news.com.au
ALMOST 10 motorists a day are failing to stop for police, despite the introduction of tougher penalties for evasion.
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.
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.
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.
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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| The penalties introduced last year carry $5500 fines for evading police and two-year licence suspensions. |
