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Majority of AFP complaints dismissed without investigation, figures show

ABC News
1 min read Rewritten in plain language

CrimeIndigenous AustraliansDiscriminationRace RelationsPolitics

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  • Figures show Australian Federal Police have used discretionary powers to dismiss hundreds of allegations against officers without investigating them.
  • The inquiry is due to report back to the parliament by the end of the year.
  • Since July 2021, 512 complaints have been made about AFP officers' conduct, with 1,213 individual allegations identified.
  • The Commonwealth Ombudsman has reviewed the AFP's operations several times and repeatedly raised concerns that the agency leans on section 40TF too often, especially for complaints about officers using excessive force.
  • Independent senator for Victoria Lidia Thorpe said she would like the racism inquiry to recommend an independent national body to hold police accountable and crack down on section 40TF rulings.

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  • “Majority” is named in the headline. We could not find it in the report.

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Figures show Australian Federal Police have used discretionary powers to dismiss hundreds of allegations against officers without investigating them.

The figures were revealed in answers to questions on notice from the national racism inquiry.

The inquiry is due to report back to the parliament by the end of the year.

More than half of all allegations made against Australian Federal Police officers have been "finalised" without investigation due to the use of discretionary powers the national watchdog says pose a risk of "denying procedural fairness".

Figures released by the AFP to the national inquiry into racism, hate, and violence directed at First Nations people reveal the number of complaints made against officers in the last five years.

Since July 2021, 512 complaints have been made about AFP officers' conduct, with 1,213 individual allegations identified.

Of those allegations, 643 were "finalised", without investigation, using a broad discretionary power available to the AFP under section 40TF of the legislation.

The Commonwealth Ombudsman has reviewed the AFP's operations several times and repeatedly raised concerns that the agency leans on section 40TF too often, especially for complaints about officers using excessive force.

Of the remaining 570 allegations, 283 remain under investigation, 63 have been established and 215 not established.

Independent senator for Victoria Lidia Thorpe said she would like the racism inquiry to recommend an independent national body to hold police accountable and crack down on section 40TF rulings.

Over the same five years, people made 25 complaints about racist conduct by AFP officers, containing 47 individual allegations.

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