Police raids targeting LGBTIQA+ nightlife in New South Wales and supported accommodation in Western Australia have raised serious concerns about the use of force, escalation and intimidation by police.
The raids have renewed questions about why police responses are being used, and the impact this can have on LGBTIQA+ people and people living in supported accommodation.
In WA guns were present and support workers were restrained and handcuffed. More alarmingly, residents have since needed ongoing support to deal with the emotional and physical impacts.
Similar raids occurred in NSW over the weekend with a handful of Oxford Street clubs targeted. Having a large and public presence of police did not build a sense of safety. People were asked to remove clothing publicly, searched, questioned and intimidated on a night out.
It comes just three months after NSW Police’s last raid on the area, which witnesses described as unprofessional and aggressive and is currently the subject of an open LECC misconduct investigation.
Alternative First Responders Project Lead, Chloe Fragos, said:
“We are highly concerned about these two events and the choice to use force and tactical police as a response to people trying to have safety and peace. Supporting nightlife cannot occur while people feel threatened or scared. These are at fundamental odds.
Police cannot continue to be the first response to public and health concerns. Police and their use of force put people at risk. If mistakes are going to happen people must not be faced with the end of a gun. Police are frequently unwilling and reluctant to accept their limitations – in this case – not identifying they were in supported accommodation. This reluctance has a greater domino effect than just getting it wrong. People are at risk of harm in their own home.”
The Alternative First Responders campaign, which includes more than 40 coalition partners nationwide, is advocating for investment in alternative crisis response systems that prioritise dignity, safety and care over police force.
ENDS.
Media contact:
National Justice Project
media@justice.org.au
(+61) 410 790 886
