BEATING CRIME ON THE STREET

POLICE Commissioner Peter Ryan can take some satisfaction from court
statistics released yesterday.

It demonstrates that his policy of putting police back on the beat to make
our streets safer is working.

The figures, compiled by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics, show a marked
increase in the number of cases dealt with through the courts last year,
with the exemption of drug-related offences.

It is in the area of juvenile crime that the impact of an increased police
presence is best reflected.

In the Children's Court, there was an increase of 21 percent in assault
charges, 17 per cent for sexual assault, 15 per cent for unlawful possession
and 12 per cent for property damage.

The Local Court saw an increase of 22 per cent in cases of sexual assault
against children and higher courts dealt with 16 per cent more assaults and
14 per cent more robberies.

Although the statistics illustrate the effectiveness of policing and policy,
the decrease in the number of drug-related cases prosecuted in the District
and Supreme Court must be a disappointment to Mr Ryan.

There was a 15 per cent drop in charges relating to dealing and trafficking
and a 7 per cent drop in charges over drug manufacture.

It was Commissioner Ryan who identified that up to 70 per cent of all crime
in the State was fuelled by drugs and has constantly sought ways to break
the addict's cycle of demand.

The only way the director of the Bureau of Crime Statistics, Dr Don
Weatherburn, can reconcile the decrease in drug-related matters is with the
obvious assumption that police are arresting fewer offenders.

The question has to be asked: why? It is clear that police have focused
successfully on street crime, assaults, sexual assault and robbery.

If it means more police are required to deal with drug-related crime, then
Police Minister Paul Whelan should provide the additional manpower.

Statistically our streets may be safer, but they also need to be drug free.

Checked-by: Don Beck