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| NEWS > 28 January 2007 |
Other related articles:
Namibia: Cop is Jailed for Ext
CORRUPTION and dishonesty by public officials, even if it involved only relatively small amounts of money, cannot be tolerated by Namibia's courts, the High Court has warned in a judgement in which it confirmed a prison sentence that was meted out to a Grootfontein Police officer who was accused of soliciting a bribe.
Godfriedt Nauseb was still a Police officer, doing criminal investigations, at Grootfontein when an investigation of a housebreaking in April 1999 ended his ten-year-long Police career, and eventually led to him being convicted of extortion and sentenced to a one-year ... Read more
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 Article sourced from
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The Age - Melbourne,Victoria,A
28 January 2007
This article appeared in the above title/site.
To view it in its entirity click this link.
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Victoria Police
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Police clamp down on officers'
Prompted by fears of corruption, Victorian police chiefs are set to crack down on thousands of officers who work second jobs.
Police who work outside the force will be listed on a central register aimed at keeping a closer eye on their activities.
The move follows revelations in The Sunday Age last month that up to half of the state's 11,000 police officers may have second jobs and be at risk of conflicts of interest.
Until now, Victoria has not had a central register of second jobs, leaving the police force and its watchdog, the Office of Police Integrity, powerless to manage the risk.
In many instances, police command has no idea what second jobs police officers may be working.
Tasmania is the only other state without a central log.
In Victoria, police officers wanting work outside the force need only get permission from a local senior officer, a sergeant or senior sergeant.
Under the new system, high-level authorisation would be needed to work outside the police.
All requests would be tested for potential conflicts of interest or corruption. The central register would be audited every year.
The Office of Police Integrity has been pushing for reform in the area for at least six months.
Concerns were initially raised when Victoria Police allowed four fraud squad detectives to open a private investigations business near their St Kilda Road headquarters.
Also last year, a member of the force, Detective Senior Constable Bruce Harwood, was elected mayor of Geelong.
Senior Constable Harwood, a councillor since February 2003, has been investigated by the Ombudsman for his role in approving a nightclub extension just weeks after holidaying in the French Riviera on the yacht of the nightclub's owner, Darren Lyons.
The results of the investigation into the council's full planning process will be released early this year.
Senior Constable Harwood has taken leave from the police force since being elected mayor.
Two police officers were also investigated for their involvement in a hot dog business operating outside popular night spots and making up to $10,000 each weekend.
Police are banned from working in security, but the watchdog is believed to have particular concerns about officers who may be working at nightclubs and in areas peripheral to the sex industry.
Office of Police Integrity assistant director Graham Ashton said he would welcome any move by the force to monitor and manage the risks of officers' outside work more effectively.
"We are not proposing a total ban on second jobs, rather we want a more co-ordinated approach to the way the force manages it," he said.
"It's important for the force to have a greater understanding of potential conflicts of interest that can arise in everyday police duties."
Victoria Police confirmed the secondary employment policy was under review but declined to comment on the details.
"As the review is in progress, it's inappropriate to comment on what those changes will be," a spokesman said.
Police Association secretary Paul Mullett likened the proposed registry to "using a sledgehammer to crack a nut".
But he refused to say whether the union would support or oppose the system.
"We have to reserve our position until we see the detail," he said.
Mr Mullet said police wouldn't need to work second jobs if they were paid more.
It is believed the Ethical Standards Department will oversee the policy changes but will first consult the police union.
The review comes as former Supreme Court judge Don Stewart has accused the Victorian force of being riddled with corruption.
Mr Stewart, the founding chairman of the National Crime Authority, the predecessor to the Australian Crime Commission, said only a royal commission could clean up the state's police.
Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon was not available for comment.
Meanwhile police in NSW are to be audited twice a year after revelations that many officers have failed to declare that they have second jobs.
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