Page 2119 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 21 June 2011
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The government is committed to ensuring that ACT residents can enjoy living in a fair and safe community and that we all have the confidence to participate fully in community life. Crime has a fundamentally detrimental effect on our quality of life by undermining our confidence and sense of personal safety. It also impacts on cohesion and productivity of the community as a whole.
As we look towards 2011-12 the government will prioritise a range of strategies to promote physical safety, respect for human rights, social cohesion, social inclusion, equity of opportunity and access to justice. Specifically, the government will focus on continued improvement in public safety through targeting a reduction in property crime and increased public perception of safety.
Offences against property account for nearly three-quarters of all offences reported or made known to the police in the ACT. To address this challenge in 2011-12 the government will deliver a new property crime strategy. In 2009-10 ACT Policing implemented a major crime prevention strategy aimed at increasing proactive engagement and intervention with people identified as vulnerable, or recidivist offenders. In 2011-12 the government will implement the next important phase of this crime prevention strategy.
We recognise that policing has a pivotal role to play in reducing the fear of crime in the community. Research on fear of crime consistently shows that a higher physical police presence has positive effects upon the perception of crime, as well as reducing fear of crime. A greater policing presence will be a focus for 2011-12 and will see the further enforcement of new liquor licensing laws. We will also complete the construction and commissioning of the new Belconnen police station in 2011-12.
The government will continue to work through the recommendations of reviews of its corrections facilities, including the Knowledge Consulting report on the Alexander Maconochie Centre. Immediate actions in 2011-12 will be to improve resourcing in the centre and increase security measures. For example, the K9 unit will be relocated to the AMC, the Keywatcher system will be upgraded and streamlined, and a “heartbeat” detection unit at the AMC will be installed to improve searches of vehicles entering and exiting the centre.
The government will continue to strengthen the ACT Ambulance Service’s capability, including provision of additional front-line ambulance officers and enhancements in the ambulance support structure. We will improve waiting times in the ACT courts and provide more options for youth in our justice system, including the development of an after-hours bail support service for young people.
Implementing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander justice agreement will also be a focus for us in the coming 12 months, including support for the circle sentencing for Indigenous people and an “Indigenous friend” to advocate for and assist young Indigenous people as they navigate the youth justice system.
Progress on the relocation of emergency services stations will be achieved to improve coverage of our emergency services, particularly fire and ambulance station locations,
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