The Hodgman Liberal Government is committed to being tough on crime and sending the message that crime will not be tolerated in Tasmania.
That is why we went to the election promising to rebuild Tasmania Police and restore numbers back to 1233 after they were savagely cut under the previous government, as a strong police service is essential to tackling crime and keeping the community safe.
The Tasmania Police Annual Corporate Performance Report for 2016-17 indicates our approach is working with more criminals than ever being caught, charged, and kept off the streets.
More police will inevitably mean more crime being detected and able to be reported and acted upon, resulting in a 9.4 per cent increase in reported crime in 2016-17, following a 10.4 per cent decrease in 2015-16. This includes a 33 per cent increase in serious drug offenders being charged, meaning less drugs finding their way into the community and destroying lives.
Importantly, Tasmania still has one of the lowest crime rates in the country, with ABS stats last month confirming the state has the lowest or equal lowest victim rate for the majority of offence categories in 2016.
We have consistently said we will be tough on crime and we make no apologies for wanting criminals off the streets instead of ruining the lives of law-abiding citizens, and we will continue to rebuild Tasmanian police and crack down on crime to ensure Tasmanians are safe.
It's a stark contrast to the Labor party who want to decriminalise drugs and have blocked mandatory jail time for child sex offenders, those who assault frontline workers, and those convicted of evading police for the third time.
More Media Releases from the Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management