The Malinauskas Government’s new “Declared Shopping Precincts” laws, which allow South Australia Police to conduct metal detector searches at major suburban shopping centres, represent a dangerous expansion of police powers that will disproportionately target young people from racialised communities.
Assistant Commissioner Narelle Kameniar has said the disruption to the public will be minimal and that police will be “quite discreet” in how they search people. She further clarified that “not everyone” will be subject to searches. ‘This is exactly the problem. These powers will not be applied equally, they will be applied selectively, and we know who the police will choose,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
The Evidence Is Clear: Racial Profiling in Stop and Searches
Data from New South Wales exposes the reality behind “discretionary” police powers. Despite making up just 3.4% of the population, First Nations people were 5.6 times more likely to be stopped and searched than Caucasian people between 2020 and 2023. Police records also reveal that:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were subjected to nearly 95,000 searches.
- African communities were 4.3 times more likely to be searched.
- Pasifika communities were 3 times more likely.
- Middle Eastern communities were 2.9 times more likely.
These figures come directly from police records, where officers record a person’s race or ethnicity based on their own perceptions, making the practice both subjective and ripe for racial bias.
‘When police say “not everyone” will be searched, what they mean is that First Nations, African, Pasifika, and Middle Eastern young people will be searched first and most often,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
South Australia’s Children and Young People at Risk
‘These expanded police powers come at the same time that the State has passed new punitive youth justice legislation. Together, these laws create an even more hostile environment for South Australia’s young people, particularly those who are already over-policed, over-surveilled, and over-incarcerated,’ said Tabitha Lean.
‘South Australia has not experienced the level of knife-related incidents that have occurred interstate, yet the Government has chosen to import the most extreme law-and-order responses from other jurisdictions. Rather than addressing the root causes of violence: poverty, racism, and lack of support, the Government is investing in more punishment, more surveillance, and expanded police powers,’ said Tabitha Lean.
Communities Demand Safety, Not Surveillance
The Government insists these laws are about safety. But safety cannot be achieved through racial profiling and over-policing. Safety for communities looks like:
- Investment in youth services, housing, and education.
- Programs led by and for First Nations and racialised communities.
- Culturally safe and trauma-informed responses to conflict and harm.
‘Instead, these laws expand the reach of police into everyday spaces: shopping centres, public transport, even places of worship, sending a clear message that racialised communities are always suspect,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
A Warning for South Australia
‘We cannot afford to ignore the lessons from New South Wales and other states. Where police are given discretion, racial bias is the outcome. “Discreet” searches will not protect young people, they will criminalise them,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
‘This Government’s so-called “nation-leading” reforms will only lead to nation-leading injustice for South Australia’s First Nations and racialised communities,’ said Debbie Kilroy.
For further comment, please contact Debbie Kilroy on 0419 762 474 or Tabitha Lean on 0499 780 226
