1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,600 Speaker 1: Police and the government are in damage control today over 2 00:00:02,640 --> 00:00:05,840 Speaker 1: the revelation that police will not investigate shoplifting incidents under 3 00:00:05,840 --> 00:00:08,239 Speaker 1: five hundred dollars. Now we've learned about this because of 4 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:10,920 Speaker 1: a memo which was sent to police staff telling them 5 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 1: to file shoplifting incidents under five hundred dollars, gas theft 6 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:16,640 Speaker 1: of less than one hundred and fifty dollars in online 7 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:19,439 Speaker 1: scams of less than one thousand dollars. Mark Mitchell is 8 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: the policeman as to high Mitch, Hi Heather is the 9 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:25,200 Speaker 1: memo right, Well. 10 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:28,120 Speaker 2: It could have been more helpful. That could have been clearer. 11 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 3: Obviously, it was a memo and the police have lots 12 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 3: of these memos circulating around. It was released under OIA, 13 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 3: and it. 14 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 2: Could have been much clearer. 15 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 3: The way that was written it did create some confusion. 16 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 3: Totally understand that and get that. And that's why both 17 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:47,720 Speaker 3: myself and the Commission have been out today. You clarifying it. 18 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 1: Is it right though, Mitch? If there is a shoplifting 19 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 1: incident of less than five hundred dollars the police, it 20 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 1: will get filed. It will just get filed. The police 21 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 1: will not necessarily investigate. 22 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 3: Oh no, it's not right. There shouldn't be thresholds. I 23 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 3: think the Commissioner has been very clear on that. 24 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 1: But are there thresholds. 25 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:06,959 Speaker 2: No, there's not. 26 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:10,840 Speaker 1: So there's no thresholds, okay, because we had we had 27 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 1: a police officer on yesterday who confirmed that the memo 28 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 1: was correct. So what's happened overnight. 29 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 3: Look, the reality of it is police have always triaged, 30 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,040 Speaker 3: They've always had to prioritize. When I was of the 31 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:24,480 Speaker 3: job thirty years ago, it was no different and it 32 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 3: still happens today. But the reality of it is that 33 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:29,680 Speaker 3: every crime, in every incident has taken on its own merits, 34 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:33,119 Speaker 3: and whether the police will respond, they will respond, whether 35 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:35,480 Speaker 3: it be immediately or whether it be with some follow up. 36 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:38,840 Speaker 3: So you know, they do have tools to try and 37 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 3: to be able to allocate, to be able to prioritize. 38 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 2: That is important. 39 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 3: If you've got an offender for multiple offenses, obviously they're 40 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:46,160 Speaker 3: going to go after that. 41 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 2: They'll prioritize that. But no, there's no thresholds. 42 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 3: And I think the Commissioner's come out today and he's 43 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 3: been very clear and he said that a priority for 44 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:57,360 Speaker 3: him and for this governor's retail crime. They've done some 45 00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 3: great work around the violent retail crime across all the stakeholders. 46 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 3: They can't do it by themselves. I'm really proud of 47 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 3: the work they're doing, and so that in the simple 48 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 3: answer is no. Any if there's a ship shoplifter or 49 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 3: if retailer's got someone there they need police support, then 50 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 3: you know the police will get there. 51 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 1: Okay, are you telling me that if a retailer calls 52 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:24,680 Speaker 1: in a shoplifting incident the police will always come and investigate. 53 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 3: They won't always get there to that shoplifting incident. And 54 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 3: I think back when I was in the job and. 55 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:33,120 Speaker 1: The gentlemen which ones they're going to and which ones 56 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:33,519 Speaker 1: they don't. 57 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 2: They have to prioritize. 58 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:37,080 Speaker 3: So when I was a police dog handler, if I 59 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:40,120 Speaker 3: was tracking three offenders from an aggravated robbery and at 60 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 3: the same time I got a call for a shoplifter, 61 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 3: then I have to carry on. I'm going to prioritize 62 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:47,400 Speaker 3: and go for the three egg robbers, right. Yes, If 63 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 3: I'm not doing that job and the call comes in 64 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 3: for the shoplifter, I'll go to the shoplifter. I'll go 65 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 3: and attend it. And it's no different today. Police they 66 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 3: have there are limited numbers. We don't have a you 67 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:01,040 Speaker 3: know that there's we've got limited resources. They have to prioritize. 68 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 3: They'll always prioritize human life, public safety. But if they 69 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 3: if they're free and they can get to a shoplifter, 70 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 3: they'll go to it. 71 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:11,640 Speaker 1: If there is a shoplifting of the value of fifty bucks, 72 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 1: the police and they've got free time, they'll go to it. 73 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 2: Yes, they will. 74 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 1: Okay. It just then explains to me why did the 75 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: memo say five hundred dollars. 76 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:22,840 Speaker 2: I think it was a tool that they were that 77 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:23,679 Speaker 2: they're trying to use it. 78 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 3: This is operational, so I shouldn't really be speaking to 79 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:28,799 Speaker 3: It's more for the commissioner. However, I think that they 80 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:31,520 Speaker 3: are probably triaging the information that they do have to 81 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 3: try and prioritize as they work through historic offenses and 82 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 3: trying to clear them. 83 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: But what do you No one's calling in historic offenses, 84 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 1: They're calling in offenses that have just happened. 85 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 3: No, they'll attend to those, and the Commission has been 86 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 3: very clear about that as well. And as the incoming 87 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 3: government's got a heavy focus on public safety, are we 88 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 3: expectation is that police will treat all crime equally, and they. 89 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 2: Will in that they tend. 90 00:03:56,960 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 1: So are you saying that the only that that memo 91 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 1: is referring to stuff that happened donkeys years ago, not 92 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 1: stuff that's happening right now. So you file away your 93 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 1: five hundred dollars shoplifting things and just put them in 94 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:07,119 Speaker 1: the In the part. 95 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 3: I'm not saying that I can't talk to the memo. 96 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 3: It is operational and that is that is more for 97 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 3: the Commissioner to speak to. From my side of it, 98 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 3: as the police bister, I just wanted to give complete 99 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 3: assurance and sort reassurance from the Commissioner that police will 100 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 3: attend will attend these jobs, and they will. 101 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:26,159 Speaker 1: I'm confused because Blair McDonald, the police officer, was on 102 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 1: the show yesterday going, yeah, the memo's right, and then 103 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 1: you're telling me today the memo's wrong. 104 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 2: Well, I'm saying that it could have been worded. 105 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:34,560 Speaker 3: It could have been worded better, it could have been clearer, 106 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 3: and that's that. 107 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:38,840 Speaker 1: And that's for that wording then, because all we've got 108 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 1: is the wrong wording. So what's the right wording? 109 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 3: Well, I think that I think that what they were 110 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 3: trying to do is they're trying to use a tool 111 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:48,280 Speaker 3: to be able to triarche historic cases that are now 112 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 3: it files to try and work through those, and they're 113 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:53,039 Speaker 3: going to they want to prioritize Withe. They've got some 114 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:55,880 Speaker 3: hard evidence and that's nothing's changed that was. It was 115 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 3: like this back in my day. Like I said, it 116 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:01,240 Speaker 3: always happened. But I think we're the confusion was created. 117 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:03,680 Speaker 3: Is that Does this mean now the police officer is 118 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:06,599 Speaker 3: not going to attend a shoplifting incident and that's not 119 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:07,040 Speaker 3: the case. 120 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:10,040 Speaker 2: The Commissioner's come out, he's been very clear that they will. 121 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:12,279 Speaker 3: I've come out as the Police Minister and said the 122 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 3: expectation from this government and it is contained in my 123 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:17,240 Speaker 3: leader of expectation to the Commissioner is that they will 124 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:21,160 Speaker 3: attend these incidents and look and they do every single day. 125 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:25,720 Speaker 3: Police do tens of thousands of positive interactions and responses 126 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:28,040 Speaker 3: to the public every day and they're going to continue 127 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 3: to do that. 128 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:29,960 Speaker 2: Mitch. 129 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:32,480 Speaker 1: Thank you very much, Mark Mitchell, Police Minister. 130 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 3: For more from hither Duplassy Allen Drive, listen live to 131 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:39,679 Speaker 3: news talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow 132 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:41,480 Speaker 3: the podcast on iHeartRadio.