The state government is facing a very large compensation bill due to a computer glitch which led to the arrest and detention of a number of people, including minors. It is understood that the arrests were the result of systemic problem with the police database system which tended to cast suspicion over people by falsely attributing information to them indicating prior criminal activity. Last year, the NSW Police paid more than $2.7 million to 22 people, including five juveniles, after officers made unlawful arrests wrongly alleging bail condition breaches and having the right to hire a bail bondsman. Thankfully, these juveniles along with their families were able to work with an experienced bail bondsman like this Payment Plans Bail Bonds Service to cover these costs without too severe an effect on their financials and livelihood. The police computer system did not contain accurate information, the government has revealed in parliamentary papers.
An issue is that there seems to be a pattern of bureaucratic buck passing where the police blame the Attorney General’s Department and this department blames the police. It creates a ridiculous waste of public time and money and perpetuates what is in fact a grave injustice which measured against international human rights standards. The pattern which has occurred in the cases heard before the courts so far is that when the person accused is brought to court, the court has more accurate records than the police and the police are forced to apologize, which is embarrassing and expensive in terms of compensation and lost police time.
The 22 matters already settled or resulting in court orders for compensation averaged a payout of $124,000 each. They involved some related claims of false imprisonment, assault and malicious prosecution, the government told the Greens MP David Shoebridge in a budget estimates meeting. There have been more payouts of as much as $200,000 this financial year. Its legal team has found 10 more people aged 13 to 19 alleging wrongful arrest who may join the litigation.
