Last year, several million dollars worth of drugs were seized and over 1000 arrests were made for drug offences in Victoria alone.
Yet some of those who found themselves on the wrong side of the law were supposed to be enforcing it.
Two Melbourne police officers were recently charged with drug trafficking and dealing with proceeds of crime, along with three counts each of theft and misuse of public office.
Both officers have been suspended without pay and will be facing court later this month.
The hypocrisy, of course, is that those we have entrusted to uphold and enforce the law are the same ones who are reported to be breaking it – which makes the allegations all-the-more serious and, yet again, raises questions about the integrity of the police force.
And what makes this most recent incident even more concerning is that the officers were only discovered by chance – when drug raid investigations sourced the supply right back to them.
Taskforce Keel is a police operation comprising 31 officers that was formed in 2013 to investigate the alleged leaking of police files to members of motorcycle clubs.
The investigation discovered thousands of police documents on three properties – naming over 1000 informants and offenders.
It has been called the largest leak of information in the history of the Victorian police force.
The clues led right back to Fitzroy police station in inner Melbourne.
The mismanagement of the station allegedly allowed a large-scale drug operation to flourish; as well as theft, counterfeit money schemes and an unsolved shooting.
Eight police officers have been suspended so far.
But allegations of drug dealing and other crimes are certainly not restricted to the Victorian police force.
As we reported in a previous post, a Queensland sergeant was suspended on full pay just a few weeks ago after being charged with two counts of drug possession.
And over 400 serving officers in the NSW police force have criminal records, including convictions for drug offences, break and enter and serious assaults.
The latest incident is yet another example of the lack of integrity amongst members of Australian police forces, which many believe is a systemic problem.
Policing the police
In Victoria, the Professional Standards Command regulates various complaints against police officers, investigates misconduct and takes disciplinary action in certain circumstances.
In NSW, the Police Integrity Commission investigates various forms of police misconduct, including allegations of drug offences such as the possession, cultivation, manufacture and supply of drugs by police.
But it seems that for some police officers, the chance to profit from their easy access to drugs and money is worth the risk of being caught.
And stories about police who keep a cut of the drugs they confiscate are certainly not just fiction.
One Queensland officer recently admitted to the Queensland Crime Commission that he stole cannabis instead of lodging it as an exhibit in an upcoming court case.
And during an insider sting, one NSW police officer was caught on camera pocketing a bribe from a drug dealer.
It is clear that many police officers are engaged in a range of both opportunistic and organised criminal conduct.
The effect
The involvement of police officers in corruption and illegal conduct undermines the integrity of Australian police forces generally.
Needless to say, it is vital for those who enter the force to actually obey the laws that they purport to enforce. The consequence of doing otherwise is that the force loses credibility and legitimacy in the eyes of the public.
Regrettably, regular reports of past and present criminal activity, brutality towards members of the community, increasing incidences of fatal shootings, and various forms of corruption including brazenly submitting false affidavits to magistrates and judges to obtain warrants has done just that in the eyes of many.
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