Inquiry to shine light on crime

Serious crime in Queensland will go under the microscope as part of the Newman Government’s commitment to make Queensland the safest place to raise a family.

Premier Campbell Newman said a special parliamentary inquiry would travel the state to hear from Queenslanders about the crimes that affected them.

“We have already taken strong action over the past 18 months with a range of law and order reforms and increased law enforcement resources, but we want to know what else can be done,” Mr Newman said.

“We want to have a good understanding and we want Queenslanders to have a good understanding of the level of criminal activity in this state.

“The inquiry, which will be conducted by the Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee, will examine in more detail the link between organised crime and other crimes that concern Queenslanders such as break and enters and car thefts.”

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Jarrod Bleijie said the inquiry would help develop Queensland’s crime fighting future.

“After years of the former Labor Government’s soft on crime approach, this inquiry will provide a road map to making this state safer,” Mr Bleijie said.

“Different areas experience different crime trends so it’s important that regional Queensland is heard. That’s why the inquiry will conduct public hearings across the state.

“We also want to hear from victims of crime. For too long, the scales of justice have been tipped in favour of the offender and not the victim and we want them to have a voice.

“The inquiry will also look interstate and overseas – what other jurisdictions are doing and how we compare.

“Terms of reference are currently being drafted with a view to the inquiry starting in early 2014.

“It will build upon the extensive reforms we have already implemented to tackle criminal gangs and other crimes.

They include:

·         Tough reforms, including mandatory minimum sentencing, targeting criminal gang members

·         Mandatory minimum sentencing for the possession and trafficking of firearms

·         Doubled penalty for assault on a police officer and a minimum mandatory non-parole period of 25 years for the murder of a police officer

·         Significantly increased police numbers across the State

·         Tougher penalties for drug trafficking

·         Toughest unexplained wealth laws in the country

“We made a promise to the people of Queensland that we would work to fix Queensland’s crime problems after years of Labor inaction and mismanagement,” he said.

“This inquiry will help us keep that promise.”

[ENDS] 1 December 2013

Media Contact: Ashley McDermid 0412 731 355 or Katherine Hornbuckle 0402 862 351