❓ Hon. Sophia Moermond questions the Minister for Police regarding potential inequity in cannabis intervention requirement notices issued to Aboriginal people in WA, referencing a NSW report. The Minister responds that WA Police data does not reveal inequity and that ethnicity data is captured.
AnsweredQoN 892Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
CANNABIS — OFFENCES
892. Hon SOPHIA MOERMOND to the minister representing the
Minister for Police:
I
refer to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research's report Why
are Aboriginal adults less likely to receive cannabis cautions? released in June 2023 that showed around 78 per cent of Aboriginal people
proceeded against for a cannabis offence were ineligible to receive a caution,
compared with 45 per cent of non-Aboriginal people under NSW's cannabis
cautioning scheme.
(1) Is there a similar
level of inequity of cautioning decisions received by Aboriginal people in the Western
Australian justice system?
(2) Is there any
data available that shows the ethnicity of individuals receiving a cannabis
intervention requirement under the Misuse of Drugs Act; and, if not, why not?
892. Hon SOPHIA MOERMOND to the minister representing the
Minister for Police:
I
refer to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research's report Why
are Aboriginal adults less likely to receive cannabis cautions? released in June 2023 that showed around 78 per cent of Aboriginal people
proceeded against for a cannabis offence were ineligible to receive a caution,
compared with 45 per cent of non-Aboriginal people under NSW's cannabis
cautioning scheme.
(1) Is there a similar
level of inequity of cautioning decisions received by Aboriginal people in the Western
Australian justice system?
(2) Is there any
data available that shows the ethnicity of individuals receiving a cannabis
intervention requirement under the Misuse of Drugs Act; and, if not, why not?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. The following answer has been provided to me by
the Minister for Police.
The Western Australia Police Force
advises the following.
(1) No. The WA
Police Force's application of drug diversion for cannabis and other
illicit drugs allows for intervention requirement notices to be issued, not
cautions. Issuance of these notices has been analysed in the past and did not
reveal inequity.
(2) Yes. The WA
Police Force captures the stated ethnicity and ethnic appearance of persons
processed for an offence with a cannabis intervention requirement. This data is
captured within the WA Police Force's incident management system.
some notice of the question. The following answer has been provided to me by
the Minister for Police.
The Western Australia Police Force
advises the following.
(1) No. The WA
Police Force's application of drug diversion for cannabis and other
illicit drugs allows for intervention requirement notices to be issued, not
cautions. Issuance of these notices has been analysed in the past and did not
reveal inequity.
(2) Yes. The WA
Police Force captures the stated ethnicity and ethnic appearance of persons
processed for an offence with a cannabis intervention requirement. This data is
captured within the WA Police Force's incident management system.
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