By Alesha Capone
The Opposition and Police Association of Victoria have raised concerns about the state government’s plan to decriminalise public drunkenness.
According to the Crime Statistics Agency, more than 4000 people were arrested for being drunk and disorderly in public across Victoria within the 2019-20 financial year.
In the 12 months to June this year, 105 people were arrested in Wyndham for being drunk and disorderly in public.
Brimbank recorded 122 such offences, Maribyrnong 66 offences, Melton 35 offences and Hobsons Bay 34 offences.
An expert panel, including police and indigenous representatives, last week tabled a report recommending that outreach workers, or drug and alcohol workers, should be the first responders when someone is found intoxicated in public, rather than police.
The state government has committed to decriminalising public drunkenness before next year.
In response, the Opposition said that while a number of other states have decriminalised public drunkenness, the Victorian government “was putting the cart before the horse by rushing out proposed reforms”.
The Opposition spokesman for Police and Community Safety, David Southwick, said that the plans “failed to address key stakeholders’ serious community safety concerns”.
The Police Association of Victoria labelled the decriminalisation plan “all press release and no policy”.
Association secretary Wayne Gatt said that making medical professionals the first line in dealing with intoxicated people would “place additional pressures on our doctors and nurses and our emergency departments, which will replace police in dealing with drunk and violent people”.
