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Katie Woolf spoke with Police Association President Paul McCue · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Three sixty with Katie Wolf thanks to Joyce Main Darwin
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: homes Own Stuart Highway.
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  Speaker 2: Beerrimot coming away very shortly. We will still get the
• 0:08
  Speaker 2: latest in local news headlines with Maddi Hepworth and we
• 0:11
  Speaker 2: are going to catch up with the Lord Mayor convat Scalas.
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  Speaker 2: But we have heard this morning exactly what the Northern
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  Speaker 2: Territory government is proposing when it comes to well making
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  Speaker 2: some changes in the space of youth crime. Unfortunately, legislation
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  Speaker 2: would not be introduced until May, and well I guess
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  Speaker 2: that's if it all goes through during the month of
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  Speaker 2: May in those sittings, so we're still away off from
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  Speaker 2: any change coming into place. Joining us on the line
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  Speaker 2: to talk more about what's being proposed. Police Association President
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  Speaker 2: Paul McHugh, Good morning to you.
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  Speaker 1: Paul, Good morning Kenny.
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  Speaker 2: Now, Paul, I'm not sure whether you heard the Police
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  Speaker 2: Minister on the show just now and what you've made
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  Speaker 2: of the government's proposed changes.
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  Speaker 1: I had a little bit of a listener look. Obviously,
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  Speaker 1: the devil's in the detail with any new legislation, and
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  Speaker 1: obviously there's been a wave of community sentiment and feedback,
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  Speaker 1: you know from a variety of sources, which you know
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  Speaker 1: almost in some ways really has forced the hand of
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  Speaker 1: government to make some changes. I mean, it wasn't long
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  Speaker 1: ago the Chief Minister was I'm saying, you didn't feel
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  Speaker 1: that the bail legislation was a problem, and now they're
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  Speaker 1: looking at changing it. So I think I think we've
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  Speaker 1: seen some horrendous crimes of late. We know, back in
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  Speaker 1: October November last year, that horrific incident alic Springs where
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  Speaker 1: a gentleman got killed. We know there have people been
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  Speaker 1: knocked unconscious, assaulted, broken into while they're sleeping at night.
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  Speaker 1: The list goes on, really and I think it's got
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  Speaker 1: to the point where something had to give. And obviously
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  Speaker 1: the police are at the forefront of all these crimes
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  Speaker 1: and having to deal with the fallout, so naturally something
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  Speaker 1: had to give. Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: Now, I mean in terms of what they are proposing,
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  Speaker 2: it still sounds as though, you know, the presumption of bail,
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  Speaker 2: there's still like to me, it still sounds as though
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  Speaker 2: there's a bit of you know, the devil's going to
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  Speaker 2: be in the detail. Is this something that the rank
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  Speaker 2: and file supporting at this point or is it really
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  Speaker 2: just a matter of going through everything first.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, look, obviously we'll need to go through the bill
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  Speaker 1: obviously with some detail, but obviously the feedback from on
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  Speaker 1: the ground is that we're definitely looking at trying to
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  Speaker 1: include some other offenses into the prescribed defense list, and
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  Speaker 1: you know we talk about unawful entries and unawful use
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  Speaker 1: of motor vehicles and those sorts of things. I mean,
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  Speaker 1: these are things that the members have been talking about
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  Speaker 1: for a little while, so they are positive steps. But
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  Speaker 1: of course, you know, breaching of bail for example, if
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  Speaker 1: they're fresh offending that, you know that they will be
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  Speaker 1: revoked and they put back before the core a remanded.
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  Speaker 1: So these are things that will hopefully help police on
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  Speaker 1: the front line. Of course, the SALEP have come out
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  Speaker 1: strongly on this issue for some time now, and of
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  Speaker 1: course we're now hearing from the government, but we don't
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  Speaker 1: know what the timeline's going to be, so you know,
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  Speaker 1: we've still got a long way to go.
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  Speaker 2: Well, and that was I guess. You know, one of
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  Speaker 2: the things that I asked the Minister this morning as
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  Speaker 2: well is if the CLP is introducing that legislation this week,
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  Speaker 2: is there an opportunity here for our politicians to put
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  Speaker 2: their political differences aside, and actually you know, have a
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  Speaker 2: look at that legislation whether they can amend it and
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  Speaker 2: do what's best for territorians.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, well that's a night brain er, isn't it really.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, we've we've got to say what's best for
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  Speaker 1: the community, and we have to get together on this
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  Speaker 1: issue and obviously take into account you know, obviously we
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  Speaker 1: represent the police out there and the impacts that's having
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  Speaker 1: on them. We're talking about, you know, sending extra resources
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  Speaker 1: down there so that now you know, we just had
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  Speaker 1: a squad graduate last week, thinking those numbers will be
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  Speaker 1: spread across the territory and we're sending more down to
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  Speaker 1: our springs and it's impacting other areas of the territory
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  Speaker 1: and we know that's not a great outcome. So something
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  Speaker 1: has to give. This has to be you know, an
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  Speaker 1: approach by all. And I know there's going to be
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  Speaker 1: of course, some human rights and legal bodies out there
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  Speaker 1: are going to say this is a step backwards. But
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  Speaker 1: for heaven's sake, you know, you can't just have a
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  Speaker 1: long term plan without some short term outcomes as well.
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  Speaker 2: Well. And you know, like I've been talking to people
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  Speaker 2: from Man and Greta to Alice Springs to up here
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  Speaker 2: in Darwin and Tenant Creek. You know, this is an
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  Speaker 2: issue at the moment where we've got some young kids
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  Speaker 2: who very sadly are out on streets at night, whether
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  Speaker 2: they've got somewhere to go, well they don't, you know,
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  Speaker 2: and their families not taking that responsibility. Obviously that's one
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  Speaker 2: side of it. But then you've also got another element
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  Speaker 2: where it seems as though you've got some young people
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  Speaker 2: who have no regard whatsoever for the law and no
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  Speaker 2: concern about the consequence.
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  Speaker 1: Exactly. And we've heard it for a long time the
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  Speaker 1: Chief Minister and government talk about consequences are in place
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  Speaker 1: for young offenders or offenders in this space, but we
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  Speaker 1: haven't really seen them, have we at the end of
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  Speaker 1: the day of the community still suffering enormously. Obviously, our
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: Springs particularly was put in the spotlight with the recent
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  Speaker 1: broadcast nationally through a current affair, and of course you
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  Speaker 1: know our police have been dealing with issue for some
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  Speaker 1: time down there, and you know, we can't just sit
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  Speaker 1: back on our hands and say, well, we've got this
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  Speaker 1: long term goal when we've got some horrific offenses being
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  Speaker 1: committed by people who just have no regard for the
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  Speaker 1: law whatsoever. So you know, these are steps in the
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  Speaker 1: right direction. As I said, the SEALP have been strong
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  Speaker 1: on this for a period of time. They've come out
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  Speaker 1: and want to introduce some legislation. The government need to
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  Speaker 1: now take the lead. Here they are and they are
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  Speaker 1: in governing and they need to take the lead and
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  Speaker 1: get this in sooner rather than later.
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  Speaker 2: Paul, if it was up to you, what would you
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  Speaker 2: know what would happen this week if it was up
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  Speaker 2: to our territory police.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, look, obviously they need help now, don't they. They
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  Speaker 1: You know, we're talking about May to introduce legislation. You know,
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  Speaker 1: it's sometime down the track, but of course we know
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  Speaker 1: traditionally the busy period is the summer period. So we
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  Speaker 1: need to make sure we've got positive steps and a
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  Speaker 1: clear timeline for change in legislation and making sure that's
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  Speaker 1: in place well and truly before our next summer period,
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  Speaker 1: because police cannot go through another summer lock. They've just
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  Speaker 1: gone through. They are doing it as tough as anyone
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  Speaker 1: out there. And you know, we know fifty percent of
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  Speaker 1: the people that are you know, are apprehended young offenders
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  Speaker 1: are then going out and committing further crime, so we
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  Speaker 1: can do something about that at a start, isn't it.
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  Speaker 2: So? Really, if we can get a clear timeline from
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  Speaker 2: the government this week about exactly when all of these
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  Speaker 2: changes are going to be implemented, or you know, do
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  Speaker 2: we need to actually implement the Colp's legislation here.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, well, obviously, you know, we came to see what
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  Speaker 1: they're putting on the table. We have had some discussions
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  Speaker 1: with them, of course, and they've been very strong in
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  Speaker 1: terms of what they want to bring in, and of
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  Speaker 1: course they're all positive changes as well from a policing perspective,
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  Speaker 1: So you know, let's put it all on the table
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  Speaker 1: and see what we can get done sooner rather than later.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I agree with you. Paul MChE President of the
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  Speaker 2: Police Association, good to chat with you this morning, Thanks
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  Speaker 2: for your time.
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  Speaker 1: Good on you. Thanks Katie, thank you.