Update on review of ACT Policing’s watch house operations
The Steering Committee for the joint Commonwealth Ombudsman and Australian Federal Police review of ACT Policing’s watch house operations met on Monday, 21 May 2007.
The Chief Police Officer, Assistant Commissioner Andy Hughes, was briefed on the review and a draft report was tabled at the meeting.
The draft report is very detailed and draws on the large amount of material collected by the review team in the early stages of the review.
There has been considerable interest from a wide range of groups in relation to the review. Some 50 letters were forwarded to various government, private and interest group organisations seeking their submissions to the review.
Twenty written submissions were received, and numerous people were interviewed both internal and external to the AFP. Representatives of government departments and multicultural groups, health professionals and the Human Rights Commissioner were interviewed. The review team also studied the practices of other custodial facilities.
The Steering Committee is now considering the draft report.
It is expected that the report will be publicly released by the end of June 2007.
Date of release: 22 May 2007