Prosecuting those Ballina police officers implicated in the bashing of Corey Barker is an appropriate first step but it won’t address the root cause of police brutality, which lies in police culture and a lack of independent oversight and accountability.
Until there is an adequate, independent mechanism for handling complaints against police, the resort to perjury, excessive force and contempt for human rights will remain the modus operandi of the NSW police force.
John Scrivener, Main Arm


For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling.