OFF THE WIRE
ANGRY police have warned MPs they are threatening public safety by delaying or changing anti-bikie laws.
Police, it is understood, are not able to issue firearm prohibition orders against at least five known criminals because of a deadlock in the Upper House on the use of criminal intelligence.
The Police Association has launched an intense campaign against Liberal and independent MPs who are supporting the changes, saying they are frustrated and hamstrung by delays.
PA president Mark Carroll has sent a six-page letter to all MPs outlining the police position on several Bills that, it says, are necessary to effectively police serious and organised crime in SA.
They are especially angry at changes to a proposed law on the use of criminal intelligence.
That allows police to use it to block someone getting a liquor licence, but they cannot use it to take out a firearms prohibition order against a bikie gxxg member.
Mr Carroll told The Advertiser: "It just seems everything is getting lost in the Legislative Council. It is important that police have the right tools to do their job."
A police spokeswoman said police clearly needed legislation to support their efforts in dealing with serious and organised crime and welcomed appropriate laws to be passed.
Mr Carroll's comments follow those of Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Pallaras, QC, who has condemned the Liberals for blocking a law that would have provided reduced sentences for convicted criminals.
Mr Pallaras accused those who blocked the Bill of being "galactically ignorant" and the law simply aimed to enshrine a practice already carried out by judges.
The Bill, which would have offered sentencing discounts of up to 40 per cent for criminals who enter a guilty plea early, was one of six in the Government's package of anti-bikie laws. It was intended to break the code of silence around bikie crimes.
Liberal and independent MPs joined to block the changes and have opposed other key elements of anti-criminal gang legislation.
In his letter to MPs, Mr Carroll says police need strong laws to investigate outlaw motorcycle gxxgs and the laws before Parliament take direct aim at eradicating serious criminal behaviour.
"As you would be aware, outlaw motorcycle gangs are extremely violent and involved in serious criminal activities such as drug manufacturing, importation and distribution, as well as murder, blackmail, money-laundering and organised theft of motor vehicles," the letter says.
"OMCG members, who are prominent within the criminal and general communities, have succeeded in developing and expanding their operations so as to infiltrate legitimate industries such as finance and security. These gxxg members and their associates comprise a small proportion of the state's population but commit a disproportionate amount of serious crime."
Attorney-General John Rau said the Opposition was increasingly isolated in its soft-on-crime agenda.
Opposition spokesman Stephen Wade rejected any suggestion the Liberals were soft on crime and said the party had been bending over backwards to try to accommodate the Government's approach.
The discounted sentencing legislation, however, was a very risky approach.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/ipad/legal-roadblock-in-sa-parliament-is-helping-bikies-say-police/story-fn6bqpju-1226314962257
