South Australia Police

Mr TELFER (Flinders) (14:36): My question is to the Minister for Police. Will additional training be provided to SAPOL officers to assist them to triage requests for assistance that are received during the trialled changes to the SAPOL incident triage system?

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN (Kavel—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Special Minister of State) (14:36): I thank the shadow minister for his question, the member for Flinders. The trial period for the triage approach that South Australia Police are introducing on an operational basis of course will extend until August but, as I am sure the shadow minister is aware, the assistant commissioner—who addressed this issue again on the forum of ABC radio—made plain that this is quite a separate matter to the need to continue to respond appropriately to domestic violence incidents.

There have been, as we discussed in the house yesterday, 53,000 incidents which required a police welfare check. Police have formed the view that those resources are being directed to incidents that might not reflect community policing need. As we also indicated yesterday, about 33,000 of those incidents were responded to, and two hours and seven minutes were consumed police time dealing with these matters.

But as the assistant commissioner made absolutely crystal clear, and which I make plain to you, notwithstanding the fact that this is an operational decision, the commissioner and the deputy commissioner of course have now made clear, and it's also the advice I have received, that this will not influence policing in relation to domestic violence matters.