How many actively serving police officers have been charged with crimes related to domestic and family violence?

Today in Budget Estimates, Abigail questioned the NSW Police Commissioner about the alarmingly high number of serving police officers that have been charged with domestic and sexual violence offences.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Can I ask, similarly to last estimates, how many currently serving police officers we now have, who have, at any time, been charged with crimes related to domestic and family violence?

KAREN WEBB (NSW Police Commissioner): ... I've got that 54 currently serving police officers have been, at any time, charged with 91 domestic violence related offences, which I have a list of.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: How many currently serving police officers have been convicted?

KAREN WEBB: Two.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: How many have been found guilty of a domestic and family violence offence but without a conviction recorded?

KAREN WEBB: I'll have to take the latter question on notice.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: That is a slight reduction from when I asked in March?

KAREN WEBB: That's correct.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: In relation to offences relating to sexual violence, do you have the numbers for those?

KAREN WEBB: As at 27 August, 13 serving officers have been charged with sexual violence and none have yet been convicted. Obviously this can fluctuate due to separations from the organisation.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Okay. Of the 18 that you provided details of in March—we had 18 at that point, so we've got five less now? But there were 18 at that point who had been charged with 39 offences relating to sexual violence. Two of those charges were of sex with a person under 10 or intercourse with a person under 10, and five were charges of sexual offences with children between 10 and 16. Given that they were currently serving at the time, what is the procedure for, if someone is charged with something that significant—

Are you able to provide, maybe on notice, just how many of them are in active duty versus—I would like to know that you've got some oversight of where those people are?

KAREN WEBB: Of the 13, I'm informed that there are two not in the workplace due to a leave situation. One officer is suspended, and there are 10 in the workplace, but I'll have to take on notice their actual duty status.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: That would be very useful, because that is quite concerning, still. It's good to see we've got a reduction to 54 serving police officers with a DFE offence being charged against them, but that's still 54, and then we've got 13 still with a sexual violence offence. Last time when we talked, you said that you had dismissed, I think in the previous six months, four officers on the basis of acts relating to domestic and family violence and sexual violence. Has that increased since then?

KAREN WEBB: Since March? Since 23 February, our last estimates? I'll check in the break, and I hope to get that to you before the end of today.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: That would be great, thank you.

30 August 2024

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How many actively serving police officers have been charged with crimes related to domestic and family violence?

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