NSW Police Strip Searches at Festivals: 30% Hit Rate, Class Action Launched
A class-action lawsuit against the NSW police force alleges unlawful strip-searches at music festivals between 2018 and 2022. Evidence presented revealed that police knew drug detection dogs had only a 30% accuracy rate yet used them to justify the vast majority of searches, many of which lacked sufficient grounds under the Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act 2002. The plaintiffs argued that inadequate training and a lack of justification for these searches, often based solely on a dog’s alert and the location, constituted widespread unlawful conduct. The state admitted one plaintiff’s strip-search was unlawful, highlighting the systemic issues within the police force’s procedures.
John Q. Hosedrinker