By Michael Arnold
PERTH — The mainstream media here has recently a great deal of coverage to the police assault on 17-year-old Joseph Dethridge last May, particularly after video of the bashing was obtained by television stations and shown on prime-time television.
Police persistently attempted to block the video evidence coming before court. Sergeant Smith, one of the officers charged with bashing Dethridge was fined $5000. A police fund raised a substantial amount of money to pay Smith's costs his fine was immediately paid "anonymously".
The example of Dethridge has given other families who have suffered police abuse the confidence to step forward, most notably the family of Steven Wardle who died in custody this year after being arrested for possession of marijuana.
Other violent incidents initiated by police, including a beating in public of a Fremantle resident, and attacks on neigbours who tried to prevent the bashing has added fuel to the fire.
Outrage over police violence has initiated a public discussion on the role of police in society.
The West Australian has called for the immediate dismissal of officers involved in the incident and an independent police watchdog, answerable to parliament.
While these demands reflect a genuine concern, they fail to deal with the real issues, and don't offer real solutions.
The Dethridge assault is not an isolated incident. Assaults by police attract little attention from other police who continue about their business. Fremantle Youth Service receives regular complaints from young people who have experienced violence from police, including carpet burns and broken teeth.
A year ago radio DJ, Howard Satler, radio station 6PR, the Police Association and the West Australian newspaper ran a relentless campaign against young people, sparked by a number of deaths resulting from high speed car chases.
A "lynching" mentality, expressed vehemently by the Rally for Justice group, coupled with genuine public concern over rising crime was used as justification for the WA Government to introduce the Juvenile (Repeat Offenders) Crime Act in February this year.
The act makes imprisonment mandatory for young people who commit what is loosely described as violent crimes, such as resisting arrest, repeatedly.
Expressions of public concern against the act was smothered, including mmission Brian Burdekin.
In discussions on juvenile justice in 1991 one of key issue was ignored, the economic and social, and not individual, causes of crime.
Poverty, record unemployment and continuing withdrawal of funds for support networks for poorest sections of the community have led to an increase in crime rates. 16-18 year-olds on Job Search Allowance only receive between $29 to $106 weekly income. Many people have no choice but to supplement their income through crime.
As important is the issue of involvement of the community in the process of the policing of genuine laws that protect people.
One immediate demand rising out of the Dethridge-Schmah incident is for an independent body to oversee police conduct and has power to take full legal action against violent police.