Page 3049 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 17 October 2007
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
MR CORBELL: I thank Mr Gentleman for the question. I am pleased to advise members on some of the matters that are highlighted in the latest ACT criminal justice statistics, which I tabled in the Assembly yesterday. The latest ACT criminal justice quarterly statistics contain information on police, courts and corrections data. Most pleasingly, these latest statistics have highlighted a significant drop in the number of assaults and sexual assaults in the ACT. Crimes against the person, which include assaults and sexual assaults, have dropped in the territory during this quarter. Assaults in the three months to June decreased by 16 per cent, or 89 offences, compared to the previous three months to March 2007.
Mr Stefaniak: Yes, the police have done a good job.
MR CORBELL: Yes, I’ll get to that, Mr Stefaniak. The statistics also show a decline in sexual assault offences reported to police, with a drop of 13 per cent, or 11 offences, reported for the June 2007 quarter. These are excellent results for the ACT community—fewer crimes against the person—so excellent work by ACT Policing. That shows that we are resourcing the police to do the work that they need to do.
In particular, Mr Speaker, we have also seen changes in a number of other offences. For example, burglary and break and enter offences fell by 12 per cent, or 588 offences, in this quarter; and motor vehicle offences fell by seven per cent, or 143 car thefts, in this quarter. These are year-to--year comparisons, so they are indeed very timely and very appropriate to quote. Robbery offences have fallen by one per cent, property damage has fallen by four per cent, or 357 offences against property—very pleasing news—and weapons offences have also fallen.
Mr Speaker, what is the reason for this decline? Clearly, the answer is the very good work by ACT Policing focusing on these issues and targeting, through intelligence-based policing, the people who are committing and perpetrating these crimes. They are preventing and arresting these people who do commit these crimes. But it also reflects the fact that this government, unlike those opposite, has made a serious investment in the ACT police force. We have increased ACT Policing just this year by an additional 47 officers. By the end of next year, the additional police provided to our police force will be 107—that is 107 extra police.
I know that Mr Stefaniak cannot make the same boast. When he was in government and when he was minister for police, we saw nowhere near that level of increase in police numbers. I can remember when they were proud to make the boast that they were increasing police numbers by six, and there is a media statement from a Carnell government budget to prove it.
We treat seriously our commitment to proper policing in the ACT. We have made a very significant investment—43 extra officers hitting the front line this year, an extra 107 positions by the end of 2008-09 financial year, and an extra $34.6 million invested into better policing services for the Canberra community. We are seeing the results of that with these latest criminal justice statistics.
Mr Stanhope: I ask that all further questions be placed on the notice paper.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .