Drug Dog Program Slammed Following Music Festival 'Failure'

Greens MP and Justice Spokesperson David Shoebridge has today slammed the use of the drug dog testing program in New South Wales following "police overreach" at music events like Above & Beyond and Midnight Mafia.

"Following the police overreach at recent music festivals like Above & Beyond and Midnight Mafia, there’s a growing awareness in the community about just how damaging the drug dog program is," said MP Shoebridge.

update: New Triple J Survey Reveals Overwhelming Support For Pill Testing At Festivals

"These aggressive searches are all about PR, about the police being seen to do something on the failing war on drugs."

read more:

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• Sydney Punter Hit With Six-month Ban Despite Failed Drug Search At Dance Event

• Court Refuse To Hear Case Against NSW Police's Threat To Ban Punters From Syd Dance Event

The statement comes after the Greens obtained data that showed the "continued failure of the drug dog program with false positive outstripping 'successful' searches" and that when "intrusive strip searches are carried out… 64 per cent of searches are false positives where nothing is found."

"The drug dog program is still pushed by both the Coalition and Labor despite common sense or any kind of evidence in support of it," said MP Shoebridge. "NSW, far from being an example for other states like SA and Victoria, shows how not to do drug dog operations."

The data shares that of 1,124 strip searches following drug dog indications in 2017, 718 were false positives. The full reports can be read here and here.

MP Shoebridge has previously shared his support on the issue when a number of punters who were kicked out of Sydney's Midnight Mafia rave in May for failed drug searches sought to launch a potential class action against NSW Police. 

"We really are just trying to work out the most viable course of action whether it's a case that the police exceeded their statutory powers, whether the police potentially engaged in what's called an intentional tort of trespass against individuals," told MP Shoebridge to triple j's Hack program in June.

"Or it may even be based on consumer protection laws.

"There's undoubtedly a significant civil wrong that's been done but we just need to be sure we have the most viable course of action."