Page 5365 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 16 November 2011
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MR HANSON (Molonglo) (11.30): I thank Ms Porter for bringing this motion before the Assembly today. The Canberra Liberals will be supporting Ms Porter’s motion. And we welcome the opportunity to publicly commend ACT Policing for their dedicated work and great results over the past year.
I, along with my colleagues, am on the record as supporting the police in the tough job that they do. In the recent annual report hearings before the justice and community safety committee, I joined with the Attorney-General in commending the police on the performance results this year. In October 2010, when speaking to the Greens’ failed motion to bring the use of tasers to a debate in the chamber, I am also on the record as stating that I had trust in police to make a sound decision in the interest of public safety about the then proposed wide introduction of tasers.
Being a member of the police force is no easy task. Officers dedicate their time and energy to serving the best interests of the community, often putting themselves in dangerous situations. Police are often forced to put themselves between a member of the community and a person wishing to do them harm. The aim of the police is to increase community safety, to increase the ability of people to go about their daily lives, with little fear for their safety or for the safety of others. Police are an integral part of ensuring that individuals can make daily economic and social choices without the fear of being a victim of crime.
Last year, Zed Seselja, the Leader of the Opposition, and I were given the opportunity to join with some of our local police officers for an evening patrol, and I again thank the Attorney-General for facilitating that opportunity. Joining them on the evening patrol was an informative and interesting experience. I was honoured to join an outstanding group of officers of whom we can all be proud. I saw firsthand the difficult and dangerous situations faced by the officers, especially in Civic on a Saturday night. During my time in the patrol, I was made aware of numerous and varied threats to public safety and to police safety. It was widely reported that these threats to safety are being further fuelled by alcohol and drugs.
It is important to state, when reflecting on the work of ACT Policing over the last year, that we note the commitment officers have made to implement the Canberra Liberals’ random roadside drug testing legislation. Any new testing regime is complex to implement and the police enthusiasm for this new tool and dedication to ensuring that it is operationalised smoothly should be noted, and I take this opportunity to thank them for their work so far.
Drugs and the incidence of drugs are having a great impact upon police officers’ work and their safety. A recent report from the University of New South Wales National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre stated that 57 per cent of injecting drug users have used crystal meth, commonly referred to as ice, in the last six months. The increased use of ice is concerning, as users tend to show heightened levels of aggression. In annual reports hearings, the Chief Police Officer noted that they had seen incidents and had details of arrested amphetamine users who had shown high levels of aggression.
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