated across social media over the weekend, with many labelling the conduct 'unacceptable'. 'No one helps him … feeling really bad after seeing this video,' one person commented. 'Bloody disgrace. Get in there and help him,' another said.
