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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-10-26 Daily Xml
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CRIME STATISTICS, CITY OF SALISBURY

Ms FOX (Bright) (14:31): My question is to the Premier.

An honourable member interjecting:

Ms FOX: No; it's an excellent question. You're going to love this question. Can the Premier inform the house of the latest crime statistics for the City of Salisbury provided by the Office of Crime Statistics and Research and of the government's work to reduce crime in Salisbury and across the state?

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) (14:32): I was out doorknocking in Salisbury last week—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. M.D. RANN: That's right—and I can tell you this: when a tornado hit Penola—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: —I was there days before the local member, who was up at a race meeting in Darwin. So, I was very happy to be doorknocking in both Salisbury and Elizabeth last week. The Mayor of Salisbury phoned me today to express her disgust at what the Leader of the Opposition did in Salisbury yesterday and what she said about Salisbury yesterday, which wasn't true. So, here are the figures: the latest figures from the Office of Crime Statistics and Research show that the City of Salisbury is far safer today than it was back in 2002—it is far safer today than it was when you were in power because you don't give a damn about Salisbury or anywhere else. Yesterday, in a desperate attempt to distract—

Mr Williams interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! You're on a second warning, deputy leader.

Mr Sibbons: That's almost as many as you got votes.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: No; you got three votes. Yesterday, in a desperate attempt to distract from their lack of credibility on law and order, the opposition leader failed to acknowledge—

Mr PENGILLY: A point of order, Madam Speaker, on relevance: the Premier was asked a question on crime statistics, not about something the opposition leader may or may not have done.

The SPEAKER: I don't uphold. I am sure he is giving his full response.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: She failed to acknowledge that crime in the City of Salisbury has fallen considerably since 2002. The Office of Crime Statistics shows that crime rates in the City of Salisbury have fallen steadily every year since 2004. Total victim-reported crime—

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The Hon. M.D. RANN: She won't stop talking.

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, Leader of the Opposition!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Oh, the mayor is wrong. That's why she's just been elected unopposed. The Office of Crime Statistics shows that crime rates in the City of Salisbury have fallen steadily every year since 2004. Total victim-reported crime has fallen from a total of 23,100 offences in 2002 to 20,323 in 2009.

Even more encouraging is the fact you are less likely to become a victim of crime in the City of Salisbury today compared with when the Liberals were in office. In 2002, there were 199.5 offences per 1,000 people. That has dropped by a massive 22 per cent to 155.6 offences per 1,000 people in 2009. Homicide has fallen from 12 offences in 2002 to four in 2009; major assault has fallen from 157 to 101; sexual offences have fallen from 226 to 144; and robbery and extortion offences have fallen from 182 in 2002 to 147.

These statistics show that the greater police presence in the northern suburbs is having an impact. Can I tell you that the people of Salisbury know who it was who delivered a police station in the middle of the Salisbury shopping centre area. It is what I campaigned upon and what I delivered, plus a TAFE as well.

The latest South Australia Police statistics show that crime in South Australia has fallen by 35 per cent since 2001-02. The same statistics are utilised by the Office of Crime Statistics and the Australian Bureau of Statistics, so often referred to by the Leader of the Opposition. While the opposition consistently refuses to acknowledge that crime is on a downward trend, they also fail to acknowledge the hard work of our police force who work day in day out to fight and prevent crime in our streets.

This is a slap in the face for our officers and I would like to quote Deputy Commissioner Gary Burns who last week said:

To dismiss this significant reduction in crime as being merely the result of better security systems and more modern cars is, to say the least, being disingenuous of police efforts, particularly of those dedicated and committed officers who serve in the local service areas.

I am surprised that this dismissal of the Leader of the Opposition by the Deputy Commissioner of Police did not receive greater publicity. The deputy commissioner made these comments at the graduation of the latest 18 new officers from the police academy who are among the first of the additional 313 police we are recruiting to complement the additional 700 on our streets.

Of the 20 crime categories recorded, minor assault is the only category to have increased on a per capita basis in Salisbury. We know more work needs to be done, but you don't do that with stunts and talking good communities down. The Mayor of Salisbury is disgusted with what the Leader of the Opposition said yesterday. The Mayor of Salisbury knows that you were not telling the truth yesterday, and so do your members.

The difference is, apart from toughening up nearly 100 criminal laws, by 2014 there will be 1,000 more police on our streets than when we came to office. This is in stark contrast to when you were in office where SAPOL was demoralised and severely starved of resources, police numbers were slashed, police stations shut down, including the St Agnes Patrol Base, crime rates hit record highs, convicted criminals were released more quickly, sex offenders were not prosecuted for historical crimes and victims were marginalised.

The leader's law and order stunt in Salisbury was a resounding flop. I am told the room was virtually empty, and of the few local people they were virtually outnumbered by local and state politicians and aspirants, their staff and a few journalists. The leader hardly got a welcome reception, with the Salisbury mayor denouncing the stunt which sought to denigrate Salisbury, its people and its police. Mayor—

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order, Madam Speaker. There are two things: the answer that the Premier is now giving has no relevance to the question and he has descended into debate.

The SPEAKER: I think the Premier is about to conclude his remarks.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Mayor Gillian Aldridge said the leader's characterisation of Salisbury was:

Very, very hurtful and very wrong. You have to look at the percent—crime per capita, not the crime as a whole because we are the second largest council.

I remember the Leader of the Opposition saying she would not knock back Parole Board recommendations for the release of deadly murderers such as McBride and the rest.

Mrs REDMOND: Point of order, Madam Speaker. Surely now you would have to concede that the Premier has strayed into debate.

The SPEAKER: Yes, I think the Premier has now concluded his remarks.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

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