The Honourable Neil Roberts
26/10/2010
PUBLIC NUISANCE TICKETING TO BE EXTENDED STATE-WIDE
The ability for police to issue tickets for public nuisance will be extended state-wide following State Parliament's passing of the Police Legislation Amendment Bill 2010 tonight, Police Minister Neil Roberts said.
Mr Roberts said public nuisance ticketing had been trialed for 12 months in the South Brisbane and Townsville Police districts following a recommendation from the Crime and Misconduct Commission.
"The Crime and Misconduct Commission's report, Policing Public Order: A review of the public nuisance offence identified ticketing as a viable option for dealing with public nuisance behaviour," Mr Roberts said.
"Griffith University evaluated the trial and concluded infringement notices were a cost-effective means of dealing with public nuisance offences.
"It found that during the trial period 46% of all persons ticketed had no previous criminal history - consistent with the CMC report findings that policing of public nuisance offending is focused on managing 'party people' in response to public concerns.
"The ability for police to issue infringement notices will be in addition to current actions available to police, including diversion, cautions, issue of move-on-directions, issue of notices to appear and arrest and charge.
"The issuing of infringement notices will reduce the necessity for offenders to be taken into police custody for relatively minor offences and enable police to spend less time on paperwork for public nuisance offenders and be available to perform operational duties."
Mr Roberts said that in implementing state-wide public nuisance ticketing, the Queensland Police Service would maximise the use of alternatives to enforcement action, where appropriate, to ensure ticketing did not unreasonably impact on vulnerable social groups.
This included conducting ongoing evaluation through an Operational Performance Review on Public Order Offending, 12 months after state-wide implementation.
"The Police Legislation Amendment Bill 2010 also amends the Prostitution Act 1999 to provide for the automatic suspension and cancellation of a licensee's licence or an approved manager's certificate on the non-payment of annual fees," Mr Roberts said.
"Some licensees and approved managers were of the view that because they had a three-year licence or certificate, they should not be required to pay annual fees.
"The Bill allows for the automatic 28-day suspension of a licence or an approved manager's certificate on the non-payment of the annual fees.
"If the licensee or approved manager fails to pay the outstanding fees within the suspension period or in accordance with a payment plan, their licence or certificate is cancelled."
The Bill also amends the Prostitution Act to strengthen the Prostitution Licensing Authority's disciplinary inquiries into licensees or approved managers, and ext ends criminal history checking of persons appointed to, or seeking appointment as a member of the PLA or persons employed or seeking employment as a staff member of the PLA.
"Finally the Bill amends the Police Service Administration Act 1999 to enable the electronic assessment of criminal history records for employment screening purposes," Mr Roberts said.
"This legislation balances the rights of individuals and the rights of the community to a safe and fair society by enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the QPS and the PLA."
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