❓ Hon Nick Goiran questions the Attorney General regarding a recommended audit of police dog bite incidents, particularly concerning the over-representation of Aboriginal youth. The Attorney General confirms the audit was conducted and tabled, and that recommendations were made to WA Police.
AnsweredQoN 1184Legislative Council
Asked
22 November 2022
Member
Portfolio
parliamentary secretary representing the Attorney General
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE — POLICE DOG BITES
1184. Hon NICK GOIRAN to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Attorney General:
I
refer to the ABC news article on 16 November 2022 entitled ''Police dog
bite sparks outrage as 13-year-old WA boy Jayden Abraham suffers severe
injuries''.
(1) Is the Attorney General aware that the Joint
Standing Committee on the Corruption and Crime Commission's fifteenth report, tabled more than two years ago, recommended that —
The Corruption and Crime Commission
should undertake an audit of dog bite incidents to determine whether the use of force was justified and adequately reported
by the WA Police Force.
(2) Is the
Attorney aware that the Aboriginal Legal Service's submission to the
committee stated that —
'Available data from Western Australia
shows that nearly one fifth of all victims of police dog bites were 18 years
and under. Further, most of those victims (12 out of 17) were Aboriginal.'
(3) Has the CCC conducted the
recommended audit?
(4) If yes to (3), will the Attorney
General table the audit report?
(5) If no to (3), does the Attorney General
intend to do anything about this?
1184. Hon NICK GOIRAN to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Attorney General:
I
refer to the ABC news article on 16 November 2022 entitled ''Police dog
bite sparks outrage as 13-year-old WA boy Jayden Abraham suffers severe
injuries''.
(1) Is the Attorney General aware that the Joint
Standing Committee on the Corruption and Crime Commission's fifteenth report, tabled more than two years ago, recommended that —
The Corruption and Crime Commission
should undertake an audit of dog bite incidents to determine whether the use of force was justified and adequately reported
by the WA Police Force.
(2) Is the
Attorney aware that the Aboriginal Legal Service's submission to the
committee stated that —
'Available data from Western Australia
shows that nearly one fifth of all victims of police dog bites were 18 years
and under. Further, most of those victims (12 out of 17) were Aboriginal.'
(3) Has the CCC conducted the
recommended audit?
(4) If yes to (3), will the Attorney
General table the audit report?
(5) If no to (3), does the Attorney General
intend to do anything about this?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice
of the question. I note that the preamble that the member gave does not form
part of the question before me, but in any event, the answers are as follows.
(1)–(2) Undertaken
in response to the report by the joint standing committee, the Corruption and
Crime Commission's thematic review report A report on the deployment
of police dogs highlighted the statistical over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons,
including juveniles, in Western Australia Police Force use-of-force
incidents involving police dogs.
(3) Yes.
(4)–(5) It
was tabled on 11 May 2022. The commission's thematic review report made
two recommendations to WA Police, which were to develop and implement WA Police's
canine unit policy, procedures and/or guidelines, and undertake further
analysis of police dog use to explore and address reasons for the higher representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander persons in police dog deployments. The commission has advised
that in May 2023 it will review the WA Police action taken.
of the question. I note that the preamble that the member gave does not form
part of the question before me, but in any event, the answers are as follows.
(1)–(2) Undertaken
in response to the report by the joint standing committee, the Corruption and
Crime Commission's thematic review report A report on the deployment
of police dogs highlighted the statistical over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons,
including juveniles, in Western Australia Police Force use-of-force
incidents involving police dogs.
(3) Yes.
(4)–(5) It
was tabled on 11 May 2022. The commission's thematic review report made
two recommendations to WA Police, which were to develop and implement WA Police's
canine unit policy, procedures and/or guidelines, and undertake further
analysis of police dog use to explore and address reasons for the higher representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander persons in police dog deployments. The commission has advised
that in May 2023 it will review the WA Police action taken.
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