Government welcomes the signing of CrimTrac Inter-Governmental agreement

13/7/00

Acting Police Minister Cheryl Edwardes has welcomed the support of all State and Territories in the signing of the CrimTrac Inter-Governmental Agreement.
The agreement was made in Perth at the Australasian Police Ministers' Council, chaired by Mrs Edwardes, over the last two days. The conference meets twice a year.
"CrimTrac will provide a national co-operative approach to fight crime by providing all States and Territories with rapid access to detailed, current information," she said.
"Western Australia has been supporting the development of the CrimTrac system since its inception and has been a member of the steering committee."
The CrimTrac system will include a new national crime identification DNA Database and will replace the current automated fingerprint identification system with a new state-of-the-art fingerprint identification program.
"The WA Police Service is sending an officer to Tacoma in Washington State to work with the operators of the new fingerprinting program and to begin downloading our fingerprint files into the new system," Mrs Edwardes said.
"It's expected that draft legislation will be completed later this year."
The Commonwealth Government has agreed to provide up to $50 million over three years to establish the CrimTrac system.
Other issues discussed at the council included:

• Indigenous People's Justice issues, including transition of Aboriginal police liaison officers to police constables, partnerships between police and Aboriginal and rural communities and the marked fall in representation of Aboriginal people in WA prisons;
• family violence in indigenous communities, including a special Joondalup domestic violence investigation unit;
• development of a national framework for firearms safety training, the illegal diversion of handguns into the hands of criminals and the use of handguns in crime;
• controls on performance enhancing drugs, where Council agreed to further investigate the extent of criminal involvement in the supply of performance enhancing drugs;
• the Australasian Women in Policing Strategic Plan, where WA will use best practice in the mentoring of women and is in the process of introducing a consultative mechanism for women in police;
• development of a working party to investigate a national approach to fraud control; and -
• briefing on security preparations for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

Media Contact: Steve Manchee 9421 7777
Australasian Police Ministers' Council
13th July 2000
JOINT COMMUNIQUE
Security arrangements for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and the CrimTrac inter-governmental agreement were just a few of the items on the 38th Australasian Police Ministers' Council held in Perth, Western Australia.
CrimTrac has now been established as an executive agency under the Public Service Act 1999 (Cth) and the Council resolved at today's meeting to formally sign the CrimTrac Inter-Governmental Agreement.
A progress report on the development of CrimTrac was delivered to Australasian Police Ministers' Council.
The Commonwealth has agreed to provide up to $50 million over three years and a board of management has been established with representation from jurisdictions.
CrimTrac will provide a national co-operative approach to fight crime, providing all jurisdictions with rapid access to detailed, current information.
The system will replace the current national automated fingerprint identification system with a new state-of-the-art identification program.
It will also include a new national crime identification DNA database, a national child sex offender database and link key police operational data, such as outstanding warrants, stolen vehicles and domestic violence orders.
It is expected the first phase of the fingerprint system will commence in December 2000.
The council also considered Indigenous People's Justice issues.
Council has reported regularly on the implementation of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody recommendations and has resolved to note the disparities in indigenous imprisonment rates to that of non-indigenous prisoners and to improve the outcomes through contact with relevant agencies in each jurisdiction.
Consideration was also given to a request from the Ministerial Council on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs to participate in the development of a national strategy on indigenous family violence, including consultation with indigenous communities.
The council resolved to request that each State and Territory review their existing policing and justice practices in relation to family violence in indigenous communities and determines how these can be improved.
Other issues discussed at the council included:

• development of a national framework for firearms safety training;
• the illegal diversion of handguns into the hands of criminals and the use of handguns in crime;
• progress report on the implementation of the National Supply Reduction Strategy for Heroin and other illicit drugs;
• controls on performance enhancing drugs. Council agreed to further investigate the extent of criminal involvement in the supply of performance enhancing drugs;
• progress report on the national guidelines on incident management, conflict resolution and use of force;
• the establishment of a working party of Federal, State and Territory representatives to examine the possibility of developing a national approach to fraud control;
• New South Wales presented an update on preparations for the Olympic Games and the security systems that are now being put in place around the Games venues and athletes village; and -
• Council resolved that NSW, in consultation with other jurisdictions, will draft national protocols for Police Commissioners' casino exclusions.

The council also endorsed the Australasian Women in Policing Strategic Plan.
This plan calls for the establishment of effective women's consultative mechanisms including support structures for women in policing and the implementation of mentoring programs for women in each Australian policing jurisdiction.
Such a program would actively promote equity and diversity in police organisations to enhance service delivery to the community and to increase partner and stakeholder confidence in policing.
Media contact: Chris Morris on 9220 5000