The South Australian Police Force (SAPOL) has come under fire after an image of a partially naked woman in police custody was uploaded to a police database.
According to reports, the image showed a woman in her 50s, who was arrested and being detained at a police station in Adelaide, lifting her shirt and exposing her breasts.
The image was taken and allegedly uploaded to the SAPOL mugshot database catalogue at the end of last year on December 22. It was reportedly removed five days later on December 27 after senior police officers became aware of the photograph.
Currently, it is unclear why the image of the partially naked woman was found on the police database. However, Australian media outlets have reported SAPOL will conduct an internal investigation into the incident at Christies Beach Police station.
Internal Investigation Branch detectives will look into how the image was taken, why it was uploaded to the police database and how the image became accessible to the public.
According to reports from The Advertiser, authorities have recently visited the Christies Beach Police station to begin investigating the incident.
The Adelaide newspaper reported that the woman was arrested and held in police custody over charges related to theft.
While Police Security Officers (PSOs) have legal authorisation to photograph detainees in police custody for identification purposes, there are strict requirements concerning where the photographs are taken, which parts of the body and other standards.
South Australian laws restrict the publication of information on internal inquiries. However, acting Police Commissioner Linda Williams has allowed the details of this investigation to be published, according to the ABC.
Women’s Agenda has contacted South Australia police for comment.
Police Complaints and Discipline Act
Complaints about SA police are handled by the Office of Public Integrity (OPI) in South Australia, who then refer the complaint on to the Internal Investigation Section (IIS).
According to the OPI, the referral of a case to the IIS can result in a full investigation, a management resolution process or no further action.
In October last year, SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens changed the rules surrounding the public disclosure of internal police inquiries.
The changes arose from a request by the state’s ombudsman to release details about police officers involved in proven or admitted misconduct, after the ABC lodged a Freedom of Information application to obtain a list of proven of admitted breaches under the Police Complaints and Discipline Act.
Now, disciplinary outcomes of internal investigations are released on a quarterly basis on the South Australia Police website.