Probation breaches anger police

Quensland Police Union president Ian Leavers.

QUEENSLAND’S police union president is calling on courts to get tougher on offenders who flout probation orders.

His comments follow an investigation by The Queensland Times that revealed 205 defendants were convicted of breaching probation orders in Ipswich courts last year.

Information from Queensland Corrective Services shows 437 offenders were on probation orders in the Ipswich region as of December 31 last year.

Queensland Police Union president and former Ipswich police officer Ian Leavers said probation sometimes helped rehabilitate offenders but if people breached the order they should face the full extent of the law.

“Probation can be a very good tool and it can be useful but once a person breaches the order it is quite clear that it has been ineffective and a waste of time and they should get a proper sentence,” Mr Leavers said.

Mr Leavers said it was unacceptable for offenders who continually breached probation to again be offered probation.

“It is quite clear that they’re showing contempt for everyone involved,” he said.

“For some people probation works but with others they just flout the law and do what they want.”

LNP Shadow Attorney-General Lawrence Springborg said the figures showed how weak the Queensland Labor Government was on crime.

“There’s no value in the justice system and when you’ve got almost half of people breaching their probation orders it shows the system is falling apart or the people who are subject to probation orders just treat it with contempt,” Mr Springborg said.

“Probation and community service is treated as some sort of joke... If you breach it nothing really happens.

“Is it any wonder that people are contemptuous towards the law?”

Mr Springborg said offenders were given too many chances after breaching probation orders.

“They’re given a third and fourth chance and that’s the issue,” he said.

“They just don’t fear it; it’s almost a badge of honour – what are the consequences? Another probation order?”

Mr Leavers said sentencing often did not meet the community’s expectations and officers were sick of working to catch criminals only for them to receive a “slap on the wrist”.

“It is very frustrating to police when they see the impact crimes have upon victims and then see offenders walk away with a very minor or no fine at all,” Mr Leavers said.

“It is very disheartening because the police officers are doing their best to protect the community.”

According to figures obtained from the Department of Justice, 50 defendants breached community services orders in Ipswich’s District and Magistrates courts last year, 17 breached intensive correction orders and 12 contravened community-based orders.

The Department of Justice declined to comment.