Youth Offending

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (15:08): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking questions of the Attorney-General regarding youth offenders and bail conditions in South Australia.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD: It has been reported recently in the media—in fact, just last week—that fresh arrests have been made through South Australia Police's anti-gang initiative, Operation Mandrake, which was established back in 2003. Six people who were arrested most recently allegedly had involvement in four separate crime sprees in August and are facing dozens of charges, including serious criminal trespass of 16 residential and business premises, illegal use of vehicles, petrol theft and the use of stolen credit cards as well.

SA Police Operations Service Assistant Commissioner Scott Duval has stated that police were frustrated that young offenders who are reoffending are doing so whilst on bail, on numerous occasions after being released by the Youth Court. In fact, Assistant Commissioner Duval has said, and I quote directly:

[Young alleged offenders] are breaking into houses, they are breaking into business premises, they are stealing cars…and they do drive at high speeds in stolen vehicles, often filming their exploits and posting to social media. This activity is clearly a risk to other road users, their behaviour is dangerous and extreme.

My questions to the Attorney are:

1. Does the Attorney share the assistant commissioner's frustration that repeat offenders are continually offending whilst on bail and are released from their bail?

2. Does the Attorney-General share the South Australia Police operations service assistant commissioner's concerns with the level of crime that is being perpetrated by youths who are continually being released on bail?

3. What reform is required by this parliament in order to ensure that this matter is put to a stop?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:09): I thank the honourable member for his question and his often-displayed genuine interest in the safety of the community in South Australia. As I have said recently in relation to a question about youth offending in this state in this chamber, we are always happy to have a look at laws that can make South Australia safer. It is a reasonably regular occurrence when the police or other bodies will put something to the government that we will have a look at, we will consult on, and then we will make suitable changes directly aimed at keeping South Australians as safe as we possibly can.

We have talked in this chamber this week about some of those reforms in relation to knife crime, the potential for wider use of metal detectors, and the potential use for further designations of areas that attract higher penalties other than just primary schools and high schools. We have talked about the introduction in South Australia, that we are going out to consultation on, of workplace prohibition orders that would apply equally to younger people as it does to adults. If there is something that can be identified with SAPOL, we are always happy to have a look at how that might help to keep South Australia safe.

In relation to the specifics and the individual circumstances of a particular offender, that's not something, even if I had the details, I would be able to comment on about the decisions that are made in relation to bail in the Youth Court, but the Youth Court does apply the law as we have set it down in this place.

Often, when people are or are not granted bail across a whole range of jurisdictions, whether that be police bail or court bail, particularly in the Magistrates Court, that is something that is not infrequently looked at and potentially appealed by the authorities. If there was something before, we are more than happy to look at how we can continue to make South Australia as safe as possible.