The University of NSW’s Rethinking Strip Searches by NSW Police report, commissioned by Redfern Legal Centre, has called for legislation to be tightened to prevent thousands of innocent people being subjected to the “humiliating” and controversial searches.
Lucy Moore, 19, was pulled out of a line by police at a festival at Sydney Olympic Park earlier this year before being stripped naked in a room with a half-opened door.
Despite no illegal substances being found on her, she was still subjected to an hour-long interview and was banned form the venue for six months.
Under NSW law police have the right to conduct a personal search if they have reasonable suspicion someone is concealing a dangerous or illegal item.
But a strip search can only be carried out in a situation of “urgency”, according to the Law Enforcement Powers and Responsibilities Act 2002.
“This report and its recommendations do not take away police powers to conduct a strip search, but merely limit such powers in the way parliament intended”, said Sam Lee, Head of Police Accountability at Redfern Legal Centre.
The “vague” legislation has led to “insufficient training” of police officers which would be corrected by more clear guidelines, said Ms Lee.
Read the full article here (The Daily Telegraph, 22 August 2019)
