Jessica Wang reporting in NCA NewsWire National.
Police responsible for the training of officers have been questioned over what constitutes an appropriate use of force and proper conduct when dealing with youth, after a 14-year-old Indigenous boy was hospitalised following his arrest.
The incident occurred in September 2022 in northern NSW and forms the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC)’s independent inquiry Operation Mantus, which examined the conduct of police officers during the case.
The continued investigation comes just days after 95-year-old great-grandmother Clare Nowland was allegedly tasered by Senior Constable Kristian White, 33, who is facing charges of recklessly causing grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault.
Chief Commissioner Hon Peter Johnson SC, who is presiding over the hearing, stressed the importance of the inquiry.
The police trainers were also probed by Redfern Legal Centre lawyer, Samantha Lee, and asked whether the “culture of the police force” was taken into account during training.
Sergeant Westin said: “Culture doesn’t play a part in the physical training that we develop or teach”
Sergeant Pocock, who focuses more on the theoretical competent of policing, said they “try” to establish a culture within the academic.
“We try to instil into our students the cultural aspects, and the professionalism (of) our hierarchy or senior executive team through various policy and procedures. We don’t adress the culture that‘s out there (in the police force), we try and establish a culture in that student,” he said.
