WE NEED COPS FOR DV FIGHT

WE’RE losing the war against domestic violence.

And we’re not being dramatic. There is a war being waged out there across suburbia and, as the Gold Coast knows, sometimes in horrendous circumstances in public when deranged men murder women.

Experts, including police, are at a loss to explain the city’s ongoing struggle with its domestic violence crisis.

It could be a dramatic increase in breaches of domestic violence orders can be attributed in part to improved reporting due to a greater willingness of victims to go to police.

As criminologist Terry Goldsworthy says, that in itself reflects a change in police culture, with officers seeing a response as core police duty. That means police have given DV cases increased priority, which is encouraging. The Gold Coast does not want any delayed responses, as happened in one case recently.

But the crisis is also to do with angry men ignoring tough new laws that have reversed the presumption of bail in DV crimes involving assault, grievous bodily harm, deprivation of liberty, strangulation and kidnapping.

Significant numbers of perpetrators still just do not get it. It is not acceptable to bash women and children.

In any war, battles are won and lost on resources, supply lines and critically, the number of soldiers involved in the operation.

That poses a huge threat to the Gold Coast’s efforts to turn the tide in this war.

Frontline police are saying they have a strong commitment to dealing with the thugs and protecting victims, but they must be allowed to do the job.

Staff shortages could be leading to burnout, driving officers on to sick leave. On top of that are claims police numbers at Runaway Bay, for example, are being bled dry because of a shortfall across the city.

The Government has a chance to address this when it hands down its State Budget on Tuesday.

Law and order is not just an election issue. It is a matter of life and death for frightened families. Police resources must be bolstered to win this fight.