❓ The Minister for Police provides an update on the effectiveness of 2012 legislation targeting out-of-control gatherings, highlighting successful enforcement, cost recovery, and reduced incidents, while also referencing interjections and debate from other members.
AnsweredQoN 528Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
OUT-OF-CONTROL GATHERINGS
528. Mr C.D. HATTON to the Minister for
Police:
My question relates to
out-of-control parties. It was great to be at Maylands dog operations on the
weekend. In 2012, the Liberal–National government introduced a range of
measures to tackle the problem of out-of-control parties. Can the minister please
update the house on the results of these measures?
528. Mr C.D. HATTON to the Minister for
Police:
My question relates to
out-of-control parties. It was great to be at Maylands dog operations on the
weekend. In 2012, the Liberal–National government introduced a range of
measures to tackle the problem of out-of-control parties. Can the minister please
update the house on the results of these measures?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Balcatta for
his interest in these matters and for raising the issue of out-of-control
gatherings. Many members were in the house and they would recall that in 2012
Parliament passed legislation to create an offence for organising an
out-of-control gathering. It created an offence for a responsible adult
allowing a child to hold a gathering that became out of control. At the time,
we prescribed that an out-of-control party would be a gathering of 12 or more
people with at least two people engaged in criminal activities, such as
disorderly behaviour, disorderly conduct or behaviour that causes fear and
alarm to the surrounding properties. The legislation allows the courts to order
a person to pay costs for police attendance and damage that occurs as a result
of an out-of-control gathering. It carries a maximum penalty of 12 months'
imprisonment and a $12 000 fine. This has been an incredibly successful piece
of legislation, member for Balcatta. We backed up our out-of-control gatherings
legislation with a funding commitment by government to assist police and ensure
that they were resourced to enforce the legislation and also to manage these
out-of-control gatherings that were becoming a significant problem. The
government put $2.5 million into training nine additional police dogs; fitting
out the dogs' kennels; and two purpose-built police vehicles, at the
time known as the ''riot buses''. Since the legislation was
introduced, 52 out-of-control gatherings have been registered. There have been
seven so far this year and 98 people have been charged with offences under the
legislation. A total of 49 of those offences were specifically for holding a
gathering that became out of control. Importantly, the court has ordered that
offenders repay police $37 664 for the cost of police attendance at these
out-of-control gatherings. When we debated this legislation in the house, the
member for Midland said —
� � we recognise and assert that the passage of
this legislation will be an empty gesture unless it is backed up by proper
police resourcing.
Guess what? It got backed up by proper police resourcing.
Several members interjected.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
We had the member for Armadale saying that this was going to be the end of the
backyard barbecue in Western Australia. Police were going to run some kind of
jackboot parade through prayer gatherings, church gatherings and choir
gatherings. It did not happen. This legislation has been incredibly successful.
It has reduced the number of out-of-control gatherings.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Thank
you. Member for Midland, I call you to order for the first time and the member
for Armadale for the first time. I think you have made the point, minister, so
can you wind this up? Thank you.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I
would be pleased to, Mr Speaker.
Dr A.D. Buti interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Armadale, I call you to order for the second time.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
More importantly, very recently in the member for Midland's electorate
in Hazelmere, the Midland local policing team and the Ellenbrook police
successfully shut down an out-of-control gathering. Two people were charged
with the offence of holding an out-of-control gathering. Police are still doing
some further investigation on that. Out of that, police have worked to shut
down the utilities supplying that property. They are working with the City of
Swan to have the property demolished—a demolition order was issued. It
is working. The number of parties has come down. It has been a success and it
has been used absolutely appropriately by WA Police, as we on this side always
knew it would be.
his interest in these matters and for raising the issue of out-of-control
gatherings. Many members were in the house and they would recall that in 2012
Parliament passed legislation to create an offence for organising an
out-of-control gathering. It created an offence for a responsible adult
allowing a child to hold a gathering that became out of control. At the time,
we prescribed that an out-of-control party would be a gathering of 12 or more
people with at least two people engaged in criminal activities, such as
disorderly behaviour, disorderly conduct or behaviour that causes fear and
alarm to the surrounding properties. The legislation allows the courts to order
a person to pay costs for police attendance and damage that occurs as a result
of an out-of-control gathering. It carries a maximum penalty of 12 months'
imprisonment and a $12 000 fine. This has been an incredibly successful piece
of legislation, member for Balcatta. We backed up our out-of-control gatherings
legislation with a funding commitment by government to assist police and ensure
that they were resourced to enforce the legislation and also to manage these
out-of-control gatherings that were becoming a significant problem. The
government put $2.5 million into training nine additional police dogs; fitting
out the dogs' kennels; and two purpose-built police vehicles, at the
time known as the ''riot buses''. Since the legislation was
introduced, 52 out-of-control gatherings have been registered. There have been
seven so far this year and 98 people have been charged with offences under the
legislation. A total of 49 of those offences were specifically for holding a
gathering that became out of control. Importantly, the court has ordered that
offenders repay police $37 664 for the cost of police attendance at these
out-of-control gatherings. When we debated this legislation in the house, the
member for Midland said —
� � we recognise and assert that the passage of
this legislation will be an empty gesture unless it is backed up by proper
police resourcing.
Guess what? It got backed up by proper police resourcing.
Several members interjected.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
We had the member for Armadale saying that this was going to be the end of the
backyard barbecue in Western Australia. Police were going to run some kind of
jackboot parade through prayer gatherings, church gatherings and choir
gatherings. It did not happen. This legislation has been incredibly successful.
It has reduced the number of out-of-control gatherings.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Thank
you. Member for Midland, I call you to order for the first time and the member
for Armadale for the first time. I think you have made the point, minister, so
can you wind this up? Thank you.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I
would be pleased to, Mr Speaker.
Dr A.D. Buti interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Armadale, I call you to order for the second time.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
More importantly, very recently in the member for Midland's electorate
in Hazelmere, the Midland local policing team and the Ellenbrook police
successfully shut down an out-of-control gathering. Two people were charged
with the offence of holding an out-of-control gathering. Police are still doing
some further investigation on that. Out of that, police have worked to shut
down the utilities supplying that property. They are working with the City of
Swan to have the property demolished—a demolition order was issued. It
is working. The number of parties has come down. It has been a success and it
has been used absolutely appropriately by WA Police, as we on this side always
knew it would be.
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