Ivan Dean, Speeches Index

Wednesday 24 November 2010

POLICE OFFENCES AMENDMENT (MISCELLANEOUS) BILL 2010

Mr DEAN ( Windermere ) - I stand to make a brief contribution. I support the legislation. It corrects some anomalies in the legislation to ensure that police are able to carry out their duties properly and effectively and, in relation to the hooning legislation, that essential penalties can be imposed on some of the hoons that are causing lots of problems in and around our areas.

On the ballistics vests, clearly police should have the open run to wear their vests to make their job safer. There are many examples around the country now and around the world where the vest has saved the life of a police officer. Unfortunately that is going to be the thing that will occur in the future. They are vulnerable and they do need that protection. Every day police put their life on the line in some way or another and so we need to afford them the proper protection and the proper equipment to carry out their duties.

I can remember back in the 1980s when the vests started to come on the scene. I can remember at Devonport we had two vests and those vests had to be shared amongst all the police at Devonport and some of the country areas. So if it looked as if a job was coming up where some form of protection was needed, we had to get that vest to the police officer or they had to come in to get it.

Hopefully it has moved on from there and I would hope that they are almost personal issue now. Are they? The minister might be able to answer that but if they are not personal issue they ought to be because of the need for these vests to be worn.

Ms Thorp - They are certainly far more available than at the time you described.

Mr DEAN - I would imagine that they would be. I guess that they are in all cars now.

Ms Thorp - Yes.

Mr DEAN - Carried as part of equipment in cars. They are vitally important. I still talk with a lot of police officers involved in the area including my son, who is a police officer and he tells me the value of the vest in his area as a member of the Special Operations Group. They are needed and anything we can do to support them must be done.

In relation to the hooning, I would have preferred to have been here today supporting other changes to the legislation. For instance, I think first offenders still have their vehicles taken for only seven days before they are returned to them.

Ms Thorp - No, it is 28 days.

Mr DEAN - Unfortunately the 28 days is still seen as a badge of honour to a lot of these hoons. You hear them talking and they say, 'I had my vehicle taken, got it back again now'. They gain hero status if the police have taken their vehicle and locked it up for a period of time. I believe we should be taking some very strong action here. I have advocated it for a long time now. I believe a first offender's vehicle should be taken for about three months. We should be sending a strong message that this is a behaviour that the public will not tolerate. There are times when vehicles should be crushed, where there is not much value in the vehicle, so that it cannot be sold and funds distributed to a worthy cause. We need to take a strong stand because there are as many hoons as there always were. I am not saying the police are not doing their job, but it is still a big problem.

The other night I was staying at a property here in Hobart and there are a number of speed humps on the street where I stayed. At about 2 a.m. there was a vehicle on the street carrying on for an incredible period of time. I got out of bed and went out on the street - and that was not a good sight either because my attire was not all that great -

Ms Thorp - I am pleased that there was attire.

Mr DEAN - and all I could see was the smoke and smell burning rubber - and the vehicle was still there, but it was impossible to read the numberplate.

Mr Parkinson - Probably trying to get away from you.

Mr DEAN - He probably was. I wanted to get the numberplate and report it to the police. I have reported hoons on two occasions and I think the police would have taken the right action. They are difficult to catch, even when you see them doing it. Of course they should pay this fine. We need to treat them severely and ensure that this type of offence is not accepted or condoned, and I will be supporting the legislation.

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