Page 5008 - Week 15 - Thursday, 15 December 2005

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(1) In relation to the ACT Property Crime Reduction Strategy 2004-2007, Action 3.1.4, page 13 which states “Formalise the role of ranger services (inclusive of parking officers, city rangers and domestic animal services officers) to report suspicious criminal behaviour”, how many reports have Urban Services rangers made to ACT Policing regarding suspicious criminal behaviour in each financial year since this strategy was put in place;

(2) Given that the strategy also stated that the rangers induction program will incorporate a section on the responsibility of officers to report suspicious behaviour to appropriate authorities, what are the responsibilities of rangers regarding the reporting of suspicious behaviours;

(3) How many abandoned vehicles found by Urban Services rangers have been checked against policing records of stolen cars and were all abandoned vehicles found checked against Policing records of stolen vehicles; if not, why not;

(4) Given that the strategy also stated on page 13 that the position as at 31 December 2004 “Completed: 15 July to 31 December 2004 15 new staff inducted into new program”, where are these staff employed and what roles do they undertake;

(5) How can there be 15 new staff when the Department of Urban Services annual report 2004-05 shows that there are only five rangers employed within the department.

Mr Hargreaves: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:

(1) 22 reports of stolen vehicles were made to the Police for the 2004/05 financial year and 9 for the 2005/06 financial year.

(2) The responsibility of staff within Ranger Services is to report suspicious behaviour via two-way radio or mobile phone back to base. All incidents are recorded on the ‘suspicious incident report form’ and the Police contacted immediately.

(3) All vehicles investigated by Urban Services’ Rangers as being abandoned are checked against Police records of stolen vehicles as a matter of procedure. In the 2004/05 financial year, Rangers inspected 1294 vehicles all of which were checked against police stolen vehicle lists. For the current financial year to date 523 vehicles have been inspected and checked against police stolen vehicle records.

(4) The 15 new staff trained under the new program are Parking Information Officers.

(5) Staff profile reports, in the Annual Report, reflect the awards and pay conditions of groups of staff. The five FTE reported in the 2004-2005 annual report were made up of one Forest Ranger and four Sportsground Rangers. These officers receive the pay and conditions associated with the Award for Rangers.

This is not to be confused with the staff of Ranger Services, which includes Parking Information Officers, staff of the Traffic Camera Office, Domestic Animal Services and City Rangers Office. These officers, while having the title of Ranger, are Administrative Services Officers and are reported as such in the Annual Report.

Parking charges
(Question No 783)

Mr Pratt asked the Minister for Urban Services, upon notice, on 17 November 2005:


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