Page 3265 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 17 September 2013
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to bikie gangs or perhaps police resources; and, if none, have you instructed your directorate to undertake the work, and when will that begin?
MR CORBELL: I am in direct discussions with the Chief Police Officer in an ongoing manner in relation to the nature of these incidents and whether they do warrant any action on the part of the government. At this point in time we have not reached a conclusion on that question. Indeed, police themselves are still in the process of briefing the government on issues arising from these incidents that they believe the government should have regard to. So the government is engaged closely with police in relation to these incidents.
I have every confidence in their investigation. They are devoting considerable resources to these investigations because the use of guns is always a concerning development when it occurs. I am pleased to say that the overall level of gun crime in the ACT has either remained at a constant or declining level and the overall level of crime in the ACT continues to decline. We are not experiencing any increase in the level of gun-related crime or, indeed, overall crime trends. But we do treat these circumstances very seriously.
Whilst it would appear they are unrelated, we continue to work closely with ACT Policing. If any issues arise that the police believe the government should be giving close attention to, the government will be giving close attention to those matters. At this point in time there has been no recommendation to me from the Chief Police Officer on matters that he believes should be considered further but I will be having further discussions with the Chief Police Officer in the coming weeks on those matters.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Mr Hanson.
MR HANSON: Attorney-General, what public safety and security assurances can you give the people of Canberra, particularly Gungahlin residents, that these are isolated incidents that will not be repeated?
MR CORBELL: I cannot give any guarantee that crime will not be committed at some point in the future, and it would be foolish for me to do so. But what I can say is that the level of crime in the ACT continues to decline. The level of gun crime and armed offences continues to decline; the level of property theft continues to decline; motor vehicle theft continues to decline; alcohol-related crime continues to decline. That is because of this government’s investment in police, in CCTV and in crime prevention activities, as well as in a strong legislative framework to deal with crime when it occurs.
That is why we see motor vehicle theft at a 10-year low, burglary at a 10-year low, and continued reports, through national surveys, that across Australia Canberra is considered either the safest or the second safest city in the country to live in. That really speaks for itself in terms of the strong community spirit in our city. People look out for themselves and their neighbours; we have a professional and capable police service; and we continue to see low levels of crime.
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