❓ Mr. Morton asks about the use of covert hoon cameras, and the Minister for Police responds with details of their successful deployment, resulting in impounded vehicles and charges laid, leading to guilty pleas and cost savings.
AnsweredQoN 877Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HOON DRIVERS — COVERT CAMERAS
877. MR N.W. MORTON to the
Minister for Police:
Before I ask my question, I acknowledge the years 5 and 6
students from Hawker Park Primary School in the member for Kingsley's
electorate who are in the public gallery today.
I refer to the Liberal‑National government's
election commitment for covert hoon cameras. Can the minister please inform the
house how Western Australia Police is using covert hoon cameras to combat hoon
driving in our community?
877. MR N.W. MORTON to the
Minister for Police:
Before I ask my question, I acknowledge the years 5 and 6
students from Hawker Park Primary School in the member for Kingsley's
electorate who are in the public gallery today.
I refer to the Liberal‑National government's
election commitment for covert hoon cameras. Can the minister please inform the
house how Western Australia Police is using covert hoon cameras to combat hoon
driving in our community?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Forrestfield for this question, and
his continued interest in law enforcement matters, particularly, in his electorate
of Forrestfield.
I am really pleased to inform the house of the partial
achievement of yet another Liberal‑National election commitment. In 2013,
we committed to provide $170 000 over four years to allow WA Police to purchase
24 covert hoon cameras. These cameras were to be used in assisting police in
prosecuting offenders for hoon offences. We have been very successful over the
three-month work up of the trial period in using police intelligence in our
local policing teams to build up a database of where these cameras can be best
placed and best deployed in order to catch hoon drivers in the act. Indeed, it
has been highly successful. Members may have seen some footage of these hoons
in action; we have certainly seen Facebook posts of some of these hoons in
action. Their behaviour is absolutely appalling. They have no regard for
anybody else in their community; they are not considering the consequences of
their actions. I am pleased to report the result of the deployment of these
cameras over three months. Thirty cars have been impounded and 41 charges have
been laid against hoon drivers—a significant achievement for the
police. Importantly, and members in the house might be surprised to note, we
have had tremendous success in hoon drivers pleading guilty at the first
opportunity because the video evidence, the evidence that we have recorded on
film, has been so compelling that they have deemed it more appropriate to plead
guilty to those offences, which is therefore saving taxpayers' money
and shortening the process in allowing us to prosecute those drivers and
impound their vehicles. I look forward to the continued purchase of these
cameras over the four-year period. I encourage members of the community and
members of Parliament to engage with their local policing teams to help us
gather the evidence of where hoons congregate, so that we know where to best
place these cameras to catch these people. The more of these drivers and their
vehicles we get off the road, the better for community safety in Western Australia.
his continued interest in law enforcement matters, particularly, in his electorate
of Forrestfield.
I am really pleased to inform the house of the partial
achievement of yet another Liberal‑National election commitment. In 2013,
we committed to provide $170 000 over four years to allow WA Police to purchase
24 covert hoon cameras. These cameras were to be used in assisting police in
prosecuting offenders for hoon offences. We have been very successful over the
three-month work up of the trial period in using police intelligence in our
local policing teams to build up a database of where these cameras can be best
placed and best deployed in order to catch hoon drivers in the act. Indeed, it
has been highly successful. Members may have seen some footage of these hoons
in action; we have certainly seen Facebook posts of some of these hoons in
action. Their behaviour is absolutely appalling. They have no regard for
anybody else in their community; they are not considering the consequences of
their actions. I am pleased to report the result of the deployment of these
cameras over three months. Thirty cars have been impounded and 41 charges have
been laid against hoon drivers—a significant achievement for the
police. Importantly, and members in the house might be surprised to note, we
have had tremendous success in hoon drivers pleading guilty at the first
opportunity because the video evidence, the evidence that we have recorded on
film, has been so compelling that they have deemed it more appropriate to plead
guilty to those offences, which is therefore saving taxpayers' money
and shortening the process in allowing us to prosecute those drivers and
impound their vehicles. I look forward to the continued purchase of these
cameras over the four-year period. I encourage members of the community and
members of Parliament to engage with their local policing teams to help us
gather the evidence of where hoons congregate, so that we know where to best
place these cameras to catch these people. The more of these drivers and their
vehicles we get off the road, the better for community safety in Western Australia.
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