WA police officers charged with offences (2010-present)
Dear Western Australia Police,
Please advise the total number of charges brought against serving WA Police officers of any rank over the period 2010-present.
Please provide a table showing the total number of charges per calendar or financial year and a breakdown in each year by officer ranks and the type of offence(s) each officer was charged with.
Yours faithfully,
T Smith
Good afternoon,
I refer to an application received at this office on 19 November 2020, requesting access to documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1992 (the ‘Act’).
Your application is currently considered invalid under section 12 of the FOI Act, as you have not provided an address in Australia to which correspondence can be sent. This email is provided as an opportunity for you to provide our office an Australian postal address.
Please provide an appropriate address by 27 November 2020. If our office do not receive a response by this date, this office will close your application.
In the event of any further correspondence or enquiries on this matter, please contact our office and quote FOI File Reference Number 2020/2317.
If the agency does not provide a decision within the timeframes allowed under the FOI Act, there are review rights available to you. Further information on review rights can be found on the Office of the Information Commissioner website.
Kind Regards
Freedom of Information | Western Australia Police Force
Locked Bag 20, Perth Business Centre WA 6849
T: [Phone Number Hidden] |
E: [Western Australia Police request email]
-----Original Message-----
From: T Smith <[FOI #6912 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 19 November 2020 5:31 PM
To: Freedom Of Information SMAIL <[email address]>
Subject: FOI 2020/2317 Freedom of Information request - WA police officers charged with offences (2010-present)
Dear Western Australia Police,
Please advise the total number of charges brought against serving WA Police officers of any rank over the period 2010-present.
Please provide a table showing the total number of charges per calendar or financial year and a breakdown in each year by officer ranks and the type of offence(s) each officer was charged with.
Yours faithfully,
T Smith
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Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #6912 email]
Is [Western Australia Police request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information requests to Western Australia Police? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/change_re...
This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
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Dear Freedom Of Information,
Thank you for your message.
The address is:
PO Box 163
Hillarys
WA 6923
Yours sincerely,
T Smith
Good afternoon,
Thank you for your application received 19 November 2020 requesting access to documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1992 (the FOI Act).
Your current application is a request for personal information only. A personal information application will provide you with information relating only to you, such as your name, address, date of birth, marital status, medical information, telephone number and your actions. Any non-personal information and personal information of other persons is considered to be out of scope, and will be removed from the documents.
Please note that under the Act, Freedom of Information applications can be dealt with within 45 days from the date the application is received. However, it is also permitted for an extension of time to be agreed upon between the agency and an applicant.
Due to current COVID-19 (Coronavirus) concerns, our office is dealing with several limiting factors affecting our ability to respond to Freedom of Information (FOI) applications. Please be advised that there may be delays in responding to applications. As such, you may be contacted to discuss an extension of the permitted period for your application.
For information on how COVID-19 is affecting the FOI process, please see the document provided by the Office of the Information Commissioner; COVID-19: Managing FOI timeframes and potential office closures
Should you have any queries, or require any assistance, please contact our office and quote the FOI File Reference Number 2020/2317.
If the agency is unable to provide a decision within the timeframes allowed under the FOI Act, there are review rights available to you. Further information on review rights can be found on the Office of the Information Commissioner website.
Kind regards,
Freedom of Information | Western Australia Police Force Locked Bag 20, Perth Business Centre WA 6849
T: [6229 5910] |
E: [[email address]]
-----Original Message-----
From: T Smith <[FOI #6912 email]>
Sent: Friday, 20 November 2020 3:33 PM
To: Freedom Of Information SMAIL <[email address]>
Subject: Re: FOI 2020/2317 Freedom of Information request - WA police officers charged with offences (2010-present)
Dear Freedom Of Information,
Thank you for your message.
The address is:
PO Box 163
Hillarys
WA 6923
Yours sincerely,
T Smith
-----Original Message-----
Good afternoon,
I refer to an application received at this office on 19 November 2020, requesting access to documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1992 (the ‘Act’).
Your application is currently considered invalid under section 12 of the FOI Act, as you have not provided an address in Australia to which correspondence can be sent. This email is provided as an opportunity for you to provide our office an Australian postal address.
Please provide an appropriate address by 27 November 2020. If our office do not receive a response by this date, this office will close your application.
In the event of any further correspondence or enquiries on this matter, please contact our office and quote FOI File Reference Number 2020/2317.
If the agency does not provide a decision within the timeframes allowed under the FOI Act, there are review rights available to you. Further information on review rights can be found on the Office of the Information Commissioner website.
Kind Regards
Freedom of Information | Western Australia Police Force Locked Bag 20, Perth Business Centre WA 6849
T: [Phone Number Hidden] |
E: [Western Australia Police request email]
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #6912 email]
This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
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Good morning,
I write to you in relation to your Freedom of Information (FOI)
application (our reference: FOI/2020/2317)
The WA Police Force is currently handling a high volume of FOI access
applications, which has had an impact on our response times.
In order to continue processing your application, the WA Police Force
respectfully requests an extension of time to 26 March 2021.
Please advise whether you consent to this extension of time by close of
business 29 December 2020.
You are not obligated to consent to an extension of time, however, if an
extension of the permitted period cannot be reached by agreement and the
Agency is unable to process your application by the original due date,
this can be considered a ‘refusal of access’ to documents under section
13(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 1992.
Please be advised, due to agency resources being directed towards COVID-19
operations, there may be unavoidable delays or difficulties in our office
being able to source documents relevant to your request. To allow us to
proceed with your request sooner, you may be contacted by an officer to
negotiate the scope of documents sought in your application.
Information on review rights available to you can be found attached and on
the Office of the Information Commissioner’s [1]website.
For information on how COVID-19 is affecting the FOI process, please see
the document provided by the Office of the Information Commissioner
[2]here.
Information relating to the COVID-19 State of Emergency can be found here:
[3]https://www.police.wa.gov.au/State-of-Em...
Yours sincerely,
[4][IMG]
Freedom of Information | Western Australia Police Force
Locked Bag 20, Perth Business Centre WA 6849
T: (08) 6229 5910
E: [5][Western Australia Police request email]
References
Visible links
1. https://www.oic.wa.gov.au/en-us/FTP014
2. https://www.oic.wa.gov.au/Materials/ForT...
3. https://www.police.wa.gov.au/State-of-Em...
4. http://www.police.wa.gov.au/
5. mailto:[Western Australia Police request email]
Dear Freedom Of Information SMAIL,
Thank you for your email.
Could you please confirm that WA Police holds the information on police officers' convictions that is being requested, and that it will be released in full in line with the revised timeframe being proposed by WA Police of 26 March 2021?
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
T Smith
Good afternoon,
I am unable to provide you with an answer at this stage, as the application is awaiting allocation to an FOI Officer to assess your request.
Currently the due date for your application is 3 January 2020, however please be aware your FOI application may not be completed by this date.
Due to the current COVID-19 climate we are experiencing delays in our processing times, currently we are experiencing a high volume of FOI applications and extensions have been requested for all FOI applications. We are unable to expedite applications as we process them in the order we receive them.
If we are unable to provide you with a formal Notice of Decision by 3 January 2020 and an extension cannot be agreed upon, section 13(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 1992 may apply.
If the above occurs, you can then exercise your review rights from the 3 January 2020. Information on review rights available to you can be found on the Office of the Information Commissioner’s website. I have also attached these for your reference.
Alternatively, if you wish to provide an extension of time to 26 March 2021, please advise accordingly.
Kind regards,
Dame Krcoski | 89676 | Admin Assistant
Freedom of Information | Western Australia Police Force
Locked Bag 20, Perth Business Centre WA 6849
T: (08) 6229 5910
E: [email address] | W: www.police.wa.gov.au
-----Original Message-----
From: T Smith <[FOI #6912 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, 22 December 2020 12:10 PM
To: Freedom Of Information SMAIL <[email address]>
Subject: Re: Extension Request FOI 2020/2317 SMITH
Dear Freedom Of Information SMAIL,
Thank you for your email.
Could you please confirm that WA Police holds the information on police officers' convictions that is being requested, and that it will be released in full in line with the revised timeframe being proposed by WA Police of 26 March 2021?
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
T Smith
-----Original Message-----
Good morning,
I write to you in relation to your Freedom of Information (FOI) application (our reference: FOI/2020/2317)
The WA Police Force is currently handling a high volume of FOI access applications, which has had an impact on our response times.
In order to continue processing your application, the WA Police Force respectfully requests an extension of time to 26 March 2021.
Please advise whether you consent to this extension of time by close of business 29 December 2020.
You are not obligated to consent to an extension of time, however, if an extension of the permitted period cannot be reached by agreement and the Agency is unable to process your application by the original due date, this can be considered a ‘refusal of access’ to documents under section
13(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 1992.
Please be advised, due to agency resources being directed towards COVID-19 operations, there may be unavoidable delays or difficulties in our office being able to source documents relevant to your request. To allow us to proceed with your request sooner, you may be contacted by an officer to negotiate the scope of documents sought in your application.
Information on review rights available to you can be found attached and on the Office of the Information Commissioner’s [1]website.
For information on how COVID-19 is affecting the FOI process, please see the document provided by the Office of the Information Commissioner [2]here.
Information relating to the COVID-19 State of Emergency can be found here:
[3]https://www.police.wa.gov.au/State-of-Em...
Yours sincerely,
[4][IMG]
Freedom of Information | Western Australia Police Force
Locked Bag 20, Perth Business Centre WA 6849
T: (08) 6229 5910
E: [5][Western Australia Police request email]
References
Visible links
1. https://www.oic.wa.gov.au/en-us/FTP014
2. https://www.oic.wa.gov.au/Materials/ForT...
3. https://www.police.wa.gov.au/State-of-Em...
4. http://www.police.wa.gov.au/
5. mailto:[Western Australia Police request email]
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #6912 email]
This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
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Good morning,
Attached is the notice of decision for your application reference FOI
2020/2317.
Kind regards,
Dominique Noonan | 62233 | A/Freedom of Information Officer
Public Access | Office of Information Management
Western Australia Police Force
T: (08) 6229 5914
E: [1][email address] | W: [2]www.police.wa.gov.au
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.police.wa.gov.au/
Dear Western Australia Police,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Western Australia Police's handling of my FOI request 'WA police officers charged with offences (2010-present)'.
1. It is shocking a WA public agency, with a department tasked specifically to respond to public information requests, takes four months to assess a two-sentence, simple enquiry and then decline it on spurious grounds. The delay cannot be explained by a need to search for information, or the requests' complexity. This poor performance would not be accepted in the private sector. Is WA Police intentionally delaying publication of information that would show up criminal behaviour in its ranks?
2. The reason for declining the enquiry is weak. Aggregate data that summarises statistics about nine thousand staff is not "personal information". By definition, it relates to a large group of people. This is further the case in data showing totals figures per year - as was requested.
In any case, if a very small number of people had been charged with a specific criminal offence in a specific year - and WA Police wanted to hide their staff member's identify, there would be a many ways to do so if WA Police wanted to show transparency. For example, offences could be grouped into broad categories by their nature, or omitted from a table.
From WA Police's response to this simple request, I conclude the organisation has:
- a culture of secrecy
- lacks transparency
- takes active efforts to cover up criminal conduct by its members
- is not fit to run an administration office handling simple requests enabled by law.
If you wish to dispute these conclusions, you can appeal by responding to this message.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/w...
Yours faithfully,
T Smith
Good afternoon,
Thank you for your letter received at this office on 04 April 2021,
requesting an internal review under sections 39-40, or 54 of the Freedom
of Information Act (WA) 1992 in reference to Freedom of Information
application reference 2020/2317.
Please note that your request is currently being processed by this office
in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 1992 (WA). Internal
review decisions must be completed within 15 days, unless an extension of
time is agreed to between the applicant and agency. Consequently, a
decision should be provided to you by the 19 April 2021.
In the event of any further correspondence or enquiries on this matter,
please quote the above mentioned FOI File Reference Number 2020/2317.
Kind Regards
[1]cid:image011.png@01D424F3.CDC3C880 Dhrushii Shhah | 89686 | Information Officer (FOI)
Public Access | Office of Information Management
Western Australia Police Force
T: (08) 6229 5911
E: [2][email address] | W: [3]www.police.wa.gov.au
[4]cid:image012.jpg@01D424F3.CDC3C880[5]cid:image013.jpg@01D424F3.CDC3C880[6]cid:image014.jpg@01D424F3.CDC3C880[7]cid:image015.jpg@01D424F3.CDC3C880
References
Visible links
1. http://www.police.wa.gov.au/
2. mailto:[email address]
3. http://www.police.wa.gov.au/
4. https://www.facebook.com/WA.Police
5. https://twitter.com/WA_Police
6. https://www.instagram.com/wa_police/
7. https://www.youtube.com/user/wapolice1829
Good afternoon T Smith
Please see attached in response to your internal review request.
Kind regards
Ian McDougall | 88028 | A/FOI Supervisor
Public Access | Office of Information Management
Western Australia Police Force
Locked Bag 20, Perth Business Centre WA 6849
E: [email address] | W: www.police.wa.gov.au
-----Original Message-----
From: T Smith <[FOI #6912 email]>
Sent: Sunday, 4 April 2021 1:28 PM
To: Freedom Of Information SMAIL <[email address]>
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - WA police officers charged with offences (2010-present)
Dear Western Australia Police,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Western Australia Police's handling of my FOI request 'WA police officers charged with offences (2010-present)'.
1. It is shocking a WA public agency, with a department tasked specifically to respond to public information requests, takes four months to assess a two-sentence, simple enquiry and then decline it on spurious grounds. The delay cannot be explained by a need to search for information, or the requests' complexity. This poor performance would not be accepted in the private sector. Is WA Police intentionally delaying publication of information that would show up criminal behaviour in its ranks?
2. The reason for declining the enquiry is weak. Aggregate data that summarises statistics about nine thousand staff is not "personal information". By definition, it relates to a large group of people. This is further the case in data showing totals figures per year - as was requested.
In any case, if a very small number of people had been charged with a specific criminal offence in a specific year - and WA Police wanted to hide their staff member's identify, there would be a many ways to do so if WA Police wanted to show transparency. For example, offences could be grouped into broad categories by their nature, or omitted from a table.
From WA Police's response to this simple request, I conclude the organisation has:
- a culture of secrecy
- lacks transparency
- takes active efforts to cover up criminal conduct by its members
- is not fit to run an administration office handling simple requests enabled by law.
If you wish to dispute these conclusions, you can appeal by responding to this message.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/w...
Yours faithfully,
T Smith
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #6912 email]
This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...
Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will be delayed.
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
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