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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 11 Hansard (22 October) . . Page.. 3950 ..

MR PRATT (continuing):

He talked about police in cars being able to better respond. Well, if Mr Wood had listened, we were talking about crime prevention; we weren't talking about rapid response. We know that we have a very capable rapid response. If Mr Wood had listened to what I had said, the community policing team consisted of a number of layers of police-police on bicycles, police on horseback where appropriate, police in patrol cars backing them up. He didn't listen and he went off half-cocked, but that is what we have come to expect from this minister.

I don't know how many times, Mr Deputy Speaker, I have heard today this phrase "police on every corner". Mr Wood raised the issue. Ms Dundas brought this silly, simplistic idea up. Why do we have to have this simplistic response to a question about community policing? The simplistic response is that, having police on every corner, is somehow all that is required.

Indeed, beat police means police on foot, police on bicycles, police in cars, interacting with the public, talking to the public, getting to know the public, collecting crime intelligence. It doesn't mean guys in big black boots standing behind sandbags, Mr Deputy Speaker, but you would think so listening to that response from across the other side and the crossbenchers.

Mr Deputy Speaker, the minister talked about police numbers and strengths. As we have just heard, the Treasurer put a lie down here today about what our position was on police numbers in the lead-up to the last election. Granted, Minister, you have perhaps increased police ranks by about 10 or 15 police.

Mr Wood: Fourteen.

MR PRATT: 10 to 15 police, I said. I will bracket the target. There is no question about that. But the point is: that is on paper, and the community is asking, and we are asking, "If that is the case why has the frontline community policing presence deteriorated? Where are they going?"The point following on from this baffling problem of where have the police gone to is the fundamental issue of what we are driving at here today, Mr Deputy Speaker.

Community policing means more police in the frontline. That means, if necessary, removing resources from the back of the force out into the community. Something is not happening. We are asking all the time why that is the case. Perhaps Mr Quinlan, with his budget management plan, could give that answer as to where those police numbers and where those human resources have actually gone.

The minister talks about Canberra being a safe place-the perception. Well, of course, Canberra is relatively safe compared to other cities and communities in Australia. But, Mr Deputy Speaker, there is no denying that trends are deteriorating and that the community is worried about that. The trends are deteriorating and the community is worried about that. I repeat, Mr Deputy Speaker, what I said earlier. Canberra is not immune from the deteriorating national trends. The ACT community, through its government and its police force, needs to adjust to that.

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