Libs pledge mandatory prison for cop assaults
A Hurn Liberal government would introduce new laws to “crack down” on people who attack and injure police officers on duty if elected, as Labor insists that crime rates are falling in SA.
Those who cause harm to a police officer acting in the course of official duties would be sentenced to mandatory imprisonment for a period of no less than six months under proposed laws from the Liberal Party ahead of the state election.
A Hurn Liberal government would introduce the legislation within the first 100 days of government, which would also remove the ability for a court to suspend the sentence and introduce a presumption against bail.
“Nobody deserves to be assaulted in the workplace, especially our police officers who put themselves in danger each and every day to protect the community,” SA Liberal Leader Ashton Hurn said, announcing her latest pre-election pitch to voters.
Shadow Police Minister Jack Batty accused the Malinauskas Labor government of failing to take “meaningful action” despite advocacy from the SA Liberals for tougher laws.
“A 21 per cent surge in assaults on police should have been a wake-up call for the government, but instead South Australians have been left with laws that aren’t fit for purpose,” he said.
You might like
“A Hurn Liberal Government’s legislation will send a very clear message to any person who considers assaulting a police officer. If you harm a police officer, you will go to jail.”
The Liberals previously announced that they would introduce “break bail, face jail” laws if elected.
That proposed law would create a presumption against bail if an applicant is taken into custody for a serious offence and the applicant is already on bail for another serious offence.
Today’s announcement comes after a recent Productivity Commission Report on Government Services that showed that recidivism rates in South Australia had fallen to 36.8 per cent.
Stay informed, daily
The report also showed that 96.9 per cent of the highest priority police callouts in metropolitan Adelaide were responded to within 15 minutes.
In the 2025-26 state budget, the Malinauskas Labor government made a $334 million investment in police, including $82 million to hire an extra 189 police security officers.
The state government also said it had received a record number of SAPOL applications in 2024-25, with 3,050 people applying to join the police force.
Police Minister Blair Boyer said that “we have seen 15 consecutive months where overall crime has fallen across our state”.
“There’s more to do, and our government will continue investing in our police to reduce crime and improve community safety,” he said.
SA Police Minister Grant Stevens said that he did not support mandatory minimum sentences of imprisonment.
“I’ve seen too many examples of people who, in the ordinary course of events, would never think about assaulting a police officer, find themselves in a situation where they push or punch a police officer without resulting in harm,” he said.
“That constitutes an assault of police, and I’m not so sure that we need those people serving a sentence of imprisonment.
“There are occasions when, looking at the entire circumstances and the background of an individual, a more appropriate penalty could be applied.”
