Sniff Off at Sydney Central station- 16 Mar 2016

The police state in New South Wales

Via Facebook

www.facebook.com/SaveNSW

NSW has become a real police state, when the simple act of walking from the country platforms down to the suburban ones at Sydney's Central Railway Station involves being checked out by a police dog and being hassled by police for no reason at all.

There's been some reaction, however, with a Facebook page called "Sniff Off" setup to inform people of the sniff operation locations, and garnering over 12,000 likes. The link is here: www.facebook.com/sniffoff

In this video, loaded with a large suitcase and two pieces of hand luggage, I decided to record the operation. I'm in a public place, so in Australia, any photographs or video taken of this are fair game (as long as I'm not shooting into a toilet block or an area where people would expect privacy). After they photograph me (that's fine, too), an officer comes over to check my ticket and generally throw his weight around.

Since I have not witnessed a crime, committed a crime, am not being arrested and I'm not being given a move-on order, I don't have to identify myself. Nor do I have to answer any question (the right to silence applies at all times).

The officer reminds me there's a high level terrorist climate at the moment, and wants to know my life story. My name, why I'm travelling, why I'm filming, etc, etc. I respectfully decline to answer.

He then concludes I'm not travelling, with the implication I shouldn't therefore be at the railway station. Given my luggage burden, the obvious evidence I'm swapping down to the suburban platforms, plus the fact that my ticket is scanned showing a tap-on at Gosford at 11:24am (it's now 1:13pm at Central, and travel time for that journey is about an hour and three quarters) I'm still made to feel as if I'm doing something wrong.

And it was the officer himself (Senior Constable M Sanchez) who asks me if I have any mental health issues.

I don't for one minute believe this has anything to do with terrorism. The dog's there to sniff out drugs, and if I had any, do they really think I'd stop and film the operation, thus opening myself up to this humiliation and scrutiny?

What a disgusting waste of police resources simply intended to humiliate the public and allow the police to throw their weight around. Well done Fuehrer Baird.

Sniff Off at Central - 16 Mar 2016
(3 mins) NSW has become a real police state, when the simple act of walking from the country platforms down to the suburban ones at Sydney's Central Railway Station involves being checked out by a police dog and being hassled by police for no reason at all.There's been some reaction, however, with a Facebook page called "Sniff Off" setup to inform people of the sniff operation locations, and garnering over 12,000 likes. The link is here: www.facebook.com/sniffoffIn this video, loaded with a large suitcase and two pieces of hand luggage, I decided to record the operation. I'm in a public place, so in Australia, any photographs or video taken of this are fair game (as long as I'm not shooting into a toilet block or an area where people would expect privacy). After they photograph me (that's fine, too), an officer comes over to check my ticket and generally throw his weight around.Since I have not witnessed a crime, committed a crime, am not being arrested and I'm not being given a move-on order, I don't have to identify myself. Nor do I have to answer any question (the right to silence applies at all times).The officer reminds me there's a high level terrorist climate at the moment, and wants to know my life story. My name, why I'm travelling, why I'm filming, etc, etc. I respectfully decline to answer.He then concludes I'm not travelling, with the implication I shouldn't therefore be at the railway station. Given my luggage burden, the obvious evidence I'm swapping down to the suburban platforms, plus the fact that my ticket is scanned showing a tap-on at Gosford at 11:24am (it's now 1:13pm at Central, and travel time for that journey is about an hour and three quarters) I'm still made to feel as if I'm doing something wrong.And it was the officer himself (Senior Constable M Sanchez) who asks me if I have any mental health issues.I don't for one minute believe this has anything to do with terrorism. The dog's there to sniff out drugs, and if I had any, do they really think I'd stop and film the operation, thus opening myself up to this humiliation and scrutiny?What a disgusting waste of police resources simply intended to humiliate the public and allow the police to throw their weight around. Well done Fuehrer Baird.Please SHARE and LIKE us here at www.facebook.com/SaveNSW#MikeScared #NSWPol #MikeBaird #BackBaird #No2Privatisation #PutLiberalLast #ICAC #SaveNSW
Posted by Save New South Wales on Saturday, 2 April 2016