Minister releases review of the WA Police Service Witness Protection Program

9/8/2000

Police Minister Kevin Prince today made public the review of the Western Australian Police Service Witness Protection Program.
Tabling the two-volume report in Parliament, Mr Prince said he appointed Mr Len Roberts-Smith QC in December last year to carry out the review following concerns raised over the handling of a protected witness.
An original report has been given to Police Commissioner Barry Matthews.
The report for public release does not contain confidential information deleted in accordance with the Witness Protection (Western Australia) Act 1996.
This includes information which, if released, would constitute an offence under the Act or risk the lives or safety of police officers, or witnesses, and those associated with them.
Mr Prince said Volume One examined the development of witness protection structures in Western Australia, which began only in 1989 after the Federal and State Governments established a steering committee to develop relevant policy and legislation.
The Witness Security Unit, as it is now known, started with the appointment of a Witness Protection Liaison Officer and became gradually more structured as it developed.
In 1994 and 1996 the Commonwealth and State Governments respectively implemented complementary legislation.
"During this time a number of problems with the Witness Security Unit have been identified and led to a series of internal police reviews," Mr Prince said.
"While these reviews prompted some changes in practice, this current report shows more is required.
"These problems were an integral part of the unfortunate death of the late Mr Andrew Petrelis and this matter is the subject of the report's second volume."

Mr Prince said during the review, Mr Roberts-Smith examined documentation from the WA Police Service as well as other material from Australian and international sources.
He interviewed and was briefed by witness security staff, both past and present, other relevant police staff and witnesses from the protection program.
Discussions were also held with police and relevant agencies from other jurisdictions.
The final report contains 41 recommendations to be addressed by the Police Service and the Government.
The review's findings include:
With regard to the Witness Security Unit:

• staff selection, training and counselling was inadequate;
• there was inadequate sharing of information between the Witness Security Unit and other related parts of the WA Police Service;
• financial resourcing and staffing was inadequate; and -
• both in senior management and within the unit, there was a systemic commitment to managing within inadequate budgets, without due regard to the practical consequences.

With regard to the death of Mr Petrelis:

• while there was no evidence that he was murdered, and the circumstantial evidence tends to show that he died of an accidental drug overdose, an inquest into his death should have been held by the Queensland Coroner;
• the process following his death, whereby the WA Police Service did not call for an inquest, was 'inadequate, unsatisfactory and probably legislatively flawed'; and -
• while Mr Petrelis breached some conditions of his protection program, the overall police management of his protection and security was seriously deficient.

"As the final chapter of the report summary states: 'If the recommendations made in this report are accepted and implemented . the Western Australia Police Service could be at the forefront of witness protection in this country,'"
Mr Prince said.
"The review report is thorough in its research, comprehensive in its scope and practical in its recommendations for change and I believe it will be of great assistance in providing a better system."
The recommendations are now being considered by the Police Service.
Media contact: Caroline Lacy 9220 5000