- Legislative response to help police manage/respond to out-of-control parties
- Irresponsible party hosts face tough penalties
The Liberal-National Government's out-of-control parties' legislation passed State Parliament without amendments tonight, giving police greater powers to deal with such parties and providing them with the ability to prosecute irresponsible party hosts.
Police Minister Liza Harvey said she was pleased the laws had passed in time for the summer months and that police would now be better equipped to tackle out-of-control parties.
"This legislation will make it easier for police to disperse unruly mobs, arrest troublemakers and shut down a gathering once it starts to get out of control," Mrs Harvey said.
The Minister said the legislation would be supported by the deployment of State Government-funded Police Transport Vehicles (PTVs) and the expansion of the police dog squad.
"The message to party goers during summer is simple: if police order you to disperse or to stop engaging in unlawful behaviour, and you don't, you can expect to be arrested, and you can expect to find yourself in a cell on these buses," she said.
"The community is sick to death of this sort of unruly, criminal behaviour, and the Government supports police taking a robust stance when dealing with troublemakers."
Mrs Harvey said the legislation created the offence of organising an out-of-control gathering, with a maximum penalty of 12 months jail and a fine of $12,000.
"This offence is about encouraging hosts to use basic common sense, and behave responsibly when organising gatherings," she said. "Police will use this offence to target the worst, criminally irresponsible hosts."
Mrs Harvey said it was a defence for a person charged with this offence to prove they took reasonable steps to responsibly host the gathering, which could include contacting police as soon as trouble began or making the party invitation-only.
Fact File
- Under the legislation, an out-of-control gathering must have: 12 or more people attending; at least two people engaging in criminal conduct, for example disorderly behaviour, that causes or is likely to cause fear or alarm, or substantial interference with the lawful activities or peaceful enjoyment of the surrounding areas
- Police will have the power to order immediate dispersal of offenders, with failure to comply a serious offence backed by an immediate capacity to arrest
- Hosts who fail to take reasonable steps to prevent a gathering from spiralling out of control will face charges for an offence under the legislation
- Police will also have a power to seek an order that offenders pay some or all of the reasonable expenses incurred by police in responding to the out-of-control party
Minister's office - 6552 5900
