A woman complained Police intimidated and pressured her into being photographed and then forced her to attend the Police station after an officer stopped her for failing to wear a seatbelt. The woman was later arrested and warned for obstruction. The woman told the Authority she felt forced into accepting the warning.
The Authority raised these concerns with Police, who reviewed the incident and agreed the woman should not have been brought to the station, arrested, or warned.
Police met with the woman to listen to her concerns and apologised to her for the distress their actions caused.
Police also organised for the woman’s eight-year-old son who witnessed the incident, to visit the station again. This was to provide him with a positive experience to help him feel more comfortable in the building and with Police officers.
The Authority is satisfied Police took appropriate action to identify learning opportunities from the incident with the staff members involved.
IPCA: 22-14463