‘It’s not stubbornness’: Top cop defends police horse documents secrecy

Former senator Rex Patrick filed a freedom of data (FOI) request on October 21, 2022, looking for entry to paperwork held by the Police Commissioner and the top of the Mounted Operations Unit in regards to the relocation of the Thebarton police barracks.

Police refused handy over 21 paperwork it discovered inside the scope of Patrick’s request, together with one ready by the federal government’s land company Renewal SA which might reveal the location choices for housing a brand new police horse barracks.

SA Police cited exemptions afforded to cupboard paperwork and information that have an effect on regulation enforcement and public security.

It additionally argued disclosure of some paperwork, together with the Renewal SA web site choices, would influence industrial actions.

Patrick appealed SA Police’s refusal to the state Ombudsman in January amid a protracted FOI battle which has now taken greater than seven months to resolve.

On Monday, the state Ombudsman handed down his last willpower, ordering SA Police to launch 11 of the paperwork in full and an extra eight partly. Two paperwork that had been cupboard submissions will stay confidential.

SA Police have 30 days from June 5 to contemplate interesting the Ombudsman’s determination to the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Requested on ABC Radio Adelaide this morning whether or not SA Police would adjust to the Ombudsman’s willpower, Stevens stated: “I’ve received 30 days from that willpower to contemplate my place, and we’re getting recommendation on that.”

“It’s not stubbornness or simply being recalcitrant.

“I’ve received obligations to the federal government in my function and we made an evaluation via our processes for freedom of data releases and we decided that we’d not launch the fabric based mostly on these necessities.

“The Ombudsman has a special view, that’s being assessed now and we’ll make our determination inside that 30 day interval.”

Stevens stated the evaluation would “dictate whether or not we adjust to the Ombudsman now or search an extra assessment”.

He additionally denied that the state authorities had made a “particular request” for police to maintain the paperwork secret.

Police commissioner Grant Stevens. Picture: Tony Lewis/InDaily

“Quite a lot of the data that we’re referring to right here varieties recommendation to cupboard, and there are guidelines round what can and might’t be launched if it varieties a part of recommendation or info (to cupboard),” he stated.

Requested if he cared about preserving the paperwork, Stevens stated: “Not notably”.

“I’ll abide by the recommendation I’m offered and my obligations to authorities.”

Stevens additionally rejected former senator Patrick’s accusation on Tuesday that the Police Commissioner was intentionally “dragging the chain” on the FOI request.

“I’m definitely not dragging the chain as might have been steered by some commentators – I’ll abide by the method,” he stated.

“I’m not personally invested in whether or not or not we launch this info.”

The state authorities has since August 2022 been weighing up the place to deal with SA Police’s Mounted Operations Unit following its controversial determination to raze the state heritage listed Thebarton barracks for a brand new $3.2bn hospital.

Stevens stated police got 15 web site choices to evaluate after advising the federal government on the operational necessities for the police horses.

The Malinauskas Authorities has refused to disclose the choice choices for constructing a brand new police horse barracks apart from a controversial southern park lands web site (Park 21 West) nominated by SA Police in March.

That web site – an eight-hectare plot of metropolis park land on the nook of Greenhill Highway and Sir Lewis Cohen Avenue – stays considered one of 4 choices being thought of by the federal government.

“We nonetheless keep that of the websites we had been offered in that first run Park 21 was operationally one of the best,” Stevens stated.

“We additionally noticed it to be the least impactful on the usage of the park lands.

“I do know different folks have a special view about that, however the recommendation I’m offered by way of the influence on native vegetation and different biodiversity points, our evaluation was it was least impactful, operationally the simplest.

“However there was one other web site that was in all probability nearly nearly as good that we might have lead with.”

Stevens stated police had been aiming to get the police horses out of the Thebarton barracks “by early 2024″.

Premier Peter Malinauskas stated on Monday the federal government intends to announce the situation of the brand new police horse barracks inside the subsequent fortnight.

Supported by the Authorities of South Australia