WHELAN WAVES STICK AT DRUG DEALERS, BENT POLICE

The Crime Commission took a record $9.3 million from drug dealers since
legislation allowing the confiscation of criminally acquired assets was
widened last year to include organised crime.

The "take" was more than $4 million higher than in any previous year.

The Crime Commission is against providing information on what assets are
seized from drug dealers, but the Minister for Police, Mr Whelan, told a
parliamentary budget estimates committee yesterday that proceeds from the
sale of confiscated assets would be used to fund anti-crime measures such
as the Government's $700,000 public education campaign on the new knife laws.

Mr Whelan said asset confiscation sent two messages.

"Firstly: you deal in drugs, you lose everything and you end up in jail.
The second message is this: some of these confiscated funds will find their
way back into the law-enforcement field to provide the increasingly
sophisticated resources needed to pursue major criminals."

Mr Whelan also told the committee that six police officers - including a
superintendent - were facing criminal charges after failing undercover
integrity tests flowing from the Wood Royal Commission into police corruption.

Since the commission ended last year, 40 integrity tests aimed at catching
corrupt officers have been conducted in NSW.

Apart from the six officers charged, another five have either been
dismissed or resigned.

Mr Whelan said a clear message was being sent to police: "If you are
corrupt you're going to get dismissed, you're going to get caught, you're
going to get criminally charged. You could end up in jail. You get no
protection by being a police officer."

The Police Commissioner, Mr Ryan, said the integrity tests put suspect
officers under surveillance in potentially compromising situations; those
who had been caught ranged across the ranks.

"It starts off at a superintendent, all the way down to a constable," Mr
Ryan said. "People, of course, have resigned rather than face charges." Mr
Whelan said 18 officers had passed the integrity tests.

He said Grycol International Pty Ltd had won the tender to equip NSW police
with capsicum spray and it would be available next month.

Mr Whelan told the committee that he supported the Local Government and
Traffic acts being amended during the spring session of Parliament to allow
use of road spikes to deflate tyres during high-speed pursuits.

Checked-by: Richard Lake