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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-04-07 Daily Xml
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Ministerial Statement

POLICE COMMISSIONER

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:04): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: I am pleased to announce today the reappointment of Mr Malcolm Hyde to the position of South Australian Commissioner of Police for a further term of three years and three months. Mr Hyde was originally appointed Commissioner of Police on 10 February 1997 and reappointed for a term of five years in 2001. Another appointment followed for a further term of five years in 2005 and today's reappointment will override the current contract and extend his tenure to July 2012.

Commissioner Hyde has an extensive background in policing, commencing with the Victoria Police in 1967, where he was appointed Deputy Commissioner in 1994. Upon his appointment by the previous Liberal government, Commissioner Hyde immediately began to develop the Future Directions Strategy, which was instrumental in guiding a process of reform within SAPOL. It set SAPOL's future direction, and was developed after recognising the need for change, given the many challenging issues that faced policing at that time.

As part of the Future Directions Strategy, a reform program known as Focus 21 was established in May 1997 to lead, manage and implement key elements of the Future Directions Strategy. The aim of the Focus 21 initiative was to improve the quality and efficiency of police services and to place SAPOL in a position to provide the best level of policing services in the 21st century.

One of the most significant reforms implemented by Commissioner Hyde has been the development of a local service area model based on world's best practice for crime reduction and policing local geographic areas. It involved developing core functions, strategies and structures for the best delivery of police services and ensured South Australia Police were responsive to the needs and expectations of the community.

In 2001, Commissioner Hyde launched Operation Avatar, which was formed to monitor and police the unlawful and organised criminal activities of motorcycle gang members in South Australia. In October 2002, Operation Avatar became a permanent section. The Avatar Motorcycle Gang Section had a significant impact on reducing public anti-social behaviour by members of motorcycle gangs, and has seen hundreds of arrests and the seizure of millions of dollars worth of drugs, drug making equipment and the proceeds of motorcycle gang criminal activities.

As a result of the success of the Avatar Motorcycle Gang Section, Commissioner Hyde was appointed in 2007 to head a national working group to examine how Australian jurisdictions are responding to the threat of serious and organised crime carried out by these motorcycle gangs.

Commissioner Hyde has adopted an active and innovative approach to understanding and responding to local community safety concerns. This approach has seen a significant reduction in crime rates under his stewardship. Last financial year, South Australia recorded its lowest level of crime since 1996.

Reducing road fatalities and serious road crash injuries continues to be a key priority for Commissioner Hyde. Part of his program to improve road safety was to introduce a road safety strategy two years ago, and the measures introduced appear to be having an effect. In 1996, 181 people lost their lives on South Australian roads. I think that in 2008 South Australia recorded 99 fatalities. While this is encouraging, it is still too many. Reducing road fatalities and serious road crash injuries will continue to be a priority for the Commissioner.

Maintaining the public's confidence, trust and satisfaction with SAPOL has been a strong focus of Commissioner Hyde. As a result, SAPOL has an enviable reputation for being a professional and ethical police service, and it enjoys the long-standing support and confidence of the community.

This year's Report on Government Services by the Productivity Commission showed that police in South Australia performed better than the national average in key areas of professionalism, honesty and public safety. Of the people surveyed, 82.4 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that South Australia Police perform their job professionally—the highest in the nation—while 81.3 per cent of people surveyed, who have had contact with police in the past 12 months, were either very satisfied or satisfied with the service provided. Of the respondents, 79.2 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that South Australian police were honest. All figures exceeded the national average.

Since his appointment, Commissioner Hyde has introduced initiatives that have delivered tangible benefits to the SA community. Commissioner Hyde has brought a contemporary and fresh approach to policing, and has worked tirelessly to provide an effective policing model. He continues to serve as an exemplar to others, and he continues to set high standards of commitment and professionalism.

On 9 June 2008, Commissioner Hyde was awarded the Officer of the Order of Australia for his service to policing and law enforcement as Commissioner of Police in South Australia, particularly through the development of improved service delivery methods, the detection and prevention of illicit drug use and electronic crime, and through contributions to national law-enforcement policies.

Mr Hyde has been an outstanding commissioner for South Australia, having shown strong leadership over the past 12 years, and the government looks forward to working with Mr Hyde to further reduce the crime rate in South Australia and continue to build safe and secure communities.

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