VICTORIA Police has rejected any suggestion that officers targeted First Nations people in issuing COVID-19 fines after a report found almost one in seven fines issued in Swan Hill were to people of Aboriginal descent.
The report, by Inner Melbourne Community Legal (IMCL), found Swan Hill had the sixth highest percentage of COVID fines issued to Aboriginal people with 15 per cent of fines throughout 2020.
IMCL said Swan Hill police issued a total 122 fines throughout the pandemic in 2020.
The report, Policing COVID-19 in Victoria: Exploring the Impact of Perceived Race in the Issuing of COVID-19 Fines During 2020, found First Nations people in Swan Hill were three times more likely to be fined than their population size of 4.5 per cent would predict.
Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service chief executive Nerita Waight said the data was “particularly concerning” given about three in 10 people who got a COVID fine have subsequently had a warrant issued against them.
“These fines can be a way of criminalising people and that has really bad long-term impacts for the individual and their community,” Ms Waight said.
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities took COVID seriously from the start of the pandemic and our health organisations received global praise for the COVID awareness programs they ran.
“Our communities took COVID more seriously than most, so we should have had fewer fines – not more.”
In May this year, Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton acknowledged the state’s criminal justice system had failed First Nations people over generations.
“I know Victoria Police has caused harm in the past and, unfortunately, continues to do so in the present,” he told the Yoorrook Justice Commission.
“As an organisation, we continue to make necessary changes and improvement, and it is a firm requirement of mine that we will continually strive to do better.”
A spokeswoman for Victoria Police denied any wrongdoing.
“Victoria Police rejects any suggestion that officers targeted specific ethnic groups for COVID-19 offences,” she said.
“This is simply not true.”
The spokeswoman insisted that officers had been “routinely reminded to take a consistent approach” to enforcement action during the lockdowns.
“Police were able to apply discretion, however, fines were issued for deliberate, blatant and obvious offences,” she said.
“As always, anyone who receives a penalty notice has the ability to request a review by Fines Victoria.”
Police Association of Victoria secretary Wayne Gatt accused the community legal group of a smear campaign.
“We’re used to that, we’ve got thick skins and this sort of stuff has to become white noise for our members because they’re out there doing the right thing for the community,” he told 3AW.
Treaty and First Peoples Minister Gabrielle Williams said the issuing of fines was an operational matter for Victoria Police and if people have concerns they should use the enforcement review process.
