The NSW premier has backed the police commissioner's handling of strip searches after research revealed a spike in the practice over the past decade.
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Gladys Berejiklian on Thursday defended NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller during a budget estimates hearing about the contentious issue.
"I have absolute confidence that the police commissioner's oversight of this issue is in the public interest and is in accordance with what is accepted policy," Ms Berejiklian told the Sydney hearing.
It follows a University of NSW report last week which found the number of field strip searches in the state jumped to 5483 in 2017/18, compared with 277 between December 2005 and November 2006.
Mr Fuller rebuffed the numbers at a NSW budget estimates hearing last week, saying they're incorrect and the university had failed to understand their context.
Greens MP David Shoebridge on Thursday quizzed the premier about some experiences reported by women who have been stripped searched.
Mr Shoebridge referred to one woman who claimed to have been strip searched six times at festivals, was made to take her clothes off completely, squat and told to take her tampon out if police believed she was concealing something.
He also referred to another woman who told a coronial inquest earlier in the year that a police officer warned her the search would be made "nice and slow" if she didn't reveal where the drugs were.
The premier told the hearing she hoped the women raised the matter with the police.
"I have full confidence that the NSW Police force will deal with those issues," she said.
But Mr Shoebridge hit back during a fiery exchange.
"A woman gave evidence of being traumatised at what happened to her at the hands of the NSW police under your leadership, and you're saying she should have gone to police - the people who she says effectively assaulted her?"
Ms Berejiklian replied: "If you have a concern about something that has happened to you or someone you know please go forward to the relevant authorities."
Australian Associated Press
