RLC recently appeared at a coronial inquest for the family of a young man who died in the course of a police pursuit.
The inquest considered whether the pursuit was conducted in accordance with the NSW Police Force Safe Driving Policy (SDP). The Coroner found that the pursuit was in accordance with the SDP; police did not make contact with the vehicle, and were not directly responsible for the crash.
RLC argued the problem was the Safe Driving Policy itself; that the SDP no longer reflects best practice in balancing the desire to apprehend suspects with the need to protect the public from injury and death during pursuits.
The most recent version of the SDP was released in November 2009 and no fewer than five other inquests in the past two years have looked at the same policy. No update to this policy has been released.
At the inquest that RLC appeared at, the Coroner heard evidence that there is a draft of the updated policy, but that it was still with the Minister for Police.
RLC made the submission that the Safe Driving Policy is not a document written by or for the Minister, but a document of the NSW Police Force. It is entirely within the Commissioner's power to release without further delay.
RLC sought a recommendation from the Coroner to the Commissioner to release the document. No such recommendation was made, on the basis that previous inquests have already determined the shortcomings of the current SDP.
It is RLC’s position that the delay in updating the safe driving policy is a danger to the public and to frontline police officers.
