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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 4 Hansard (24 June) . . Page.. 971 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

My colleague Mr Humphries has mentioned what occurred between 1991 and 1993, when about 2,620 people were moved on and there were 27 arrests. The fact that there were only 27 arrests is profound, Mr Speaker. It means that most of those people were moved on successfully, they did not have to go to court, and trouble was averted. Indeed, for the potential troublemakers themselves, who are often young people, that means that by being moved on before they get themselves into something more serious, like assault or malicious damage to property, they averted trouble. It means that they do not have to go to court. It means that there is not any damage, there is not a fight, and someone is not injured. It means that they do not end up with a criminal conviction. There are real benefits in this for people who might otherwise offend. Of course, there are real benefits for the law-abiding community, the people who have every right to expect to be protected as they go about our streets.

Mr Speaker, I think the fact that there was only one complaint as at 1991 shows just how effective it was. The fact that the police had to arrest only 19 people in the first two years and only a further seven, on Mr Humphries's figures, in the next two years shows just how successful this power has been. The fact that this power was under such scrutiny for the first two years and there was only one complaint speaks volumes for the ability of our police force properly to enforce this power. Mr Speaker, I have seen nothing in relation to our police force in the last few years - since 1991 or 1993, for that matter - which would make me doubt in any way their ability to operate successfully with this commonsense power that, quite clearly, the people of Canberra in survey after survey have shown that they support.

It is absolute commonsense. It is something that the vast majority of our population supports. We have seen the figures. I refer people to the break-up of the age groups in the Canberra Times survey of 24 August 1989. Look at the details in the Hansard of 14 August 1991 if you doubt me.

Mr Berry: I am surprised that we have survived without them, if they are so important.

MR STEFANIAK: I think you might find in a 1990 Hansard that I reported back to the Assembly on this after 12 months. Mr Berry asks whether there is any evidence of crimes actually dropping. I think he will find that the crime of offensive behaviour in that period went down from 48 to about 18 or 19. He can check the Hansard there. That shows quite clearly that in some instances of street crime there was a real benefit.

This is a commonsense power. We have a track record over four years of its being effectively used by the police to overcome such diverse problems as two gangs of about 100 youths in Tuggeranong being broken up before a fight got too serious and domestic violence disputes. The powers were used by the police around the bus interchanges to great effect. The powers were supported by police from the rank of assistant commissioner down to the most junior constable from the time they were effected in 1989 through to the time they lapsed in 1993, and the police have continually sought to have these commonsense powers reintroduced.

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