Call for Audit of Northern Territory Police Numbers

The Territory Opposition will move a motion in Parliament tomorrow calling for a complete audit of police numbers in the Territory to settle the question of how many police on the beat we have and how many we need to improve law and order in the Territory.

The Territory Police Review Committee would drill into the critical issue of actual police numbers and the most effective use of police resources to combat rising crime rates.

"The long-term rise in violent assault and recent increase in property crime is undermining the Territory's quality of life and placing enormous stress upon our police force," says Terry Mills, Leader of the Opposition.

"The community is deeply concerned about the ability of police to respond in a timely manner to reports of assault, theft and vandalism.

"A commonly expressed frustration is that too often it takes police too long to get to the scene of a crime.

"The recent spate of vandalism at the Nightcliff shops is just one example of how insufficient police numbers are being exploited by young hooligans.

"The fact that shop owners at Nightcliff have been forced to sleep on their premises to protect their property when the local police station closes down at 5pm begs the question about whether current police resources are sufficient.

"The Committee will consider if the proposed police shopfronts will be an effective use of limited police resources.

"The greater the probability of a criminal being caught in the act, the greater the level of deterrence police provide.

"The ability of the police to dispatch a patrol car to the scene of a crime is directly related to the number of police on the beat.

"It's time for the Territory Police's complex staffing structure to be laid bare in the interests of understanding where resources are currently deployed, where it can be improved and what additional police resources are needed."

2008-10-27