· Robyn
Ironside The Courier-Mail October 07, 2013
The penalties introduced last year carry $5500 fines
for evading police and two-year licence suspensions.
ALMOST 10 motorists a day are failing to stop for
police, despite the introduction of tougher penalties for evasion.
People are sick
and tired of ‘revenue raising’ by the police terrorists and are responding.
In the year to September 29, police recorded 2652
occasions on which motorists refused to stop - up from 2261 in the same period
last year.
Of those, 1671 offenders were never caught.
Interesting language that presumes that 1671
people are guilty, despite, their right to be presumed innocent. Murderer’s and
rapists enjoy a presumption of innocence, and, so do the 1671 innocent people
mentioned above.
Logan recorded the highest number of offences with
559, or more than two a day, followed by south Brisbane with 347 and then north
Brisbane with 272.
What are the circumstances that lead to
these numbers? Extra booze bus revenue raising operations in the Logan area?
Would Logan be the suburb that the politician’s live in, the Toorak or Double
Bay of Brisbane?
Outside the southeast, Townsville was the worst place
for police evasions with 269, almost one a day in the past nine months.
The increase in the offence came despite new penalties
introduced in August 2012 of $5500 fines for evading police and automatic
two-year licence suspensions.
At the time,
Police Minister Jack Dempsey said the penalties would send a clear message to
the community that evading police was a serious offence with equally serious
consequences.
That decision was (and is) all about revenue
raising and controlling people with the prevailing belief being one of ‘do as
we tell you or we will hurt you’. Notice that this is considered by ‘them’ to
be a fair offer that affords you an ability to express a choice.
But yesterday a spokeswoman for Mr Dempsey revealed
the legislation covering evade police offences was already under review.
"We are committed to ensuring evade police
legislation meets community expectations," the spokeswoman said. "The
Government is reviewing the legislation to make sure the judicial system
matches community expectations and it will be taken back to parliament before
the end of the year."
The review follows confusion in the court system about
the penalties - with a magistrate imposing and then withdrawing a $5500 fine
given to a teenager who fled from police in an unregistered car near Cairns.
Matthew James Nicolaou, 18, was spared the penalty
after Magistrate Robert Spencer said he had incorrectly assumed the fine was
mandatory, leading to an "oppressive" penalty.
Police appealed the decision but were unsuccessful,
with a Supreme Court judge finding it would be unfair to impose the fine.
A memo circulated among police earlier this year even
suggested officers could do no more than "smile and wave" as
offenders took off.
Queensland Police Union acting president Shayne
Maxwell said he would welcome any changes by the Government that meant the
Queensland Police Service "no pursuit policy" and the evade police
legislation met community expectations.
"We would welcome any improvements that will
ensure magistrates enforce the evade police law," Mr Maxwell said.
"It's also important the no pursuit policy is altered to meet community
expectations, as the Police Union has lobbied."
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