Legislative Council
COST OF DRUG-RELATED CRIME IN S.A.
The Hon. M.J. ELLIOTT: I seek leave to make a brief explanation
before asking the Attorney-General, representing the Minister for Police, a question about
drug related crime.
Leave granted.
The Hon. M.J. ELLIOTT: The South Australian Police Annual Report,
which was tabled in this Council last week, states that the motive of many robberies was
to obtain money to support a drug habit. In fact, the report found a 5 per cent increase
in robberies for the 1997-98 financial year and on page 13 of the Statistical Review
Supplement to that report states:
In many cases the motive was to obtain money to support a drug habit.
I note that there was no quantification of the actual percent-age of robberies being
attributed to a need to obtain money to support drug habits. I also note that this was an
issue which was pursued by a select committee in this place some five or so years ago and
that the committee at the time was disap-pointed that the police could not even make the
roughest of estimates as to the level. It is fair to say that all members of that
committee were disappointed at the inability of the police to do so at that stage.
There is a growing body of international evidence which suggests that we may have to
find a new way to fight against illicit drugs and the criminal activity which leads to
drug abuse. I note that back in 1996 the Tasmanian Police Commissioner John Johnson said
that, although Australia spent about $500 million annually attempting to control the use
of illicit drugs using police, courts and gaols, the policy had failed. After decades of
hard work we know that the police and the legal system are incapable of destroying the
black market in drugs. The consequence of that is increased crime to support drug habits,
which is conceded by the Police Annual Report although not quantified. My questions to the
Attorney-General, representing the Police Minister, are:
1. Since the police report claims that in many robberies the motive was to obtain
money to support a drug habit, what statistics does the Police Department have in relation
to the proportion and value of various crimes committed to obtain money to support a drug
habit?
2. Has there been any estimation of the impact of such crimes on the cost of
policing and the added costs faced by the community in South Australia?
3. Will the Minister establish an investigation into the issue of drug related
crime, its impacts on our community and what measures can be taken to tackle the issues at
their source?
The Hon. K.T. GRIFFIN: I will certainly refer the questions to my
colleague and bring back a reply. I can indicate that in the Office of Crime Statistics,
which is within the umbrella of the justice portfolio presently within my
Attorney-General's Department, a study is being undertaken in relation to robbery
offenders. That is being done in conjunction with Correctional Services as well as with
the police. Out of that we hope to get some better appreciation of the extent to which
drugs have been a cause for a person to commit a robbery whether a person has entered into
a life of crime before being on drugs or whether the crime followed the initial abuse of
drugs.
There are some additional studies being undertaken. There is one with the Australian
Institute of Criminology. I do not have all the details of that at my fingertips. As part
of a study not just in relation to drugs but a whole range of other circumstances, there
is work going on in the juvenile justice system in relation to any young offender who is
detained for more than one week. These studies are being undertaken for the very reason
that there is a lot of anecdotal information about why people commit some of these crimes,
particularly the relationship of drugs to crime.
Certainly, the police have a strong view that, whilst there is no empirical evidence
of this fact, a lot of crime is drug related. I think most if not all members will know
that I have a strong view that it does not matter whether it is the issue of drugs or any
other issue relating to crime: we really have to improve the quality of both our data and
our research, because we cannot tackle the causes of crime or even the crimes themselves
effectively and ensure an appropriate disposition of resources and use of those resources
without a proper understanding of all the reasons why they occur, who commit them, and so
on.
The Hon. M.J. Elliott: That's why these questions are asked.
The Hon. K.T. GRIFFIN: Yes, I am just giving you an answer. I am
not criticising the honourable member for raising the question: I am just giving the
Council some immediate information about what is happening. I do not think anybody would
feel that we should not be trying to get more information upon which we can make better
policy decisions to deal with issues of crime. So, that is a bit of information about what
is happening in government. There is certainly a lot more than that, but they are ones
that immediately come to mind in relation to the issues raised by the honourable member. I
will seek to obtain some even further information and bring back a more detailed response.