Review of the Police Powers (Drug Premises) Act 2001 - NSW ...
Review of the Police Powers (Drug Premises) Act 2001 - NSW ...
Review of the Police Powers (Drug Premises) Act 2001 - NSW ...
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However, <strong>the</strong> submission concluded by noting that “assumptions should not be drawn from <strong>the</strong> frequency <strong>of</strong> use by this command, as <strong>the</strong><br />
deterrent factor will remain regardless <strong>of</strong> how <strong>of</strong>ten it is used”. 787<br />
According to <strong>the</strong> <strong>Drug</strong> Squad’s submission, <strong>the</strong> <strong>Drug</strong> <strong>Premises</strong> <strong>Act</strong> was intended to address drug supply at <strong>the</strong> LAC level. It was noted<br />
that <strong>the</strong> provisions in <strong>the</strong> <strong>Act</strong> “appear to be more suited to LAC level strategies as it was originally intended”. 788<br />
8.6.2. Level <strong>of</strong> drug supply targeted when <strong>the</strong> State Crime Command used <strong>the</strong> <strong>Act</strong><br />
As <strong>the</strong> tables below indicate, <strong>the</strong> State Crime Command typically seized larger quantities <strong>of</strong> money and prohibited drugs than LACs<br />
utilising <strong>the</strong> <strong>Drug</strong> <strong>Premises</strong> <strong>Act</strong>.<br />
As <strong>the</strong> <strong>Drug</strong> Squad submission to our discussion paper noted, it was evident that sophisticated methodologies were regularly utilised in<br />
drug investigations conducted by <strong>the</strong> State Crime Command that were very rarely used at <strong>the</strong> LAC Level. These methodologies included<br />
<strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> technical surveillance such as telephone intercepts and covert video surveillance.<br />
The table and graph below show <strong>the</strong> quantities <strong>of</strong> money and drugs seized when <strong>the</strong> State Crime Command and SCIA used <strong>the</strong> drug<br />
premises legislation.<br />
Figures on money recovered by State Crime Command only include money that was found on <strong>the</strong> premises. They do not include, for<br />
example, amounts <strong>of</strong> money that were noted in event narratives as being in <strong>of</strong>f shore accounts held in <strong>the</strong> occupant’s name.<br />
Figure 22: Money recovered by State Crime Command in drug premises<br />
Amount <strong>of</strong> money located<br />
35000<br />
32500<br />
30000<br />
27500<br />
25000<br />
22500<br />
20000<br />
17500<br />
15000<br />
12500<br />
10000<br />
7500<br />
5000<br />
2500<br />
0<br />
31007.2<br />
27300<br />
28130<br />
8060<br />
9000<br />
5020<br />
4600<br />
2131.2<br />
900<br />
0<br />
0 0<br />
395<br />
390<br />
1295<br />
0 0 0<br />
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18<br />
Incident<br />
Source: COPS event narratives and search warrant documents. Incidents 4 and 5 relate to uses <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Act</strong> by SCIA and <strong>the</strong> PIC respectively.<br />
The table below shows <strong>the</strong> quantity and types <strong>of</strong> prohibited drugs seized when <strong>the</strong> State Crime Command laid charges under <strong>the</strong> <strong>Drug</strong><br />
<strong>Premises</strong> <strong>Act</strong>. <strong>Drug</strong>s were located on 13 occasions in which <strong>the</strong> <strong>Act</strong> was used. On one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se 13 occasions, cannabis was <strong>the</strong> only<br />
prohibited drug located.<br />
787 Ibid.<br />
788 Ibid.<br />
<strong>NSW</strong> Ombudsman<br />
<strong>Review</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Police</strong> <strong>Powers</strong> (<strong>Drug</strong> <strong>Premises</strong>) <strong>Act</strong> <strong>2001</strong> 143