guidelines for making, handling and investigating protected disclosures

7/25/2019 Guidelines for Making, Handling and Investigating Protected Disclosures

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Guidelines for making, handling and

investigating protected disclosures


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Victoria Police:Guidelines for making, handling and investigating protected disclosures

Date of issue: v.2 issued 1 July 21!

2

Victoria Police is required to issue and publish guidelines under Part 9 of the Protected

"isclosure #ct 212 (Vic) (the PD Act) and Division 4 of Part 10 of the Victoria Police #ct

21$ (Vic) (the VP Act) !hese guidelines are issued pursuant to:

"ection #$(%) of the PD Act in relation to the facilitation of &a'ing disclosures and the

handling of those disclosures including here appropriate notification of those

disclosures to the *+A,

"ection #$(-) of the PD Act in relation to the protection of persons fro& detri&ental

action. and

"ection 1$/ of the VP Act in relation to the investigation of protected disclosure

co&plaints under the VP Act

!he guidelines should be read in conunction ith the ,o&plaints 2 Discipline3 section

of the Victoria Police %anual hich is available for vieing at the Victorian "tate ibrar5

or for purchase fro& the Victoria Police ,orporate "trateg5 and 6overnance

Depart&ent !here is an online order for& on the Victoria Police internet site

policevicgovau

!he guidelines are consistent ith those issued b5 the *ndependent +road7based Anti7

corruption ,o&&ission (*+A,) under Part 9 of the PD Act and available at

ibacvicgovau

!hese guidelines are not a substitute for reading the relevant legislation *t &a5 also be

necessar5 to see' 5our on legal advice or advice fro& the Victoria Police Deput5

Protected Disclosure ,oordinator attached to the Professional "tandards ,o&&and


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Table of contents

Introduction...................................................................................................................4

Statement of support ................................................................................................4

About making a complaint of police misconduct.....................................................4

Making a complaint of police misconduct...............................................................4

About the guidelines .................................................................................................5

Making a disclosure.......................................................................................................6

What is a protected disclosure...............................................................................6

Victoria Police Act.................................................................................................6

Protected Disclosure Act.......................................................................................7

What is not a disclosure ..........................................................................................8

!o" do I make a disclosure....................................................................................8

What can I make a disclosure about.......................................................................9

Improper conduct................................................................................................10

Detrimental action ..............................................................................................11

Reasonable belief test.........................................................................................12

!andling disclosures....................................................................................................13

#eceiving a disclosure .............................................................................................13

$rotected disclosure assessment............................................................................13

What happens when we assess your complaint as a protected disclosure?....13

I%A& assessment......................................................................................................14

What IBAC may do with a protected disclosure complaint...............................14

Investigating a protected disclosure complaint .........................................................16

$rotections for persons making a disclosure .........................................................16

&onfidentialit' .........................................................................................................17

(atural )ustice .........................................................................................................17

$roviding information at the conclusion of an investigation ................................17

Welfare ........................................................................................................................19


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*

Introduction

Statement of support

Victoria Police is co&&itted to the ai&s and obectives of the Protected "isclosure #ct 212

(Vic) 8e do not tolerate i&proper conduct b5 our e&plo5ees or the ta'ing of reprisals

against those ho co&e forard to disclose such conduct

8e recognise the value of transparenc5 and accountabilit5 in our ad&inistrative and

&anage&ent practices and e support the &a'ing of disclosures that reveal corrupt or

i&proper conduct

8e ill ta'e all reasonable steps to protect people ho &a'e such disclosures fro& an5

detri&ental action in reprisal for &a'ing the disclosure 8e ill also afford natural ustice tothe person ho is the subect of the disclosure

Making a complaint of police misconduct

An5 person &a5 &a'e a co&plaint about the conduct of a &e&ber of police personnel

hich includes police &e&bers protective service officers recruits and public service

e&plo5ees

All co&plaints about the conduct of a &e&ber of police personnel are sent to theProfessional "tandards ,o&&and for recording assess&ent classification and allocation for

investigation or other action

*n so&e circu&stances a co&plaint &a5 be considered to be a protected disclosure A

protected disclosure is a co&plaint about specific t5pes of serious or i&proper conduct and

&ust be &ade to an appropriate police &e&ber or the *ndependent +road7based Anti7

corruption ,o&&ission (*+A,) *f the disclosure has been properl5 &ade the discloser is

afforded certain protections such as protection fro& defa&ation and their identit5 ill also

be 'ept confidential unless per&itted b5 the la

An5 person involved in the &a'ing of a protected disclosure is also protected fro& acts ofdetri&ental action for the &a'ing of the disclosure

!hese guidelines provide an outline of &a'ing a protected disclosure co&plaint and hat

happens to that co&plaint

,o&plaints about i&proper conduct that &a5 not be considered to be protected disclosures

or the person &a'ing the co&plaint does not ant it considered as a protected disclosure

&a5 still be &ade to an5 police &e&ber or the *+A, !hese co&plaints ill be recorded

assessed and &a5 be investigated b5 Victoria Police *n all cases the person &a'ing the

co&plaint ill be advised of the outco&e


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A protected disclosure co&plaint &ust be &ade as detailed in these guidelines *n all other

cases a co&plaint &a5 be &ade to an5 police &e&ber or to the Police ,onduct nit

Professional "tandards ,o&&and

!he Police ,onduct nit Professional "tandards ,o&&and &a5 be contacted:

*n person at the Victoria Police ,entre -%/ linders "treet ;elbourne. +5 telephone on 1%00 %-% 101.

+5 e&ail at

P",7P*!,!"A>D,!"?policevicgovau. or

+5 co&pleting an on7line co&plaint for& available at policevicgovau

About the guidelines

!hese guidelines are about &a'ing a protected disclosure of police &isconduct !he5 are a

resource for: An5 person ho ants to &a'e a protected disclosure about i&proper conduct b5 a

&e&ber of police personnel

;e&bers of the police force obliged to &a'e a report of &isconduct b5 another

&e&ber of the police force

Persons involved in an investigation of a protected disclosure co&plaint b5 Victoria

Police

!hese guidelines cover:

;a'ing a disclosure

Assessing a disclosure

@andling a disclosure >otif5ing a disclosure to *+A, and action *+A, can ta'e

*nvestigating a protected disclosure

Protections provided to disclosers

Protecting disclosers fro& detri&ental action

8elfare &anage&ent

!he guidelines ill be revieed on a regular basis to ensure the5 continue to &eet the

obectives of the protected disclosure regi&e and guidelines issued b5 the *+A,


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Making a protected disclosure

What is a protected disclosure

Avenues for main! a protected disclosure

!here are to avenues for &a'ing a protected disclosure (co&plaint) against a &e&ber of

Victoria Police personnel:

s1-/(%) of the Victoria Police #ct 212(Vic) (the PA)

Part B of the Protected "isclosure #ct 212(Vic) (the PD Act)

A &e&ber of Victoria Police personnel includes: the ,hief ,o&&issioner Deput5

,o&&issioners Assistant ,o&&issioners other police officers protective service officers

(P"


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$rocedure for making a disclosure under the .ictoria $olice Act

8ho can &a'e a disclosure 7 An5 police officer or P"

guidelines for making, handling and investigating protected disclosures

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