Review of Police Oversight in NSW

​In fulfilment of an election commitment, the NSW Government commissioned former NSW Shadow Attorney General, Mr Andrew Tink AM, to examine ways in which oversight of the NSW Police Force and NSW Crime Commission could be streamlined and strengthened.

Mr Tink submitted a comprehensive report, entitled Review of Police Oversight, to Government. 

On 26 November 2015, Deputy Premier and Minister for Justice and Police Troy Grant released Mr Tink’s review report [PDF, 1.3MB] (PDF, 1.4 MB) and the Government’s response​​​. Mr Grant announced the NSW Government accepts Mr Tink’s recommendations for a single civilian oversight body for the NSW Police Force and NSW Crime Commission.

The NSW Government will: 

• establish a new oversight commission called the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC), which will exercise the functions currently carried out by the Police Integrity Commission, the Police Division of the Office of the Ombudsman and the Inspector of the Crime Commission;  
  
• create a new role of Inspector of the new LECC; 
  
• abolish the Police Integrity Commission, the Inspector of the Police Integrity Commission, the Police Division of the Office of the Ombudsman and the Inspector of the Crime Commission once the new LECC is fully operational; and 
  
• enable the NSW Police Force to retain responsibility for investigating critical incidents, while allowing the new commission to have the authority to monitor these investigations.
  

The Department of Justice will coordinate the implementation of the recommendations [PDF, 206kb]. 

It is expected that a Bill will be introduced into NSW Parliament in 2016 that will establish the LECC and that the LECC will become fully operational in 2017. 

Mr Tink’s review was governed by terms of reference [PDF, 23kb] (PDF, 22.6 KB)​ and submissions were received from the public, key stakeholders and affected agencies.​