Media Release - Review of five years of oversight of the NSW Police Force’s critical incident investigations

Monday, 22 May 2023

The NSW Law Enforcement Conduct Commission has released a report today on the past five years of the Commission’s independent monitoring of the NSW Police Force’s critical incident investigations.

The Commission’s report makes seven recommendations.

The report notes a substantial number of people who die or are seriously injured in critical incidents are experiencing a mental health episode.

The report urges the NSW Police Force to urgently increase training for officers, so that officers are better able to respond and help people in a mental health crisis.

The Chief Commissioner of the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission the Hon. Peter Johnson SC said the report highlights the need for better training for police and improved practices.

“Sometimes a critical incident investigation shows that there are problems with police policies or practices.

Changes to such practices should not be put on hold until the end of coronial or criminal proceedings.”

The Chief Commissioner also said:

“The Commission supports expanding the Police Ambulance Clinician Early Response Program.

“This award-winning program gets mental health clinicians working alongside police when responding to people in mental health crisis.”

The Commission will monitor the implementation of the report’s recommendations aimed at improving NSW Police Force procedures and training.

The Commission’s report into the past five years of independent monitoring of the NSW Police Force’s critical incident investigations can be found here and a fact sheet about the Commission’s report can be found here. To obtain pre-recorded interview footage and grabs of the Commissioner, contact LECC Media.

LECC Media Contact: Rob Schell

Mobile: 0425 317 535

Email: media@lecc.nsw.gov.au