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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-03-05 Daily Xml
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OPERATION NOMAD

Ms PORTOLESI (Hartley) (14:48): My question is to the Minister for Police. What are South Australian police doing to keep the community safe on high fire risk days?

The Hon. M.J. WRIGHT (Lee—Minister for Police, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:49): South Australian police are working tirelessly to ensure our state is as safe as possible from the risk of fire, particularly on high fire risk days through Operation Nomad. The primary focus of Operation Nomad is to ensure the safety of the public, the prevention of property damage and the detection of arson-related crimes. This statewide, centrally coordinated initiative utilises a range of policing strategies to reduce the likelihood of intentionally lit fires. High visibility policing and the active targeting of known arsonists play a significant part in ensuring the continued success of Operation Nomad.

In accordance with the execution of Operation Nomad, SAPOL members make contact with nominated persons of interest during days of extreme fire danger. Automatic numberplate recognition is also utilised in areas that are considered high risk. Numberplates of persons of interest are uploaded and police are alerted if a person of interest passes an automatic numberplate recognition camera.

I am advised that during the winter months SAPOL prepares for the fire season by looking at all its intelligence holdings and at known arsonists, and prepares profiles on each of them. To date, about 40 persons of interest have been identified, visited and checked on by SAPOL on high fire risk days. The Commissioner of Police has advised that during the recent heatwave up to 120 officers per day were dedicated to the operation, and that together they completed over 4,000 hours of work for Operation Nomad and the South Australian community.

Last Thursday, when Adelaide experienced a day of extreme fire danger with temperatures above 38° and strong northerly winds across much of the state, SAPOL had 67 patrols dedicated to Operation Nomad; 20 in metropolitan areas and 47 in country areas. I am further advised that since the start of the fire danger season 35 persons have been arrested or reported by police for offences relating to bushfires, including deliberately lighting a bushfire. This offence has a penalty of up to 20 years' imprisonment—the toughest arson law in the country. In addition, 54 persons have been issued with on-the-spot fines for breaches of the Fire and Emergency Services Act. Of these, 35 were issued for 'light or maintain fire in open during fire danger season'.

Through Operation Nomad police are sending a strong message to would-be arsonists that they are under 24 hour a day surveillance and that we are on their tail. As highlighted in an article printed in The Age last Friday, other jurisdictions are now pushing for their police forces to adopt similar measures to those used by Operation Nomad.

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