Dale Mills

The national push for more police officers and powers has led to a public clash between Australian Federal Police (AFP) commissioner Mick Keelty and ACT minister for police Simon Corbell.

Keelty, a regular on TV concerning the “war on terror”, called for an increase in police numbers just before the May 4 ACT budget. According to that day’s Canberra Times, Corbell said Keelty’s comments were “completely inappropriate”.

Similar tensions between the police and governments have surfaced across the country. The police know no limits when it comes to demands for more resources and the high cost of policing is straining government budgets.

The average number of police per capita nationally is 224, compared with 187 in the ACT. The Australian Federal Police Association, ACT opposition police spokesperson Steve Pratt and AFPA vice-president for ACT policing Dennis Gellatly have all been campaigning for more officers. According to Pratt, the ACT is short by 114 police.

Earlier this year, the productivity commission reported that real annual recurrent spending on Australia’s police is $5.5 billion. Based on ACT government budget estimates, it would cost at least $11 million a year to fund 100 additional police.

From Green Left Weekly, May 10, 2006.
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