Operation Abelia - Volume 1 of 4 (September 2005)

Published: September 01, 2005

Illegal drug use by police officers is a concern in many jurisdictions. Operation Abelia combined research and investigations to develop a better understand of the nature of the problem of illegal drug use by some NSW police officers and what can be done to minimise such illegal drug use. Volume 1 is a Summary report which provides an outline of how Operation Abelia was undertaken and describes a selection of findings and observations made. It also provides an overview of the nine-part strategy developed from the Commission’s 64 recommendations for strengthening the NSW Police Force’s approach to minimising illegal drug use by its officers. Volume 2 includes a brief Executive Summary in addition to providing a context in which to consider the problem of illegal drug use by some NSW police officers (Chapters 1-3), an examination of the allegations of misconduct by individual NSW police officers (Chapter 4) and a summary of what the Commission has learnt about the nature of the problem of illegal drug use by NSW police officers (Chapter 5). Volume 3 includes a detailed examination of relevant NSW Police Force policies and the Commission’s recommendations for improvement in relation to the Drug and Alcohol Policy; self-reporting illegal drug use; various forms of drug testing; code of conduct and ethics; recruitment; education, training and communication; officer supervision and managing officers found to have used illegal drugs. It also describes how individual recommendations combined to form a nine-part integrated strategy and provides a bibliography of material reviewed. The appendices in Volume 4 provide additional information concerning each of the research components of Operation Abelia: Commander interviews, private research hearings, focus groups with officers and students, case study analysis, policies and practices of other Australian policing agencies, policies and practices of overseas policing agencies as well as policies and practices of other Australian organisations regarding illegal drug use by personnel. The appendices also provide additional information on workplace drug testing, community approaches to recreational drug use and criteria for recruitment into the NSW Police Force.

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