WA Police to review recruit vetting after 'Urban myths'
West Australian Police are reviewing their recruit vetting processes after launching a criminal investigation into Barry Urban, who served in the force before lying to parliament and quitting politics in disgrace.
The former Labor MP wore a police overseas service medal he bought from a military store - wrongly claiming he investigated war crimes in Bosnia - when he in fact only worked for the West Midlands police in England before joining the WA force.
Mr Urban quit parliament on May 8th after an inquiry was launched into his fasle claims.
"Like any employer, you want to make sure that the bona fides of any applicant are correct. But look, we'll go back and see whether we can further improve the existing processes," WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said.
Shortly after his resignation the WA Police major fraud squad was tasked to carry out a criminal inquiry into Mr Urban.
Mr Dawson wrote to WA Parliament Speaker Peter Watson advising him of the criminal inquiry.
The major fraud squad was instructed to carry out the criminal investigation to determine if a criminal act has occured, a letter says.
Before entering Parliament, Mr Urban joined WA Police in November 2005 as a police recruit.
He graduated in 2006.
He resigned from the force in August 2012 while based at Mundijong Police Station as a Senior Constable.
A WA Police Force briefing note issued late last year, and seen by WAtoday, stated senior police investigators had undertaken an assessment of Mr Urban's police recruit application and employment files.
According to the briefing note, that review did not identify any criminality.
"At this point in time the WA Police Force do not intend to undertake further investigation into this matter unless evidence of criminality is established," the briefing note concluded.
But Mr Dawson since said the parliamentary privileges committee report "gives rise to cause a criminal investigation."
Mr Dawson said one line of inquiry for the investigators would be to examine documents provided by Mr Urban.
"Clearly the matters that are of public interest are whether in fact there's been any forgery or any uttering of any documents in regards to any possible criminal matters," he said.
"That will be the main purpose of the investigation.
"Wherever documents may have been provided, we'll have to test and examine whether in fact the material, to whomever it has been provided, meets any criminal conduct."
AAP with Phil Hickey