Drizzt
January 14, 2003, 06:39 PM
Police guns 'corruption risk'
By Luke Morfesse
POLICE who privately owned guns could be exposed to corruption, the Kennedy inquiry has been told.
At its first public hearings this year, the commission returned to its examination of inappropriate police links with criminals.
Counsel assisting Stephen Hall said because officers got to know criminals, their owning guns might be a corruption risk
"How easy would it be for a police officer who is a member of a gun club to unlawfully and corruptly pass a gun to a criminal associate and then claim it was stolen by a person unknown," he said.
Mr Hall said police corruption was insidious and hard to detect because of the special knowledge of officers.
"They know how to deflect suspicion," he said. "They know how investigations are run and how to take advantage of the system.
"This is why when an officer, to use a colloquial term, goes bad and turns to crime, experience shows that the crimes or who perpetrated them can often go undetected for a considerable time."
The commission is investigating links between Sen. Const. Paul Furness, a former gun club member, and a drug dealer code- named D1.
Mr Hall alleged Sen. Const. Furness gave D1 a .38 calibre Smith and Wesson pistol and a semi-automatic 10mm pistol for organising a burglary on the officer's Carine home in 1994.
It was alleged Sen. Const. Furness made a fraudulent insurance claim for more than $37,000 for items stolen, including the guns.
During a raid on D1's home in August 1995, drug squad detectives found the Smith and Wesson under a mattress.
Mr Hall said a police officer could scarcely do a more serious thing than supply firearms to known criminals for personal gain.
"Police officers have a legitimate interest in guns," he said. "The fact that they may own them, join gun clubs, use them recreationally will hardly attract attention. However, it must also be recognised that firearms have great value to criminals."
Mr Hall said professional thieves targeted gun shops and stole pistols because of the significant black market for them.
Firearms sold to gun clubs for $900 to $1700 could fetch more than $5000 on the black market from criminals.
Earlier, Mr Hall said the Furness case raised the question of whether an "undisclosed, unregulated, unsupervised and unrecorded relationship" could result in an officer being tempted into serious corruption.
"Which of course raises issues regarding the adequacy of supervision," he said.
http://www.thewest.com.au/20030114/unassigned/tw-unassigned-3-sto84453.html
By Luke Morfesse
POLICE who privately owned guns could be exposed to corruption, the Kennedy inquiry has been told.
At its first public hearings this year, the commission returned to its examination of inappropriate police links with criminals.
Counsel assisting Stephen Hall said because officers got to know criminals, their owning guns might be a corruption risk
"How easy would it be for a police officer who is a member of a gun club to unlawfully and corruptly pass a gun to a criminal associate and then claim it was stolen by a person unknown," he said.
Mr Hall said police corruption was insidious and hard to detect because of the special knowledge of officers.
"They know how to deflect suspicion," he said. "They know how investigations are run and how to take advantage of the system.
"This is why when an officer, to use a colloquial term, goes bad and turns to crime, experience shows that the crimes or who perpetrated them can often go undetected for a considerable time."
The commission is investigating links between Sen. Const. Paul Furness, a former gun club member, and a drug dealer code- named D1.
Mr Hall alleged Sen. Const. Furness gave D1 a .38 calibre Smith and Wesson pistol and a semi-automatic 10mm pistol for organising a burglary on the officer's Carine home in 1994.
It was alleged Sen. Const. Furness made a fraudulent insurance claim for more than $37,000 for items stolen, including the guns.
During a raid on D1's home in August 1995, drug squad detectives found the Smith and Wesson under a mattress.
Mr Hall said a police officer could scarcely do a more serious thing than supply firearms to known criminals for personal gain.
"Police officers have a legitimate interest in guns," he said. "The fact that they may own them, join gun clubs, use them recreationally will hardly attract attention. However, it must also be recognised that firearms have great value to criminals."
Mr Hall said professional thieves targeted gun shops and stole pistols because of the significant black market for them.
Firearms sold to gun clubs for $900 to $1700 could fetch more than $5000 on the black market from criminals.
Earlier, Mr Hall said the Furness case raised the question of whether an "undisclosed, unregulated, unsupervised and unrecorded relationship" could result in an officer being tempted into serious corruption.
"Which of course raises issues regarding the adequacy of supervision," he said.
http://www.thewest.com.au/20030114/unassigned/tw-unassigned-3-sto84453.html