NSW Police forced to reopen investigation into Sydney gay club drug raids

New South Wales police must reopen a misconduct investigation into drug dog raids conducted at Sydney LGBTQIA+ venues after an initial internal review found no wrongdoing. The decision to revisit the probe comes after the state's police watchdog, the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC), invoked its statutory powers to direct the NSW Police Force to conduct a new investigation.

The raids took place on June 13, during Sydney's Pride Month, on and near Oxford Street. Club-goers reported being subjected to aggressive tactics, including being pushed against walls and forced to strip in public. These allegations prompted complaints from Sydney MP Alex Greenwich and Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, leading to the initial internal police review.

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The [LECC] has conducted its own assessment and disagrees with the NSW Police Force's decision not to investigate your complaint.

That review, concluded last month by professional standards manager Inspector Michael Butcher, stated that "no further investigation was warranted" and found "no evidence of misconduct, unlawful conduct, or breaches of NSW Police Force policy by the officers involved." Inspector Butcher's letter to Mr Greenwich and Cr Moore indicated that body-worn video, CCTV footage, police records, and witness accounts were reviewed, and the operation was deemed compliant with policy.

However, the LECC disagreed with this assessment. Commissioner Anina Johnson stated in a letter that the commission "disagrees with the NSW Police Force's decision not to investigate your complaint." The LECC will now review the police investigation and determine if further action is necessary. Mr Greenwich welcomed the LECC's decision, calling it "an important step towards transparency, accountability and rebuilding trust between police and our community."

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The community raised serious concerns about what occurred on Oxford Street, and those concerns deserve proper, independent scrutiny.