Peter Debnam MP
NSW Liberal Leader
NSW Liberal Leader Peter Debnam today announced a comprehensive policing and justice policy to support the State's frontline police.
"I will introduce a range of initiatives to boost police powers and support frontline police," Mr Debnam said.
"This will include a strengthening of caution, arrest and search powers for police, restoring police numbers cut since the last election, and a change from centralised Local Area Commands to locally led, locally based policing," he said.
"Over the last decade the authority of police has been eroded and diminished.
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"NSW deserves a re-empowered police force able to protect the community.
"I will begin a full public debate on the concept of joint criminal enterprise and whether those jointly involved in criminal activity should share collective responsibility for those joint crimes.
"Re-enforcing the concept of joint criminal enterprise would send a powerful message to those considering participation in crime that they will potentially be punished for the actions of their co-conspirators.
"It would be a strong deterrent and it is time for a full public debate on this concept.
"The second issue warranting full public debate is the abuse of the right to silence.
"Currently those arrested and charged with criminal activity have the right to silence at time of arrest. Often those who exercise their right to silence at this point are able to come back with a detailed alibi after consulting with their lawyers.
"As a community we need to consider whether this type of abuse of the right to silence assists or hinders the processes of justice in this State," Mr Debnam said.
Main points of the policy are:
1. We will legislate to introduce mandatory life sentences for those convicted of the murder of police.
2. We will re-instate the more than 600 police slashed by Labor and especially boost numbers in Highway Patrol, public transport and criminal investigation.
3. We will ensure the authorised police strength is a minimum, not an average.
4. We will legislate to officially protect the name – NSW Police Force.
5. We will re-empower police in relation to arrest and search with an urgent reform of the Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act).
6. We will strengthen police powers in relation to offensive language and offensive conduct with the aim of raising the standards of public decency.
7. We will establish a high level Working Group including former senior operational police officers to review police paperwork requirements with the objective of reducing paperwork by 75% for frontline police. The working Group will be required to report its recommendations by 30 June 2007.
8. We will strengthen the Graffiti Task Force and strengthen related penalties and powers of magistrates.
9. We will strengthen the role of the Judicial Commission to make judges and magistrates more accountable to the community.
10. We will legislate to reduce to one warning and one caution for young offenders to get rid of Labor’s unlimited warnings and three cautions.
11. We will change centralised Local Area Commands to locally led, locally based policing.
12. We will urgently reform Police promotions and also the complaints system.
13. We will change the Police Commissioner’s employment contract to ensure he/she actively encourages the reporting of all crime and public disorder.
14. We will reduce the NSW Policy Ministry bureaucracy and Police Media spin doctors by 70% and transfer savings to frontline police.
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