THE Border’s top cops yesterday said the idea of a joint taskforce to tackle the spread of ice had merit but warned there were many hurdles to overcome.
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The North East’s divisional commander, Supt Paul O’Halloran, said while he welcomed the idea of closer ties between Victoria and NSW police, a taskforce was only one element in the ice war.
Having sufficient rehabilitation, referral and community education services was equally important, he said.
“You’ve got to be careful not to make it just about enforcement because the other aspects are equally important. Doing things in isolation is not going to help,” he said.
Would other services and education be cross-border too, he asked.
Albury police commander Supt Beth Stirton said to achieve any improvement, a taskforce would need to be physically in one office.
“The benefits of a unit could be the close sharing of intelligence and information, and targeting specific cross-border offenders,” she said.
Supt Stirton also said more police would be required to run such a taskforce.
She pointed out there was already close liaison between the states in Albury and Wodonga, with almost daily sharing of intelligence and police were already sworn in as special constables on either side of the Border.
The concept of a cross-border taskforce was revived this week when retiring North East magistrate John Murphy said police and the justice system could work more closely in relation to ice, which he said was rife and far worse than anything seen before.
The idea was first floated in February during a federal parliamentary inquiry into ice and has been embraced by NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione.
Supt O’Halloran said he would follow up the idea of a cross-border unit which could prove effective right along the border, not just in Albury-Wodonga.
He said getting the drug off the street wasn’t the only solution.
“We’re always open to gains in policing efficiencies, but crystal methamphetamine is a statewide issue,” he said.
“In Victoria, we’ve got a really comprehensive strategy around all the issues.”
Supt O’Halloran said others to be considered were differences in legal frameworks, jurisdiction, operating procedures, training of officers and privacy.
“What we’re really talking about is efficient and effective law enforcement on both sides of the border,” he said.
“It may allow for a more streamlined approach but we have to look at it in terms of the broader implications, as this issue covers the whole state border.”
He was also firm that interrupting the supply of ice was only “a very small part” of beating the crisis.
“Equally important is the treatment and referral centres, and a very important issue is education to prevent youth from taking up the drug in the first place,” he said.
