POLICE ASSAULTS OUT OF CONTROL

The report in the Courier mail on 28/6/2011  http://bit.ly/iyaCjH demonstrates that with 200 assaults on police being recorded PER MONTH that the situation is out of control. The Queensland Party has consistantly called for mandatory periods of imprisonment for the offence of serious assault on police and emergency service workers including nurses, ambo's, firefighters, corrections officers etc. The LNP previously held that position but unfortunately Campbell Newman abandoned the call for mandatory sentences last week. I am hopeful he will see sense and listen to the public and his own party in this call and not the vocal minority.
There are legislative provisions under the Police Powers and Responsibilities Act(PPRA), Ambulance Act, Fire and Rescue Act etc that creates an offence of assaulting a worker under those statutes. The Queensland Party position is that for these offences the penalties will remain the same and at the discretion of the Presiding Magistrate/Judge to issue.
For an offence of Serious Assault under the Criminal Code, which will have an ammendment to include emergency service workers under the Queensland Party model, a conviction will result in mandatory imprisonment with a minimum period determined on a sliding scale depending on the level of seriousness and injury caused. But it will include a period of imprisonment.
By being able to distinguish between an assault under the PPRA and a serious assault under the Criminal Code allows for minor or technical assaults, such as touching an officer, to be dealt with and not recieve a period of imprisonment.
200 assaults per month indicates a break down in society caused by a weak justice system, handing out weak sentences and providing no deterrent to offenders.
The Queensland Party has a number of focus areas for legal reform such as bail and parole procedures as well as the way in which rehabilitation programs are managed and delivered. We need to put the protection of Queensland first and foremost. If offenders are not prepared to live by the rules of Queensland society then they can be removed from it.