After an inquiry ordered by NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione cleared police of any wrongdoing during the September 8 APEC protest against US President George Bush, Human Rights Monitors have published more than 200 photos of officers who failed to wear visible identification.
According to HRM coordinator Dale Mills, "Mr Scipione has suggested that a few of the extra officers brought in to replace the absent horses didn't have enough time to get their new Velcro name tags. But [we] have the photos of over 200 officers where it is not possible to identify who they are ... No investigation into individual wrongdoing has been undertaken by the report."
"We also have photos of members of the media asking police officers for their name and station, and those officers refusing to say", Mills added.
On September 19, Mills said: "Mr Scipione's excuses are becoming more and more absurd. At first, it was fear of police officers being pricked by a pin. Now, Mr Scipione is saying that the plastic badge can be used like a knife. He is saying that it is OK for police officers if they didn't wear ID at APEC because APEC was exceptional, yet it is precisely because APEC was exceptional that it was so important that police be easily identified."
Mills said the inquiry failed to investigate a range of other allegations including the crash tackling of individuals arrested for minor charges such as offensive language; illegally confining thousands of people to Hyde Park; the arrest of two persons for being in a declared area when they were not in such an area; and the confiscation of banner poles longer than one metre at Town Hall without lawful authority.
HRM is calling for an independent inquiry.
[To see the photos visit http://www.responsiblepolicing.org.