Page 3711 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 9 December 1992
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Police Dogs
MS ELLIS: My question is directed to the Attorney-General, and I ask: Will the Government be using police dogs against young people in Civic?
MR CONNOLLY: I thank the member for the question. I am aware that rumours have been sweeping Canberra that the Australian Federal Police are training a crack squad of police dogs for skateboard and rollerblade patrols. While I can confirm that Rover is far more elegant and falls off the skateboard less frequently than a certain prominent Liberal politician, I must say that the trials with the rollerblades have been less successful. It is difficult to find four rollerblades of sufficiently small size, and the dogs are very uncoordinated. That question invites a flippant response, because it was such an absurd suggestion made by a former member of this place over the weekend.
The police will have an enhanced presence in Civic over the next few weeks in relation to our safer Civic program. The key to that safer Civic program is to continue to build on good relationships between young people and the beat police. I was very pleased with it when I was out on a Friday night, and certainly members are invited to wander into Civic and chat to the police in the early hours of the morning to see how it is going. The thing that struck me most about the beat police's operation is the very good relationships that are developing between by far the bulk of the young kids who are in there for a good time and the beat police. The young Canberra kids - our community's kids - see that the beat police are there to look after them and ensure that they can go out, enjoy themselves, have a good time, and get home safely.
To bring police dogs in for crowd control in Civic would be totally counterproductive. The AFP's police dog contingent is very much policing of last resort. It has a search function; it has a crowd control function in extremis. To suggest that they be brought in and used for general Friday and Saturday night beat patrol duties in Civic makes about as much sense as suggesting that the highly trained counter-terrorist squads come in with all their combat gear, automatic weapons, stun grenades and tear gas and patrol the steps of a disco. The key to the safer Civic strategy is to continue to build on good police-young person relationships. The suggestion that we use police dogs is absurd.
MADAM SPEAKER: I call Mr Humphries.
Mr Stevenson: I will raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I believe that the call should be given to the person first on his feet.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Stevenson, I will no longer entertain that point of order. Will you please sit down.
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