Graham Ashton's defence of the indefensible over police informer 3838
Tuesday, 04 December 2018
The most worrying aspect of yesterday's revelations about Victoria Police informer 3838 comes from the current Chief Commissioner.
The Australian reported on Ashton's comments today.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton yesterday stood by police involved in the scandal, urging people to understand the context in which detectives were operating.
“Melbourne was in the grip of what now is known as the gangland wars ... The risk to the community at this time was significant … a genuine sense of urgency was enveloping the criminal justice system, including police,’’ he said.
He defended the roles of those involved in the decision to use the legal supergrass.
Ashton's response comes straight from the "Whatever it takes" playbook.
And it's frightening.
It's shocking enough that these events took place.
But how much worse that Victoria Police hasn't learned from it.
Christine Nixon and Simon Overland were under political pressure from the Bracks and Brumby governments to stop the gangland killings.
And Ashton is now justifying their actions.
Ashton's justification comes in the cold hard light of day.
It comes after the High Court's judgement.
He's defending the indefensible.
It's an insight into what he'd be prepared to do when he felt "a genuine sense of urgency".
That worries me - personally.
The Victoria Police motto is "Uphold the Right".
Not "Whatever it Takes".
Someone should remind Graham Ashton.