THE state government is introducing tough new legislation to combat a rising tide of violent carjackings and home invasions, many in the south-eastern suburbs, Mordialloc state MP Tim Richardson said last week.
Specific and targeted stand-alone offences have been created for carjacking, aggravated carjacking, home invasions, and aggravated home invasions.
“These have been developed in close consultation with Victoria Police and will include tough new penalties and statutory minimum sentences,” Mr Richardson said. “This is about giving police the tools they need to keep the community safe.”
There will also be a presumption against bail for aggravated carjacking, home invasion and aggravated home invasion. This new show-cause provision will apply to offenders regardless of age.
A statutory minimum non-parole period of three years will also apply to aggravated carjacking and aggravated home invasion.
The Labor MP has called on Police Minister Lisa Neville to visit Kingston to talk to residents and hear police views on crime and punishment.
“There is nothing more fundamental in our community than feeling safe and secure,” he said in state parliament. “When confronted with some of the systematic challenges we have been facing recently, which include family violence, the devastating effects of the drug ice, as well as recent examples of theft, home invasions and carjackings across the south-eastern suburbs, we need to take swift action.”
Mr Richardson said there had been no cuts to police numbers in the Mordialloc district, adding that it was the role of the Police Commissioner, Graham Ashton, to determine what resources were needed to tackle crime.
He said there were no changes to the 24-hour counter services at police stations Cheltenham, Mordialloc and Chelsea.
Carrum Labor MP Sonya Kilkenny says the state government is introducing legislation to restrict the courts’ use of community correction orders for the most serious crimes – such as rape and murder.
She said the Sentencing (Community Correction Order) and Other Acts Amendment Bill 2016 would bring sentencing “more into line with community expectations and ensure those convicted of the most serious criminal offences go to prison”.
The legislation aims to prevent the use of community correction orders and other non-custodial orders for 10 serious offences, including murder, rape, kidnapping, extreme sexual and physical violence and serious drugs and terrorism offences.
“When police are under pressure to cope with the increasing crime rate, they do not need the courts to put perpetrators of serious crimes back in the community instead of behind bars,” Ms Kilkenny said.
“That’s what the community expects, and that’s what these tough new laws will deliver.
“For the most serious crimes, the only appropriate sentence is a prison sentence.”
Crime in Kingston has surged 9.3 per cent in crime in the past year according to figures released by the Crimes Statistics Agency Victoria.
Liberal state Upper House MP for the South Eastern Metropolitan Region Inga Peulich says “crime is out of control under Labor”.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 19 October 2016
