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29-July-2010
The Coalition will provide $179 million over four years to tackle violent gang and knife crime and build safer communities. To support the crime-fighting efforts of local communities and the states and territories, the Coalition will establish a National Violent Gangs Database so that law enforcement agencies can better track ‘bikie’ and other violent gang activity across jurisdictions. Funding of $33 million will be committed to establishing the database. We will also establish a National Violent Gangs Squad through the Australian Crime Commission (ACC). Funding of $95 million will be committed to the establishment of the Squad. At least 200 additional investigators will be recruited to the ACC through secondment from the Australian Federal Police and state and territory police. These investigators will have with an on-ground presence across the country to work with local police and investigative services. The Coalition will also implement a National Knife Crime Action Plan to tackle the growing incidence of knife crime in the community. Initiatives under the Plan will include additional funding of $1 million for hand-held metal detectors to assist police in the search for concealed weapons. We will prohibit that importation into Australia of dangerous hunting knives and standardising the issue of permits for the purchase of dangerous knives online. We will also work with the states and territories to harmonise knife crime laws and penalties. Through COAG, the Coalition will seek a national standard relating to the quantities involved in the trafficking and possession of illicit drugs offences. Drug offenders should be dealt with consistently by judicial systems across the nation so that there are no legal or definitional loopholes between states and territories. The Coalition has already committed $50 million to the National Community Crime Prevention Programme. The Programme will provide funding support for local projects that enhance community safety and prevent crime, such as the installation of CCTV and other security-related infrastructure. Justice and policing has not been a priority of the Rudd-Gillard Government. Labor promised to increase the Australian Federal Police by 500 officers, but this has not occurred. In contrast, the Coalition has a solid record in justice and policing initiatives and this will be continued under a new Coalition government. Funding for these initiatives will be provided from the $24 billion in recurrent savings that have been identified by the Coalition over the forward estimates.