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Video: Ms Martin was forcibly stripped by police in Perth lockup. (Supplied) (ABC News)Western Australia’s Police Commissioner believes the introduction of body scanners in the Perth watch property and other major stations will support decrease danger of confrontation in between officers and detainees over strip searches.
The Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) has criticised WA Police over what it concluded was the unlawful use of force to strip search Joanne Martin at the watch residence in 2013.
Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan has told a parliamentary committee that a massive number of adjustments had been implemented since that incident to address the opinions expressed by the CCC.
Mr O’Callaghan mentioned body scanners would all but eliminate the want for strip searches when they were introduced early subsequent year.
“We’re hoping that the initial two body scanners will be offered for use by about February or March next year,” he mentioned.
“Portion of the challenge in making use of body scanners in Australia is that they have to be licensed by the Federal Government.
“Clearly, I’m keen to get them in place as soon as possible due to the fact its greater for members of the public, but of course it really is also greater for police officers.”
Physique scanners will be very first introduced at the new Perth watch residence in Northbridge, and then progressively at other metropolitan stations and chosen regional centres.
Greater police supervision, instruction given that CCC report
The committee questioned the Commissioner and other senior police about the police response to the CCC report into the incident involving Ms Martin, which was released in August.
The incident occurred in April 2013 when the woman was taken into custody at the East Perth watch house right after becoming arrested for disorderly behaviour in Northbridge.
In its report, the CCC condemned the conduct of officers involved in strip searching Ms Martin, and raised issues that it was component of a wider culture and institutionalised failure in WA Police.
After becoming taken to East Perth watch home, “Ms Martin located herself naked, lying face down on the floor, with a number of watch residence officers seeking to restrain her, one particular applying hammer blows with a fist to the shoulder blade location,” the report mentioned.
Other officers also hit her, with “a second also striking her, and another employing such force to attempt and take away a ring that it caused a severe fracture of a finger”.
The committee was told police had accepted and taken action to implement recommendations from the report.
Alterations integrated improvements in supervision, training and procedures for watch property employees, and enhanced electronic record keeping of choices and actions taken by officers detaining and looking folks in custody.
Topics: corruption, law-crime-and-justice, police, perth-6000, wa