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 ...
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Event narratives are a fruitful source <strong>of</strong> information. The narratives describe an incident usually fairly contemporaneously from a police<br />
perspective and are <strong>of</strong>ten quite detailed. 44 Event narratives are also <strong>the</strong> only document type that we have been able to examine in relation<br />
to every use <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Act</strong> in which charges were laid under <strong>the</strong> drug premises provisions.<br />
We analysed <strong>the</strong> content <strong>of</strong> drug premises event narratives to examine features such as <strong>the</strong> police description <strong>of</strong> how <strong>the</strong> drug premises<br />
and <strong>the</strong> illicit drug activity were taking place.<br />
The quantitative analysis <strong>of</strong> event narratives involved collating and analysing data from all event narratives under <strong>the</strong> following categories.<br />
Details <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> act:<br />
• when, where and how <strong>of</strong>ten <strong>the</strong> <strong>Act</strong> was used<br />
• if a warrant was obtained and what type (this was not always recorded) and<br />
• any details provided on <strong>the</strong> execution <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> warrant, for example, if <strong>the</strong> police entry to <strong>the</strong> premises was obstructed by <strong>the</strong><br />
occupants.<br />
Details <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> premises:<br />
• any security features noted by police<br />
• if <strong>the</strong> premises were described as “non-domestic” and<br />
• if <strong>the</strong> presence <strong>of</strong> lookouts was noted.<br />
Items seized from <strong>the</strong> premises:<br />
• any quantities <strong>of</strong> drugs seized<br />
• any syringes found on <strong>the</strong> premises<br />
• any items associated with drug supply or manufacture found<br />
• any quantities <strong>of</strong> money seized and<br />
• any firearms/ammunition or o<strong>the</strong>r prohibited weapons found on <strong>the</strong> premises.<br />
This data was collated and analysed to assess <strong>the</strong> extent to which premises met <strong>the</strong> criteria that may be used to define drug premises in<br />
<strong>the</strong> <strong>Act</strong>. Data on <strong>the</strong> quantities <strong>of</strong> money and drugs seized from premises enabled us to investigate <strong>the</strong> level <strong>of</strong> drug supply that <strong>the</strong> <strong>Act</strong><br />
appeared to be targeting. 45<br />
Our examination <strong>of</strong> COPS event narratives also enabled us to:<br />
• calculate <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> premises, including dwellings and cars, in relation to which <strong>the</strong> <strong>Act</strong> was used and charges were laid<br />
over <strong>the</strong> review period<br />
• examine all uses <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Drug</strong> <strong>Premises</strong> <strong>Act</strong> when charges were laid under this <strong>Act</strong><br />
• identify any State-wide patterns that emerged and<br />
• collate State-wide statistics on aspects <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Act</strong>, such as <strong>the</strong> quantities <strong>of</strong> drugs seized over <strong>the</strong> review period.<br />
The table below sets out <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> event narratives examined for this review for each police region and for <strong>the</strong> State Crime<br />
Command.<br />
Table 1. <strong>Drug</strong> premises event narratives examined for this review<br />
<strong>Police</strong> region/command<br />
Number <strong>of</strong><br />
event narratives<br />
examined<br />
Number <strong>of</strong> uses <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Drug</strong><br />
<strong>Premises</strong> <strong>Act</strong> in which charges<br />
were laid under this <strong>Act</strong> 46<br />
Greater Metropolitan Region 98 79<br />
Inner Metropolitan Region 29 16<br />
Nor<strong>the</strong>rn Region 9 9<br />
Sou<strong>the</strong>rn Region 17 12<br />
Wesstern Region 7 7<br />
State Crime Command 13 4<br />
Total 181 141<br />
Source: COPS database, event narratives.<br />
44 In some instances, more than one event narrative was written about a single use <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Act</strong>. Each <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se narratives was usually been written by<br />
ano<strong>the</strong>r police <strong>of</strong>ficer involved in <strong>the</strong> incident.<br />
45 This data is set out in our chapter, “Targeting <strong>Drug</strong> Supply”.<br />
46 <strong>Police</strong> in several LACs that we audited notified us <strong>of</strong> instances in which a drug premises search warrant was granted, but no drug premises<br />
charges were laid. These instances have been included.<br />
18<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>