Released 20/02/2019 - Joint media release
The Canberra Liberals’ continual scare mongering on anti-consorting laws ignores the fact that these laws don’t work.
Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay said the ACT Government’s law reforms were already making it harder for organised crime to operate here.
“ACT Policing regularly uses new crime scene powers, which commenced in 2018 to secure evidence against gang members. Our Courts can already make orders against convicted criminals to stop them from meeting with other known criminals,” Minister Ramsay said.
Despite what the Canberra Liberals say, bikie gang numbers are proportionately higher in other states of Australia with anti-consorting laws. There are more than 4,770 patched members across the country and only around 60 of those are in Canberra and that number has not increased.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services Mick Gentleman said ACT Policing was locking up gang members, with several gang leaders recently arrested.
“The message to these gangs is clear – break the law in our Territory and you will be caught. We currently have a number of gang members behind bars or before the courts,” Minister Gentleman said.
“We are supporting ACT Policing’s Taskforce Nemesis to work against criminal gangs in the Territory with more funding in 2018, which was opposed by the Canberra Liberals.
“In the past 12 months, ACT Policing has laid almost 78 charges against 29 criminal gang members and executed 101 search warrants.
“Our police force is getting results and I’d like to thank them for their hard work.”
The ACT Government committed an additional $6.4 million for Taskforce Nemesis in 2016 and a further $1.6 million to strengthen the taskforce in 2018.
Minister Ramsay said the Canberra Liberals’ proposal would be ineffective in preventing bikie crime and presented a real risk of unintended consequences for vulnerable people.
“The NSW Ombudsman’s report on anti-consorting laws found that they disproportionately affected vulnerable groups including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, homeless people, children and young people with no evidence that the policy prevented crime.
“We will continue to keep Canberrans safe from crime with proven, hard-hitting legislation to combat organised crime, and we will do it in ways that respect the rights of our community,” said Minister Ramsay.
- Statement ends -
Gordon Ramsay, MLA | Mick Gentleman, MLA | Media Releases
Media Contacts
| Name | Phone | Mobile | |
|---|---|---|---|
Anton Gallacher (Ramsay) |
(02) 6207 3795 |
0422 574 108 |
|
James Webber (Gentleman) |
(02) 6205 7402 |
0466 023 084 |