Sunday, May 27, 2012

Another Victorian charmer

Cop accused of threats to kill driver -- gets off free

A VICTORIAN police sergeant has been caught on tape making threats to kill a tow-truck driver who claims cops are running an illegal smash-repair racket in the Macedon Ranges.

Sunbury small businessman Peter Bondin recorded the conversation, which also includes a confession from the officer that police operate an allocation system allowing cops to decide which tow trucks attend accidents in breach of state legislation.

It is understood the sergeant makes clear threats against tow-truck operator Mr Bondin on the tape.

The Sunday Herald Sun has been told the officer threatens that he is not allowed to shoot people anymore but if he gets angry enough he could do anyone.

It is believed he later says he does not care who he shoots and it is of no consequence to him.

In a warning to the driver to act ethically at crash scenes, the officer threatens to knacker the driver, get mad and hound him until he dies.

Mr Bondin lodged a complaint with Victoria Police's Ethical Standards Department but received a response in June last year saying his claims of corruption and threats to kill were "unfounded" and no action would be taken.

Instead a ruling of "improper behaviour and language" was "substantiated" and the sergeant received "workplace guidance".

In regional and rural areas including the Macedon Ranges no legislation exists allowing police to allocate tow trucks to jobs, meaning any licensed towing service can attend an accident.

It's understood that during the conversation the sergeant said police had an allocation system, which was not legislated.

Victoria Police spokeswoman Natalie Webster said police had come up with their own non-official allocation system "in order to fairly distribute work among local tow-truck operators".

SOURCE
Corrupt Victoria police again: Nightclub sues over 'revenge' raid

THE Victorian government faces a $2 million damages claim after a prominent Prahran nightclub was put out of business by an allegedly unlawful raid by liquor licensing inspectors, court documents reveal.

A former Responsible Alcohol Victoria (RAV) inspector has also stated that a senior Justice Department official admitted to staff that the raid on the club, White Charlie, was done "to f--- them over" after its owners clashed with inspectors on an earlier visit.

Nine RAV inspectors and four Victoria Police officers raided White Charlie on a busy Friday night in October 2010, after having obtained a search warrant from a magistrate on the basis that its owners were allegedly trading without a liquor licence.

The inspectors seized every drop of alcohol, surveillance cameras, cash registers, computers and entered an adjacent office to remove financial and personal documents. Although the club was not formally shut down, the seizures made it impossible for it to continue trading.

Documents lodged in the Supreme Court of Victoria show Liquor Licensing Victoria director Mark Brennan had extended the venue's licence for 60 days shortly before the raid took place.

RAV, which has since been subsumed into the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation, is alleged to have known about the extension before one of its inspectors swore an affidavit claiming the venue was trading without a licence in order to obtain a search warrant.

No charges have been laid against White Charlie's owners for trading without a licence in the 19 months since the raid. Despite this, alcohol, surveillance cameras, computers and other items seized have yet to be returned to the club's owners.

A statement of claim lodged by Cossari Smith Pty Ltd, the company which controlled White Charlie, accuses RAV inspectors of "misfeasance in public office", intentionally destroying its business and exercising power "with the knowledge that power did not exist".

The statement of claim also alleges:

* The search warrant was "invalidly issued" and "unlawfully executed".

* Inspectors seized items outside the scope of the warrant and trespassed "without lawful authority" on premises not identified in the warrant.

* Inspectors failed to bring seized items before an authorised court without delay as required by law.

* RAV told liquor suppliers after the raid and seizure of alcohol not to supply White Charlie because it did not have a licence, despite being aware its licence had been extended by Mr Brennan.

Although the claim does not nominate a specific figure, one of White Charlie's owners, Joe Cossari, told The Sunday Age he and his business partners were seeking up to $2 million in costs and damages.

Mr Cossari said RAV's actions had a "devastating financial impact" on the club's owners, as well as four full-time staff and 16 casual workers who lost their jobs as a result of the raid.

The Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation declined to answer The Sunday Age's questions, with a spokeswoman citing the ongoing court action.

At the time of the raid, Cossari Smith Pty Ltd, owned by Mr Cossari and Victor Smith, had taken over the White Charlie business, including its liquor licence, via a mortgagee process after one of their other companies - which had previously operated the club and held the licence - went into voluntary administration.

White Charlie was in the process of being sold to third party, Nguyen Chapel Investments, when the raid occurred.

A former RAV inspector, who was aware of the planning process for the raid, has come forward to support Mr Cossari's allegations.

The former inspector, who requested anonymity, told The Sunday Age that RAV knew White Charlie's liquor licence had been extended for 60 days before the raid took place and therefore it was wrong to claim it was selling alcohol without a valid licence.

He also alleged the motivation for the raid was based on an earlier clash between a few RAV inspectors and White Charlie's owners.

In a meeting after the raid, the former inspector alleges a senior manager said to RAV staff: "Do you all know why we did this? It was because [an inspector] went there last week and they abused him and he came back to me and said, 'f--- them, they don't speak to me like that'. So, that's why we f---ed them over."

SOURCE

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Extraordinary Victoria police actions

To stop a speeding driver, they ordered uninvolved civilians to form a roadblock with their cars

"I'M 17 years old, and currently doing VCE at Melbourne High School. I was on my way home from the tutor on Saturday morning and my mum was supervising, as I was driving. Approximately around 11.30, while I was heading south bound on the Hume Freeway, I encountered a police vehicle, and all the cars on the freeway were brought to a halt.

The police officers exited their vehicle, and firmly instructed the traffic to form three lanes, occupying the emergency lane as well. I was right at the front of the traffic, and I initially assumed that it was a routine check. However, upon hearing the helicopter above us, and witnessing the blockage of the emergency lane, I had a feeling that this was something more serious.

The next few minutes went very fast. One second, the police officer was approaching my car. The next second she seemed to be pre-occupied with something behind my car. Before I knew it, there was a loud bang; a huge force to my back and I knew something had rammed into the back of my car. The offender's car then crashed into the concrete wall. As the man got out of the car, reality kicked in, and I realized that this guy could potentially be armed, and I feared for my life.

It was only later that I was properly informed that my mum and I had been used as a civilian roadblock. My mum and I were put in a position of extreme danger.

I'm still trying to comprehend how the police can justify the use of innocent civilian lives."

SOURCE
Stupid and costly prosecution in NSW

Cops claimed that a small quantity of drugs found on busy premises belonged to a particular person but had no evidence of that

A HIGH profile blitz on drugs in Kings Cross has backfired with police forced to drop charges against a nightclub manager and foot his hefty legal bill.

In Downing Local Court yesterday, the trainee high school history teacher Scott Robert Lavers, was awarded $19,790 in legal costs after police were forced to withdraw a charge of cocaine supply.

The charge was withdrawn on the second day of a two day hearing last month, after Magistrate Lisa Stapleton expressed concerns about the strength of the prosecution case.

After Magistrate Stapleton formally dismissed the charge, Mr Lavers' lawyer successfully asked for costs to be paid and no conviction recorded.

Mr Lavers was arrested on May 20 last year at 10.30pm when nearly 30 police raided the Showgirls night club in Kings Cross.

Police found 0.5gram of cocaine in the club, that they said belonged to Mr Lavers, a claim he denied.

He was charged with supplying a prohibited drug, cocaine, on the evening of April 30 last year.

At the time he had been the club's assistant manager and mostly worked in the "cash box" where he collected entry fees.

Details of the case against Mr Lavers are restricted from publication because Magistrate Stapleton closed the court, saying the case involved a controlled police operation and a registered source.

However court documents released by the court show the witnesses in the case were expected to include six police officers and "registered source 876297".

Mr Lavers said he was relieved that his ordeal was over. "I was innocent the entire time," he said. "I never knew there was drugs on the premises and I still don't know if there ever were any," he said.

SOURCE

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Disgusting Brisbane police behavior

Email below as received from Janelle Rich

Not that I expect anything but I was present at Hamilton Hotel on Saturday night after races to witness a large number of Qld police officers off duty acting like utter disgraces. One actually threatened a local patron and was asked to leave. Knowing he was a police officer he re entered in full knowledge he is above the law. Normal people get fines or court appearances of which cctv footage would well and truly put to rest. This disgusting thug of an off duty officer was threatening violence knowing he was above the law and committed an offence knowing he is again above the law of which one can only imagine he is used to doing.

What is it with these public servants who think they are above anyone else at any time of day or night because they sometimes wear a uniform. He actually broke a liquor licensing regulation but is unaccountable because he is a police officer and can resist eviction of a licensed premise even if he is a drunken inebriated disgrace for the sole reason he wears a uniform which represents corruption and knows it. Threatening violence after being removed is what [police are supposed to be striving for not promoting like this clown, you can only bet he is a superintendent or high ranking disgrace that knows he is unaccountable!

Townsville cops

Email below as received

Sonya Mitchell

Sonya Mitchell is is calling for artworks, stories or photographs from anyone in the Townsville area who feels that they have experienced injustice at the hands of the Queensland Police Service for an exhibition called "Injustice or Just-us?" The exhibition comes as a result of an incident witnessed by Sonya Mitchell who saw something which prompted her to make a CMC complaint. The QLD Police Service Officer who investigated the other QLD Police Service Officers from the same locality found that the Officers involved did nothing wrong despite the fact that a Magistrate found that the Officers unlawfully entered a property, unlawfully arrested someone and unlawfully assaulted someone. The QLD Police Service Officer who investigated the CMC complaint chose to paint the complainant as a liar rather than the Police. The purpose of this exhibition is to raise community awareness about the current ethical behaviour standards of QLD Police and call for independant investigators. If you have experienced something similar and would like to submit a piece than please email sonya.mitchell@optusnet.com.au. If you are concerned about retaliation, then your identity will not be disclosed. Any funds raised from the exhibition will be donated to the Innocence Project. Please copy and paste this message to share this post with your friends.

Crooked Yeppoon Detectives‏

An email below as received

I am a diagnosed Paranoid Schizophrenic.

Because of my Mental Health I am continually denied representation and Justice, in many areas including Public Health and Treatment.

Police won’t listen to me, my Doctor ignores me, and advocates won’t represent me, my Psychiatrist just wants to increase my medication.

I was the victim of a catastrophic fail, in a hernia operation 2 years ago which caused me to be more physically disabled and resulted in loss of mobility resulting in massive weight gain.

Although the Doctors were negligent, Solicitors would not represent me and all Government and non-Government bodies intended to care for me denied me Justice and denied my complaints, just let me slowly drown in my own internal bleed.

After the failed operation and being totally capacitated for 2 years, I attempted to get fit enough to work again.

I had become a recluse / hermit for that time till I joined a gym mid-January 2012 and attended regularly until February 15th 2012.

After joining the gym, I was observed by my junkie neighbour as coming and going from my flat. I was a computer tech and although the junkie did not know what was inside my flat, another neighbour who applied to be my carrer apparently told him.

I used an iPod to block out people in the gym, always on when I left the flat, talk to no one and heard no one. The iPod was stolen from my car by the junkie on the 1st February.

On the 15th of February (my birthday), he had one of his mates con me, get in my house and rob me.

I had eye witnesses, but local Police refused to charge him and said I gave him my goods for drugs, although they returned some of my stuff I allegedly gave away $5000 remained missing including my watch (used in gym) gym shoes (Asics Kayano (gift)), Mobile Phones one Huawei Sonic used for Data on my computers hotspot and a Blackberry (gift).

Why would I give away everyday essentials to train and get fit and the only gifts I got for Xmas?

Also an iPod I got for Xmas from my only remaining friends, no family and left the world behind but was checked on several times a week by a young couple, my only outside contact last 2 years. If the Detectives allege I gave it to him, why did they bring back my computer bag but not the 5 laptops stolen?

As a disabled pensioner I will never replace the computer and tech stuff taken. My income went south when the operation failed and I had to move into a lower standard of living soon after my income was cut off (no compensation, just a cover up as usual)

Everyone has screwed me and taken my life away, over the last 2 years, denied Justice all round and copped it sweet as I was a worthless schizophrenic, a burden on society, but did work for years successfully, before the failed operation.

Why I have written to you is, I was once a Public Servant in the post Nagle Royal Commission days of NSW Prisons.

I experienced organised crime, corruption as well as five murders and was a "whistle blower" in the Rex Jackson MP inquiry (Minister gaoled for 10 years). It was at this time I was declared insane by the Wran Government and could never toss the record.

I was confused by QLD Police Detectives refusing to even take a written statement from me or any of the eye witnesses.

I originally thought the thief was a NARC! I investigated his life in Townsville before he robbed me.

This led me to Hervey Bay and his friends and family from is school days.

I have now been told his two sisters are members of the QLD Police Force. His is when I remembered the head Detective who refused to even interview me or take a statement, claimed he “knew the Miles” and he believed Clayton. Clayton has been in gaol till 10th May for a series of similar robberies to mine, but many were unloaded and discarded.

One robbery January 2012 was he stole someone else’s ID and licence as well as their Credit Card which he used to steal a Hire Car from Townsville Airport. I know thoer crimes he committed in Townsville when he ran from there as well and the people's names.

Clayton paid one month in advance on the stolen ID and Card, but Police refused to charge him, saying the Vehicle was only missing for a few days? Prior to that it was “Hired”?

He is facing charges over this theft and several other burglaries and robberies in yeppoon, but he has been charged similarly and “impotently" so he will soon be free to rape, rob, pillage and plunder again, he stuck me with a syringe, that should be assault with a deadly weapon, I am undergoing needle stick blood tests as well.

This was never recorded by Police, he is a junkie and shares needles? I could have aids, I am a Grandfather although my family never ever comes near me, they never ever will reconcile if I have aides.
All I can see to do to get Justice I take the matter into my own hands and forget the law, just “kill them all”!

Then throw myself on the mercy of the Court or suicide. “I HATE CROOKED CORRUPT COPS AND FOUGHT THEM ALL THROUGH THE 70S AND 80S”. When they do crime, in my eyes they lose their rights as a Police Officer in my book, and just become “other criminals”. I let everything go, but Police Corruption and crooked Politicians caused me to be where I am today! I can’t let this go!

Can you help me artiulate a complaint? one reads my stuff, as I am mentally disabled and cant articulate short sharp sentences. If I dont hear from you OK! you will have heads up amongst your friends when I am shot and killed or on the run.

Yours Sincerely
Ric Glass

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Tasmania: Police radio ban goes to court

What an absurdity the ban is. Initially "minor" matters can turn out to be major

FRONT-LINE police have been told not to contact the radio room for what management has deemed "routine" checks during peak busy periods, outraged officers have revealed.

The Police Association of Tasmania is preparing to take Tasmania Police to court over what it says are broken promises that are increasingly putting the safety of its officers and the general public at risk. "We're taking them to the Industrial Commission," said Police Association of Tasmania acting president Robbie Dunn.

He says staffing levels in radio dispatch services, housed in the Hobart city police station, were slashed last year despite a promise to maintain what the union considered a minimal level.

The union says front-line police are being told they cannot call in routine checks, such as firearm licence, prior convictions and outstanding warrants checks deemed "unnecessary radio traffic" by management, during "periods of heightened workload".

"This is putting the safety and, realistically, the lives of our officers and the general public at risk," Sgt Dunn said. "Look what happened to Les Cooper." Sgt Cooper was shot in the face and back on the Midland Highway after pulling over a dangerous criminal during a routine traffic check in 2006.

"The communications system has now become such a joke we're not willing to put up with it any longer," Sgt Dunn said. The union will lodge its case with the Industrial Commission within weeks.

Tasmania Police yesterday denied there had been any cutbacks to the radio room. "[During exceptionally busy periods] officers are able to obtain the information in several other ways, via mobile data terminals in police vehicles, through traffic administration staff or crime management units, or they are able to make the checks on return to the station," Inspector Brian Edmonds said.

The union rejects the response. "The data terminals won't work in peak times, such as between 4 and 9pm when they're most needed, because Tasmania Police hasn't bothered to organise and pay for any special deal with Telstra to ensure continuous coverage," Sgt Dunn said.

"When everyone goes home and logs on to their computer or their iPhone or whatever, the network's overloaded and the terminals are useless. That means front-line police are relying entirely on the radio room."

Police sources have repeatedly told the Mercury that morale in the radio room is at an all-time low. Illness and stress-related leave is getting out of hand among the overworked operators. "They feel sick knowing they're not able to provide the appropriate support to front-line officers," Sgt Dunn said.