Tasmania Police says it acted openly in making public the charging of three officers within days earlier this year, telling a budget estimates hearing each was treated like any other member of the community.
The charges were made public over six days between April 29 and May 4. All three officers were stood down immediately.
The first was a 24-year-old trainee constable accused of stealing. A 39-year-old constable was then charged with burglary, stealing and common assault.
A 28-year-old constable was charged with common assault and issued with a police family violence order.
Commissioner Donna Adams told the hearing on Wednesday the alleged conduct happened away from work and did not involve the “abuse of any police power”.
“The reassuring thing for all of us here as leaders of Tasmania Police is that our officers have responded as they would with any other member of the community in dealing with each of these matters,” Adams said.
“Obviously, it’s led to criminal charges in the same way it would have occurred with any other member of the community.”
Deputy Commissioner Jonathan Higgins said the charges came during a “highly unusual” short window.
“The most important thing there is that when things do occur and there is misconduct or criminal offending by our sworn members that we deal with it straight away,” Higgins said.
He said the service made the charges public to be “transparent”.
“Whilst we can’t name the people, it’s important that we are naming up when there is serious misconduct being investigated,” he said.
Higgins said the cases were not connected and did not point to any pattern.
Independent Nelson MLC Meg Webb asked police leadership whether misconduct among officers was on the rise and what might be driving it.
Higgins said attention on the cluster had made it “appear that there had been an uptick”, but that was not the case.
The most serious misconduct matters, known as level three matters, rose from 25 in 2024 to 34 in 2025.
Police leadership said the rise mostly reflected increased reporting, including officers reporting colleagues.
The hearing also canvassed the Integrity Commission’s oversight of police misconduct.
The commission has a statutory role overseeing serious misconduct, which must be referred to it. It can then send matters back to police or investigate them itself.
However, it cannot directly access the police complaints system because it is not classed as a law enforcement body.
Instead, it makes requests through the deputy commissioner.
The 28-year-old constable is due to appear in the Launceston Magistrates Court on July 8.
The 39-year-old constable is due to appear in the Hobart Magistrates Court on August 10, while the trainee constable is due to appear on August 25.
