Let’s focus efforts out on the street

ANOTHER rock attack in Alice Springs. Another example of our emergency services workers under siege. It’s high time that we did something about it. In recent weeks there has been a lot of debate about sentencing, about whether mandatory sentencing has had its day, about whether our judges need to be tougher on the ratbag element to better protect the law-abiding members of society.

At the same time we are running a Royal Commission into youth detention and have set a national goal of reducing the indigenous incarceration rate.

In some of these areas we’re working towards a common goal and in others, elements of our community are poles apart. Some want us to be tougher. Others think we’re too tough.

What’s becoming clearer and clearer is the solution to rock attacks and cop bashings and security guards being set upon has little to do with sentencing. We’ve tried every approach and little has a real impact on the streets.

Perhaps it’s time we focused our efforts on the streets themselves. Whatever we do, our brave police and ambos and others must be protected.