The Authority oversaw a Police investigation into an allegation that a Police recruit showed a fellow recruit a video of them killing a wild horse on their cell phone prior to commencing recruit training. This interaction was distressing for the other party involved and they reported it.
The Police commenced a criminal investigation and seized the recruit’s cell phone pursuant to a search warrant. The recruit refused to provide Police the PIN for the device despite their obligation to do so under the Search and Surveillance Act 2012. The recruit eventually provided the PIN six weeks later which enabled Police to access the device.
The investigation established the recruit entered private land despite prominent signage that a permit was required to do so, then inhumanely killed a wild horse.
Police determined the recruit had failed to undertake basic enquiries beforehand which would have established that wild horses cannot be hunted for recreational purposes under any circumstances.
The recruit was charged with reckless ill treatment of a wild animal and completed a diversion process which required them to accept they were guilty of the offence.
Police determined there was sufficient evidence that the recruit had committed a further offence by failing to comply with their obligations in relation to a computer search, but that prosecution was not in the public interest. The Authority did not agree with the decision not to prosecute but accepts that prosecution decisions are at Police’s discretion.
Police conducted an employment process and upheld multiple breaches of their Code of Conduct.
We are satisfied Police appropriately investigated the matter overall.
IPCA: 23-20728