CLP questioning during Estimates has revealed damning data that shows Territory police are being forced to waste hours being a taxi service rather than fighting crime.
Answers from estimates reveal that in the year to March:
- 2,174 persons were taken to watch houses;
- 3,312 persons were conveyed to sobering up shelters;
- 501 persons were conveyed to hospitals and/or clinics; and
- 1,803 persons were conveyed to their home residences.
“Our police have essentially turned into a taxi service, due to the Labor Government’s failed alcohol policies,” Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro said.
“When there is only one or two vans operating in the northern suburbs, taking those resources off the street to shuttle people around means that calls for other serious crimes may go unanswered.
“It is outrageous that our police are spending hours stuck in the car, when they should be on the beat.
“Our police are not trained to act as Uber drivers or social workers, they are trained peacekeeping officers that should be on the street dealing with serious crime, not spending endless hours driving drunks around.
“Every alcohol policy we have needs to be re-evaluated, including the BDR. It is clearly not working as intended and the 2km rule must be reintroduced as a critical measure to deal with alcohol abuse in our streets.
“The floor price should be scrapped immediately, as there is no evidence that it has done anything but make matters worse.
“The CLP will get police back on the beat where they can make a real difference. We will also review the BDR, scrap the minimum floor price, bring the police portfolio under the Chief Minister and use whatever tools necessary to make sure alcoholics get the help they desperately need. “Natasha Fyles and the Labor Government have failed our police and failed Territorians.”
ENDS