Police Association approves of Labor's bill to protect emergency services workers
Police Association president Mark Carroll will hold a media conference at Parliament House today, calling on all SA parliamentarians – regardless of affiliation – to pass Labor's new amendment bill cracking down on offenders who assault a police officer or an emergency services worker.
Mr Carroll said the Police Association is not concerned about which party introduces the legislation which actually protects police and other emergency services personnel.
"The protection of police and other emergency services workers should be above politics – but at this point, it is Labor's bill that delivers for all the stakeholders," he said.
Mr Carroll added that SA's police officers were disappointed with the Marshall Government's weak response to the association's campaign for stronger laws and tougher penalties.
"The association made a professional and respectful approach to the Marshall Government as far back as October 2018, and then again in January this year. Unfortunately, consultation was minimal," he said.
"We made it very clear to Attorney-General Vickie Chapman that we wanted a specific offence created to deal with assaults against police, ambos, nurses and doctors.
"The attorney-general refuses to legislate to that effect.
"We're particularly pleased that, under Labor's bill, a person who has received a suspended sentence for an assault against an emergency services worker – and who re-offends within five years – will be sent to prison.
"I call on all South Australian parliamentarians, in both chambers, to put partisan politics aside and legislate to provide real protection for police and emergency services workers in line with the clear expectations of the SA community."
Police Association president Mark Carroll will front the media at 1pm today, outside Parliament House, Nth Terrace.
