From debating assaults on police officers to cracking down on thieves targeting local businesses and launching a campaign to highlight the catastrophic consequences of being irresponsible on Tasmania’s roads, it was a year of change for policing in the North in 2017.
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Crime reporter MELISSA MOBBS reflects on some of the more significant community initiatives The Examiner was involved in last year.
One of those was creating public discussion around attacks on off-duty police.
Assaults on police
A targeted assault on a Longford officer while he was off-duty became a catalyst for change, sparking the launch of The Examiner’s Enough is Enough campaign.
The push to extend the legislative protection for police officers centered around the attack on Constable Mathew Dunstone, but quickly became about a greater conversation. That conversation centered around respect.
The campaign wasn’t just about police, but all emergency service and frontline workers. It was about promoting respect and educating young people to develop respect early on.
The campaign created legislative debate, with the state government pushing for mandatory minimum sentences for assaults on off-duty police.
Ultimately, the proposed change wasn’t supported but the push to protect officers is ongoing and The Examiner continues to encourage those respectful conversations.
Police in courts
Throughout the year, police resourcing and the need to focus on proactive as opposed to reactive policing was at the centre of public debate.
The argument of needing more police on the beat was heightened when a four-week kidnapping trial forced eight officers to be stuck inside the Supreme Court every day, on babysitting duties – costing the state $90,000.
It led to The Examiner’s second police-related campaign for 2017 – getting our cops out of court.
Within a month, the state government announced officers would no longer need to be in the Launceston Supreme Court from mid-2018 and new correctional officer recruitment was underway.
A project officer was also appointed in the North-West to work on the issue of police still sitting in the Burnie Supreme Court and transporting defendants to and from the Launceston Reception Prison.
Paw patrols
The focus on resourcing came as local police were making their own changes.
Launceston residents were seeing far more officers on the streets as foot patrols were on the rise.
The most popular change to the Launceston police team last year was Fang, the drug detection dog.
While Fang may seem like just another Labrador, he has actually become an invaluable asset for Tasmania Police.
Not only does he sniff out drug dealers and users, but he makes the community feel safer, according to police.
The increase in high-visibility patrols in the city and at shopping centres across the region not only reduced crime on the streets but it deterred shoplifters and “riff raff” from misbehaving and causing trouble for business owners.
Launceston shoppers can expect to see plenty more paw patrols, featuring Fang, in 2018.
Shop stealing
Supporting business owners in the North was also a large focus for The Examiner last year.
Joining forces with Tasmania Police, The Examiner highlighted the ongoing issue of thieves targeting our businesses.
The stories shared by retailers shocked readers, with some reporting losses in the tens of thousands.
A crime that may often seem ‘petty’ was revealed as a major issue within our community.
Northern Commander Brett Smith came out with a strong message – “stealing from shops is a crime, we don’t take this issue lightly and we will treat these offenders as criminals.”
Police Minister Rene Hidding also came out in support of the push to crack down on the issue, stating the government was committed to supporting retailers, having invested $115,000 for a new Crime Stoppers anti-shoplifting campaign.
Road safety
More than 30 people died on Tasmania’s roads last year, and three have already died this year – only one month into 2018.
That’s more than 30 crashes our emergency services have been called to and more than 30 families left devastated.
While there were countless innocent victims in those crashes, many were preventable.
In an effort to change driver’s attitudes, The Examiner launched a road safety initiative, alongside Tasmania Police – In Your Hands.
The campaign focuses on education, but it also reminds drivers that the responsibility is in their hands.
That responsibility is not only to ensure they arrive home alive, but to ensure others survive the drive as well.
Stories highlighted throughout the campaign included the mother of a 19-year-old who was killed in a Christmas Eve crash in 2013.
While the face of the initiative was a crash survivor – Sam Cawthorn.
Mr Cawthorn fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a truck, losing an arm and a leg.
His message was for “idiot” drivers to “wake up” when behind the wheel.
Another large focus of the campaign is the men and women behind the crashes.
The first responders at the scene, the ambulance officers transporting them to the hospital, the emergency department staff treating them, the police officers informing family, and the counsellors supporting loved ones.
The aim of police and the government is for Tasmania’s road toll to be zero.
To achieve that, it is going to take confronting, shocking stories to remind drivers just how deadly our roads can be.
The campaign will continue into 2018, with a focus on road safety in school zones as students head back over the next month.
