Chris Cahill: Police Association President on the loosening of citizen's arrest laws

The Police Association is the latest group hesitant about moves to change citizen arrest laws.  

The Government's introducing legislation loosening general public arrest rules, including permitting citizen's arrests at any time of the day in response to retail crime.   

But association President Chris Cahill told Mike Hosking while it's not forcing people to take the law into their hands, it's still incredibly risky.  

Cahill says people make decisions without the full facts in front of them, and while someone may think they're dealing with a teenage offender, things can escalate.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So some pushback to the announcement that we're telling you
about this time yesterday over the so called citizens arrest. Basically,
any one of us will be able to stop arrest
or restrain those who we see wandering off with the
free beer or television or backing the demio through a
front door. Some We're Police Association President Chris car Hills
with us, Chris, morning.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
To you, Marina, Mike.

Speaker 1 (00:17):
Are we sitting ourselves on fire needlessly?

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Here?

Speaker 1 (00:19):
The reality is this, You and I aren't going to
do this. It's really for security guards, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Well, well, I mean look at dairies for instance. They
don't have security guards. They have shopkeepers and family people,
and there's going to be an expectation that they do,
especially if they're working for some boss who thinks they
should do it. But even security guards. You look at
some of these security guards, they're not really highly trained.
They're not highly equipped. So I think of police officers.

(00:47):
We've got all the equipment and all the training, still
get assaulted every day, some really seriously. So I don't
mean to be the humbug. I get why people think
on the facebook's good idea, But when you peel it back.
It's true risky stuff.

Speaker 1 (01:00):
Yeah, but the critical thing you're missing here is you
don't have to do anything about it. If you don't
feel equipped or trained, or you're behind the counter at
the dairy and you're scared for your life, you don't
going to do anything, are you. It's not forcing you
to do something, it's just giving you the option.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
Yeah. I think it's easy to say that. But if
people make decisions that without all your fall tax in
front of them, and then things turn to pass. I mean,
you might think you're dealing with a forteen year old
shoplift you I'm going to deal with him. Suddenly he's
got two mates, or suddenly pulls a knife. These sorts
of things just escalate.

Speaker 1 (01:33):
What about that? What about the guy's been in the news,
the poor bugger in the news who was in the
jewelry shop and went after the person without the law
got a hammer through his head. Now, if that had
happened post the law, you'd be going, oh my god,
look at the law. It's a disaster. And yet it
happened anyway.

Speaker 2 (01:49):
Yeah, And that's why it looks good on the face
of it, because we all get frustrated watching these people
walk out the door. But the challenges is it worth
the rest? I can give you the examples where people
have been seriously injured or even killed because they thought
it was a good idea to try and hold an
offender too account at the time.

Speaker 1 (02:08):
But if they did it, then, if they did it,
then the law is not going to make any difference.

Speaker 2 (02:11):
Is it. Well, well we'll all we'll encourage more people
to do it. I think that's my real concern, that
people will think this is what they should do. And
it's not just retail unless they change the law completely.
It's just lowering the offense. So you're going to get
people doing it with boy racers who really drive people nuts.
Well that's another you know, people with cars. It's just
another risk. I just don't think it's been thought through.

(02:33):
The other thing, like is trying to get the balance
of a rockery. What's reasonable is a real legal issue.
I mean, we have police officers charged for renually with
assault because the people think it's been an unreasonable use
of force. Don't have a public and to keep that right.

Speaker 1 (02:48):
Yeah, the definition from there, I think you've probably got
a very good point there. Actually, Chris will be interested
to see what they come up with. Appreciate your times always,
Chris car Hill, Police Association President. For more from the
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