New Bill enhances policing of drug trade

We all like to think we are appreciated for the job we do each and every day of our working life, and a pat on the head by the boss goes a long way to making us feel good.

I’m sure members of our hardworking police force are no exception to this feeling and last week, Police, Fire and Emergency Services Minister Paul Henderson showed his appreciation for a job well done.

In Parliament last Thursday Mr Henderson highlighted the great results being achieved by the NT police in attacking drug-related crime.

Since the Parliament gave our police some extra powers back in 2002 with the amended Misuse of Drugs Act, the cop on the beat now has the power to declare drug premises and shut them down.

Just how effective our police have been is backed up by some outstanding figures.

Since the commencement of the legislation, NT police have issued 208 drug house notices leading to 78 arrests, 25 summonses and 52 summary infringement notices for possession, cultivation, manufacture or supply of drugs at drug houses.

Further good news was the fact police have seized drugs worth an estimated $953,000, including 18.23kg of cannabis, 668.5g of amphetamines, 67 cannabis plants, and 48 tabs of LSD.

Strangely, of the 208 drug house notices issued, only two premises have been declared “drug houses.”

The police who know say that’s because in the remaining 206 cases the dealers have been harassed out of business and forced out of the premises.

This doesn’t mean they have stopped dealing, but from the dealers’ point of view they are just one step ahead of the cops.
But with pressure being continually applied by the police, the dealers will take the normal reaction and generally move to a state where it is easier to sell drugs.

In addition to the ongoing work in targeting drug houses, NT police have attacked the sources of supply.

In the past financial year they successfully dismantled 13 clandestine drug laboratories.

Then to further strengthen our police, last week saw the introduction in parliament a Bill (sic) called the Police Administration Bill 2004. This Bill, like most other Bills, slipped through parliament with nobody giving it much thought.

But this Bill will mean a lot to the cop on the beat.

In the past, while police had been able to detain suspects temporarily during illicit-drug-related (sic) searches, they could not detain people when illicit drugs weren’t directly involved.

This amendment gives police the ability to restrain suspected criminals from tipping off their mates during search warrants, and reduces the risk of evidence being removed from the scene unlawfully.

Continued pressure by all members of the police, from Commissioner Paul White down to the probationary constable, is working to eliminate the many problems associated with drugs and their dealers from our society.

Nobody in their right mind would say the drug problem is completely under control, but things are certainly getting a lot better than they were a few years ago.

It’s a shame you can still find drugs available at quite a few pubs and clubs on a Saturday night.

There are those in the community who would like to see cannabis legalised and they certainly have a strong case to present. But as long as it is still illegal then the police must enforce the law as it stands.

We have seen normal cigarette smokers being treated as social outcasts and forced to congregate in small huddles in dark corners.

But the Government has not gone the extra step in banning the smoking of tobacco – and I bet it’s because of the huge revenue it receives from the tax on every packet.

Now that our NT police force has managed to feel like they are appreciated for a job well done, all we need now to give them complete job satisfaction is to ensure tougher punishments are handed out by the courts.

It must be heartbreaking to see some of the regular criminals of all ages who continue to break the law, get caught by the cop on the beat, only to have no fear of receiving a stiff punishment.

How often do we see cases of teenage criminals in particular who are repeat offenders get off with either suspended sentences or good behaviour bonds?

I’m sure all members of our judiciary are aware of the public reaction to some of the punishments handed down, but they, like our police, have a strict set of rules by which they must abide.

If the rules are out of touch with society, then – like the amendment to the police Act – let’s change a few of them.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: 16th February 2005
Author: Col Newman
Source: Northern Territory News
Website: http://www.ntnews.com.au
Email: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au