It seems that all is not well within the upper echelon of the New South Wales Police force. Over a decade ago the police conducted what has been known as a "Witch Hunt " which involved the bugging of the homes and offices of over a hundred serving police officers. This was conducted by the Internal Affairs division and involved the handful of seniority at the very apex of this state's police force.
In a cloak and dagger move a corrupt policeman was instructed to wear a wire and try to compromise 114 serving police at a social function, and so far nobody has shed any light on the reasons given for conducting this probe. It appears that the reasons that supported the application for warrants of search to proceed are mysteriously absent.
Internal enquiries came to nought and for the past two years the Ombudsman has been tasked with clearing up the matter. This has so far cost $ 3 million - and still no report has been forthcoming. Now the whole affair is being sent to a new Parliamentary enquiry, which will commence sittings on January 28.
Internal Affairs has always had a murky reputation. It is essential that the inner workings of any police force be squeaky clean and it is the job of this section to root out corruption. It is often claimed that the methods used by Internal Affairs are deliberately contentious and the worst possible outcome is attributed to even a minor indiscretion. They are also a prime medium for settling scores.
That seems to be the presumed intention of this extensive bugging scandal. A jockying for power at the highest level of policing may have seen a move to discredit competitors and gain an advantage when promotions became necessary. The fact that no evidence of the reasons for seeking broad ranging search warrants seems to exist is troubling and raises the suspicion that personal motives were involved.
It would be expected that such a juicy morsel of scandal would have the politicians baying like a wolf pack, but both sides of politics have been keeping a low profile. The other identity expected to show interest would be the police union, but again there seems to be little activity - and yet this matter remains an irritant that refuses to go away !
While ever it continues to simmer just under the surface it is doing damage to the relationships necessary to run an effective police force. If there is high tension between the forces's top leaders this will be reflected in day to day policing decisions - and produce an undercurrent of personal loyalty to the various combatants. This loyalty will influence decisions taken.
It is essential that this Parliamentry enquiry break the nexus and deliver a finding. If senior police have deviated from legal procedures they must be held to account and appropriate action taken. If that involves early retirement and a reshuffling of the top ranks, then so be it !
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