Black and white is always grey-the power of the police to conduct a strip search in Victoria

The performance of a strip search by a police officer is a serious interference with the liberty and dignity of an individual. However, it is considered by police to be an important part of their law enforcement armory and one that is increasingly necessary to utilise to assist in the investigation and prosecution of drug-related crimes. This article considers the troublesome issue of whether and in what circumstances the common law may extend to police the power to conduct a strip search. In addition, there is an examination of the statutes and regulations that purportedly give police in Victoria the power to strip search with particular attention given to ss 81 and 82 of the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 (Vic).

Police perceptions of interviews involving children with intellectual disabilities: a qualitative inquiry

This study employed a qualitative method to explore the experiences of 20 police officers when interviewing children with intellectual disabilities. Three main themes were interpreted as representing challenges to the officers when interviewing special-needs children: police organizational culture, participants' perceptions of these children as interviewees, and prior information. Participants in this inquiry mentioned poor organizational priority within the police force for child abuse cases and children with intellectual disabilities, as well as inadequate support for interviewing skills development and maintenance. Participants also attempted to equalize these children by interviewing them in the same way as their mainstream peers. Finally, participants viewed interview preparation as influential in determining an interview's successful outcome, but recognized that preparedness could bias their interviewing techniques. Increased attention towards these issues will provide a basis for developing strategies to minimize such challenges and thus improve the quality of interviews with children with intellectual disabilities.

The trouble with woon: the selective answering of police questions and the right to pre-trial silence

The 1964 High Court decision in Woon v The Queen is commonly understood to permit the drawing of an inference of a ‘consciousness of guilt’ when a suspect selectively responds to police questions. It is the author’s contention that, in the light of the emphatic endorsement of the right to pre-trial silence by the High Court in 1993 in Petty v The Queen; Maiden v The Queen, Woon should now be regarded as bad law and should no longer be followed.

Child abuse investigation: an in depth analysis of how police officers perceive and cope with daily work challenges

Purpose: The purpose of the current study was two-fold: to explore police officers' perceptions of the daily challenges involved in child abuse investigation and how those challenges affect their ability to undertake child abuse investigations, and to explore how these challenges are managed on a daily basis. Design/methodology/approach: This study employed a qualitative research design. In-depth interviews were conducted with a diverse sample of 25 police officers working in child abuse units across three Australian states. Findings: Inductive thematic analysis revealed that heavy caseload and collaboration with other professional groups are two key sources of negative work stress frequently associated with child abuse investigation. Further, despite the provision of organisational strategies aimed at reducing work stress, the officers tended to rely predominantly on informal coping mechanisms.  Research limitations/implications: This study has raised many questions for further research aimed at developing interventions to assist police organisations in managing work stress. Originality/value: This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the key challenges associated with child abuse investigation and the coping mechanisms employed for overcoming these challenges from the unique perspective of police officers authorised to investigate child abuse.

Police officers' and legal professionals' perceptions regarding how children are, and should be, questioned about repeated abuse

This study explored the perceptions of police officers and legal professionals (i.e., prosecutors, defence lawyers and a judge) about (a) what particularisation is, (b) the type of information that is required for particularisation to occur, and (c) how particularisation is best achieved in cases of repeated child abuse. The professionals' perceptions (all experts in this area) were elicited via individual in-depth semi-structured interviews. While all participants acknowledged the importance of particularisation, the views of the police officers varied in several important ways to those of the other professionals. Overall, the police officers perceived that highly specific details (such as the location, date and time of the offence) are essential for particularisation to occur, and that maximising the number of separate offences and specific details about each offence increases the chance of successful prosecution. In contrast, the legal professionals perceived that the primacy goal of the police officers should be to elicit a free-narrative account of one or more offences. A high proportion of specific questions was perceived to negatively impact on the child's credibility by contaminating the evidence. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Predictors of wellbeing experienced by Australian police officers

The aim of this study was to assess the ability of the Demand-Control-Support (DCS) model as well as the psychological contract model (PCM) to predict the wellbeing experienced by 2,566 Australian police officers. While the level of explained variance attributed to the PCM was substantially less than the DCS, measures of contract breach and organisational fairness still captured significant portions of intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction. Overall, the results of this study suggest that both the DCS and the PCM should figure prominently in strategies aimed at reducing or preventing police stress.

Accompanying critically ill relatives in emergency departments

Background. Family members are a crucial part of the holistic approach to care in emergency departments. In particular, they are a group who are vulnerable, yet have been overlooked when considering care options.

Aim. The primary aim of this systematic review was to appraise research relevant to identifying and meeting the needs of family members who accompany a critically ill person into the Emergency Department (ED). The information was intended to inform future research into the care of these people.

Method. A quality assessment strategy was specifically developed to evaluate the various research designs used. The outcomes of the highest quality studies were used to develop evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to inform clinicians caring for family members who accompany a critically ill person into the ED.

Results. Recommendations for family care drawn from this review provide the foundation for more rigorous methodologies in future research into this topic. Key findings concern family needs for communication, proximity, support, comfort, assurance and to locate meaning in the event.

Conclusion. The review has revealed current knowledge about the care of family members who accompany a critically ill person into the ED that provides guidelines for practice. Despite significant limitations, the knowledge can lead to recommendation to guide and inform future intervention research.

Families needs in emergency departments: instument development

Background. Families who accompany critically ill relatives in emergency departments (EDs) are an integral part of the care unit. However, there are few empirical data on their needs during this phase of care. In order to guide quality care, general and specific needs of families accompanying these critically ill relatives should be systematically examined.

Aim. The aim of this pilot project was to test the tool, methods and analysis plan for a study to examine the perceived needs of family members accompanying critically ill patients in EDs and their perceptions of ED staff's ability to meet these needs.

Method. Over a 6-week period in 1996, 84 relatives who met the inclusion criteria were recruited to the study. A postal questionnaire, to uncover the needs of family members, was pilot tested. The questionnaire consisted of 40 need statements reflecting five major themes: meaning, proximity, communication, comfort and support. Of the 84 relatives selected for the study, 73% returned completed questionnaires.

Results. The findings of this pilot study suggest that the questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool for researchers wishing to examine and rank the needs of family members who accompany critically ill people in EDs. In addition, the analysis plan was found to be appropriate.

Conclusions. This pilot study provides both a method and a tool for further research into family needs. Examination of the pilot data supported the reliability and validity of the tool and produced findings that challenge nurses to move beyond traditional practice that has excluded families from being an integral part of caring for critically ill patients in EDs.

What makes a good investigative interviewer of children? A comparison of police officers' and experts; perceptions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine police officers’ perceptions about their role in interviewing children, and to compare these perceptions with those of child eyewitness memory experts.

Design/methodology/approach – A diverse sample of 23 police officers (from three states of Australia) individually participated in in-depth interviews where they were asked to define what makes a good interviewer in the area of child abuse investigation.

Findings – Irrespective of the background of the officers, the important role of interviewers’ personal attributes was emphasised (e.g. having a relaxed, empathetic, warm nature). Such personal attributes were more prominent in the participants’ descriptions than knowledge of legislation and children’s
development, prior job experience, and interviewing techniques.

Research limitations/implications – The paper shows that while child eyewitness memory experts acknowledge the importance of establishing a bond of mutual trust between the interviewer and the child, the importance of utilising an open-ended questioning style for enhancing rapport, and
for eliciting a detailed and accurate account of abuse cannot be overstated. The possible reasons for the police officers’ emphasis on personal qualities are discussed.

Originality/value – This paper has revealed that limitations in the competency of police officers in interviewing children is not merely a problem of “doing” (i.e. learning to ask open-ended questions),
but may also reflect ingrained attitudinal and organisational barriers.

Environmental reporting in annual reports: an examination of Australian state government departments

The nature and extent of environmental reporting within the annual reports of four Australian state government departments over a six year period from 2000-2006 is examined in this study. The Victorian Government Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE), the New South Wales Department of Energy, Utilities and Sustainability (DEUS), the South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage (DEH) and the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment (DPIWE) have been selected. These departments are responsible for environmentally sensitive areas such as conservation, water management and public land management. The nature of these areas is a factor which might potentially affect disclosure practices so it might be expected that these departments disclose more environmental information than departments in less environmentally and politically sensitive areas. These departments also have a number of politically active stakeholder groups, including Aboriginal communities and organisations, environmental groups and forest and timber industries. This study found a reduction in environmental reporting after a five year period of increases.

What criteria do police officers use to measure the success of an interview with a child?

This study used a mixed-methods approach to explore the perceptions of a heterogeneous sample of 75 police interviewers regarding their performance in a mock interview with a 5-7-year-old child. Each officer recruited for this study was authorised to conduct investigative interviews with children. Specifically, we explored how the officers' perception of what makes a good interview differs depending on their background experience and their (perceived and actual) ability to adhere to best-practice interview guidelines. Overall, the officers' perceptions of what constitutes an effective interview were not entirely consistent with those held by experts in forensic interviewing. The majority of the interviewers perceived that the locus of control in the interview rested primarily with the child and/or the environmental setting. In contrast, experts tend to place the central onus of responsibility for the outcome of an interview on the skill of the interviewer in using open-ended questions. Several possible explanations for, and the implications of, these findings are discussed.