Member for Newtown Jenny Leong will use the first day of NSW Parliament in 2016 to re-introduce a Greens’ Bill to end the use of drug detection dogs without a warrant on public transport, at festivals and in bars.
The Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Amendment (Sniffer Dogs—Repeal of Powers) Bill 2015 aims to repeal parts of the Law Enforcement Powers and Responsibilities Act 2002 relating to the use of drug detection dogs.
What: Greens Re-introduce ‘Sniffer Dogs—Repeal of Powers’ Bill
Where: NSW Parliament
When: Tuesday 16th February 2016
The Bill is part of the Greens NSW longstanding “Sniff Off” campaign against the use of error-prone drug dogs.
Greens MP for Newtown Jenny Leong said:
"Given the growing public criticism of drug dogs and the support in the community for an end to ineffective and harmful approaches to drug policies - now is the perfect time for the reintroduction of this bill.
“The Greens will continue to stand up in Parliament and call for laws that respect our civil liberties. Statistics show that thousands of people are humiliated each year by false-positive readings by sniffer dogs that result in intrusive personal searches.
"Too many people are facing intimidation as a result of this failed program - the current NSW Government's law and order approach to drug detection in causing our young people to seriously suffer and in some cases die.
“We welcome the growing support from many in the community, including other MPs and hope they will deliver on their support by taking it up in their own parties and voting for our Bill.”
Greens MP and Justice Spokesperson David Shoebridge said:
“Any other police program that was getting it wrong 75-80% of the time would be immediately scrapped, and that should be the case with drug dogs.
“The fact is that drug dogs are a PR exercise for the Baird government’s failing war on drugs.
“It’s remarkable that neither Premier Baird or Commissioner Scipione have understood this basic fact, that serious drug dealers don’t carry their goods on the NSW train network where the drug dogs primarily operate.
“Routinely harassing and humiliating innocent people on the basis of false positives from drug dogs is a day to day occurrence in NSW and it’s time it ended.”
