A Victoria Police system tracking officer movements in the community could help spell an end to racial profiling within the force and increase accountability.
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A damning report on Tuesday found Victorians of non-Anglo appearance were disproportionately targeted for breaking public health rules during the COVID-19 pandemic.
African, Middle Eastern and First Nations people were four times more likely to be fined for breaches, given their proportion of the state's population, according to data from Inner Melbourne Community Legal.
Lead researcher Tamar Hopkins has called for a police monitoring scheme similar to one used in England and parts of the US, along with an independent complaints body to hold officers accountable.
"It's really incumbent on the police and the government to set up systems that prevent racial profiling," Dr Hopkins told reporters.
"What we are doing is calling for the police to actually set up a proper system where they track who they are stopping and questioning and then on a regular basis report that data to the public."
More than 37,000 fines were issued for COVID-related offences in 2020. At least 28,000 included details of the person's perceived racial appearance.
More than 20 per cent were issued to people of African and Middle Eastern appearance, despite them only making up about five per cent of the Victorian population.
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people accounted for nearly three per cent of all fines yet make up just one per cent of the state's population.
Melbourne suburbs with higher proportions of people from non-English speaking backgrounds also received more fines.
Various penalties were issued including a $100 for not wearing a mask, $2726 for failing to isolate and up to nearly $5000 for illegal gatherings.
Dr Hopkins said racial profiling had a devastating community impact and put lives at risk.
Ilo Diaz from the Police Accountability Project called for all fines to be scrapped.
"More importantly, we know when police are given extra powers and extra discretion, it's racialised communities that get impacted the most ... so we need a better accountability system for policing," Mr Diaz told ABC Radio.
It follows an apology from Victoria's top cop in May for racist practices in the force.
At the Yoorrook Justice Commission truth-telling inquiry, Chief Commissioner Shane Patton acknowledged the state's criminal justice system had failed First Nations people and committed to improving.
Asked about the latest report, a Victoria Police spokeswoman rejected any suggestion officers targeted ethnic groups for COVID offences.
"This is simply not true," she said.
Police Association of Victoria secretary Wayne Gatt accused the community legal group of a smear campaign.
"We're used to that, we've got thick skins and this sort of stuff has to become white noise for our members because they're out there doing the right thing for the community," he told 3AW.
Treaty and First Peoples Minister Gabrielle Williams said the issuing of fines was an operational matter for police and if people should use the enforcement review process.
A parliamentary inquiry previously found people in lower socio-economic areas twice as likely to be fined for COVID breaches in 2020 than in higher socio-economic areas.
Former police chief Ken Lay conceded racial profiling had occurred within the force and vowed to stamp it out in 2013 following a review.
A Victorian Ombudsman inquiry in 2020 found the hard lockdown of nine North Melbourne and Flemington public housing towers violated human rights laws.
The Victorian government in May settled a $5 million class action brought by residents.
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Aboriginal Counselling Services 0410 539 905
Australian Associated Press
