Police Commissioner Scipione probably should have had an extra bus at the APEC security - the drug bus - to perform random testing on his "pumped up" officers, who appeared to target the weakest in the crowds, rather than trouble makers.
One of those assaulted was a senior female photo-journalist who works for the elite Getty Images,
** who at the time, was photographing the violent arrest of a very frightened young woman who was dragged out of the crowd by a group of male officers.
The photographer was forcefully thrown to the ground by several officers(who hopefully got sent to bed with no dinner, after their mums saw their precious babies assaulting women at APEC on the evening news).
**Footage of APEC showed a number of instances where NSW police officers refused protesters the opportunity to "accompany them quietly," instead, groups of officers had a standard restraint technique of dragging protesters along the ground by their shoulders.
It appeared the NSW officers had little regard for the potential consequences of unprotected falls, though police generally are more than happy to arrest and charge individuals for doing precisely what that whole group of officers did to Getty's photo-journalist.
The footage of the officers assaulting the photographer is shown particularly well in a short doco by ManifestoDeSydney and Catallaxy reported it in their usual balanced square head way with heaps of comments about that appalling incident.
A large part of the reasoning behind the whole "storm trooper" mindset of Scipione's goon squad was due to the presence of a non-APEC head of state - Howard's buddy Bush, who had no reason to be here and spent his stay patronizing those attending APEC & Australians, generally.
I cannot imagine a less endearing display for Howard's government to be connected to - it would seem APEC should only take place in the desert where it won't inconvenience and endanger hundreds of thousands of citizens.
If Howard is really unable to fathom why the latest poll has Rudd at 67%, he is past the job. With a bit of luck, Rudd will be happy to push other Australian industries which have huge potential, but have floundered under the leadership of the resources-obsessed & ecological nightmare, PM Howard, for the last 11 years.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
1100 More cattle prods for WA police
The WA Police Service has supplied its 4493 officers with 1100 tasers, making up a total of about 1350 tasers currently in use.
The Western Australian Police Service is often accused of being overzealous in their use of force during arrest procedures, detainment and questioning of suspects(page 123).
The innocuous term 'stun gun' belies the potentially lethal nature of tasers and Amnesty International said since 2001, 230 deaths in custody have been linked to taser use by police, though the number of deaths in police custody resulting from "physical" arrests and poor restraint procedures(read-a thorough thrashing) is far higher.
Despite this, WA Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan said officers would not be afraid to use the 50,000 volt apparatus on any offenders - including juveniles, and he said the recovery is quicker than when pepper spray is used.
Currently police carry a glock 22 pistol, pepper spray, a mag torch and a baton and have been issued a new vest which will help them to carry all their equipment.
Though there were police implicated in drug use and dealing years ago in the police royal commission, no efforts have been made by the police commissioner to implement the mandatory drug testing regimes present in other fields of work where employees have far less power and responsibility.
Officers have also been caught using and dealing drugs since then by the CCC, but still no efforts have been made to ensure officers - routinely and constantly overworked and exposed to drugs - have any occupational health and safety supports in place in relation to addiction, or simply resisting drug use.
While stringent screening and legislation monitors the background and practices of security guards and nightclub bouncers, police are permitted to carry deadly weapons with little or no ongoing monitoring of their sobriety, ethics, or frame of mind.
However the Victoria Police Service is imposing welfare testing to ensure officers who are addicted to drugs are given appropriate support to quit, and random drug testing of officers has been in place in NSW since 1990.
The Western Australian Police Service is often accused of being overzealous in their use of force during arrest procedures, detainment and questioning of suspects(page 123).
The innocuous term 'stun gun' belies the potentially lethal nature of tasers and Amnesty International said since 2001, 230 deaths in custody have been linked to taser use by police, though the number of deaths in police custody resulting from "physical" arrests and poor restraint procedures(read-a thorough thrashing) is far higher.
Despite this, WA Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan said officers would not be afraid to use the 50,000 volt apparatus on any offenders - including juveniles, and he said the recovery is quicker than when pepper spray is used.
Currently police carry a glock 22 pistol, pepper spray, a mag torch and a baton and have been issued a new vest which will help them to carry all their equipment.
Though there were police implicated in drug use and dealing years ago in the police royal commission, no efforts have been made by the police commissioner to implement the mandatory drug testing regimes present in other fields of work where employees have far less power and responsibility.
Officers have also been caught using and dealing drugs since then by the CCC, but still no efforts have been made to ensure officers - routinely and constantly overworked and exposed to drugs - have any occupational health and safety supports in place in relation to addiction, or simply resisting drug use.
While stringent screening and legislation monitors the background and practices of security guards and nightclub bouncers, police are permitted to carry deadly weapons with little or no ongoing monitoring of their sobriety, ethics, or frame of mind.
However the Victoria Police Service is imposing welfare testing to ensure officers who are addicted to drugs are given appropriate support to quit, and random drug testing of officers has been in place in NSW since 1990.
Police taser used before recent death in custody
The John Pat Memorial Day for deaths in custody will be held at Fremantle Prison on Friday September 28 at 11am.
Ironically, the (annual) memorial will be only a block from where a man was tasered by police a few weeks ago in Alma St - he was found dead in the back of the paddy wagon on arrival at the Fremantle station.
Sadly, the man was only a few paces away from the Emergency Unit at Fremantle Hospital, when police arrested and tasered him for appearing dazed and confused while allegedly walking down the middle of the street.
The organizers of the memorial - Deaths in Custody Watch Committee(WA) are calling for people to join them to:
"*Remember the brutal murder of John Pat at Roebourne on 28 September 1983,
recognising that he was bashed by five drunken , off duty police officers and died;
*Demand Justice for Carl Woods and his family;
*Send a clear and strong message to the government that preventing and
appropriately responding to deaths in custody is their responsibility;
*call for the elimination of racism in the Police and Prison Services."
Ironically, the (annual) memorial will be only a block from where a man was tasered by police a few weeks ago in Alma St - he was found dead in the back of the paddy wagon on arrival at the Fremantle station.
Sadly, the man was only a few paces away from the Emergency Unit at Fremantle Hospital, when police arrested and tasered him for appearing dazed and confused while allegedly walking down the middle of the street.
The organizers of the memorial - Deaths in Custody Watch Committee(WA) are calling for people to join them to:
"*Remember the brutal murder of John Pat at Roebourne on 28 September 1983,
recognising that he was bashed by five drunken , off duty police officers and died;
*Demand Justice for Carl Woods and his family;
*Send a clear and strong message to the government that preventing and
appropriately responding to deaths in custody is their responsibility;
*call for the elimination of racism in the Police and Prison Services."
Police taser use
Here is a link to a youtube clip of the arrest of a university student who had been asking Senator John Kerry uncomfortable questions.
After the boy was apprehended by half a dozen police officers (the largest of which had a smile the entire time, which was quite odd)and tasered whilst already immobilized on the ground.
After the boy was apprehended by half a dozen police officers (the largest of which had a smile the entire time, which was quite odd)and tasered whilst already immobilized on the ground.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Friday, September 14, 2007
Cops reponsible for hit on hooker?
The head of the Purana Taskforce claims there is still a corrupt element within VicPol, as an internal investigation makes headlines in relation to a cop who (allegedly) supplied the address of a mark to an ex-detective with friends in low places
Those readers in WA may well remember the suspicious death of an *ahem* protected witness, Andrew Petrelis, after WAPOL officers leaked his address, and though the case was examined by the WA Police Royal Commission, the behaviour of the two officers drew no punitive measures from authorities here. So, it may be fair to conclude that Nixon's claims of a corruption 'resistant' Victorian police service could well be an accurate summation, but if so, what does that say about WA's Police Service and CCC, and the strength of media scrutiny here compared to Victoria?
The Age reports that Victorian Police Commissioner Christine Nixon is annoyed that the media reported the investigation.
Those readers in WA may well remember the suspicious death of an *ahem* protected witness, Andrew Petrelis, after WAPOL officers leaked his address, and though the case was examined by the WA Police Royal Commission, the behaviour of the two officers drew no punitive measures from authorities here. So, it may be fair to conclude that Nixon's claims of a corruption 'resistant' Victorian police service could well be an accurate summation, but if so, what does that say about WA's Police Service and CCC, and the strength of media scrutiny here compared to Victoria?
The Age reports that Victorian Police Commissioner Christine Nixon is annoyed that the media reported the investigation.
9-11
The ominous 9/11 came and went for 2007 without much fuss.
There was a newly released video supposedly from Bin Laden that day - though the seemingly out-of-place changes to the world's most wanted's appearance raised some questions in the media (and some confusion at APEC).
Are the days of moralizing done maybe, with President Bush's popularity petering out under the weight of the misdeeds of some of the military in Iraq, intrusive surveillance techniques, the death toll, & his flat refusal to acknowledge the swing in opinion of mainstream US voters?
The fundamentalist Christian movement in the States, which has such a hefty need for revenue, and the US politicians themselves (looking towards the election), are most likely distancing themselves from the civilian death toll and human rights abuses. It would be difficult to find any common ground between the much publicized Abu Graib rights violations and the teachings of Jesus Christ anyway, & virtually any connection with the "War on Terror" nowadays, spells "marketing nightmare." There was some speculation bin Laden seized on Bush's plummetting approval rating to do a bit of an upsell with a new image, and an alleged marxist theme to his appeals for the world to sign on to his party plan.
This coverage of the day on Time's website is probably the most poignant, adding the appropriate gravitas without the cliches, moralizing, sermonizing and proletizing that now after all that has been revealed and discovered - has become a tacky metaphor for a bygone era marked by propaganda.
There was a newly released video supposedly from Bin Laden that day - though the seemingly out-of-place changes to the world's most wanted's appearance raised some questions in the media (and some confusion at APEC).
Are the days of moralizing done maybe, with President Bush's popularity petering out under the weight of the misdeeds of some of the military in Iraq, intrusive surveillance techniques, the death toll, & his flat refusal to acknowledge the swing in opinion of mainstream US voters?
The fundamentalist Christian movement in the States, which has such a hefty need for revenue, and the US politicians themselves (looking towards the election), are most likely distancing themselves from the civilian death toll and human rights abuses. It would be difficult to find any common ground between the much publicized Abu Graib rights violations and the teachings of Jesus Christ anyway, & virtually any connection with the "War on Terror" nowadays, spells "marketing nightmare." There was some speculation bin Laden seized on Bush's plummetting approval rating to do a bit of an upsell with a new image, and an alleged marxist theme to his appeals for the world to sign on to his party plan.
This coverage of the day on Time's website is probably the most poignant, adding the appropriate gravitas without the cliches, moralizing, sermonizing and proletizing that now after all that has been revealed and discovered - has become a tacky metaphor for a bygone era marked by propaganda.
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Government fails to act on alcoholism in regional communities
Long after former ATSIC commissioner, Terry Whitby, called for an Alcohol summit in the Kimberley, another North-West Indigenous leader - Joe Ross, has said the town of Fitroy Crossing is "choking on its own vomit", while the government vacillates on whether to act or not.
Needless to say the non-Indigenous WA Minister for Indigenous affairs was unavailable to talk about the situation with the media.
Needless to say the non-Indigenous WA Minister for Indigenous affairs was unavailable to talk about the situation with the media.
More "OPEC" arrests
More nudes at the APEC conference were arrested, & thousands of protesters marched on Sydney's CBD - it's lucky the police didn't wave them through like they did to the cast & crew of the Chaser comedy tv show, who were arrested after getting through two security checkpoints with ID badges that instructed checkpoint officers to "stop dilly dallying and let them through" to the "A Joke" conference - which officers either hadn't bothered reading, or more scarily - they took seriously. The following day the comedy show crew thought they'd really slow it down for the checkpoint officers.
It's interesting the different forms of protest used from country to country. It would seem the humour used in Australian protests, adds that extra intolerable slap in the face to authority figures which have never been well-liked in the former British penal colony.
It's interesting the different forms of protest used from country to country. It would seem the humour used in Australian protests, adds that extra intolerable slap in the face to authority figures which have never been well-liked in the former British penal colony.
21 bum salute for Bush - "OPEC"
This protest was uniquely Australian - anti-establishment, but I can see George Bush scratching his head about why Aussies love homeless people so much they're taking their clothes off in public.(courtesy of the Norg)
Friday, September 07, 2007
Searching for answers
As time passes the google traffic in relation to the murder of Perth Supreme Court registrar is escalating - despite people's interest in the case and a month having passed, it is not yet solved. Today police released a few more details, but they are pretty much just speculative, although, with the amount of dna and evidence available to them, it would seem it is really only a matter of time before the killer is apprehended.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
$100k to rollover for Rocky
Victoria Police have raised the reward for information leading to the conviction of Rocco Iaria's killer to $100,000
For those who didn't follow the case through the inquest - young Rocco went missing 16 years ago, today. His body was found in Shepperton in 1998, with shotgun wounds to his back and head & his hands tied behind his back - so there's no question about the execution-style death meted out to Rocco, nor the cruelty of hiding his body so no one would know if, how, or when he died. Rocco's mum died after her son went missing, and today, his brothers - Fiore & Paddy and investigating officer Snr Sgt Barry McIntosh, appealed to the public for help in solving the murder, so Rocco's father can have some closure on the loss of his son.
Barry McIntosh said there were people in the region who could provide the information to solve the case "if they chose to."
Coroner Spanos, who conducted the Iaria inquest, and Barry McIntosh, implicated Vincent LaTorre and Danny Murtagh as suspects in the killing. However, LaTorre denied involvement & said he had loved Iaria, who was his friend and co accused at the time of his death, and he wished police would clear him and get on with finding the killer.
Sen-Sgt McIntosh said police wanted to speak to the person who sent an anonymous parcel with information about the case to the AFP Melbourne office in 2001.
For those who didn't follow the case through the inquest - young Rocco went missing 16 years ago, today. His body was found in Shepperton in 1998, with shotgun wounds to his back and head & his hands tied behind his back - so there's no question about the execution-style death meted out to Rocco, nor the cruelty of hiding his body so no one would know if, how, or when he died. Rocco's mum died after her son went missing, and today, his brothers - Fiore & Paddy and investigating officer Snr Sgt Barry McIntosh, appealed to the public for help in solving the murder, so Rocco's father can have some closure on the loss of his son.
Barry McIntosh said there were people in the region who could provide the information to solve the case "if they chose to."
Coroner Spanos, who conducted the Iaria inquest, and Barry McIntosh, implicated Vincent LaTorre and Danny Murtagh as suspects in the killing. However, LaTorre denied involvement & said he had loved Iaria, who was his friend and co accused at the time of his death, and he wished police would clear him and get on with finding the killer.
Sen-Sgt McIntosh said police wanted to speak to the person who sent an anonymous parcel with information about the case to the AFP Melbourne office in 2001.
A little bit of good news
I know there has been a lot of web traffic(Google) here from people looking for information about Corryn Rayney and Yvonne Chin. So, it will be a relief for readers to know that Yvonne Chin was found yesterday alive and well in Ocean Reef.
Police said that Ms Chin knew police were looking for her but did not wish to be found after the argument she had with her husband the day she took off.
Police said that Ms Chin knew police were looking for her but did not wish to be found after the argument she had with her husband the day she took off.
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Housekeeping
There was another death in West Ausralian police custody last Monday, when a man was run over by police during a pursuit in Boulder.
The Mallard inquiry continues, and gets progressively sadder by the day . The case, appeals, & subsequent inquiry have been going so many years now, that it appears a lot of the media who can offer any reasonable scrutiny as the fourth estate, are currently MIA or AOTJ.
Shouldn't there be more public interest in police investigation powers, arrest & prosecution process, seeing how it has been proven to punish innocent members of the Perth community repeatedly??? The only truly sensational news to come out of Perth for eons and it's being so badly played down and 'discreetly handled' by most of the msm, you'd think it was flatulence going on at the CCC hearings.
The Mallard inquiry continues, and gets progressively sadder by the day . The case, appeals, & subsequent inquiry have been going so many years now, that it appears a lot of the media who can offer any reasonable scrutiny as the fourth estate, are currently MIA or AOTJ.
Shouldn't there be more public interest in police investigation powers, arrest & prosecution process, seeing how it has been proven to punish innocent members of the Perth community repeatedly??? The only truly sensational news to come out of Perth for eons and it's being so badly played down and 'discreetly handled' by most of the msm, you'd think it was flatulence going on at the CCC hearings.
Missing Perth woman
WA police have appealed to the public for information on a missing woman, last seen in Willeton 8 days ago. Apparently Yvonne Chin's last known location was a bus stop outside the Willeton Leisure Centre at about 8.45am last Saturday, and no one has seen her since - police are still waiting for information about whether her bank accounts have been used.
After the (unsolved) murder 2 weeks ago of Corryn Rayney, who went missing after a bootscooting class at Bentley Rec Centre, Perth seems to be bracing for more bad news.
After the (unsolved) murder 2 weeks ago of Corryn Rayney, who went missing after a bootscooting class at Bentley Rec Centre, Perth seems to be bracing for more bad news.
Slick settings & big budgets = unchallenging storylines
The new sequel to the Bourne Supremacy(which wasn't very super), The Bourne Ultimatum, fails to deliver said promise, that's right - no ultimatum.
Eric Lustbader must have been going through writer's block by the time he'd named the script, unless it was a massive oversight on the part of the crew that wrote the "Supremacy", and, after a massive gaff like the script they'd penned - why stop there??
All things considered, The Bourne Ultimatum should be renamed M&Ms Bourne Again, because the camera work was way heavy handed on the hand-helds - vomitous to the maximus. The tickets should come with a guarantee that if you don't feel fully jostled within the first five minutes - your money back.
Needless to say, Matt Damon fulfils his obligations and it is nice to see the cast have aged somewhat and there aren't the same expectations on the stars to be wafer thin and Euro Chic as in the first movie of the series.
The Bourne Ultimatum rehashes all those same old metaphors which are meant to symbolize David Webb's regressions (& the meaning of life generally i.e. water=rebirth etc etc ad naus), yet again, with the most substantial aspect (by far)being the choreography of the fight scenes.
The story was thin and wanting, and the directors sought to cover a multitude of sins by creating a not so slick or subtle international spy world version of Where's Wally.
Eric Lustbader must have been going through writer's block by the time he'd named the script, unless it was a massive oversight on the part of the crew that wrote the "Supremacy", and, after a massive gaff like the script they'd penned - why stop there??
All things considered, The Bourne Ultimatum should be renamed M&Ms Bourne Again, because the camera work was way heavy handed on the hand-helds - vomitous to the maximus. The tickets should come with a guarantee that if you don't feel fully jostled within the first five minutes - your money back.
Needless to say, Matt Damon fulfils his obligations and it is nice to see the cast have aged somewhat and there aren't the same expectations on the stars to be wafer thin and Euro Chic as in the first movie of the series.
The Bourne Ultimatum rehashes all those same old metaphors which are meant to symbolize David Webb's regressions (& the meaning of life generally i.e. water=rebirth etc etc ad naus), yet again, with the most substantial aspect (by far)being the choreography of the fight scenes.
The story was thin and wanting, and the directors sought to cover a multitude of sins by creating a not so slick or subtle international spy world version of Where's Wally.
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