Page 4028 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 24 October 1990
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In other words, constantly pouring more resources into police numbers is not going to solve the problem of increased crime rates. It is time we started to look at alternatives. South Australia has probably the most innovative jurisdiction in Australia in this regard. It was more than a cosmetic change that the Attorney-General of that State now has the portfolio of Attorney-General and Minister for Crime Prevention. The South Australian Government is consciously raising the profile of crime prevention. That is not to say that they are decreasing the profile of policing.
It was interesting to note in the recent publication The size of the crime problem in Australia that the South Australian Police Force continues to have the highest approval rating of a police force in Australia. The Australian Federal Police were not included in that survey. We should be able to benefit in the same way that South Australia does, in that you can have an effective crime prevention program only when you have a police force which is held in esteem by the community. We have such a police force, and we are able to take advantage of some of the innovative approaches to crime prevention. I will not outline what they may be. It is, perhaps, inappropriate to do so as we are, after all, suggesting that this go to a committee. Mr Moore gave a very effective outline of new and innovative approaches to crime prevention.
The simple facts are that the community is properly concerned about crime. The community properly expects that they can feel secure in their own home. Despite the odd sensational media story, this Territory remains a safer and more secure place in which to live than anywhere else in Australia. We do have ground for concern with clear-up rates and clearance rates; although, as Mr Moore said, if you are looking at a community policing crime prevention strategy, perhaps, some of the clear-up rates may decrease as you prevent new crime. That probably is a fair equation.
The bottom line is that we will, in the next financial year, have full responsibility for the policing of this Territory. The decision as to how that money will be allocated ought to be made not purely by the Executive Government but by the Executive Government taking into account the views of an Assembly committee. There could be no more important subject for a select committee of this Assembly than this policing issue.
The Opposition supported and gave encouragement to the Government in entering into the contract with the Australian Federal Police. We resisted taking, perhaps, an easy political point there. We knew that was the only alternative for this Territory, and it had to be undertaken. We pointed out at the time that we hoped the Government would take into account the views of the whole Assembly when we go into the most important part of
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