The New South Wales Police Commissioner has issued a warning that detention cells across the state's police stations are excessively overcrowded, depleting police resources. This situation has attracted significant attention and urgently needs to be addressed. The overpopulation of these holding cells is creating a strain on the entire justice system.
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02-23, 2025NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb urgently convened a meeting today with the Commissioner of Corrective Services to discuss the issue of detainees spending excessive time in police station holding cells. Webb stated that there is a "traffic jam" in the state's prison system, leading to detainees who have been denied bail being held in police stations for extended periods, a phenomenon also known as "cell block congestion." This congestion is causing delays and inefficiencies throughout the system.
Commissioner Webb emphasized: "Our role is to arrest and detain offenders, not to indefinitely serve as a transit point for detainees. This bottleneck is consuming police resources that could be better used to serve the community. We need a plan that allows officers to fulfill their duties and return to the streets as quickly as possible." The Commissioner is pushing for a swift resolution to ensure public safety and efficient resource allocation.
Earlier this month, Webb launched a six-month investigation to understand the impact of prisoner transport on police resources and the community. According to this review, officers will record time and movement to audit how much police manpower is being used to transport and monitor detainees. A small sample survey conducted last November revealed that the police were under "immense" pressure. The review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the problem and identify potential solutions.
Webb added: "I will meet with the union and Corrective Services as soon as possible to address this issue. While we are happy to support our colleagues in Corrective Services, this problem needs to be addressed at the highest level. We are not custodians of detainees, we are a police force." NSW Police said in a statement that cell block congestion has worsened since the introduction of centralized Audio Visual Link (AVL) for bail applications last year, leading to delays in receiving long-term detainees due to prison overcrowding. Webb stated that some individuals have been held in police cells for several days. Webb added: "This is not just a police resource issue, it is also a human rights issue."
