29 April 2016

Government Should Give Authority Where Needed

The Conservative Party fully supports Sensible Sentencing Trust’s call for Police and Corrections to have the authority to drug test offenders on Probation, Home Detention and Bail.

“It seems bizarre that convicted criminals, with drug histories, are allowed on the streets with no way of monitoring their drug use. We call on the government to alter the existing law, under urgency,” says Party Spokesman, Leighton Baker.

What is both alarming, and tragic, is that innocent lives have been lost to violent crime committed by people that the courts had forbidden to use drugs, but were under the influence anyway, and that both Corrections and Police knew that they were powerless to monitor, and enforce, the court imposed sanctions. Whilst ignorance is a poor excuse, there is no ignorance now, and apathy that lets other innocent victims suffer should be treated as a criminal act in itself.

“Let common sense prevail and empower the authorities to do their jobs,” concludes Leighton Baker.

ENDS

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