#nswpolice #discrimination #NSWCivilandAdministrativeTribunal #RacialJusticeCentre
#police
A Sydney woman has taken legal action against NSW Police, claiming she was discriminated against because of her race and gender; in a case his lawyer says underscores a culture of unconscious bias in the police force. A hearing was held in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal. A hearing was held in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal The officer involved denies treating him differently Pauline Weldon-Bowen claimed that the police discriminated against when she asked for help after an alleged fight with a male cyclist in traffic, and that the cyclist frightened and damaged car with 18-month-old son inside. Ms Weldon-Bowen believes she should have been treated as a victim by NSW Police, but instead officers fined her and the cyclist for negligent driving and cycling, finding they were both at fault initially. She successfully appealed her sentence in court, where the police withdrew the case due to lack of evidence. The police were ordered to pay his legal costs. But Ms Weldon-Bowen said she did not face any charges for allegedly damaging the cyclist's car or intimidating behavior, according to NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal documents. If hadn't been local woman accusing a white man of committing crime, believes would have been taken more seriously by police, based on video evidence gave to police the day of the incident. "I didn't feel supported, didn't feel like was going there as a victim looking for help, just felt like was being targeted for who was," Ms. Weldon-Bowen told ABC News. Interaction with two cyclists In his statement to NCAT, actor, now 27, explains that while he was passing through Rosebery Sydney's south in December 2020, he encountered two cyclists riding the middle of road behind him. He said he honked at them and told them to move to the designated bike lanes that line both sides of the road before passing them. As she continued driving, Ms Weldon-Bowen noticed one of the cyclists following her and claimed the man was abusive towards her, forcing her to pull over. "I was pretty scared at this stage but I couldn't do anything other than try to get away from him," she said. Pauline Weldon-Bowen is suing NSW police for discrimination after she filmed and reported a road rage fight with a male cyclist. The cyclist claimed in a statement to NCAT that Ms Weldon-Bowen left them "much less than the legal distance" as passed them and she feared would "hit one of the parked cars". She later said she tried catch up to his car "to talk him about his dangerous driving style." As she continued driving, Ms Weldon-Bowen called the local police station and said she feared for her safety. She also recorded a video on her phone, filed in the NCAT case, as evidence of the cyclist's behaviour. Ms Weldon-Bowen claimed the cyclist threw a bottle at car as he chased her, then caught up with and punched the side of car where son was sitting.
