Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-04-29 Daily Xml

Contents

District Policing Model

The Hon. J.S. LEE (14:58): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Attorney-General, representing the Minister for Police, about reviewing the current policing model.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: On 24 April 2025, The Advertiser reported that police commissioner Grant Stevens has made plans for an independent review of the District Policing Model. In a short video posted on the SA Police intranet, the police commissioner stated that it is time to do things differently and 'as I have said publicly, without an injection of resources to keep up with our ever-increasing demand,' the District Policing Model will not deliver what it was designed to do and 'we must think about its future'. Mr Stevens said that SAPOL are currently searching for a suitably qualified individual with the appropriate background and experience required to undertake the review. My questions to the Attorney-General, representing the Minister for Police, are:

1. What is the government's response to the police commissioner's plan to review the current policing model?

2. What specific concerns have been raised already to the government about the current policing model that the government has not addressed so far?

3. Why is the commissioner leading this independent inquiry and not the minister's office?

4. How will the minister ensure that the review process is transparent and that its findings are communicated to the public?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (14:59): I thank the honourable member for her questions. I will pass them on to the minister responsible in another place and bring back a reply.