Reporting Serious Police Misconduct
What Kind of Police Misconduct Does the PIC Investigate?
The PIC was set up to investigate the most serious forms of police misconduct. This includes serious police corruption. As an independent agency, the PIC has discretion in deciding the cases it investigates. But as a general guide, the Commission looks for information that may indicate police have been, or are, involved in:
- soliciting or accepting bribes
- perverting the course of justice (for example by planting evidence at a crime scene or interfering with a brief of evidence)
- serious assaults
- releasing confidential police information to criminals
- improperly interfering in police investigations
- improper relationships with criminals
- manufacturing, cultivating or supplying prohibited drugs
- crimes attracting a minimum of five years imprisonment (for example, serious fraud)
Less serious police misconduct such as the use of unreasonable force, traffic offences, failure to provide a satisfactory level of service and breaches of police rules and procedures should be reported to:
- the NSW Ombudsman’s Office – 580 George Street Sydney 2000, telephone: (02) 9286 1000 or toll free 1800 451 524
- the NSW Police Force – Customer Assistance Unit toll free 1800 622 571 or by visiting your local police station
If you are unsure which agency you should contact you can call the Commission on the numbers provided below. The Commission’s Assessment Officers will be able to advise you on the most appropriate course of action.
How Can I Provide Information on Serious Police Misconduct?
Anyone can report serious police misconduct to the Commission and you can do so anonymously if you wish. If you provide your contact details, the Commission will be in touch to let you know it has received your report and then subsequently to inform you of its decision.
If you have information about serious police misconduct you should provide it in Commission in writing. You can use the online facility via this website or write to the Commission at:
- GPO Box 3880 Sydney NSW 2001
- Facsimile: (02) 9321 6799
If you would like to talk to someone from the Commission about your options or to discuss any other aspect of reporting serious police misconduct, please contact:
- Telephone: (02) 9321 6700
- Freecall (if calling within Australia): 1800 657 079
What Will Happen to the Information I Provide?
All new reports regarding serious police misconduct are evaluated by the Commission. Reports from police officers and civilian employees of the NSW Police Force are assessed to see whether the protections offered under the Protected Disclosures Act are applicable. As the Commission is a small agency it cannot investigate everything brought to its attention. If the Commission decides not to investigate information you have provided, it will contact you to see whether you want the information provided to the NSW Police Force and the Ombudsman’s Office for those agencies to deal with.
The Commission preserves the confidentiality of the information reported to it in all but extraordinary circumstances where it is judged that it is important to the interests of the community that the information, or an extract of the information, is provided to the NSW Police Force or another agency. Further information can be obtained by contacting the Commission.