COMPLAINTS against police using physical force against citizens have reached their highest level in nearly a decade.
The statistics come as police yesterday launched an investigation to find the whistleblower from within their own ranks who leaked police CCTV footage of a group of officers arresting an 18-year-old-woman at a country station.
The footage shows Jennifer Lee Ruppelt being pushed against the charge counter by an officer while her arms are pinned, even though she appears to be compliant and non-aggressive.
Ruppelt is facing three charges of assault police while police conduct their own internal investigation into the officers' conduct in the arrest.
Latest figures from the Police Complaints Authority show there were 127 complaints against police using physical force between July 2009 and April 30, 2010.
There were 124 complaints in 2001-02 and 117 in 2002-03.
No figures were available for May and June 2010, however, if the average number of complaints per month for that year continued, it would eclipse the decade-high 2003-04 figure of 146.
Opposition police spokesman David Ridgway has demanded the officers involved in the arrest of Ruppelt be stood down while a PCA investigation proceeds.
"The police - the four sworn officers who witnessed the (incident) as well as the officer who repeatedly (kicked the legs of) the woman - must be stood aside pending the outcome of this investigation," he said.
"I demand Mr Foley give us his personal guarantee . . . that a top-level investigation is underway."
Police Association of SA president Mark Carroll said Mr Ridgway's calls for immediate disciplinary action would "fly in the face of natural justice" against the officers involved.
"The entire incident is before the courts, so the community can have confidence that this matter will be thoroughly examined," he said.
A spokesman for Police Minister Kevin Foley said the minister had received a briefing from Acting Police Commissioner Madeleine Glynn.
He said it would be "totally inappropriate for anyone to comment further until the PCA inquiry was completed."
Road Safety Minister Tom Kenyon asked people to reserve their judgment until the incident was fully investigated.
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