Fudging the Numbers on Alice Springs Crime Rate

The Minister for Justice, Chris Burns, continues to stick his head in the sand regarding the law and order problems in Alice Springs.

Yesterday the people of Alice Springs were treated to the spectacle of the minister comparing official crime statistics from one quarter to the next and claiming a welcome drop in the number of assaults.

“What the Minister failed to acknowledge was that when comparing the past 12 months with the previous 12 months, violent assaults have risen in Alice Springs by an alarming 14%,” says Jodeen Carney, Shadow Minister for Justice.

“In that time the number of reported assaults in Alice Springs increased from 996 to 1138.

“That is more than 3 reported assaults everyday of the year in Alice Springs. This violence is affecting everyone in our community and we need to rein it in.

“The Minister debases himself by pretending the situation is getting better, when in fact it’s deteriorating.

“Not only are violent assaults continuing to rise but they do so from a very high base in Alice Springs.

“Palmerston has recently eclipsed Alice Springs in population. In the last 12 months there were 362 recorded assaults in Palmerston – Alice Springs had 1138.

“The fact Alice Springs has 300% the assault rate of Palmerston doesn’t stop the Minister from talking about the additional 60 police promised in this year’s budget.

“Unfortunately the Minister fails to mention that not one of those 60 police will be stationed in Alice Springs during the coming financial year.

“Darwin and Palmerston will benefit from additional police resources in the next 12 months, Alice Springs wont.

“The duplicity and double standards of this Government are disgraceful.”

2008-06-26