Calls for independent police oversight
HAVING been found not guilty last week of assaulting officers soon after this year’s Sydney Mardi Gras Parade had ended, gay activist Bryn Hutchinson has vowed to continue campaigning for a proper independent oversight body to investigate claims of police corruption and brutality.
Following four days of hearings that spanned for three months from August, Hutchinson, 32 (pictured, centre), had charges against him of assaulting police and resisting arrest dismissed on November 28 during a hearing at Downing Centre Local Court in front of Magistrate Eve Wynhausen.
Hutchinson’s sister, Kate, who was charged with swearing at police officers during the incident in early March, was also found not guilty.
CLICK HERE to read last week’s breaking news story
According to Hutchinson’s legal team, in her judgement, Magistrate Wynhausen found that on the first charge of “assaulting an officer in the execution of duty,” Hutchinson was not guilty because he was acting in self defence. On the second charge of “resisting an officer in execution of their duty,” the ruling was that there was insufficient evidence to warrant a guilty verdict.
The charges stemmed from an incident shortly before 11.30pm on the night of March 2, when Hutchinson was prevented from walking across Oxford St near the corner of Crown St by a police officer who was soon joined by colleagues from Parramatta and Fairfield local area commands.
CCTV footage from the Colombian Hotel tendered into evidence showed other parade-goers near Hutchinson crossing the road without police talking to them at about the same time he attempted to do likewise.
According to the court testimony, police admitted there were no directives given that people could only cross at certain points of the road on the night, nor were there any orders given to people to only cross under the supervision of police.
The court also heard officers admit to kneeing and striking Hutchinson after what they said was a response to him attempting to lock his legs in to fell a police officer.
Speaking to the Star Observer shortly after the incident, Hutchinson claimed he was “grabbed from behind by several officers and thrown down on [his] back” before being flipped over and kicked several times.
“They put their weight on me and made it difficult to breathe,” Hutchinson said at the time.
“When I told them I couldn’t breathe properly one of the officers said, ‘if you can talk, you can breathe’.”
This week Hutchinson, who is the former co-convener of Community Action Against Homophobia, said that justice in his case was not the end of the matter for him as he truly believed there were wider cultural problems within NSW Police.
“There are clearly systemic issues with policing in NSW – my experience is one amongst many. It is unacceptable for police to investigate themselves; political action must be taken to establish independent oversight of police conduct,” he said.
“I call on all concerned citizens and politicians to continue raising concern and supporting other victims of police brutality.”
The Star Observer has made repeated attempts to speak with Superintendent Tony Crandell, the NSW Police Force’s chief spokesperson on LGBTI issues and the local Surry Hills area commander, about issues relating to the above matter but was told to direct question to the police media unit.
The Star Observer had sought to ascertain whether police had commenced their own internal investigation, as promised, into the actions of the officers involved in the incident with Hutchinson.
A NSW police spokesman responded with the following: “the community and the NSW Police Force expects its officers to act with the utmost professionalism. Complaints against officers are investigated thoroughly and appropriate action is taken.”
He also said police were investigating if there were grounds for an appeal.
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NSW Police seem to be as malevolent as they are stupid. To the Canadian tourist James: NSW Police have a grubby past going back to the days of Sir Robert Askin (1970s) and Roger Rogerson (1980s). We had a Royal Commission in the early 1990s to try to clean them up, but what hasn’t changed is their corrupt pack mentality – NSW has a $4B police force that does as it likes. Its ranks are filled with mostly lowly educated high school drop outs – who are then given a gun and a taser and some minimal training – and they set them free – no wonder we see NSW Police mess up the way they do.
Hi Jimi,
What do you base your assertions on? What do you mean by “corrupt pack mentality”.
Where did you find the information that backs your statement that the Police ranks are filled with mostly lowly educated high school drop outs – who are then given a gun and a taser and some minimal training.
You allude to the readers that you have a good knowledge about the Police selection process, as well as the educational requirements before, during and ongoing after graduation, why not expand on what you know.
I think it’s so important that you tell everyone what you know and why, just so as everyone reading this knows that you are telling facts based on your expertise knowledge and unbiased point of view and that you have the references to back up your statements, very important when we are talking about truth and corruption and honesty don’t you think?
NSW Police seem pretty lame, wtf are they doing? I have been here for 8 weeks on vacation and all I have seen and heard about is how bad and corrupt police are here. I am really surprised by this. I am from Canada where our police are some of the best in the world. Apparently NSW Police are some of the worst…
Hi James,
Who is telling you that NSW Police are corrupt? On what basis? And what corruption have you seen?
Police are investigating if there are grounds for an appeal? What planet do NSW police live on these days?
Here’s my view of NSW police and how they operate these days. Most seem to be totally divorced from reality. They have unlimited access to expensive lawyers who rip them off pursuing useless litigation (remember the police software scandal where NSW police got caught recently using unlicensed software – they pursued totally pointless litigation – at taxpayers expense until finally they had to pay for the licenses).
NSW Police make it clear these days by their actions that they will manipulate the use the system to their maximum advantage for their own interests – and less and less do they even seem to care about what’s left of their reputation.
The long list of recent shocking f’ups and abuses of power, and then cover up and lies after is getting so long now that I guess there isn’t much Supt Crandell can say these days.
And as for the comment that complaints against police are investigated by police thoroughly – in most cases this is total BS as evidenced by many a slanted BS investigation they have conducted that finds every time that police did no wrong – very very rarely does any action occur against police for abuses committed whilst in uniform.
We need a UK style independent body properly funded and empowered to investigate NSW Police – no more sham investigations as mates are assigned to investigate their buddies.
Hi David,
What are the items on the list you are talking about? What system has been manipulated, and tell us all how it was done.