Page 3422 - Week 10 - Thursday, 20 October 2022
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Minister Rattenbury will cover environment and heritage and Minister Berry will cover homelessness and housing services, and sustainable building and construction. In Minister Davidson’s absence, Minister Stephen-Smith will cover all portfolios: family and community services, disability, justice health and mental health.
Mr Parton: Who is going to do all the data?
Ms Stephen-Smith: I’m pretty good with data.
MADAM SPEAKER: Members! Your colleagues have the floor.
Leave of absence
Motion (by Ms Lawder) agreed to:
That leave of absence be granted to Ms Lee for today, for personal reasons.
Questions without notice
ACT Policing—staffing
MR HANSON: My question is to the Acting Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Ten years ago the annual report for ACT Policing showed that there were 702 sworn officers. The ACT Policing annual report for this year shows that there are 691 sworn officers in ACT Policing. That is 11 fewer officers than 10 years ago. During that period the ACT population grew by over 70,000 people. Minister, why are there 11 fewer sworn officers in the ACT now than 10 years ago?
MR STEEL: I thank the member for his question. I can take the specifics on notice, but I note that ACT Policing’s headcount was 959 as at 28 September 2022, 704 of those being sworn officers. In the 2021-22 financial year 53 new recruits graduated and joined ACT Policing. Our government has continued to invest in policing resources. We continue to work with ACT Policing and the Chief Police Officer on the resourcing that is required. We continue to work towards a new policing model, where we better utilise the existing resources that we have right across the city to respond to crime and work with the community to create a safer place for us all to live.
MR HANSON: Minister, what strain does it place on frontline police to have their numbers decline or flatline while the population increases by 70,000 people?
MR STEEL: What we know is that we have one of the safest communities in Australia. The figures on crime speak to that. That is why we continue to ensure that we resource our police. We have demonstrated that in budgets in the past and by providing that funding ongoing, which the opposition voted against again this week.
DR PATERSON: Minister, could you outline the level of funding that went to the policed recruited through the police services model?
MR STEEL: I am happy to provide those exact details on notice, but we have invested in more police numbers and also in building that policing model, which will
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