Page 1170 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 10 April 2018
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MR MILLIGAN: Minister, what relationship is there between crime levels and police resources?
MR GENTLEMAN: That would need a detailed answer. I think that an expert would need to do quite a study into that. I can say that ACT Policing is in a unique position, in that ACT Policing has the ability to call on resources from the broader AFP as operational requirements arise. This includes the special response group, SRG, and canine capabilities, which have previously been grouped into the FTE counts for ACT Policing. These resources are no longer included in that staffing figure. However, they remain available to ACT Policing as required.
Mr Hanson: Madam Speaker, on relevance: the question is very much about the relationship between crime levels and police resources, not just an answer giving a long list of police resources. It is about the relationship between crime levels and police resources, and how they are affected. That is the question. I ask that the minister be directly relevant.
MADAM SPEAKER: I think that at the beginning he explained that it was a complex response and then he went into some detail about the resources available to ACT Policing. Do you have something to add, minister?
MR GENTLEMAN: Yes, I do. In regard to those resources that I have mentioned, they are no longer included in the staffing figure. However, they remain available to Policing as required. This flexibility is one of the key reasons for the ACT government’s purchase agreement with the AFP for community policing services in Canberra. ACT police resources also fluctuate throughout the year due to mobility between ACT Policing and AFP national operations, as well as attrition and the timing and commencement of new recruits.
I have talked about shiftwork before, Madam Speaker. You and I both know what it is like to try to fill shifts. The FTE is 946 in the ACT. That is a strong number of people who work both on the front line and behind to support those front-line police. (Time expired.)
MR HANSON: Minister, what relationship is there between crime levels and population growth?
MR GENTLEMAN: Madam Speaker, if you look at the statistics there is a direct correlation between population growth and crime across the ACT. When I was born, in the ACT there were 20,000 people. The police operations then were, I think, one sergeant and four police officer guards. We have gone from that to over 946 FTE. In regard to looking at the challenges for ACT Policing and the resources that the government is providing, we are supporting ACT police through further funds, infrastructure and legislative change.
Citizens juries—process
MS LAWDER: My question is to the Chief Minister. I refer to claims reported by the ABC on 10 April about a member of the citizens jury walking out on the last day of
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