Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 10 Hansard (30 August) . . Page.. 3748 ..

MR OSBORNE (continuing):

The impetus for the inquiry was the desire to ensure the ACT taxpayer was getting the best value for money from the Australian Federal Police, particularly in light of the new Policing Agreement between the ACT Government and the Australian Federal Police.

The key issues contained in the submissions were:

need for more police, more visible police and more community training for police;

the importance of building positive relationships between the police, indigenous youth, youth from culturally diverse backgrounds and youth in general;

need for more contact between the police and community in non-reactive and non-confrontational circumstances;

police community liaison work should be expanded;

older people feel a lack of police presence in their areas and local shops and see this it the most important policing issue which requires addressing; and

insufficient resources devoted to the Neighbourhood Watch.

The Australian Federal Police Association submission noted:

police gain useful experience in working as overseas peacekeepers;

concern about the structure of the Purchase Agreement between the ACT Government and the Commonwealth (they questioned the performance indicators and benchmarks chosen);

lack of along term resourcing strategy between ACT and National commands and lack of forward strategic budgeting and formal accountability structures;

attrition rates are not good; and

the union's confidence in the ACT Command and improvement in morale with new leadership.

The committee visited Sydney as part of this inquiry and attended a NSW Police Service Operations Crime Review (OCR) forum which the committee found very interesting.

There was a strong emphasis in this forum on the strategy of targetting recidivist offenders. The committee notes that the ACT police service has concentrated on this strategy in recent times, obtaining good results.

The committee has not been able to complete a full inquiry into this matter due to other priorities.

The committee wishes to advise the Assembly that all submissions have been authorised for publication. Most of the submissions contain useful information which deserves to receive further attention from members in the next Assembly.

The committee encourages the committee tasked with oversighting the police in the Fifth Assembly to consider the material in the submissions to this inquiry.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .