NSW Police officers hold serious criminal convictions, GIPA documents show

Updated

Serious criminal convictions that include stealing, break and enter, fraud and assault are no impediment to a career in the New South Wales Police Force.

NSW Police convictions by number Stealing: 39

Break enter and steal: 14

Malicious damage: 14

Common assault: 7

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm: 4

Self-administered prohibited drug: 4

Dangerous driving causing death: 1

Stalk/intimidate: 1

Documents obtained by 7.30 NSW for the first time show the range and extent of convictions recorded before and during police employment, including 39 of stealing.

While Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione acknowledged in January this year that 437 officers had "form" - a criminal conviction - he was quoted as telling the Daily Telegraph that in the majority of cases these officers have been "convicted of a low range PCA (prescribed concentration of alcohol or drink driving) or similar offence".

But documents obtained through a Government Information Public Access Act (GIPA) application show the actual convictions include much more.

The more serious convictions include fraud, false pretences, dishonestly obtaining financial advantage, apprehended domestic violence, and dangerous driving causing death.

The total number of convictions recorded against 437 officers are 595, which equates to one in 40 NSW police officers having a criminal record.

The names of the convicted officers remain confidential but there are 14 inspectors, five senior sergeants, 80 sergeants, 236 senior constables, 69 constables, 20 probationary constables and 13 students.

Rather than the "majority" recording low-range PCA convictions, the documents show that 58 officers were convicted for high-range drink driving, while 144 were convicted for mid-range drink driving.

The documents show that 58 had been convicted for low-range PCA.

The police department has rejected a complaint that Commissioner Scipione has misled the public in his January statement.

NSW Greens MLC David Shoebridge, who has also received the figures, says the convictions paint an "extraordinary picture".

"My initial reaction was one of quite genuine shock," he said.

"When I saw case after case of high-range PCA, of stealing, of dishonesty offences and realised it totalled the sum of 600 individual convictions - it was quite an extraordinary picture, and one that demands a proper, and I think honest, explanation from the police."

7.30 NSW is awaiting a response from the Commissioner of Police to the latest GIPA revelations.

The GIPA documents were provided to 7.30 NSW by former police officer and whistleblower Richard McDonald.

Watch the full report on tonight’s 7.30 NSW on ABC1.

Topics: police, law-crime-and-justice, crime, nsw

First posted