Minister Roberts responds to a question regarding crime statistics, highlighting significant reductions in various crime categories and attributing them to the Gallop government's crime-fighting strategies and investment in police resources and technology.

AnsweredQoN 308Legislative Assembly
Asked
23 June 2005
Portfolio
Police and Emergency Services

QuestionView source ↗

Following the release today of national crime figures by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, will the minister detail whether the Gallop government’s crime fighting strategies are on target? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for Riverton for the question and for his strong support of the Police Service and of the government’s community policing strategies. I also acknowledge the East Perth community safety group, whose members are sitting in the Speaker’s gallery. Those types of groups throughout Western Australia help the police and help make the community safer. As I reiterated yesterday, Western Australia has been leading the nation in the provision of technology and by the legislation this government has put in place over the past four and a half years. We have resourced our Police Service to the highest level in the history of the state. More than $180 million in extra resources have been provided to the Police Service. We are leading the nation in our use of DNA technology. Only yesterday I announced that Western Australia and Queensland are the first two states to link the exchange of the states’ DNA database information. That measure and the sharing of fingerprint information and other technology we are using, and the commissioner’s Frontline First strategy are paying dividends. I was delighted today that the Australian Bureau of Statistics released some stunning statistics for Western Australia, which include a reduction in armed robbery of 40 per cent for the 12 months ending 31 December 2004. I repeat, that is 40 per cent, which is a tremendous achievement. Incidents of unarmed robbery have reduced by eight per cent, the rate of burglaries has reduced by nearly 25 per cent and motor vehicle theft has reduced by nearly 30 per cent. They are outstanding results. I congratulate our Police Service on reducing those crime rates. We have remarkably improved the clearance rates also. This is more proof that the Gallop government’s strategy of law and order is working. We are properly supporting our Police Service to get on with the job and we are seeing a difference in the steady decline in crime rates. The armed robbery rate is now less than half of what it was during the term of the last coalition government.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: I thank the member for Riverton for the question and for his strong support of the Police Service and of the government’s community policing strategies. I also acknowledge the East Perth community safety group, whose members are sitting in the Speaker’s gallery. Those types of groups throughout Western Australia help the police and help make the community safer. As I reiterated yesterday, Western Australia has been leading the nation in the provision of technology and by the legislation this government has put in place over the past four and a half years. We have resourced our Police Service to the highest level in the history of the state. More than $180 million in extra resources have been provided to the Police Service. We are leading the nation in our use of DNA technology. Only yesterday I announced that Western Australia and Queensland are the first two states to link the exchange of the states’ DNA database information. That measure and the sharing of fingerprint information and other technology we are using, and the commissioner’s Frontline First strategy are paying dividends. I was delighted today that the Australian Bureau of Statistics released some stunning statistics for Western Australia, which include a reduction in armed robbery of 40 per cent for the 12 months ending 31 December 2004. I repeat, that is 40 per cent, which is a tremendous achievement. Incidents of unarmed robbery have reduced by eight per cent, the rate of burglaries has reduced by nearly 25 per cent and motor vehicle theft has reduced by nearly 30 per cent. They are outstanding results. I congratulate our Police Service on reducing those crime rates. We have remarkably improved the clearance rates also. This is more proof that the Gallop government’s strategy of law and order is working. We are properly supporting our Police Service to get on with the job and we are seeing a difference in the steady decline in crime rates. The armed robbery rate is now less than half of what it was during the term of the last coalition government.
I thank the member for Riverton for the question and for his strong support of the Police Service and of the government’s community policing strategies. I also acknowledge the East Perth community safety group, whose members are sitting in the Speaker’s gallery. Those types of groups throughout Western Australia help the police and help make the community safer. As I reiterated yesterday, Western Australia has been leading the nation in the provision of technology and by the legislation this government has put in place over the past four and a half years. We have resourced our Police Service to the highest level in the history of the state. More than $180 million in extra resources have been provided to the Police Service. We are leading the nation in our use of DNA technology. Only yesterday I announced that Western Australia and Queensland are the first two states to link the exchange of the states’ DNA database information. That measure and the sharing of fingerprint information and other technology we are using, and the commissioner’s Frontline First strategy are paying dividends. I was delighted today that the Australian Bureau of Statistics released some stunning statistics for Western Australia, which include a reduction in armed robbery of 40 per cent for the 12 months ending 31 December 2004. I repeat, that is 40 per cent, which is a tremendous achievement. Incidents of unarmed robbery have reduced by eight per cent, the rate of burglaries has reduced by nearly 25 per cent and motor vehicle theft has reduced by nearly 30 per cent. They are outstanding results. I congratulate our Police Service on reducing those crime rates. We have remarkably improved the clearance rates also. This is more proof that the Gallop government’s strategy of law and order is working. We are properly supporting our Police Service to get on with the job and we are seeing a difference in the steady decline in crime rates. The armed robbery rate is now less than half of what it was during the term of the last coalition government.
I was delighted today that the Australian Bureau of Statistics released some stunning statistics for Western Australia, which include a reduction in armed robbery of 40 per cent for the 12 months ending 31 December 2004. I repeat, that is 40 per cent, which is a tremendous achievement. Incidents of unarmed robbery have reduced by eight per cent, the rate of burglaries has reduced by nearly 25 per cent and motor vehicle theft has reduced by nearly 30 per cent. They are outstanding results. I congratulate our Police Service on reducing those crime rates. We have remarkably improved the clearance rates also. This is more proof that the Gallop government’s strategy of law and order is working. We are properly supporting our Police Service to get on with the job and we are seeing a difference in the steady decline in crime rates. The armed robbery rate is now less than half of what it was during the term of the last coalition government.

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