Lock up these hoons
Police union wants to put rammers in the slammer
CRIMINALS who ram police cars will only be deterred from offending by specific laws that would see them jailed, the police union says.
A spate of car-ramming incidents across the city in recent months has sparked fresh calls for the State Government to speed up its attempt to clamp down on “dangerous” offenders.
Victoria Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt said officers on the job were rammed more than 230 times over the past two years.
The Government announced in August it would intro- duce reforms to address incidents where offenders use vehicles to harm police and emergency service workers.
The union had backed a failed Opposition attempt to introduce a specific ramming offence that would have seen offenders jailed for two years.
Mr Gatt said that Geelong police were “sick of being treated as crash test dummies” by offenders.
“Deterrence will only be achieved through the specifics of the punishment for the offence of ramming a police vehicle,” Mr Gatt said.
“It needs to be harsh, it needs to send a clear message to criminals engaging in this type of dangerous behaviour, that the punishment you face when you’re caught is not worth the risk of committing the offence in the first place.”
Data released in January re- vealed up to a third of Geelong police were injured on the job.
Victoria Police confirmed there were 140 injuries to officers in the Greater Geelong Police Service Area in 2016.
Mr Gatt said that every time a police officer was injured or attacked by offenders, the entire community was placed at risk.
“There’s a gap in current legislation and a soft sentencing trend that leads to this crime being inadequately punished. It needs to be filled,” Mr Gatt said.
“The only place for rammers is in the slammer.”
Police Minister Lisa Neville said the Government was still consulting with Victoria Police and the union to develop new tough laws aimed at curbing ramming.
“This criminal behaviour is absolutely unacceptable,” Ms Neville said.
“These laws are being developed in consultation with the police association and Victoria Police and will be introduced to Parliament soon.”
Opposition police spokesman Edward O’Donohue said the Government could not afford to lag on an issue that was compromising police and public safety.
“How many more police need to be attacked and injured before (the State Government) does something?” Mr O’Donohue said.