DEATHS IN CUSTODY CAN BEAVERTED

CHANGE THE SYSTEM

The HON LIZA M HARVEY MLA, MINISTER FOR POLICE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

The HON JOHN H D DAY BSC BDSC MLA MINISTER FOR HEALTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

With the tragic case of Julieka Dhu needlessly dying while in custody at Port Hedland Police Station is still fresh, the Western Australian Government needs to urgently address the processing of people taken into custody and locked up for any period by the police.

We, the undersigned, request a law put in place that prohibits attending police officers to make medical judgements on the health of a person in custody without medical evidence as was the case in the Julieka Dhu video. We also request the law provide for a medical examination by a registered and experienced medical officer when the person in custody claims a pre-condition and the need for medications before the person is locked in a cell for any period of time and the medical officer should be available on call.

Furthermore, there should always be a Support Person available for Indigenous and Non-English speaking people taken into custody who would act as a witness to the processing and charging of people under arrest. 

Too many deaths in custody have occurred because the attending police/security officers have exercised bias towards people of Indigenous birthright and non-English speaking people. Police officers have, as witnessed in the Julieka Dhu video, made comments that were not evidence based about the state of the prisoner. 

This has to stop.