A parliamentary committee has recommended the Corruption and Crime Commission not be given enhanced powers to fight organised crime saying it would conflict with its current position as an integrity agency.
The committee's report into how the CCC could best work with WA police was tabled in state parliament today.
The CCC and WA police jointly proposed that legislation be amended to allow the corruption watchdog to undertake investigations into organised crime.
Committee chairman Nick Goiran said while it looked like a good idea on paper the CCC's independence would be compromised.
"Organised crime has long proven to be a major source of police corruption worldwide."
Mr Goiran said the CCC can best contribute to the fight against organised crime by ensuring that WA Police remained free of corruption, rather than engaging in its own investigations.
The committee also found that WA police were not well equipped in terms of specialist equipment and personnel unlike their state and commonwealth counterparts.
It said that was unsatisfactory and additional resources needed to be given to the WA Police to bring them up to the same standard as other Australian police forces.
"The WA Police, as the premier law enforcement agency in Western Australia, should have access to the most up to date technology to combat organised crime," it said.
"This technology includes state of the art surveillance and GPS tracking hardware, and other covert recording devices."
The committee also found that any power of veto by the WA Police Commissioner over CCC organised crime investigations meant the corruption watchdog was not "authentically independent" of the WA Police.
"This will adversely affect the public's perception of the CCC, and lead to a reduced confidence in the CCC."
The report also noted that former CCC director of operations Nick Anticich was now the WA assistant police commissioner, which added to the growing list of former employees of each organisation working for the other.
It said that if CCC and WA police personnel began working together on organised crime operations, there was the "possibility of personal friendships forming".
It said that would give rise to the "perception of reduced independence ... whenever the CCC's ability to oversee the WA Police is called into question".
