NSW police continued to justify festival strip-searches using drug dogs despite knowing 30% hit-rate, court hears (www.theguardian.com)
from MicroWave@lemmy.world to world@lemmy.world on 14 May 11:17
https://lemmy.world/post/29636716

Class action from more than 3,000 group members argues vast majority of strip-searches at music festivals between 2018 and 2022 were unlawful

The New South Wales police force knew drug detection dogs only have a “30% hit-rate” but continued to use them as the primary justification to strip-search people at music festivals, a court has heard.

The revelation came amid closing arguments for a class action in the NSW supreme court, where lawyers for the plaintiffs have argued the vast majority of strip-searches conducted by state police between 2018 and 2022 at music festivals were unlawful.

The class action was brought by Slater and Gordon Lawyers and the Redfern Legal Centre against the state of NSW over allegedly unlawful strip-searches conducted by police, including of children.

#world

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RedWeasel@lemmy.world on 14 May 11:24 next collapse

I feel like I’d have a higher hit rate and my nose sucks.

fluxion@lemmy.world on 14 May 12:26 next collapse

People getting high at a festival seems less worse than innocent people/children getting sexually molested for no reason, but that’s just me.

rylock@lemm.ee on 14 May 12:36 next collapse

I assure you that police prefer fondling them to letting them live their lives.

[deleted] on 14 May 19:08 collapse
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fluxion@lemmy.world on 14 May 19:18 collapse

I forgot we no longer live in a world where absurd statements are assumed to be typos, so I’ve gone back and corrected my post

KMAMURI@lemmy.world on 14 May 12:45 next collapse

Doesn’t matter where you live…ACAB.

[deleted] on 15 May 00:58 collapse
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[deleted] on 15 May 03:14 next collapse
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Inaminate_Carbon_Rod@lemmy.world on 15 May 03:39 collapse

I grew up there.

It’s got nothing to do with “scaredy cat” cops.

They love their power, that’s all it is.

AmidFuror@fedia.io on 14 May 13:20 next collapse

Disgusting that police hire children and then let them conduct strip searches.

NABDad@lemmy.world on 14 May 14:55 next collapse

Remember to moan with pleasure during the strip search. Ask if they’re single. Touch yourself. Smile seductively. Have fun with it.

LastYearsIrritant@sopuli.xyz on 14 May 14:58 next collapse

These dogs could absolutely be much better, but the police prefer to have half trained dogs so they can justify using them as a pretext to harass people.

NielsBohron@lemmy.world on 14 May 17:26 next collapse

You’re correct that the police like having the dogs as a pretext to search on flimsy/non-existent evidence, but it’s not that the dogs are half-trained; they are very well trained to give false positives based on the officers’ body language and attitude.

michaelmrose@lemmy.world on 14 May 19:36 collapse

Sort of. They would be liable to alert on people who HAD consumed drugs earlier or had been around people that had consumed drugs. Furthermore it has been shown in a scientific study that dogs alert in part based on their owners suspicion even when not deliberately signaled to do so and since such suspicion is liable to fall on minorities just serves to justify the dogs masters pre-existing judgement.

dogslayeggs@lemmy.world on 14 May 15:14 next collapse

I’m impressed by the ability of the dogs to strip search people since they don’t have opposable thumbs.

EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com on 15 May 08:07 collapse

They could shred clothing with their teeth though

kokope11i@lemmy.world on 14 May 15:21 next collapse

Mind-boggling to even think of being strip searched on the way into a festival. Granted my experience is mostly US, but I’ve been to Glastonbury and that was chill.

[deleted] on 15 May 01:02 next collapse
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Vandals_handle@lemmy.world on 15 May 02:13 collapse

Meanwhile naked burners is a thing

x00z@lemmy.world on 14 May 19:40 next collapse

Just legalize drugs and these cops would lose 90% of their abusive powers.

[deleted] on 15 May 01:00 collapse
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x00z@lemmy.world on 15 May 01:21 next collapse

I think driving like a nutjob and harassing people is already against the law though :)

Saleh@feddit.org on 15 May 03:19 next collapse

This differentiation is a bit arbitrary. Cocaine is a “natural” compound. So is opium. Natural psychedelics include salvia and other rather nasty stuff. LSD is not natural but synthesized from precursors that are easier to make naturally. Alcohol is made naturally too.

A drug being “synthetic” or “natural” has no principal bearing on its risks and safety. Same goes for all medicinal drugs.

Squirrelanna@lemmynsfw.com on 15 May 09:17 collapse

Are those things only illegal if you snort coke?

kif@lemmy.nz on 14 May 23:54 collapse

And nearby, in NZ, we have drug testing tents inside festivals to ensure you’re getting what you expect, as well as advice on staying safe.

ripcord@lemmy.world on 15 May 00:52 collapse

Orange slices! Lots of orange slices on hand, man!