Crime Statistics
Page: 20116
Mr ALAN ASHTON: My question is addressed to the Minister for Police. What is the latest information on crime trends in New South Wales?
Mr CARL SCULLY: I am sure that members of the House join with me in commending New South Wales police for their tremendous efforts in driving down crime. The latest data from the State's official, independent crime umpire shows that crime is continuing to fall. In the 24 months to September 2005, 8 of the 16 major offences were trending downwards, 7 remained stable and only 1 showed an upward trend. The data for the 24 months to September 2005 showed major statewide decreases in robbery without a weapon, down 7.9 per cent; robbery with a firearm, down 39.6 per cent; break and enter a dwelling, down 11.2 per cent; break and enter a non-dwelling, down 9.7 per cent; motor vehicle theft, down 9.7 per cent; steal from motor vehicle, down 5.6 per cent; steal from dwelling, down 7.7 per cent; and steal from person, down 17.2 per cent. Cases of murder, assault, sexual assault, indecent assault, act of indecency and other sexual offences, robbery with a weapon not a firearm, steal from retail store and malicious damage to property, remained stable. Only fraud showed an upward trend, up 8.4 per cent. This was the result of an increase in the number of persons driving off without paying for petrol. Armed robberies have fallen by 39.6 per cent—the third fall in a row, following falls of 44.7 per cent and 31.9 per cent in previous quarters.
The drop in armed robberies follows a number of significant firearm policing strategies including: a new Vikings mobile unit, security industry reforms that removed hundreds of guns from the sector, tougher penalties for firearms crimes, a $3.5 million integrated ballistics identification system which enables guns to be identified from the bullets they fire, the forensic armed robbery unit, and improved storage requirements. The Government continues to support New South Wales police—record numbers, record budget, tough new laws. Through intelligence-based policing, tough new laws and modern crime-fighting technology we are gradually ridding our streets of illegal guns and the thugs who carry them. We believe the trend will continue. It can be directly attributed to smart policing strategies, intelligence-based deployment and high visibility. It is also the result of the Government's commitment to funding increased police numbers and modern crime-fighting technology. These figures are a tribute to the hard work and dedication of each and every police officer. I take the opportunity of thanking the police commissioner and each and every police officer who contributed to the tremendous results in those crime figures, unlike the Leader of the Opposition.
Mr Gerard Martin: Debonair Pete.
Mr CARL SCULLY: I was going to say that: Debonair Debnam.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Minister will address the Chair. The honourable member for Bathurst will come to order.
Mr CARL SCULLY: The Leader of the Opposition has always attacked the police. At every opportunity he bags the cops. This is what he said about Commissioner Moroney on 25 October 2003: "The commissioner's office has been asleep at the wheel watching the gang warfare." Then on 1 February last year he said, "If the commissioner's office had acted on these reports properly years ago people would not have died on the streets." Yesterday did he give credit to the police? No. He could not bring himself just once to say, "Ken, well done! The Opposition acknowledges the terrific work done by all police." When he did not like the figures—I guess he would not like the figures after Saturday, so he is in the mood for not liking the figures—he attacked the figures. When the Bureau of Crime Statistics told him of the figures his response was that the figures were not right: they had rorted the figures just to come up with some falls. The Bureau of Crime Statistics is a little offended. The Leader of the Opposition has no credibility. I want to take this opportunity to comment on a few other things about the Leader of the Opposition. I have been busy with the Premier on a few water initiatives.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The honourable member for Bathurst will come to order.
Mr CARL SCULLY: To follow on what the Premier had to say, I checked out some comments the Leader of the Opposition made on 2UE on 23 September this year. He was asked about his proposals to determine what his water plans would cost families. In response he said, "We're certainly, um, doing that." I thought that was great: the Opposition had water plans and was, um, um, costing them!
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The honourable member for Bathurst will come to order.
Mr Ian Armstrong: Point of order: On relevance, the question was about police, not water police. The Minister should come back to the point of the question.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I intended to uphold the point of order until the honourable member for Lachlan made reference to the water police. There is no point of order.
Mr CARL SCULLY: It is a matter of tremendous amusement. Last Friday there was an article in one of the major dailies saying that we should be recycling effluent. The Opposition members did not read it properly. They could not put two and two together to realise that the story was about recycling effluent into our drinking system. I went on radio and said that we were not doing it. The Leader of The Nationals said, "Hurry up and do it." Halfway through the morning he realised that it meant forcing people to drink recycled effluent. So he hid and wheeled out the Leader of the Opposition, who said, "No, we do not support it either." This is policy by talkback radio. There is the breakfast policy, the midday policy and the drivetime policy.
Mr Malcolm Kerr: Point of order: My point of order is relevance. There was no reference to water police. The Minister is straying from the question he was asked. I ask you to bring him to order.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! I uphold the point of order. I ask the Minister to return to his answer.
Mr CARL SCULLY: We back the police. We support them with the powers, resources, pay and, when they are injured, disability benefits. We are changing the promotions—
[Interruption]
Let us talk about numbers. I am happy to have a debate about numbers because all of you are out in your electorates, lying, misleading and deceiving your communities.
Mr Ian Armstrong: Point of order: Liar! The Police Association can't get the numbers in the Lachlan patrol at Parkes.
Mr SPEAKER: What is the point of order?
[Interruption]
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Members of the Government will come to order. The Minister has the call.
Mr CARL SCULLY: On another occasion I will be happy to talk about police numbers because we made a commitment to increase the authorised strength by 1,000 to 13,1254. There are more police now than there were when the Coalition was in office. Tell the truth!