NSW Police killing of Brad Balzan

[jason_recliner]

If you listen to the podcast linked to above, you'll hear the former NSW Police superintendent who was literally responsible for the establishing the whole proactive policing program in NSW say it was misused, that some commanders misunderstood it, and most critically the police officers' own professional judgement became beholden to the pressures of their higher ups giving them arbitrary targets when that should never have been part of the approach.

I didn't listen and I appreciate your info, thanks, but that's not an alternative (unless you're suggesting cut the program and return to the pre-program crime environment i.e. the environment that motivated introducing proactive policing).

 

[Makeshift Park]

I didn't listen and I appreciate your info, thanks, but that's not an alternative (unless you're suggesting cut the program and return to the pre-program crime environment pre-program i.e. the environment that motivated introducing proactive policing).

I'm not a policing expert and I'd prefer someone who has expertise comes up with the alternatives.

But its clear when you have a former superintendent on the record saying that when quotas or KPIs are applied to this kind of police work its a serious problem, that's probably something worth listening to.

If nothing else comes from this, it would be good to have more transparency around what training police receive on determining suspicious behaviour, and whether Australian jurisdictions have adopted best international practice.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

So the only odd thing was his reaction to the Pigeon at the time was he under the effect of cannabis?

In current times its really outrageous how paranoid people are my brother got the cops called on him for staying infront of a residence for to long waiting for his friend to pick him up.

When i got a call from the cops the constable said to me it was for suspicious behaviour.

Brad biggest mistake was running from the cops but this is just plain murder.

 

[Makeshift Park]

So the only odd thing was his reaction to the Pigeon at the time was he under the effect of cannabis?

Listen to the pod man, they go into all this.

The autopsy only detected very small trace amounts of THC.

Basically he'd recently been beaten up by thugs in the same vicinity, so his friend's theory was that he just freaked out when a mob of plainclothes police ran after him as he probably had PTSD and thought he was just about to be assaulted.

 

[MsTeschmacher]

But should they be allowed to do it in plain clothes and unmarked cars?

I would likely run if 4 people jumped out of an unmarked & try to detain me.

 

[Ballarat Bob]

So they are in plainclothes and have set kpi's I wonder what could go wrong ?
What's wrong with uniformed officers patrolling it would be as much of a deterrence and would avoid issues like this where some scared kid runs when four guys jump out at him. At least it's obvious they are police.
Police don't walk the beat anymore , don't build relationships with locals it's all reactive. It builds distrust in the police force when you can get stopped because of your clothing or look and nine times out of ten there is no criminal offence committed.
The policeman not being interviewed because of mental health issues is a slap in the face to the family. The disparity in the other officers evidence and lack of body cameras is pathetic. If he wasn't armed or causing a threat to the officers and running away into a house they could have secured the house (there were four of them) and got his dad to come out.

 

[Makeshift Park]

Looks like the inquest is now over, aside from some written submissions, and the coroner handing down her findings.

'It's ruined two entire families': Final day of inquest into police shooting victim hears impact on loved ones

Bradley Balzan was shot in his backyard after he walked away from four plain-clothed officers in Sydney's west in December 2020.

www.abc.net.au

 

[burge13]

The cop should serve time but won't.