Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-06-17 Daily Xml

Contents

POLICE CORRECTIONS SECTION

The Hon. S.G. WADE (15:05): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Police a question about the Police Corrections Section.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: In December 2006, the minister announced the creation of the Police Corrections Section within the SAPOL Investigations Support Branch. The section was tasked with investigating crimes that occur in prisons and coordinating relevant intelligence material common to both SAPOL and the Department of Correctional Services. In July 2007, the government highlighted that the PCS had 'hit the ground running by foiling an attempted drug drop at Mobilong prison'. The officer in charge of the PCS (SAPOL Detective Sergeant Wright) said at the time that the PCS also has a role in managing prisoners to ensure that they are not housed with known associates such as gang members, and that the PCS would 'disrupt their activity while they are inside the prison system'. Yet, two days ago, the Sunday Mail reported that two violent clashes had occurred between bikies in prisons in recent weeks, leading to an emergency meeting between police and Correctional Services.

The CEO of Correctional Services was quoted as saying that he is 'seeking information from police on gang members and associates to enable prison managers to prevent clashes between rival gang members by housing them in different areas'. Mr Severin said that his officers were examining ways to improve information exchange with police.

My question to the minister is: given that the PCS was reportedly already performing the tasks referred to by the Correctional Services CEO, does the minister consider that the Police Corrections Service is failing to achieve its goals, as implied by the Correctional Services CEO?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Police, Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning) (15:07): No.