WA Police have defended a raid at a supported independent-living home in Belmont, Perth, after three women with psychosocial disabilities and two support workers were present when officers entered the property.
The home’s operator, Ilora Group chief executive Tyler Burness, said security footage showed eight officers, including two from the Tactical Response Group, forcing open the front door and entering while armed. Support worker Uddey, whose surname was withheld, said he and another worker were handcuffed and ordered to lie on the floor.
According to WA Police, detectives were executing a drug search warrant covering two homes at the same address. The force said intelligence indicated a person of interest in an investigation occupied the properties, but officers soon established that the NDIS-supported home was not linked to the investigation.
Police said officers found methylamphetamine, cannabis, drug paraphernalia and weapons while searching the adjacent property, and two men were taken into custody. The police spokesperson said separating people found inside a property was standard procedure and that body-worn camera footage had been reviewed and found compliant with police processes.
Burness said the residents were not detained but had weapons pointed at them while the workers who normally supported them were restrained. He said the women continued to need assistance with anxiety after the operation, including one resident who believed an officer was there specifically for her. Burness also said the home’s damaged door had not been compensated.
Police said compensation for property damage was provided only when entry was forced and no offences had been identified. Burness is seeking compensation and an acknowledgement that a mistake was made, and said he was considering a complaint to the Corruption and Crime Commission. He also said the business would soon relocate.