Documents obtained under freedom of information laws by NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge revealed police has set a goal to conduct 241, 632 personal searches across the state, as part of the Command Performance Accountability System (COMPASS).
They came close to achieving this goal, carrying out more than 238, 900 personal searches, which includes standard “frisk” searches and strip searches, in 2018-19.
In a statement on Thursday, NSW Police Force said it “deploys various proactive strategies as part of an ongoing commitment to reducing crime and the fear of crime in the community”.
Mr Shoebridge said it was “dreadful” searches were being performed simply to meet quotes.
“Personal searches can be traumatising and are only meant to be undertaken when police are satisfied they are necessary,” he said.
The Redfern Legal Centre has written to the NSW Auditor-General calling for an investigation into whether the targets influenced the number of searches.
Read the full article here (SBS News, 14 February 2020)
