The Liberal-Nationals Coalition has this week introduced legislation to State Parliament to create a new offence of ramming a police vehicle, a week after a serious incident in Gippsland.

Gippsland East MP, Tim Bull, said offenders would receive a two-year statutory minimum and 10-year maximum jail term to be served cumulatively, not concurrently with other related offences.

Mr Bull said that only 24 hours after the policy was announced by the Liberal-Nationals Coalition, there was another police car ramming in Sale.

“In the 2015/16 financial year, 14 officers were hurt as a result of a police vehicle ramming and at this rate it is only a matter of time before someone is killed,” Mr Bull said.

“The number of police vehicles rammed has more than tripled, increasing from 30 in 2013/14 to 103 in 2015/16 and to almost 120 so far in 2016/17.”

Mr Bull said recently-released crime statistics also show that under the Andrews Labor Government, the offence of resist or hinder officer has increased 175% while the offence of assault police, emergency services or other authorised officer has increased 7% to 3119 offences.

“It is obvious that current penalties are failing to deliver the deterrence needed, given Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt’s recent comment that ‘Legislative amendment is needed now to send the strongest possible message to offenders that if you threaten or assault a police officer, or engage in behaviour like this then you are going to have plenty of time to reflect on it from a prison cell’,” Mr Bull said.

Wednesday, June 21, 2017