Youth Crime

Mr BATTY (Bragg) (14:43): My question is to the Minister for Police. What action, if any, is the minister taking to address youth crime in South Australia? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr BATTY: Last week it was reported that three teens were charged, one aged just 14, following a knife fight in Elizabeth that left a teenager fighting for life in hospital with serious stab wounds.

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN (Kavel—Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services, Minister for Special Minister of State) (14:43): I appreciate the question from the shadow minister. There has been a considerable focus from the opposition on crime statistics. I think, regrettably, some of that commentary has not been accurate overall in terms of the position that we face in South Australia.

I think at the outset, by way of context, it is important to say that we have closely considered the ABS crime statistics. The shadow minister will know there is a reporting period that sometimes coincides with February but on the last reported data, of course, the number of youth offenders in South Australia is, I must report, less than was the case under the previous government. I might say that under the previous—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. D.R. CREGAN: Well, you know; if I can just make my contribution. I must say, depending on which of the offences you break out, we are not seeing the type of increase in youth crime that the shadow minister and others have been suggesting overall. We have also not been seeing the increase in crime that the shadow minister has been suggesting overall. In that same ABS data statistics set, the number of total offences in South Australia at the last reporting period from the ABS—this isn't the rolling crime statistics but rather the total state amount—was 25,709.

By way of comparison, if you break out the COVID low, which obviously coincided with a period of lockdown, you are looking at figures as high as 44,000. That is the total statewide offences, so that is not slicing and dicing as you had engaged in on an earlier occasion that I had suggested, shadow minister. What I was relaying to you was the total statewide ABS figures, not the rolling figures as well. I think it is right for me to refer you to the statistics that the Premier emphasised earlier with respect to the police rolling figures.

None of that takes away from this government's commitment to ensuring safety in our community. It will never be the case that any minister of this government accepts crime in our community and, where there is a policy or legislative response that will usefully address a difficulty that we are experiencing in policing or in crime in our community, action will be taken. Significant detail, for example, was introduced by way of the Premier's contribution in terms of knife crime.

This is also a government that has focus particularly on the role that adults might play in enabling or encouraging children to perform acts which are effectively an extension, an agency-type arrangement, with respect to principal offenders and their desire to commit crime in South Australia. Those are a number of significant policy initiatives that this government is pursuing and, as I say, nothing will distract us from a focus on those important issues.

Equally—and it is very, very important—this is not a government that is prepared to proceed on the basis that the facts don't matter; they do matter. In terms of crime statistics overall, it is very, very important to emphasise that robbery offences are down by 21 per cent on the previous 12-month period; in terms of theft from motor vehicles, which of course on occasion can involve young people, 17 per cent; in terms of illegal use, 8 per cent; and in terms of sexual assault, 8 per cent. So these are significant declines.