Independent Third Persons (ITPs) attend police interviews for adults and young people with disability to ensure that they are not disadvantaged during the interview process. Police interviews often require people to comprehend complex issues and information quickly, understand their legal rights, and be able to communicate with people in positions of authority.

ITPs are trained to support and assist the person with disability through the interview process by:

• facilitating communication between the person and police
• providing assistance to contact a lawyer, relative or friend if requested
• helping the person understand their rights and any legal advice given
• informing police if they observe that the person does not fully understand their rights or circumstances at any stage of the process
• ensuring the person understands the questions asked by police, which may involve requesting the police to rephrase a question
• requesting a break during an interview if the person is becoming distressed or is unable to concentrate.

ITPs are independent of the police process and cannot instruct a person with disability on how to deal with the issue they are facing or provide legal advice.

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