Police warned over bad conduct
10.06.2010
By: Michael McKenna, Tony Koch
QUEENSLAND Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson has launched a pre-emptive strike against looming criticism of his leadership by issuing a warning to the 14,500-strong force, saying there is no place for misconduct, and that officers have a ``shared responsibility'' to stamp it out.
In an extraordinary email to all police and support staff, Mr Atkinson conceded there was some ```unacceptable behaviour'' within the ranks and said a range of ``areas and aspects'' of the service needed to be improved.
Mr Atkinson, Queensland's top cop for 10 years, laid down the law after receiving a copy of the long-awaited Crime and Misconduct Commission report into the 2004 death in custody of Palm Island man Mulrunji Doomadgee and the subsequently discredited police investigation.
The CMC report, to be tabled in state parliament next week, is highly critical of Mr Atkinson and the alleged failure of the service to take appropriate action against officers found to have engaged in serious misconduct.
The Australian revealed last November that the CMC had condemned the initial death-in-custody investigation of the Palm Island incident, and rejected the findings of an internal police review into the handling of the case.
At least seven officers -- including two senior detectives of the Ethical Standards Command, picked by Mr Atkinson to conduct the review -- now face CMC recommendations for disciplinary action against them.
As well, the CMC report cites the failure to take serious action over the Tasering of a 16-year-old unarmed girl -- also exposed by The Australian -- and against officers involved in misconduct with prisoners.
In his email, Mr Atkinson said the police service had recently come under public attack and ``there is likely to be further criticism in months ahead''.
Mr Atkinson, who won a three-year extension to his contract this year, said the service was ``inherently good and there was no evidence of systemic, organised, widespread corruption''.
``It is unfortunate, but unavoidable, that some of our people will at times engage in unacceptable behaviour,'' he said.
``There is, however, no place in the Queensland Police Service for those who engage in criminal activity or serious misconduct. The community we serve expects high standards from us -- that goes with the job -- and those who can't live up to these expectations should either leave or change their values and behaviour.
``Whilst I accept responsibility for the service and there is a fundamentally important role for all those in supervisory positions, we all have a responsibility for our own behaviour, and a shared responsibility for behaviour which we can collectively influence.''
Deputy State Coroner Christine Clements said in a 2006 finding the initial police investigation into the death of Doomadgee lacked ``transparency, objectivity and independence''.
And after the Tasering of the 16-year-old Brisbane girl, then CMC chairman Bob Needham said the incident showed a ``concerning pattern'' of poor policing.
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