Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Police Association President Paul McCue says mandatory sentencing for those that assault police is a much needed deterrent

Transcript

Police Association President Paul McCue says mandatory sentencing for those that assault police is a much needed deterrent · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: We are now going to head across and catch up
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  Speaker 1: with the Police Association President Paul mchughue. Good morning to you.
• 0:05
  Speaker 2: Paul, Morning Katie here. Are you going?
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: Not too bad now? Paul? Obviously are we organized to
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: have you on the show this morning to talk about
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: the legislation that the COLP is proposing on mandatory sentencing.
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: Before we get there, though, as I'm sure you have
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  Speaker 1: just heard Matt Cunningham from Sky News, he and another
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: journalist have written the story which is on the front
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  Speaker 1: page of The Australian Today, where it's been reported that
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  Speaker 1: the police notes obtained by The Australian show that senior
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  Speaker 1: police executives, including mister Chalker, met in Deputy Commissioner Michael
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  Speaker 1: White's office at three point thirty four on November thirteen,
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  Speaker 1: the afternoon that Constable Rolf was charged with the murder
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  Speaker 1: of Indigenous man cooman Ji Walker. I'm sure you've heard
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  Speaker 1: the other detail that we have discussed, Paul. Does this
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  Speaker 1: strengthen those calls for an independent inquiry to take place?
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  Speaker 2: You know, obviously the meeting that took place that's been
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: referred to in that article is obviously out of notes
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  Speaker 2: produced through the trial and look, no doubt, only those
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  Speaker 2: that were involved in that meeting can really advise anyone
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  Speaker 2: what took place in that meeting and what was said
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  Speaker 2: and what decisions came out of that. So I guess
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  Speaker 2: until we really know that, it's really speculation about what
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  Speaker 2: may have taken place in those meetings. But obviously many
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  Speaker 2: of the detectives involved have taken notes and about some
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  Speaker 2: of the processes in there. But obviously it continues that
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  Speaker 2: perception out there in the public public domain and to
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  Speaker 2: a certain extent through some of the membership, that the
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  Speaker 2: correct process may not have been followed. But you know,
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  Speaker 2: until and that really is why we on the fourteenth
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  Speaker 2: of March came out and made a statement around the
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  Speaker 2: fact that that process needs to be interrogated because obviously
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  Speaker 2: those questions currently exist today.
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  Speaker 1: Still, Paul, from your perspective, where to from here?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, well, obviously, you know we've got to wait and see. Look,
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  Speaker 2: there's no doubt the OKAK commissions come out and said
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  Speaker 2: he's potentially going to look into it. Obviously, were're still
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: getting around to our membership to find out how they're
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: feeling and the many questions they have. And of course,
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  Speaker 2: until we really can delve into those meetings and delve
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  Speaker 2: into the reasons behind those decisions that were made in
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  Speaker 2: that critical forty eight hours seventy two hours after the
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  Speaker 2: shooting took place. To really find out what occurred and
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  Speaker 2: how that occurred. It's really speculation, and I mean, you know,
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  Speaker 2: certainly continues our call and obviously the tech detectives notes
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  Speaker 2: that have been put out there and those detectives that
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  Speaker 2: were concerned about the speed this all took place really
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  Speaker 2: strengthens the need and certainly our commentary around the interrogation
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  Speaker 2: of that decision making process and an explanation for it.
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  Speaker 2: So you know, from here we need to find out
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  Speaker 2: if the KACS are guess going to proceed with that,
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  Speaker 2: but some form certainly of an open inquirer in terms
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  Speaker 2: of making sure the public app confidence in our police
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  Speaker 2: then that decision making process.
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  Speaker 1: Paul, let's move along because we know that the Northern
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  Speaker 1: Territory Police Association has welcomed the announcement from the CLP
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  Speaker 1: on proposed Mandatory Sentencing Law Reform Bill which is going
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  Speaker 1: to be introduced in Parliament this week, which if passed,
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  Speaker 1: it would strengthen penalties for assaults on Northern territory police officers.
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  Speaker 1: Why do you reckon this is needed? Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: Look, each year, Katie, we stand up at annual conference
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  Speaker 2: and we address our delegates and every year when we
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  Speaker 2: speak to them, this is a very significant concern for
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  Speaker 2: police out there on the front line. And obviously it
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  Speaker 2: relates to frontline work is generally as well. But you know,
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  Speaker 2: for years we've been saying that the laws aren't strong
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  Speaker 2: enough around sentencing to protect our frontline police officers. And
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  Speaker 2: you know, really a survey from last year really highlights
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  Speaker 2: and some really concerning figures, Katie, in terms of the
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  Speaker 2: amount of police that are getting a sould at each day,
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  Speaker 2: the amount of injuries they're copying, including hospitalization, and you know,
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  Speaker 2: strengthening these laws is certainly a positive step in the
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  Speaker 2: right direction from our perspective.
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  Speaker 1: Well, Paul, even last week, you know, we heard about
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  Speaker 1: officer who was kicked in the head while attending a
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  Speaker 1: domestic violence incident. At what rate are incidents like this
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  Speaker 1: happening two police officers?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, we know year on year an average around
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  Speaker 2: two hundred and forty five assaults on police are taking place.
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  Speaker 2: Many of those, as we've discovered through our research, you know,
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  Speaker 2: show that people are being Our members are being as
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  Speaker 2: solded up to three times a year, and fifty percent
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  Speaker 2: of those are suffering some form of harm or violence,
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  Speaker 2: and many of those are being spat on or bitten.
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  Speaker 2: I mean, it is really increasing the severity of these attacks.
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  Speaker 2: And sadly, more often than not, many of these people
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  Speaker 2: go to court get a slap on the wrists and
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  Speaker 2: off they gave because you know, they were drunk at
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  Speaker 2: the time, or they you know, there's other factors that
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  Speaker 2: the court take into account. Well, I'm sorry. It is
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  Speaker 2: time to put the protection of our police front and center.
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  Speaker 2: Frontline workers are out there keeping us safe, and this
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  Speaker 2: has to be above politics. This is very much about
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  Speaker 2: protecting our people and our police officers that are looking
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  Speaker 2: up to us, and it's about time we made some
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  Speaker 2: strong laws around this.
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  Speaker 1: What are some of the typical consequences which are handed
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  Speaker 1: down to offenders from your perspective, from some of those
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  Speaker 1: cases that you've seen go through the courts, and you know,
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  Speaker 1: and is it very different to what we would see
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  Speaker 1: in a case of I guess a regular person being assaulted.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, well, at the moment as it stands under the
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  Speaker 2: Sentencing Act, it really takes quite a severe assault on
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  Speaker 2: one of our police officers for somebody to have any
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  Speaker 2: form of detentional or incarceration as a consequence. And yet,
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  Speaker 2: you know, there's actually stronger laws for the general public.
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  Speaker 2: And I'm not saying that the general public is any
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  Speaker 2: less important, but police and frontline workers are putting themselves
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  Speaker 2: in harms way every day, and yet how on earth
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  Speaker 2: can we have laws that are as strong as the
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  Speaker 2: general public incarceration laws. So it's really about looking after
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  Speaker 2: our people that are out there looking after us, and
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  Speaker 2: if we're not prepared to do that, what are we
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  Speaker 2: here for. This is community expectation in my view.
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  Speaker 1: Well, what is the impact on police officers when someone
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  Speaker 1: has given a suspended sentence or they put on a
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  Speaker 1: good behavior bond after they've been subjected to quite a
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  Speaker 1: bad assault.
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  Speaker 2: Well, quite often we follow many of these cases through
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  Speaker 2: the court process, and you know, some of our members
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  Speaker 2: are just extremely dejected that it affects their longevity in
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  Speaker 2: the job, that a vets their mental health. Their family
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  Speaker 2: are concerned obviously when they come home with severe injuries,
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  Speaker 2: and then they sit there and see somebody go through
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  Speaker 2: the court process and get a slap on the rest
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  Speaker 2: and walk out the door. Now, those officers may have
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  Speaker 2: been bitten, may have been spat at, and they don't
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  Speaker 2: know if they've contracted a communicable disease or anything of
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  Speaker 2: that nature. And yet they sit there and see these
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  Speaker 2: people walk away almost scott free, and it really affects
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  Speaker 2: them around and affects the ability to make sure we're
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  Speaker 2: keeping out people safe on the front line.
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: Paul, just before I let you go, have you heard
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  Speaker 1: anything from the Labor government at this point in time
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  Speaker 1: as to whether they are going to support this bill.
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  Speaker 1: I know that the Health Minister had said to us
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  Speaker 1: earlier on the show that they will look at the
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: legislation that is put forward. Yesterday afternoon, i'd seen on
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  Speaker 1: nine News she was much stronger in saying that they
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  Speaker 1: that you know, it was a complex issue. Today she'd
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  Speaker 1: certainly tempered those comments.
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  Speaker 2: I think, yeah, look, certainly, I mean, obviously this is
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  Speaker 2: it'll be disappointing if this isn't supported. I know when
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  Speaker 2: people talk about mandatory sentencing laws, it does frighten people.
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  Speaker 2: But you know, let's have a serious conversation about this.
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  Speaker 2: Because we know the government have been working on a
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  Speaker 2: assaults working group for frontline workers, but it has stalled.
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  Speaker 2: This is an opportunity for politics to be set aside
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  Speaker 2: and support our police and our frontline workers, and that's
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  Speaker 2: a huge improvement from our perspective.
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  Speaker 1: Well Police Association President Paul Mchew, we always appreciate your time.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you very much and we'll chat to you soon.
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  Speaker 2: Thanks Katie, Chief, thank you.