As a former police officer myself, I know how important it is to have a well-resourced police force, and a government that understands the impact of little or no consequences for those who break the law.
Crime is at a record high, there are increases of more than 20% across a number of offences, and robberies are up 49% over the past year. The Government's policy of reducing the prison population and going soft on crime has been a failure with ram raids now an everyday occurrence.
Businesses are being forced to close or employ security guards to avoid being targeted. There is no plan to address youth crime, which is exploding. Police dealing with this upsurge in crime don’t have the resources or right equipment to tackle offenders. What we are seeing is society heading towards a complete breakdown of law and order.
We need to get back to the basics of targeting the main perpetrators of crime. This will require a strategic multi-organisational approach and dedicated resources. Frontline policing needs to be significantly better resourced - and valued.
Drivers of crime need to be addressed, which includes drugs, alcohol, lack of education and employment, and mental health issues. Organised crime is a major driver of crime, and we need a focus on targeting criminal networks. We need to have tougher sentences to deter offending.
Keeping our communities safe is of utmost importance. Community is the foundation of a strong economy. In our policy:
- We will prioritise and better resource frontline policing.
- We will ensure there is increased funding for organised crime units to reduce crime levels.
- We will reinstate three strikes legislation so that repeat offenders are dealt with seriously.
- We will review and improve firearms legislation, so it’s sensible, safe and fair.
- We will push for the Coward Punch Bill, introduced in the House by Matt King, to become law.
- We will require full public disclosure of any criminal convictions of all political candidates in local and central government.
You can read our full policy wording here.
View Matt King's Coward Punch Bill reading in Parliament here:
