Mr HIGGINS - 2013-10-15
Can you please tell the Assembly about the recent efforts by police to combat alcohol-fuelled violence on Mitchell Street?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. When the member for Daly is here, he quite often goes out for dinner with his lovely wife, who is in the gallery today. The member for Daly, like all of us in this Chamber and in the Territory, wants to ensure we have a safe environment where we can go out, enjoy a good meal or a beer after work, or whatever. We want to ensure the minority which causes trouble on occasion is given a clear message: it is not about causing trouble, it is about having a good night.
I assure Territorians, especially parents, that the government and the police take this issue very seriously. For this reason, over the weekend the police conducted a high-visibility operation called Operation Omaha, which saw more than 50 police officers working in the CBD each night on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Licensing inspectors were also out working closely with police on the nights. I joined some of the hard-working officers on the beat on Friday night and was pleased to see the strong police presence in the city.
The operation resulted in a relatively quiet weekend in the city, with 183 checks conducted by police of licensed premises in the CBD. Six arrests were made in the city over the weekend in total: three were drink drivers; three were connected to licensed premises, two of which were for assaults and one for a person who refused to leave a licensed premise when asked to do so. In all, 28 people were taken to the watch house.
Police operations like this one send a very clear message to the community about what is acceptable behaviour in Mitchell Street and what is not. I and my government make no apologies for being tough on law and order in Mitchell Street.
The public has a reasonable expectation that government and police will respond to issues of community concern as they arise. The community pays taxes and they want police to be able to provide policing in Mitchell Street. This is the core business of the police force.
However, these high-visibility targeted operations are only part of the response. Police are out in the CBD every other weekend with regular patrols, with assistance from mounted police and the Dog Squad.
Police already have a raft of powers available to them. The government hopes to add to these powers with the alcohol protection orders which will be introduced into parliament this week.
Publicans also take this issue very seriously, and I know publicans cop a lot of blame. They have been working with the government and police on ways to further enhance the safety of patrons in the CBD. I am advised the Liquor Accord is being reviewed to see how licensees can strengthen that on a collective basis for the broader benefit of the community.
Licensees were very supportive of the police operations over the weekend and are looking forward to further police operations. Government, police, publicans and, importantly, patrons, all have a role to play in ensuring our city is safe.
I encourage those in the minority who cause trouble for others to pull your heads in and allow every other Territorian who likes to go out and have a good time to be able to have that in a safe and peaceful environment.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Daly for his question. When the member for Daly is here, he quite often goes out for dinner with his lovely wife, who is in the gallery today. The member for Daly, like all of us in this Chamber and in the Territory, wants to ensure we have a safe environment where we can go out, enjoy a good meal or a beer after work, or whatever. We want to ensure the minority which causes trouble on occasion is given a clear message: it is not about causing trouble, it is about having a good night.
I assure Territorians, especially parents, that the government and the police take this issue very seriously. For this reason, over the weekend the police conducted a high-visibility operation called Operation Omaha, which saw more than 50 police officers working in the CBD each night on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Licensing inspectors were also out working closely with police on the nights. I joined some of the hard-working officers on the beat on Friday night and was pleased to see the strong police presence in the city.
The operation resulted in a relatively quiet weekend in the city, with 183 checks conducted by police of licensed premises in the CBD. Six arrests were made in the city over the weekend in total: three were drink drivers; three were connected to licensed premises, two of which were for assaults and one for a person who refused to leave a licensed premise when asked to do so. In all, 28 people were taken to the watch house.
Police operations like this one send a very clear message to the community about what is acceptable behaviour in Mitchell Street and what is not. I and my government make no apologies for being tough on law and order in Mitchell Street.
The public has a reasonable expectation that government and police will respond to issues of community concern as they arise. The community pays taxes and they want police to be able to provide policing in Mitchell Street. This is the core business of the police force.
However, these high-visibility targeted operations are only part of the response. Police are out in the CBD every other weekend with regular patrols, with assistance from mounted police and the Dog Squad.
Police already have a raft of powers available to them. The government hopes to add to these powers with the alcohol protection orders which will be introduced into parliament this week.
Publicans also take this issue very seriously, and I know publicans cop a lot of blame. They have been working with the government and police on ways to further enhance the safety of patrons in the CBD. I am advised the Liquor Accord is being reviewed to see how licensees can strengthen that on a collective basis for the broader benefit of the community.
Licensees were very supportive of the police operations over the weekend and are looking forward to further police operations. Government, police, publicans and, importantly, patrons, all have a role to play in ensuring our city is safe.
I encourage those in the minority who cause trouble for others to pull your heads in and allow every other Territorian who likes to go out and have a good time to be able to have that in a safe and peaceful environment.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016