Audit reveals almost 200 police firearms can't be accounted for

Herald Sun

August 31, 2010



ALMOST 200 shotguns, semi-automatics and revolvers held by Victoria Police can't be accounted for, an embarrassing audit has revealed.

The shemozzle has been exposed in a stocktake of thousands of guns held by police over the past 20 years.

Among the 186 guns confirmed as missing are police firearms and others used for forensic comparison and training.

Police admit many could have been lost, though some could have been destroyed without documentation and listings for others could have been duplicated. The audit, which began last year, follows two decades of sloppy records.

A police spokesman said not all of the weapons were lost, and the force expected most cases related to "poor historical record keeping and tracking of weapons". Some of the guns identified may no longer exist.

"For example, firearms might have been destroyed, but not removed from our databases. Or duplicate entries have been made on databases. Or if the serial number on a weapon was entered incorrectly, then we would be looking for a serial number on a firearm that does not exist," he said.

The force took security "extremely seriously". "Our record keeping and tracking of total firearms in the state, however, has not been sufficient over the past 20 years, and we are now undertaking extensive work to remedy the situation," he said.

Until last year there had been no attempt to reconcile four separate firearms databases.

The audit initially found 500 gun records could not be reconciled. Three of 10,292 operational guns are among those missing.

But the spokesman said he expected they'd be recovered soon.

But Firearms Traders Association secretary Graeme Forbes said this was unlikely.

"If they've been looking for months, they're not going to find them," he said.

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I particularly liked this comment made by a reader

Mike Harding of Melbourne Posted at 6:43 AM Today

I own firearms. I am required to follow *strict* requirements regarding handling and storage; if I fail to meet those requirements in the *slightest* manner the police *will* prosecute me - no warnings, no leeway. It would seem probable that at least one of the missing firearms will, eventually, be deemed lost or stolen, will Victoria Police be prosecuted for failing to properly store a firearm, as require by the 1996 act and amendments? If found guilty will all their firearms be seized and destroyed and they become a "Prohibited Person/Organisation" under the act? I suspect I know the answer to my own question. One law for them - one law for us, just the way it's always been.

Comment 4 of 8

Cop faces court over hoon charge

The West Australian

August 25, 2010

An off-duty police officer allegedly caught driving at 172km/h made a brief appearance in the Midland Magistrate's Court this morning.

Sen. Const. Timothy Ralli, 36, faces a reckless driving charge after allegedly being clocked speeding in his Holden Commodore on Tonkin Highway in Forrestfield on July 23

Sen. Const. Ralli did not enter a plea and was remanded to October 13

Queensland police officers warned about being open on Facebook

• The Sunday Mail (Qld)
• August 29, 2010

LINK


QUEENSLAND police are opening themselves up to threats and intimidation by posting personal details on Facebook, top cops have been warned.

In an internal briefing, senior police were warned that information on social networking sites could be used to target individual officers.

Examples included a central Queensland officer who posted his wife and children's names, as well as his location, hobbies and the car he drives.

Top brass were also warned that the service could be tarnished by online activities. Included in the presentation were comments from ``Constable Mick'', critical of the push for a police helicopter. ``Unless we are gonna use the chopper to shoot grubs from the air why bother?'' he says in one forum.

Police bosses were warned online information had been used by terrorists to intimidate soldiers in Afghanistan.

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Queensland police recruits are now warned of the risk social networking poses as part of their training. But a search of Facebook reveals:

* A policewoman complaining about Gold Coast counter shifts using offensive language: ``Ok, f---ing quiet, my a---! Counter on Monday's really suck . . .''

* One QPS employee outs herself as being married to a cop and living in a very small western town. A Google search gives three phone numbers.

* The Fortitude Valley Police Station Facebook page carrying offensive comments for more than eight months. One member wrote: ``I'm not really a fan of the fortidude valley police station because they arrest u for the stupidest s--t.''

* Another person believed to be a police officer put the details of his house for rent online, including a link with the address.

* One female officer joked: ``Had a nanna nap in the work car whilst doing patrols today ... woops!! Felt better for it tho!!!'' The same officer last week said: ``Some nut kicking coming someones way .... And then someone is getting a ticket 4 not having a bell on thier bicycle or something equally pathetic cause it'll make me feel good :)''

A QPS spokeswoman said the Fortitude Valley page was not created by police and Facebook had been asked to remove it.

She said officers had been told to take more care online.

Cop Tasers her boyfriend at party

August 29, 2010

LINK

TWO police officers from Western Australia have been stood down following claims one used her Taser stun gun to shock her boyfriend at a party.

Police said the two officers from Carnarvon, on the WA's mid-north coast, are the subject of an internal investigation regarding the alleged misuse of Tasers.

It is alleged that while on duty on July 23, the officer visited her boyfriend at a party, where he asked her to stun him and his friend with the police-issued Taser.

Police confirmed that two officers had been stood down, with any possible disciplinary action pending the outcome of an internal investigation.

The alleged incident comes one month after allegations four officers at Rockingham police station, in Perth's south, used Tasers on colleagues during initiation rituals.

A sergeant and a senior constable were stood down and two constables were confined to office duties while an internal investigation was launched into that incident.

Opposition police spokeswoman Margaret Quirk said the two alleged incidents were a sign that there was a growing culture of officers misusing Tasers within the WA police force.

"I think police need to come out and say what they found in the course of both the Rockingham review and this review and how they intend to address this emerging culture of Tasers being used as toys,'' Ms Quirk said.

NT cop suspended over fraud investigation

August 20th, 2010

LINK

A 45-year-old NT police officer has been suspended from duty while an internal investigation into fraud allegations is conducted.

Police this afternoon have issued a statement announcing that an investigation is being undertaken by the Ethical and Professional Standards Command relating to allegations of fraudulent activity involving corporate finances.

No further identifying information or details of this investigation were made available.

The officer has been suspended on full pay, under section 80 of the Police Administration Act.

Democrat Darren Andrews admits child sex conviction

THIS could have been a person telling YOU what you can't do to defend yourself or your family.

LINK


AUSTRALIAN Democrats leaders say they feel betrayed by a candidate who yesterday withdrew from the federal election after confessing he had been convicted of a child sex offence.

The candidate in the seat of Sturt, Darren Andrews, right, admitted to a Channel 7 news reporter that he had been convicted of trying to procure a child for sex over the internet.

He withdrew from the election but his name will remain on the ballot paper. The Democrats yesterday said they felt "betrayed" by Mr Andrews, who had told them he had no criminal convictions, and had also signed a written declaration.

"It is like somebody punching you in the stomach," Australian Democrats SA leader Sandra Kanck said. She said the party would immediately cease campaigning in the seat of Sturt and would attempt to remove all campaign material before the election.

Mr Andrews, a student and volunteer for several disability charities, lives with his mother.

In 2006 he stood as a candidate in the state election for the Dignity for the Disabled party and is a finalist in the Pride of Australia award.

Ms Kanck said she was aware that the revelations would damage the efforts of other candidates for the beleaguered party.

"For all their bloody hard work, Darren is going to undo it," she said.

Ms Kanck said the party had been unable to contact Mr Andrews since revelations of his conviction and they were unaware when the conviction occurred, or whether he had served his sentence.

The Democrats lead candidate in the Senate for SA Jeannie Walker said she was "shocked" by the news and was hopeful people would not judge the party by association. "We obviously had no idea and we are as shocked as the rest of the public," she said.

"It could be quite damaging for us. I hope common sense will prevail."

Mr Andrews was described yesterday by Ms Walker as "genuine" and by Ms Kanck as "sincere". "There was no indication there was a problem at all," she said.

"I think you have to feel sympathy for anyone who cannot comprehend why, if you have a conviction, particularly if you have a conviction of this kind, you would put yourself up for Dignity for the Disabled and then for the Democrats."

Details of the conviction are scarce but, on television, Mr Andrews said he had "made plans" to meet what he thought was a 15-year-old boy over the internet, but who was in fact a police officer. Mr Andrews told Channel 7 he didn't go through with the rendezvous.

According to details revealed as an election candidate, Mr Andrews suffered learning difficulties as a student and said he was "sick and tired" of seeing disabled people treated as second-class citizens.

He is a volunteer to the disability sector and has worked as a presenter and producer of AchieveAbility, a radio station for the disabled. He also has been co-producer and co-presenter of Radio Cool, which showcases arts and disability, and a volunteer with Minda Inc and Compass SA, which advocates for the rights of families, carers and people with disabilities.

The Australian Electoral Commission said Mr Andrews' name could not be removed from ballot papers.

Mr Andrews could not be contacted yesterday.

Police officer suspended

August 19, 2010

LINK

A 32-YEAR-OLD police officer has been suspended from duty following accusations he misused police "resources" and accessed and released "confidential information".

Investigations into the alleged conduct of the South Eastern Region Constable are continuing.

Internet smear cop Darren James Clohesy sacked from SA Police

August 16, 2010

LINK


A SENIOR detective convicted for setting up a fake dating profile and sending men to his former girlfriend's house has been sacked from the police force.

Police Commissioner Mal Hyde terminated Detective Senior Sergeant Darren James Clohesy's employment at a disciplinary hearing this morning.

Mr Chohesy did not attend the hearing nor send a representative.

Mr Clohesy last week was convicted in the Adelaide Magistrates Court of unlawful operation of a computer, offensive behaviour and breach of bail.

In court he admitted unlawfully accessing the SA Police database, and breaching his bail, while working with a conspirator to humiliate his former girlfriend Tania Milsom.

In sentencing, Chief Magistrate Bolton said the "SexyMillie888" internet profile was used to impersonate Ms Milsom and falsely claim she wanted sex with strangers.

Mr Clohesy, she said, provided Ms Milson's address and house plans so unwitting suitors could knock on her bedroom window.

A police spokesman said Mr Clohesy was given notice of the hearing to "show cause why his employment should not be terminated".

"The Commissioner deemed Mr Clohesy's offending was of a serious nature and his behaviour unacceptable and incompatible with the service expected of a police officer," the spokesman said.

In sentencing Mr Clohesy last week, Chief Magistrate Liz Bolton said: "To describe your behaviour as despicable would be an understatement."

Ex-cop Benjamin Thomas Price admits to bashing tourists

• August 16, 2010 11:11AM

LINK

Rogue ex-cop Benjamin Thomas Price has pleaded guilty to bashing three tourists while on duty in the Whitsunday mecca of Airlie Beach.

Price today faced Bowen District Court to plead guilty to three counts of assault causing bodily harm and one count of common assault.

The father-of-two, now a tree-cutter, resigned from the police force and today admitted the three separate assaults after female police whistleblower Bree Sonter broke ranks and spoke out about the police brutality she had witnessed at the north Queensland police station.

Two of his violent attacks inside the Airlie police station two years ago were captured on security camera footage in graphic detail.

Price told at least one of the victims: "This is my town'' as he meted out his own brand of rough justice.

Shocking footage showed the strongly-built ex-cop punching a bleeding and handcuffed Timothy Steele before jamming a fire hose into his mouth in May 25, 2008.

Other police officers watched on and made no move to stop the assault.

In another incident captured on film, petite barmaid Renee Tomms was flung about by the hair and body slammed by the former senior constable as she was being interviewed at the police counter over a drunken dispute.

Investment banker Nicholas Le Fevre, who was on a sea kayaking trip, told how he was repeatedly punched in the face and left dazed and bleeding by Price after disputing his alleged offence of urinating in a public park late at night in 2007.

All three victims are from New South Wales.

Price, who was released on bail, showed no emotion as Judge Stuart Durward listed his case for sentencing in Townsville District Court on October 8.

Man charged over Karratha gun theft

OK - This isn't Police in the wrong but it is a government department that these guns were stolen from. I'm willing to bet pennies to the pound that no-one at the Dept of Agriculture was charged with failing to secure these firearms.

The West Australian

August 10, 2010

Police have recovered some of the guns stolen from the Department of Agriculture's Karratha office earlier this month.

Karratha Const Mike Bickford said the majority of the firearms had been found but would not reveal which ones were still missing.

Fourteen weapons, including five military-style semi-automatic rifles, were stolen from a locked gun cabinet during an overnight break-in between 5pm on Sunday, August 1 and 8.45am the next morning.

In addition to the semi-automatic rifles, the burglars took three double-barrel 12-gauge shotguns, a double-barrel 410-gauge shotgun, a .44 calibre lever-action rifle, a .22 air rifle and two bolt-action rifles - one a .308 and the other a .22 and a 14th unidentified gun.

A man in his 30s has been charged over the break-in and will appear in Karratha Magistrates Court today charged with aggravated burglary and stealing.

Const. Bickford said police were questioning several other people over the missing firearms.

He said information provided by the public had helped police find the first weapons and he urged anyone with information about the other guns to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Senior cop on assault charge

• PerthNow
• August 13, 2010

A 20-YEAR senior police officer has been charged with assault after allegedly punching an 18-year-old man in the face while off duty.

Police Internal Affairs Unit officers charged the police officer, a detective sergeant from the Specialist Crime Portfolio, after an incident in July this year.

Police will allege that while off duty in Ellenbrook, the officer approached an 18-year-old man to speak to him about an offence committed at the officer’s home.

During the interaction, it is alleged the police officer struck the man in the face. No injuries were sustained by the man.

The officer has been a member of WA Police for 20 years and is currently “stood aside” from operational duties.

He will appear in the Midland Magistrate’s Court today.

Police Commissioner forced to give 'rape' cop his job back

LINK

August 05, 2010 1:43PM


WESTERN Australia's police commissioner says he is legally bound to reinstate a sacked officer who had a rape conviction quashed.

Karl O'Callaghan previously lost confidence in the officer, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

He was fired in 2008 after being found guilty of raping a 15-year-old girl in Kalgoorlie before he joined the force.

But after his conviction was quashed the officer appealed to the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC), which ruled he should get his job back.

Mr O'Callaghan took the matter to the Court of Appeal, which dismissed his challenge.

The commissioner issued a two-line statement on the matter on Thursday.

``Suffice to say that I have previously lost confidence in this officer, and none of these (court) decisions provides me with any guidance as to how my original loss of confidence can simply be regained,'' he said

``However, legally I must abide by the direction of the IRC.''

Police Union president Russell Armstrong said the officer deserved to be reinstated and the commissioner had wasted time and money appealing the IRC ruling.

Former criminal and his brother desperate to join the police force

The Sunday Mail August 15, 2010


ONE is fighting to become a police officer despite six failed attempts and serving six months in jail for theft. The other is fighting to stay an officer after it took him nine goes to get into the force.

Meet the Cuttler brothers two Queenslanders with a dream to be boys in blue.

Jason Shane Cuttler made the force in 2002 after nine applications and taking Supreme Court legal action.

He spent several years as a probationary constable after being demoted for alleged disciplinary breaches. Now dismissed, Jason is fighting to get back into the police service.

His brother Mark William Cuttler, a convicted thief, who spent six months in jail, has won the right to be considered for the Queensland Police Service. He launched legal action against the police in the Supreme Court after they rejected his sixth application to become a police recruit on October 3, 2007.

Documents lodged in the court reveal police said Mark had failed the integrity test required of police recruits by stealing more than $24,000 from Armaguard while working as a security guard in 1996.

He was sentenced to 2 and a half years' jail, suspended after six months. In rejecting his application, the police also pointed out his 11 traffic infringements, including losing his licence on points, and being declared bankrupt for seven months.

But in making his application to the court, Mark argued police had failed to take into account his good character since the stealing charges, the extra training he had completed, including first aid and a TAFE diploma in justice administration, and his work history.

In his application to the QPS, Mark includes time working at the Holland Park Magistrates Court, Queensland Building Tribunal, 10 years as a taxi driver and tow truck operator and most recently as a local laws officer for Brisbane City Council.

Mark also claimed to have completed work experience at the Red Hill Police Station just months before he was charged with stealing. He also lists then-Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner George Nolan as a referee.

But a search of the court documents reveal Mark's time at the Magistrates Court and Building Tribunal was while he was completing work-for-the-dole, and a police spokeswoman said Mr Nolan knows nothing about him.

A report to the Ethical Standards Branch, included in the court documents, says: ``The multiplicity and nature of the applicant's criminal convictions should exclude the application under integrity assessment guidelines.''

Upon his application, Inspector Phil Barrett wrote to Mr Cuttler: ``It has been determined that you are permanently excluded from employment as a police recruit.''

But the court found a bungle involving just one word meant the wrong person had refused Mr Cuttler's application.

Justice David Boddice found on August 6 that Mr Cuttler's application to become a recruit should be reconsidered by police because the decision not to further examine his application was made by Insp Barrett, manager of the human resource management branch, rather than (as required by QPS rules) the manager of the development branch.

Mark's lawyer Simon Tolhurst said his client had won the right to be properly treated by the police recruitment system.

Meanwhile, Jason lodged paperwork earlier this month seeking permission to appeal his dismissal but refused to comment until his court action was concluded.