ASSESSMENT 3A CASE STUDY PLAN
TEMPLATE
ASSESSMENT 3A CASE STUDY PLAN
250 WORDS / 10%
Brief history of the drug detection legislation & why it is being reviewed for amendment (75 words)
Currently under Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act 2002 Section 148: (1) it states that a police officer may, without a warrant use a dog to carry out general drug detection to individuals whom are at a licensed liquor premise, except for restaurant venues; those at a public place where entertainment is being held e.g. festivals, public transportation or at Kings Cross and those who are seeking to enter or leave any part of these premises, an authorised officer may enter and search without warning based under the assumption there may be illicit substances on said person, thus the Act is being reviewed on the core of police powers and their limitations.
Stakeholder & their position of either support or opposition to the proposed amendment (50 words)
Supportive of the proposed amendment therefore the position being adopted is the Stakeholder Position for NSW Council for Civil Liberties (NSWCCL). The stakeholders are against the proposed amendment as it may ignite humiliation, unfair targeting, prejudice and stereotyping towards groups amongst individuals in these congregated areas - it may even promote PTSD in victims who have been racially profiled creating more negative views on police and their motives.
Explain one impact of the proposed amendment on the NSW criminal justice system (you must use an academic source for this section) (125 words)
With a 74% false positive rate and less than 1% of positive indications leading to successful prosecution, drug detection canines were inadequate at achieving their primary goal of identifying and punishing illicit drug producers. (NSW Ombudsman, 2016). They came to the conclusion that there was no evidence that this policing approach reduced drug-related crime, had a deterrent effect, or had any other beneficial effects on public health. However, they did identify detrimental outcomes on public health, including panic drug use, internal concealment, switching to less obvious but potentially more harmful drugs, choosing to buy inside from shady sources, and bingeing ahead of time, coming to the conclusion that this tactic may unintentionally increase risky drug use behvaviours. (Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy, 2011). Ultimately cementing the distrust in police powers in the NSW criminal justice system.
Reference below one academic source you will use in the final analysis report (must use WSU Harvard Referencing Guide).
Grigg, J., Barratt, M.J. & Lenton, S., 2018. Drug detection dogs at Australian Outdoor Music Festivals:
Deterrent, detection and iatrogenic effects. International Journal of Drug Policy. Viewed August 13 2022, <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395918302081.>
