Legislative Council
In reply to Hon. IAN GILFILLAN (27 October).
The Hon. K.T. GRIFFIN: The Minister for Police, Correc-tional
Services and Emergency Services has been informed by the police that there have not been
any written instructions requiring or suggesting that police investigators tape phone
conversations other than under circum-stances approved through appropriate legislation.
The taping of phone conversations has not been a common practice utilised by
investigators.
Some officers in the past may have taped conversations as a means of protecting themselves from allegations regard-ing the contents of the phone conversation which may eventuate at a later date. Conversations were taped not for the purpose of making allegations but for the purpose of protecting the personal credibility of the officer concerned.
On 4 November 1998, the Police Commissioner acted on the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions and issued a direc-tive in the Police Gazette that instructed investigators that utilise the practice from time to time, to cease doing so forthwith. It is expected that covert taping of phone conversations involving police officers outside of the confines of the legislation will have ceased as a result of the Commissioner's directive.
The directive does not affect the standard operation procedures at Police Communi-cations Centre which permit the taping of `000' and 11444 phone conversations.