Government under fire over its record on crime in Kingston, including 108 per cent increase in drug offences.
THE Opposition has attacked the Coalition Government over its record on crime in Kingston while it has been in office, singling out the 108 per cent increase in drug offences.
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THE Opposition has attacked the Coalition Government over its record on crime in Kingston, singling out the 108 per cent increase in drug offences.
Opposition police spokesman Wade Noonan joined Labor’s candidates for Bentleigh and Mordialloc, Nick Staikos and Tim Richardson, to meet with police at the Moorabbin police complex to discuss the problem.
Mr Noonan said the Liberals at the last election promised to make Victoria safe, but he said the facts revealed the Government had failed.
“Crime has increased under the Liberals, but so have the number of taxpayer-funded ads telling us how Victoria is supposedly safer,” Mr Noonan said.
Mr Staikos said Labor had announced an ice intervention strategy which includes an Ice Action Taskforce, new drug and booze buses, funding for community action groups, and new penalties for ice-related crimes including trafficking.
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“Only Labor will establish an ice intervention to confront drug crime that has gripped our suburbs,” Mr Staikos.
Mr Richardson said the crime rate would be affected by the unemployment rate.
“When jobs losses continue to mount and unemployment increases, more young people are at risk of turning to a life of crime,” Mr Richardson said.
Police Minister Kim Wells blasted Labor’s criticism, saying the increase in crime was a result of a jump in detection of offences.
“Our specialised drug task forces are actively busting criminals and getting drugs off the streets,” he said.
“We are not wasting time on an ice talkfest, we have provided solutions.” This included doubling the amount of roadside drug driving testing to 100,000 and doubling the number of passive alert detection dogs.
Kingston police statistics
■ Drug offences up from 266 to 557
■ Sex offences up 80 per cent
■ Rapes up more than 45 per cent
■ Assaults rose by 41.2 per cent
■ Crimes involving weapons/explosives were up 56.3 per cent
■ Public behaviour crimes up 48 per cent
Source: Victoria Police 2009-10 — 2013-14
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