Shadow Minister for Territory Families, Joshua Burgoyne, says it’s deeply concerning the Police Minister, Nicole Manison, is actively ignoring the facts and figures from the Police Commissioner when it comes to tackling the escalating crime wave in Central Australia.
“The Police Minister rejected the suggestion changes to bail laws had increased youth crime in the Territory, when questioned on ABC radio Alice Springs this morning.
“That’s despite the Police Commissioner citing a 40 – 50 percent spike in property crime in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek. The Commissioner also revealed 75 percent of offenders dealt with by members of Strike Force Viper are repeat offenders.
“This is the height of arrogance from the Police Minister. The Police Commissioner is giving evidence-based, expert advice but is being ignored by this Gunner Government, because it doesn’t fit NT Labor’s political agenda.
“The Police Minister can’t even get her story straight on youth bail reform. An Alice Springs businessman revealed to the ABC that Minister Manison did ‘acknowledge that when the bail conditions changed, that that’s when the increase in crime started to happen’. But when confronted, the Minister labelled the conversation ‘private’ and said ‘I don’t think that’s how I put it.’
“The Minister is paying lip service to crime-affected businesses behind closed doors, but in public refuses to acknowledge there’s a problem with the current bail laws,” said Mr Burgoyne.