Ms CARNEY - 2007-04-19
Last night, your minister for Police told the people of Alice Springs to ring 131 444 if they needed to speak to the police. He told them that that number would take them ‘… right into the heart of the Alice Springs Police Station …’. Last night, as with previous days and nights in Alice Springs, when people, including journalists and staffers, rang 131 444, it rang out. This morning, Mr Daryl Manzie tried to call that number to get through to the police in Alice Springs and, as he told his listeners on Territory FM, he rang once and got Katherine; he rang another time and got Palmerston; he tried again and he got Berrimah.
If your Police minister will not do his job, can you do his job and yours and ensure that the people of Alice Springs can get through to the police station when they ring?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I suppose if the last 24 hours regarding telephone numbers have demonstrated anything, it is that we all know now that 131 444 is the number to ring if you have a non-urgent call to Territory police. The issue for Alice Springs is that the system does not work as well as it can. The announcement today by Superintendent Sean Parnell in Alice Springs reaffirms that 131 444 is the number to ring. That police assistance line had been introduced Territory-wide almost three years ago and that is its purpose. To get urgent calls, it is 000; non-urgent calls right around the Territory, it is 131444.
What has emerged today - from Superintendent Parnell – is there have been technical issues with calls in Alice Springs which will be resolved when a piece of equipment called the automated call distributor arrives and is installed. That equipment is due for delivery in the next six to eight weeks. The equipment in Alice Springs which, evidently - as I understand, I am not technical - is not as contemporary as the equipment in Darwin, will be up to scratch. It has been an unedifying experience over the last 24 hours to realise that the system was not working. It had been in place for three years. When it came under focus, it was not working up to scratch. I say to the residents of Alice Springs that there is a commitment from the police that, in six to eight weeks, that call line will be up to scratch and it will be operating as well as the one in Darwin.
The 131 444 number is the one to ring for non-urgent calls right across the Territory, and here in Alice Springs. Once the automated call distributor equipment arrives and is installed, then that number will be effectively answered. For the last three years we have not seen these problems, they have emerged more recently. There is a commitment from police to fix the equipment. Once that is done that number will be working well.
I say to everyone, if you have an emergency, the number to ring is 000.
If your Police minister will not do his job, can you do his job and yours and ensure that the people of Alice Springs can get through to the police station when they ring?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I suppose if the last 24 hours regarding telephone numbers have demonstrated anything, it is that we all know now that 131 444 is the number to ring if you have a non-urgent call to Territory police. The issue for Alice Springs is that the system does not work as well as it can. The announcement today by Superintendent Sean Parnell in Alice Springs reaffirms that 131 444 is the number to ring. That police assistance line had been introduced Territory-wide almost three years ago and that is its purpose. To get urgent calls, it is 000; non-urgent calls right around the Territory, it is 131444.
What has emerged today - from Superintendent Parnell – is there have been technical issues with calls in Alice Springs which will be resolved when a piece of equipment called the automated call distributor arrives and is installed. That equipment is due for delivery in the next six to eight weeks. The equipment in Alice Springs which, evidently - as I understand, I am not technical - is not as contemporary as the equipment in Darwin, will be up to scratch. It has been an unedifying experience over the last 24 hours to realise that the system was not working. It had been in place for three years. When it came under focus, it was not working up to scratch. I say to the residents of Alice Springs that there is a commitment from the police that, in six to eight weeks, that call line will be up to scratch and it will be operating as well as the one in Darwin.
The 131 444 number is the one to ring for non-urgent calls right across the Territory, and here in Alice Springs. Once the automated call distributor equipment arrives and is installed, then that number will be effectively answered. For the last three years we have not seen these problems, they have emerged more recently. There is a commitment from police to fix the equipment. Once that is done that number will be working well.
I say to everyone, if you have an emergency, the number to ring is 000.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016