August 22, 2012
Police officers in the Nanango electorate – which extends from Kilcoy to Wooroolin and south to Crows Nest – were assaulted more than 430 times during 2010-11.
This is almost 20 per cent of all assaults on police officers throughout Queensland.
The horrifying statistic was presented to State Parliament on Tuesday by Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington while she was speaking in favour of tougher penalties for people who assault or murder police.
The former solicitor said the Criminal Law Amendment Bill 2012 was “perhaps one of the most important Bills that we have passed to date in this government”.
“Assaulting or murdering a police officer is an attack on the community and a reprehensible offence and the punishments introduced by the Government reflect their severity,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“The Bill doubles the maximum penalty for assaulting a police officer from seven to 14 years and introduces a 25-year non-parole period for the murder of a police officer.”
Mrs Frecklington said she had recently conducted a survey of the Nanango electorate, asking people what was the most important issue for them.
“In the majority of responses, the people of Nanango wanted to fight back against crime,” she said.
“They want to live in a community where they are not frightened by anti-social behaviour and they wanted a community in which their children can enjoy freedom.”
The Bill has also introduced a mandatory $5000 fine and two-year loss of licence for drivers who evade police.
“Evading police in vehicles is a dangerous offence that can put the lives of innocent road users at risk,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“Under the Labor Government offenders who evaded police were given a slap on the wrist with an average fine of just $300. To make matters worse, the Labor Party opposed the Bill in Parliament. They still don’t get it.
“This Government was elected to get tough on crime and unlike Labor we will not sit idly by and let criminals laugh at authorities or the community.”
Police and Community Safety Minister Jack Dempsey said the changes were a step towards protecting police officers as they went about their daily duties.
“Policing is a challenging occupation and officers face a wide range of risks every day while protecting the community,” Mr Dempsey said.
“While an assault on anyone is a terrible thing, an assault on an officer is a disgraceful act which the Newman Government will not tolerate.
“This Bill ensures the Courts have the power to lock offenders away for longer which will provide deterrents and protect officers in the Queensland Police Service.”
The Criminal Law Amendment Bill 2012 will:
- Double the maximum penalty for serious assault on a police officer from seven to 14 years;
- Introduce a new offence for the murder of a police officer with a non-parole period of 25 years;
- Increase penalties for evading police to a mandatory $5000 and two years loss of licence;
- Increase the non-parole period for murder from 15 to 20 years imprisonment (for a single murder) and from 20 to 30 years imprisonment for multiple murders.
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Full-text of Mrs Frecklington’s speech to the House:
I rise to support the Criminal Law Amendment Bill 2012 which aims to put in place six important new changes: to increase the non-parole period for multiple murders from 20 to 30 years; to create a new minimum non-parole period of 25 years for the murder of a police officer; to increase the maximum penalty for the serious assault of a police officer from seven to 14 years; to increase the non-parole period for murder to 20 years; tough new penalties for evading police; and the taking away of the Sentencing Advisory Council Queensland.
I congratulate the Attorney-General on bringing this bill to the House as it is much needed.
I would also like to formally recognise the hardworking men and women who are in the Police Force within the Nanango electorate for their hard work which is quite often under severe conditions.
I would also like to thank my colleague, Mr Ray Hopper, the chair of the Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee, along with committee members for their work in producing the report on this bill.
From information that I have been able to obtain, total assaults on police officers within the Nanango electorate for the 2010-11 year was 431.
That is horrific.
The total assaults on police for the state was 2331. That is 2331 too many assaults on those hardworking officers. It is also interesting to note in those figures that the number of offences of public nuisance, which are often offences the offender commits against police officers or ambulance officers or anyone trying to assist a situation, was 4341. It is just ridiculous.
As members know, I have worked within the criminal law field as a solicitor. I fully support this Criminal Law Amendment Bill.
It is perhaps one of the most important bills that we have passed to date in this government because it addresses penalties for those in our society who commit the most serious of crimes, crimes which have the ability to take away our feeling of freedom, innocence, the ability to destroy communities and families and which alter the social fabric and our outlook on life.
I have been involved in my position as a local solicitor in many matters, including murder and offences where local police officers have been spat on and assaulted. It is, in my opinion, completely unacceptable. They have been doing their duty; what they have been paid to do. I have seen the strain it has put on those local police officers as they wait for the HIV virus tests to come back and the desk duties that they are assigned to because they are incapable of fronting the public.
I recently conducted a survey within my electorate. I asked people what was the most important issue for them. In the majority of responses the people of Nanango wanted to fight back against crime. They want to be able to live in a community where they are not scared or frightened by any antisocial behaviour. They want a community in which their children can enjoy freedom and a positive upbringing with positive role models.
Unfortunately, assaults on police, as I have mentioned, are a regular occurrence in my electorate.
This bill will honour the memory of police officers such as Detective Senior Constable Damian Leeding, who was killed after responding to an armed robbery on the Gold Coast. This young officer was a married father of two who did not deserve to have his life ended so early.
Perhaps this Bill will help deter others from committing such shocking acts and perhaps it will help our society to send a clear message that these types of acts are simply unacceptable within our society.
This Bill will provide the legislation to help us better protect our community and, most importantly, our front-line workers — the police officers who risk their lives every day to keep us safe.
I know the police officers in my electorate do a superb job and it is pleasing to know that our government has pledged to introduce another 1100 police officers into the service.
However, the punishment for criminals for murdering or seriously assaulting police officers must reflect the high regard in which we hold our police. That is what this Bill does. To increase penalties and non-parole periods was one of our election commitments, but also, and more importantly, it reflects the great honour in which our community and our LNP government holds our police.
We understand the risks that they take on a day-to-day basis.
This new legislation will also encourage more people to join our wonderful Police Service and remain in the field with hopefully less opportunity for them to experience serious crimes against their profession.
I commend the Bill to the House.
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