Page 1573 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 12 August 1992
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The 1990-91 base, which I think we had all assumed was 36, I am now told was 40. The figure which I had been relying on, which was in the low thirties, I am now told was 42. I have asked the police to be absolutely certain that they are right on this, because it never inspires confidence when the base changes. But I am told that there is a reasonable explanation for that. In the 1990-91 financial year the police went onto a new computer system of compiling statistics, the COP system. When an incident is reported to the radio room, an officer keys in the offence. Later the officers who investigate it will make sure that it is the same offence as reported. There are from time to time differences in the nature of the offence reported.
It would appear that when the annual report was compiled they were looking at one end of the system, which indicated 36 for that financial year. Now that they have gone back and checked on the other end of the system they are saying that it is 40. They are also saying that it is 42 for last financial year. I will table those figures when we are, finally, absolutely certain. Next year's annual report will contain a corrigendum to show last year's annual report figures. The bottom line, on the best advice that is now available to me, is that there were in fact two more armed robberies in the 1991-92 financial year than there were in 1990-91.
Obviously one is one too many, but the point that I have been striving to make over the Liberal Party's protests here is that people should not be whipping themselves into a frenzy about armed robbery. This city remains a very safe city compared with other areas. Indeed, what is most pleasing, Madam Speaker, is that the clear-up rate remains very high in the ACT. The danger to the public interest with the Liberal Party seeking cheap headlines in this sort of area, of course, is that it creates an impression that this community is some sort of soft target for armed robbery. The point that we have always been making is that we have not only a low incidence but also a high clear-up rate, which in fact indicates that this is a harder target than other areas of the community.
Mr Humphries: It is less than 50 per cent. That is not particularly high.
MR CONNOLLY: It is a damn sight better in the current financial year than it was - - -
Mr Humphries: That is no excuse.
MR CONNOLLY: Mr Humphries wants to attack the AFP by saying that their clear-up rate is not good enough. It is considerably better than the clear-up rate in the major capital cities. It is far less in New South Wales, where the Liberal administration has gone through cycle and countercycle of crime prevention. Under the "let's get tough on prisoners" approach that Mr Yabsley presided over while he was Minister with responsibility, New South Wales has a far higher incidence and rate of armed robbery and far lower clear-up rates. So this community remains a safe community despite the shots of the Opposition.
Ms Follett: Madam Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the notice paper.
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