Media enquiries

_{About the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission}

The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission is an independent body that oversees the actions of the NSW Police Force and the NSW Crime Commission.

The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission Act 2016 says that the New South Wales Police Force or the NSW Crime Commission have primary responsibility for investigating complaints about their staff.

However, the LECC makes sure these agencies deal with misconduct appropriately.

The LECC:

• investigates some complaints of serious misconduct and maladministration in the NSW Police Force and the NSW Crime Commission – these complaints can be made by the public,  police officers, civilian staff or Crime Commission staff.
• monitors and reviews the way these agencies deal with complaints and critical incidents.
• undertakes systemic work — we look at whether there are problems with the culture, policies or procedures in the agencies that, if fixed, could prevent serious misconduct, unlawful actions and unreasonable practices from happening in the future.

You can find more information about us in our Annual reports and on our website.

_{When we comment on complaints and investigations}

We welcome media enquiries, and journalists may report on complaints that are made to the LECC.

We publicise our work when it is in the public interest to do so. However, disclosing information about a current complaint or investigation may jeopardise the investigation, a potential prosecution or risk prejudicing a person's reputation and right to a fair trial.

For this reason, we won’t comment on whether we have received a complaint or are investigating a matter unless a report is made public or it’s in the public interest to do so.

We may decide not to comment on a matter we’ve publicly commented on before if:

• releasing information may jeopardise the investigation
• the information may prejudice a person's right to a fair trial
• a law or a court order prevents us from doing so

_{We may hold a public or private examination}

We may conduct an examination (a hearing) as part of an investigation, but it's not necessary in every investigation.

The examination can be public or private, or partly public and partly private. When we decide whether to hold a public examination, we must consider:

• the benefits of publicly exposing serious misconduct
• the seriousness of the complaints that are being investigated
• whether any risks to a person's reputation are justified
• the public interest
• if a public examination may encourage someone to help us with the investigation.

The media may be allowed to attend public examinations and will be given a media information package.

_{When we report on the outcome of an investigation}

Public reports

We will release a public report if we hold a public examination. We may also release a public report of a private examination or about the systemic work we do.

These reports are tabled before both Houses of Parliament with a recommendation it be made public.  Once we have been given approval to make a report public, we will post it on our website.  We usually issue a media release for any public report.

Private reports

If we decide a report should be private we’ll only share it with the Minister of Police, the person who made the complaint and the Commissioner of Police.

We won’t discuss the contents of a private report with the media.

How we are held accountable

The ‘Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Ombudsman, the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission and the Crime Commission’ monitors and reviews our performance. That Committee has public hearings and produces a report.

The ‘Inspector of the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission’ can:

• handle complaints about us and our work
• check if we are complying with laws and our policies are working effectively.

For more information

You can contact us on 0425 317 535 or at media@lecc.nsw.gov.au to request a comment or to get more information.