Police took 19 hours to respond to a call for help from the Sydney neighbour of an elderly man who was later found struggling to breathe and died in his home a short time later.
The NSW police assistant commissioner, Brett McFadden, on Friday launched an internal investigation after being briefed on the delay almost a week after the 85-year-old’s death.
“It is a significant concern for me,” McFadden said. “I want to understand what was taking place in the environment before we pass judgment.”
Police were called at about 5.45 pm on 4 July by a neighbour of the elderly man who lived alone in an apartment complex in Bankstown. The neighbour requested police check on the man who had been in poor health and had not been seen for some time.
At about 12.30pm the next day, officers attended the William Street apartment where they couldn’t raise anyone inside. Fire and Rescue then helped the officers gain entry.
They found the 85-year-old man alive but breathing shallowly.
“First response protocols were implemented, CPR was commenced, but unfortunately, even with the assistance of ambulance, we were unable to sustain the life of the 85-year-old male,” McFadden said on Friday.
NSW Ambulance paramedics attended and declared the man dead. The cause of his death was not known but police have ruled out suspicious circumstances.
The premier, Chris Minns, said that while it was a matter for the police, if any changes needed to be made to systems to ensure callouts are timely, they would be.
“We want to make sure that when people access triple-zero, when they contact emergency services, they’re dispatched quickly,” he said.
McFadden was briefed on the incident following a review on Thursday. He said he was “satisfied” he was informed at the “earliest opportunity”.
Asked if the man could have been saved had police attended when the call was first made, the assistant commissioner said it was “really difficult to understand that at the moment”.
“The circumstances are tragic, but we want to understand whether the time between the time of call and our response was … a factor in the circumstances of this man’s passing. It’s something that I take seriously.”
The man’s family live overseas and McFadden said investigators were working with them.
He said the Bankstown command was incredibly busy and dealt with competing priorities every day. Finding out what other jobs were on when the neighbour’s call came through would be a key part of the investigation.
“I understand the community’s concern with the 19 hours,” McFadden said.
“It’s understandable and it’s expected. That’s why in the public interest, we declared this critical incident. We want to understand exactly what was taking place in the environment and what the police were dealing with at the time.”
The police watchdog confirmed it was independently monitoring the investigation by the force.
“The NSWPF are investigating the circumstances of the incident, and this investigation will be reviewed by the professional standards command,” a Law Enforcement Conduct Commission spokesperson said.
“The LECC is independently monitoring the investigation of the critical incident … to ensure public confidence in the investigation.”
