Legal centre claims police racially profiled when handing out COVID-19 fines

A Melbourne community legal centre claims police racially profiled when handing out fines for COVID-19 restriction breaches.

A report by Inner Melbourne Community Legal has found people of Middle Eastern or African appearance were four-times more likely to be fined than people of other ethnicities.

Lawyer and lead researcher Dr Tamar Hopkins says “we’re finding is that there is a real difference in the way the police are treating these people” and says the government should waive all remaining fines.

Press PLAY below to hear how Inner Melbourne Community Legal came to this conclusion

In a statement, Victoria Police said it “rejects any suggestion that officers targeted specific ethnic groups for COVID-19 offences”.

Police Association CEO Wayne Gatt told Heidi Murphy, filling in for Neil Mitchell, he’s “not going to rush to a conclusion” based on the data available.

“Why is it they didn’t get that data and lay blame at the government for not adequately communicating with those same groups, with those same ethnicities — where English isn’t their first language — what the requirements were?,” he said.

Press PLAY below to hear the police union boss’s response to the claim

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