Page 890 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 25 July 1989
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Mr Speaker, that brings me to the committee's recommendation that perhaps there needs to be a review of staffing levels of the Australian Federal Police and of the number and types of patrols available at a given time.
It was suggested in a submission and also in a letter received by the committee from the Chief Minister, dated 19 July 1989, that the number of foot patrols in and around town and city suburbs should be increased. Many people are of the opinion that the visible presence of a police officer reassures them of their safety and is a deterrent to the commission of offences, and I agree. In addition, the number of police available in the Tuggeranong area needs to be closely examined. At present there are only two police officers for 60,000 people, and the police station closes at 11.00 pm. After that time the area is patrolled from the Civic police station.
The committee had two submissions from David Read of the Tuggeranong Community Council, who said that young people are committing acts of vandalism throughout the area. I believe that, if police officers were seen to be on the beat, these instances of vandalism would diminish.
It was made very clear, Mr Speaker, from the public hearings and from the submissions received that one of the major concerns, especially of those in favour of the Bill, was the consumption of alcohol and related antisocial behaviour. The committee is of the opinion that this issue needs to be addressed urgently by this Assembly and that appropriate amendments to the legislation should be adopted.
There also needs to be more stringent policing of the current legislation with regard to under-age drinking, drinking in public, trading hours, and the licensing of premises. Furthermore, there needs to be an investigation into the procedure for the granting and retaining of liquor licences.
Mrs Rosemary Cameron writes in her submission to the committee:
My husband recently retired after 25 years in the ACT and Federal Police, all of it in this city. He has noticed an enormous decline in the general behaviour upon our streets, especially since the policing of the Liquor Ordinance was removed from the police 11 or 12 years ago. He often commented that some reasonable laws to supervise the public consumption of alcohol, drugs and powers to defuse potentially unruly situations were sorely needed.
It is also the committee's recommendation that the Australian Federal Police guidelines or instructions in relation to the implementation of the proposed Bill be published and the police have, in their submissions, agreed
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