❓ Question regarding government support for police officers, answered by detailing the success of mandatory sentencing for those who assault police, leading to a reported decrease in assaults.
AnsweredQoN 105Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE —
MANDATORY SENTENCING LAWS
105. Mr J. NORBERGER to the Minister for
Police:
Police play a vital role in
protecting our community. Can the minister please advise the house on how the
Liberal–National government is helping to protect our police officers?
MANDATORY SENTENCING LAWS
105. Mr J. NORBERGER to the Minister for
Police:
Police play a vital role in
protecting our community. Can the minister please advise the house on how the
Liberal–National government is helping to protect our police officers?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Joondalup for
the question and for his increasing and consistent interest in policing
matters.
Mr
P.B. Watson interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Thank you! The minister.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : That is an incredibly inappropriate comment for a member of
Parliament to make in this place.
Several members interjected.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : He has made an inference that the member for Joondalup is involved
in crime, and I find that offensive.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : I never heard what he said. Through the Chair, please, minister.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : Thank you, Mr Speaker.
I will take the opportunity to speak
about the success of the state government's mandatory sentencing regime
for those people who would assault police officers. I know the member for
Joondalup is particularly interested in this, after a very high-profile case
has been settled in —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Joondalup, I call you to order for the first time. We
are not making good time at all. The minister.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : I know that the member for Joondalup was quite interested in
this in response to some comments that were reported in the newspaper from a presiding
magistrate who was lamenting the fact that he was compelled to impose a mandatory
penalty against a person who had assaulted a police officer. We make no apology
for introducing that legislation. When we came to government in 2008, one of
our election commitments was to introduce mandatory minimum penalties for those
people who would assault police officers. That was in response to the
unprecedented level of assaults against police officers that had been occurring
in the preceding years.
As a result of our legislation,
adults who are convicted of assaulting a public officer, a police officer, and
causing grievous bodily harm will receive a mandatory minimum penalty of 12 months.
If it is assault occasioning bodily harm in aggravated circumstances, we are
looking at nine months as a mandatory minimum; and obviously for assault
causing bodily harm, we are looking at six months. A review of our legislation,
member for Joondalup, back in 2014 showed that there had been a 27 per cent
decrease in the number of assaults against police officers since the
legislation was introduced.
Just last month, there was the case
that the member for Joondalup was referring to and had spoken to me about of a woman
who has been jailed for six months for biting a policewoman on her inner thigh
and elbowing her in the face. This has been through a number of different court
processes, and now, as an outcome of those processes, that woman has been
sentenced to jail for a mandatory minimum term of six months. We think that is
the right outcome. Our legislation has certainly been tested, and we remain
committed to bringing legislation to this place that will protect our police
officers and support the valuable work they do in our community.
the question and for his increasing and consistent interest in policing
matters.
Mr
P.B. Watson interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Thank you! The minister.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : That is an incredibly inappropriate comment for a member of
Parliament to make in this place.
Several members interjected.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : He has made an inference that the member for Joondalup is involved
in crime, and I find that offensive.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : I never heard what he said. Through the Chair, please, minister.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : Thank you, Mr Speaker.
I will take the opportunity to speak
about the success of the state government's mandatory sentencing regime
for those people who would assault police officers. I know the member for
Joondalup is particularly interested in this, after a very high-profile case
has been settled in —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Joondalup, I call you to order for the first time. We
are not making good time at all. The minister.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : I know that the member for Joondalup was quite interested in
this in response to some comments that were reported in the newspaper from a presiding
magistrate who was lamenting the fact that he was compelled to impose a mandatory
penalty against a person who had assaulted a police officer. We make no apology
for introducing that legislation. When we came to government in 2008, one of
our election commitments was to introduce mandatory minimum penalties for those
people who would assault police officers. That was in response to the
unprecedented level of assaults against police officers that had been occurring
in the preceding years.
As a result of our legislation,
adults who are convicted of assaulting a public officer, a police officer, and
causing grievous bodily harm will receive a mandatory minimum penalty of 12 months.
If it is assault occasioning bodily harm in aggravated circumstances, we are
looking at nine months as a mandatory minimum; and obviously for assault
causing bodily harm, we are looking at six months. A review of our legislation,
member for Joondalup, back in 2014 showed that there had been a 27 per cent
decrease in the number of assaults against police officers since the
legislation was introduced.
Just last month, there was the case
that the member for Joondalup was referring to and had spoken to me about of a woman
who has been jailed for six months for biting a policewoman on her inner thigh
and elbowing her in the face. This has been through a number of different court
processes, and now, as an outcome of those processes, that woman has been
sentenced to jail for a mandatory minimum term of six months. We think that is
the right outcome. Our legislation has certainly been tested, and we remain
committed to bringing legislation to this place that will protect our police
officers and support the valuable work they do in our community.
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