Minister: ACT Policing to build on strong results

Release Date: Wednesday, June 27 2012, 12:21 PM

ACT Policing will be required to respond quickly to more of the highest priority incidents, target unsafe and anti-social behaviour on our roads and continue to reduce property crime in Canberra, Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Simon Corbell, announced today.

Mr Corbell was joined by Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner, Tony Negus, and Chief Police Officer for the ACT, Roman Quaedvlieg, to sign the new annual ACT Policing Purchase Agreement.

“ACT Policing provides a high quality service to the Canberra community, and this purchase agreement details areas where the government is strengthening policing activities, like ensuring Canberrans are safe on our roads and in their homes,” Mr Corbell said.

“This agreement is designed specifically to make sure Canberrans continue to get what they expect from their police service, and core to that service is rapid response times to the most urgent cases.

“The amount of priority one (within eight minutes) and two (within 20 minutes) incidents responded to within national benchmarks, have been increased by 15 per cent and 10 per cent respectively, to revised targets of 75 per cent and 70 per cent of calls received,” he said.

Mr Corbell said the government was also acting on the Canberra community’s concerns about anti-social behaviour on the Territory’s roads.

“The ministerial direction I have signed today specifically addresses this concern with a requirement for ACT Policing to focus operations on anti-social and dangerous driving behaviours on Canberra roads,” he said.

“Another continuing key focus for ACT Policing will be to improve on great results in the fight against property crime.

“While we have achieved significant decreases in these crime types already this financial year to date, like burglaries down 26.8%, and motor vehicle thefts down 18.6%, this document sets out goals to achieve higher targets over the long term,” Mr Corbell said.

Some of the other key features of this document include:

• ACT Policing to work with partner agencies to continue to combat alcohol-related violence;
• Increase of 23% of referrals to community service agencies like Supportlink; and
• Increase in the amount of juvenile offenders referred to diversionary justice programs.

“The ACT Labor Government is committed to ensuring that the ACT remains one of the safest places to live in Australia and the 2012-13 Purchase Agreement between the ACT Government, AFP and ACT Policing works to achieve this in the immediate and longer term.”