Page 3284 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 21 August 2018

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The 2018-19 ACT budget provides funding of $11.8 million over four years to better support ACT Policing’s operations. The funding will deliver $2.6 million over four years—two FTE in 2018-19 and four FTE per year from 2019-20—to recruit and expand ACT Policing’s strategic analysis capability targeting crime hot spots and identifying emerging risks; $1.6 million over four years to recruit additional resources—two FTE per year—and provide specialised training and tools to target, disrupt, deter and prevent organised crime in the ACT; $5.6 million over four years to provide new smartphones to ACT Policing staff to improve the secure capture, transmission and sharing of data and radiocommunications, and improve service delivery and officer safety; and $2 million over two years to upgrade facilities at Tuggeranong Police Station and Winchester Police Centre.

In closing my remarks on this part of the approp bill, I want to turn to the matters raised by Mr Coe earlier. The problem for us is that Mr Coe does not actually do his research. He is more concerned about spin and scaremongering. As he was told by the Chief Police Officer, the new initiatives in this year’s budget for ACT Policing are what she asked for.

Further, it would help if Mr Coe read the paper, or got up to date with some of ACT Policing’s news. My advice from ACT Policing is that there have been no aggravated robberies or incidents against ACT clubs since earlier this year. Let me also read from two recent media releases from ACT Policing. One from 16 August, entitled “Man to face 22 charges linked to historic aggravated crimes”, says:

A man will face the ACT Magistrates Court after being summonsed on 22 charges including attempted murder, forcible confinement and aggravated robbery in relation to historic offences between 2009 and 2018.

The 25-year-old man was charged as part of Operation Athabasca, which saw ACT Policing’s Crime Disruption Team link 14 incidents, including 13 aggravated robberies. Across a ten-year period, the incidents resulted in a significant amount of cash being stolen.

Detective Station Sergeant Harry Hains said public information was a significant contributing factor to the operation’s success.

“I would like to acknowledge the courage of victims and others who came forward with information, even though they were still recovering from these traumatic events,” Detective Station Sergeant Hains said.

“Our officers followed up this information and today, we have laid nearly two dozen serious criminal charges. This is a significant milestone for Operation Athabasca, which is ongoing and will continue to target other offenders in this series of events.”

“The success of this operation serves as a reminder to anyone who commits a serious crime that it doesn’t matter whether it is one day or ten years after the event, ACT Policing’s investigations of serious crimes stay active until a case is closed.”

The man will face the ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday September 26, 2018 on 22 charges …


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