Police slams Labor plan to scrap public drunkenness offence in Victoria

The Police Association says Labor is “all press release and no policy” in a scathing response to a decision to abolish the public drunkenness offence in Victoria.

The Police Association has slammed the Andrews Government for its decision to remove the public drunkenness offence in Victoria. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Police and doctors have slammed the Andrews government for announcing a plan to scrap public drunkenness laws without any detail on how violent cases will be managed.

Attorney-General Jill Hennessy defended the legislative reform yesterday, saying it would help protect Aboriginal people and “no one should be placed into a police cell simply because they are drunk in public”.

But Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt said changing the law before a safe system was in place to manage alcohol-fuelled problems was “dangerous virtue signalling” and the Australian Medical Association fears emergency departments will become dumping grounds for drunks.

The decision to scrap the laws — which have been removed from every state other than Victoria and Queensland — was recommended by a panel set up by the government after the death of Yorta Yorta woman Tanya Day in police custody in 2017.

The report says police should be used as a “last resort” when dealing with drunks with low-level cases sent home or to friends with the help of health services. High-level cases should be taken to hospital.

It also recommends “strict limits to police powers” be introduced.

AMA Victoria president Julian Rait said the changes would have to be managed carefully to ensure emergency departments weren’t overwhelmed, given doctors were already dealing with growing mental health cases.

Mr Gatt said police feared they would be used as a “taxi service” without adequate funding, however, with the government’s promised $16 million for trials falling short.

“Who will respond to triple-0 calls for assistance from the community when intoxicated people are putting them at risk?” he said.

“For decades police have fought to remove alcohol-fuelled violence from our streets. We cannot compromise on this work by making rash decisions.”

Victoria’s Aboriginal Executive Council chair Esme Bamblett said police would soon be “free” from enforcing an “antiquated harmful law” — under which an average of 8269 people a year are charged — and that the public stood ready to “build the health and support response for vulnerable intoxicated people”.

The government is yet to say whether special areas would be set up to take drunks to sober up, but a spokesperson said there was time to address the details before the laws would come into effect in two years.

“We will spend the next two years working closely with Aboriginal communities, health experts and other stakeholders, including police, to address any concerns and ensure the public health model provides the care and support required.

“This includes establishing trial sites that will be tested and evaluated before the repeal takes effect.

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