The NSW Police Force deploys various proactive strategies as part of an ongoing commitment to reducing crime and the fear of crime in the community.
Every Police Area and Police District Commander is accountable for a range of performance measures, including proactive policing, which are also presented to the Executive twice a year as part of the Command Performance Accountability System (COMPASS).
There are COMPASS indicators for ‘Police Powers – Person Search’ and ‘Police Powers – Move On’. Both indicators have a business plan target, which is calculated based on a three-year average of actual use of each power.
Any time a police officer executes their search powers, they must hold a reasonable suspicion as required by LEPRA.
A search cannot be conducted if this criteria is not met.
Proactive policing strategies, including the use of police powers such as searches and move-on directions, have been proven to significantly drive down crime, particularly in relation to property crimes such as break-ins, motor vehicle theft, robbery (including armed robbery), thefts (including shoplifting) and street offences (including knife possession).
Recent independent research conducted by the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) stated that increasing the number of police searches and move-on directions reduces crime. The study can be found here: https://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/Pages/bocsar_news/cjb215-police-serach-and-move-ons-reduce-property-and-violent-crime.aspx
