Ms FINOCCHIARO - 2014-05-08
Alcohol Protection Orders are among a range of new tools given to police to assist efforts to tackle alcohol-fuelled crime. What trends are police reporting regarding assault statistics since Alcohol Protection Orders came into effect at the end of December?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for her question. It follows on from the member for Daly’s question where he talked about temporary beat locations and some of the changes we have made in reducing instances of domestic violence, serious assaults and sexual assaults on women, especially where the TBLs are being operated now. They are a mainstay in Alice Springs, and are being rolled out in Tennant Creek, Katherine and, on occasion, in the greater Darwin region.
Almost 1300 people are on an Alcohol Protection Order, banning them from buying, consuming or possessing alcohol or attending licensed premises. These are people who have been charged with committing a crime under the influence of alcohol which attracts a gaol term of six months or more. Next week we are due to release crime statistics for the first quarter that APOs have been in operation. Those statistics, are very encouraging.
I was surprised to walk into the Chamber today and see an MPI on the agenda about a dramatic increase in violent crime in the Northern Territory. We have been advising this Chamber and the Northern Territory for some time that numbers have been going down significantly and we are gaining a lot of traction in some of our interventions and policy reforms. I will go through some statistics to provide some clarity, because you have been talking about our commitment to a 10% reduction in crime.
I will give you a sneak preview of what will come out next week.
Ms Lawrie: Put it out now if you have it.
Mr GILES: Hang on, you asked a question, so I will give you an answer. Territory wide, assaults are down 19% for the quarter. They are down 39% in Tennant Creek, 32% in Alice Springs, 21% in Katherine and almost 13% in Palmerston. The member for Drysdale is very keen to hear those Palmerston figures, much like the new member for Blain and the member for Brennan. It is still early days - I keep saying that - but for three months in a row we have seen substantial reductions in crime and enormous reductions in property crime over more than three months. Assault figures are coming down rapidly, and we think they will continue to do that.
These are not just month on month or year on year figures; we are talking on a quarterly basis. The month on month statistics – I provided one during the previous answer about serious assaults just in Alice Springs - are down a whopping 54%, but these are quarter on quarter, year on year figures. As I said, Territory wide, assaults are down 19%. I said to the member for Barkly during my last answer to a similar question that I would give him a full briefing …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 256. Could the Chief Minister table the information he is providing to the Assembly?
Madam SPEAKER: Standing Order 256 states:
He is a minister. It is not a point of order.
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Speaking to the point of order, Standing Order 255 says a document relating to public affairs quoted from by a Minister …
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you. Chief Minister, do you wish to table that document?
Mr GILES: No, Madam Speaker. During the last 10 minutes before I walked into the Chamber I was writing this out for myself so I could give the …
Ms Lawrie: Rubbish.
Mr GILES: It is true.
Ms Lawrie: What are you hiding?
Mr GILES: What am I hiding? You are the person …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Opposition Leader made an unparliamentary comment. I would like her to withdraw it.
Madam SPEAKER: My apologies, member for Fong Lim, I did not hear any untoward remarks.
Mr GILES: As I said, these are fantastic statistics, Territory wide, assaults are down 19% for the quarter year on year. The full statistics will be out next week, and I look forward to ensuring the Territory is aware of how well things are going in the Northern Territory.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drysdale for her question. It follows on from the member for Daly’s question where he talked about temporary beat locations and some of the changes we have made in reducing instances of domestic violence, serious assaults and sexual assaults on women, especially where the TBLs are being operated now. They are a mainstay in Alice Springs, and are being rolled out in Tennant Creek, Katherine and, on occasion, in the greater Darwin region.
Almost 1300 people are on an Alcohol Protection Order, banning them from buying, consuming or possessing alcohol or attending licensed premises. These are people who have been charged with committing a crime under the influence of alcohol which attracts a gaol term of six months or more. Next week we are due to release crime statistics for the first quarter that APOs have been in operation. Those statistics, are very encouraging.
I was surprised to walk into the Chamber today and see an MPI on the agenda about a dramatic increase in violent crime in the Northern Territory. We have been advising this Chamber and the Northern Territory for some time that numbers have been going down significantly and we are gaining a lot of traction in some of our interventions and policy reforms. I will go through some statistics to provide some clarity, because you have been talking about our commitment to a 10% reduction in crime.
I will give you a sneak preview of what will come out next week.
Ms Lawrie: Put it out now if you have it.
Mr GILES: Hang on, you asked a question, so I will give you an answer. Territory wide, assaults are down 19% for the quarter. They are down 39% in Tennant Creek, 32% in Alice Springs, 21% in Katherine and almost 13% in Palmerston. The member for Drysdale is very keen to hear those Palmerston figures, much like the new member for Blain and the member for Brennan. It is still early days - I keep saying that - but for three months in a row we have seen substantial reductions in crime and enormous reductions in property crime over more than three months. Assault figures are coming down rapidly, and we think they will continue to do that.
These are not just month on month or year on year figures; we are talking on a quarterly basis. The month on month statistics – I provided one during the previous answer about serious assaults just in Alice Springs - are down a whopping 54%, but these are quarter on quarter, year on year figures. As I said, Territory wide, assaults are down 19%. I said to the member for Barkly during my last answer to a similar question that I would give him a full briefing …
Ms LAWRIE: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 256. Could the Chief Minister table the information he is providing to the Assembly?
Madam SPEAKER: Standing Order 256 states:
- A document quoted from by a Member: not being a Minister may be ordered …
He is a minister. It is not a point of order.
Mr GUNNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Speaking to the point of order, Standing Order 255 says a document relating to public affairs quoted from by a Minister …
Madam SPEAKER: Thank you. Chief Minister, do you wish to table that document?
Mr GILES: No, Madam Speaker. During the last 10 minutes before I walked into the Chamber I was writing this out for myself so I could give the …
Ms Lawrie: Rubbish.
Mr GILES: It is true.
Ms Lawrie: What are you hiding?
Mr GILES: What am I hiding? You are the person …
Mr TOLLNER: A point of order, Madam Speaker! The Opposition Leader made an unparliamentary comment. I would like her to withdraw it.
Madam SPEAKER: My apologies, member for Fong Lim, I did not hear any untoward remarks.
Mr GILES: As I said, these are fantastic statistics, Territory wide, assaults are down 19% for the quarter year on year. The full statistics will be out next week, and I look forward to ensuring the Territory is aware of how well things are going in the Northern Territory.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016