Summary of Who’s policing the NSW police?

Overview of Who’s policing the NSW police?

This ABC News Daily episode examines serious allegations and findings of misconduct inside the New South Wales Police Force, focusing on a Four Corners investigation by Dylan Welch. It highlights how NSW Police has become Australia’s most complained-about force and the national leader in legal payouts, despite reforms introduced after the 1990s Wood Royal Commission. The episode argues that a combination of weak oversight, internal police investigations, and problematic use of body-worn cameras may be allowing abuse and misconduct to persist.

Key findings

• NSW Police paid out about $40 million in legal costs and compensation last financial year.
• There were 478 civil suits filed against the NSW state relating to NSW Police misconduct in that year.
• Complaints against NSW Police have risen about 70% over the past five years.
• Over the last five years to 2024, there were around 1,000 misconduct findings per year, but only about two cases per year led to charges against an officer.
• Much of the accountability system is internal, meaning police often investigate other police.

Case study: Brad Kelson

What happened

• In 2021, Brad Kelson was involved in a domestic incident in Sydney.
• Police arrived without clear evidence that he had committed an offence.
• He was unlawfully arrested, and the interaction escalated sharply.

Use of force and injuries

• Body-worn video shows a police officer escalating the confrontation.
• Kelson was slammed into a metal bench, thrown into a police vehicle, and later assaulted at Blacktown Police Station.
• A district court judge later described the incident as a “brutal assault.”
• Kelson suffered:
  • 10 to 12 broken ribs
  • a punctured lung
  • four days in intensive care

Accountability outcome

• The charges against Kelson were thrown out.
• An internal investigation cleared the officers, but later court findings suggested collusion, including:
  • copied witness statements
  • identical wording and even an identical spelling mistake
• The court found the arrest unlawful, and Kelson received compensation.

Case study: Jodie Knott

What happened

• Jodie Knott was naked and in the midst of a psychotic episode in western Sydney when police encountered her.
• Four Corners obtained disturbing body-worn footage of the incident.

Use of force

• Two officers:
  • repeatedly sprayed her with OC spray/pepper spray at close range
  • sprayed her on her genitals
  • dragged her by her hair along the road
  • kicked and stomped on her
• The footage was described as a sickening and brutal attack.

Accountability outcome

• The two officers, Nathan Black and Timothy Trouch, pleaded guilty to common assault.
• They were sentenced to prison with non-parole periods of three years and 3.3 years.
• Black told the court that poor training, operational pressure, and a toxic workplace culture contributed to the incident.

Problems identified in the policing system

Internal investigations

• Most complaints never become public because they are handled inside the police system.
• Critics argue that “police investigating police” is inherently flawed and lacks objectivity.
• Senior officers may investigate colleagues from the same station, creating conflicts of interest.

Oversight limits

• The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) monitors internal investigations, but:
  • it runs only about 70 investigations a year
  • it cannot force police to implement its recommendations
  • the police are not required to act on all watchdog advice

Body-worn camera concerns

• The LECC has called for body-worn video to be mandatory whenever police exercise their powers.
• NSW has not yet made this compulsory, unlike every other state except WA.
• Concerns raised include:
  • officers muting cameras
  • officers not turning cameras on
  • inconsistent use of footage during critical incidents

Bigger-picture takeaway

The episode suggests that despite the Wood Royal Commission and earlier anti-corruption reforms, some of the same cultural problems may still exist inside NSW Police — including brutality, lack of transparency, and impunity. Experts quoted in the segment warn that officers who never lived through the scrutiny of a major royal commission may feel less constrained by the consequences of misconduct.

NSW Police response

• NSW Police declined to fully engage with the reporting.
• They said some officers were found to have committed misconduct and were subject to “managerial action,” but did not specify the wrongdoing or the penalties.
• That lack of detail adds to concerns about transparency and accountability.

Bottom line

The report argues that NSW Police is facing a systemic accountability crisis:

• high complaint rates
• large compensation payouts
• limited independent oversight
• inconsistent use of body-camera evidence
• and troubling examples of excessive force

The central question raised is whether NSW needs another major inquiry or royal commission to properly reset police culture and oversight.