Media Release - Operation Tutoko

An investigation into the conduct of a NSW Police Force officer involved in systemic theft from a Coles supermarket.

Media Release

21.07.2020

LECC Report into investigation of NSWPF officer involved in systemic theft from Coles supermarket

The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission furnished its report in Operation Tutoko to Parliament today.

The investigation found that a NSW Police Force officer with 18 years of policing experience operated in collaboration with his younger niece to steal from the Coles supermarket where the niece was employed. 

Private hearings were conducted by the Commission in December 2019 at which the officer was shown CCTV footage of himself at self-service checkouts on 14 different occasions between 27 June 2019 and 22 October 2019. On each occasion the officer  

would approach a self-serve checkout with a number of items and his niece would approach and cancel items that had been scanned, allowing the officer to bag the items free of charge. The officer would also bypass the scanner with other items, thereby avoiding payment.

The officer admitted that he had engaged in the activity with the assistance of his niece and that there would have been other occasions beyond those put to him by the Commission. The officer knew that he was committing criminal offences.

Findings

The Commission has found that the officer engaged in serious police misconduct on each occasion and recommended that consideration be given to dismissal of the officer from NSWPF as well as prosecution for the offences of larceny and fraud.

The Commission has also recommended that consideration be given to the prosecution of the officer’s niece for fraud.

Evidence which came into the Commission’s possession regarding the officer’s involvement in other suspected serious misconduct has been referred to NSWPF for further consideration.

The Operation Tutoko report can be accessed on the Commission’s website.