Mr SETTER - 1995-10-10
The Leader of the Opposition has been trying his hardest to convince Territorians that property crime in the Territory is linked closely to heroin addicts. He argues that, if another addictive drug - that is, methadone - were to be made available to heroin addicts, they would not commit these crimes against Territorians. Do the statistics from Operation SURF, recently conducted by Territory police, indicate a correlation between house break-ins and offenders being heroin addicts?
Page 828
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I am pleased to advise members a little about the nature of Operation SURF and also to debunk this nonsense that, if a methadone program were to be introduced in the Northern Territory, there would be an immediate decline in the number of break-ins and that there is somehow a correlation between a methadone program not being available and the number of break-ins that might occur in the Darwin area.
Firstly, Operation SURF commenced in May of this year in response to the number of break-and-enters in the greater Darwin area. A task force of some 13 officers operated from the Casuarina Police Station. They came from CIB, general duties, the Bureau of Criminal Intelligence and the Territory Response Group. I am pleased to advise members that, since the commencement of Operation SURF, 179 persons have been either arrested or summonsed for some 908 offences. The value of the stolen property involved was some $1 013 700 and the value of property recovered was $470 735.
Returning to the point I made at the beginning - that there are those who argue that there is a correlation between the lack of a methadone program and break-ins - it is worth noting that, based on advice from the police, of the 179 persons apprehended, the offences committed by only 6 related to drug habits, particularly heroin use, and 4 of those 6 were from interstate. This debunks this nonsense that somehow, if there were a methadone program in the Territory, there would be a decline in the numbers of break-and-enters. What nonsense, Mr Speaker! I congratulate members of the Northern Territory Police Service on the success of Operation SURF and what they have achieved to date.
Page 829
Page 828
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I am pleased to advise members a little about the nature of Operation SURF and also to debunk this nonsense that, if a methadone program were to be introduced in the Northern Territory, there would be an immediate decline in the number of break-ins and that there is somehow a correlation between a methadone program not being available and the number of break-ins that might occur in the Darwin area.
Firstly, Operation SURF commenced in May of this year in response to the number of break-and-enters in the greater Darwin area. A task force of some 13 officers operated from the Casuarina Police Station. They came from CIB, general duties, the Bureau of Criminal Intelligence and the Territory Response Group. I am pleased to advise members that, since the commencement of Operation SURF, 179 persons have been either arrested or summonsed for some 908 offences. The value of the stolen property involved was some $1 013 700 and the value of property recovered was $470 735.
Returning to the point I made at the beginning - that there are those who argue that there is a correlation between the lack of a methadone program and break-ins - it is worth noting that, based on advice from the police, of the 179 persons apprehended, the offences committed by only 6 related to drug habits, particularly heroin use, and 4 of those 6 were from interstate. This debunks this nonsense that somehow, if there were a methadone program in the Territory, there would be a decline in the numbers of break-and-enters. What nonsense, Mr Speaker! I congratulate members of the Northern Territory Police Service on the success of Operation SURF and what they have achieved to date.
Page 829
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016