Where does he get this stuff?

(from "Domestic crime fury", by Jacqueline Freegard, Herald Sun 13 Jul 2006)

OPPOSITION police spokesman Kim Wells has infuriated campaigners against domestic violence by claiming police were spending too much time dealing with the problem.
Mr Wells has called for more Department of Human Services workers to work at night so police are not tied up dealing with domestic violence.

He said police should be out on the beat and protecting the community rather than being held up after hours dealing with domestic violence issues.

"DHS staff need to be on call to provide services, which will allow police to be back on the beat," he said."Labor's current ad-hoc arrangements are failing victims and placing additional responsibilities on local police."
...
Mr Wells said: "Police are having to do the work of community service workers and we want to DHS to be switched on more to assist victims of domestic violence after 5pm Monday to Friday."

What Mr Wells is saying is in accord with the new legislation which establishes Family Resource Centres around the country; and accenting a serious problem with law enforcement.

• The new FRCs express a recognition of the limitations of police and courts in domestic violence. New laws tacitly acknowledge that police and court intervention may actually exacerbate or even cause domestic violence.
• The police on the street will tell anyone that more than half their time is spent responding to "domestic violence" or Intervention Order calls -- not protecting the public from (in the words of one A/S I met) "real crimes."

If the magistracy is unqualified to determine which member of a household is the Abuser, then the police are even less qualified in the rarified atmosphere of a callout.

In response to this difficulty, some states in the US instituted a "must arrest" policy. Simply, anyone involved in a domestic violence dispute was arrested until they could cool down. But that created a serious problem in California: while the number of men arrested doubled -- the number of women arrested quadrupled! -- to the point more women were being arrested than men.
Victoria under Police Commissioner Tim Holding has modified the police code of practice to a "must arrest" policy: the policy is only to arrest men, and to issue interim Intervention Orders on the spot.
Again, evidence that the present Victorian administration intends to rewrite national law in order to curry favour from radical feminist in the hope that they can deliver the women's vote.

Domestic Violence Victoria spokeswoman (for whom?) Fiona McCormack slammed Mr Wells' views as archaic.

In fact, Ms McCormack's views are political, not correct, but that is what she is hired to do.

Police Minister Tim Holding yesterday ... said the leading cause of death and disability among adult women was domestic violence.
"It is deplorable. I think (Kim Wells) is trying to make a cheap political point to those small number of Victorians who still maintain those old-fashioned beliefs that domestic violence is not a serious matter is and something that families can sort out for themselves."

Yes, Mr Holding, your police are able to do what professional psychologists, courts, and half-trained GPs cannot do: They can just go there and the crack the man's skull.
(I had to deal with a couple of them who were trained to do that myself last year. Unfortunately, the A/S's were dissuaded by two factors: one, I wasn't violent; two, they had junior officers as witnesses that might not have agreed to such barbaric methods against someone who could hardly walk.)

But the interesting question here is where did Mr Holding find the information that domestic violence was the "leading cause of death and disability among adult women"?
That apocalyptic factoid isn't readily available anywhere on the Net; and it seems like the sort of thing that many sites would be trumpeting constantly if it were true. Or did Mr Holding just create a little fear-mongering rhetoric of his own? -- in a graphic display of his own incompetence and irresponsibility?

Mr Holding may have been confused. There was a seminar recently by another Kim Wells -- an expert in domestic violence from the US. It's hard to tell unless he produces his sources. Otherwise, his statement will go into the radical rhetoric and be quoted as authoritative.

In response to the article on 13 July, Bernard de Jonk from Westmeadows is quoted in today's Herald Sun saying:

"It's comforting to know state Liberals don't see domestic violence as a core policing issue."

Mr Holding has done his job as Labor Police Minister well: He has created animosity against the opposing party by providing hyperbolic rhetoric. Does it matter that he hasn't told the whole truth?

And Mary Booth of Bundalong is quoted as saying:

I was stunned to read Police Minister Tim Holding's statement .. It is abhorent that the major cause of so much suffering for women and their families is something totally preventable.
We obviously need better services from the Health Services Department and continued police intervention. Only after the community is aware of the gravity of this situation will it be willing to demand funding for services best placed to tackle this abominable situation."

Mary seems to have a pretty good handle on the situation. The community should be aware. Aware of those who would happily sacrifice the health and safety of Australian children and families for any opportunity to pass political rhetoric.

Yes, the police are needed in certain circumstances. When there is violence involved. Otherwise, Mr Holding, keep your attack-trained police out of the picture.
This is a Health Services problem.
Your hyperbolic political rhetoric is only endangering people, Mr Holding. It is causing more problems than it will solve. If that is what you call leadership, then please, just spread whatever disinformation you choose.

In the debate about domestic violence, you'll have a lot of company shovelling -- and much of this hate- and fear-mongering rhetoric is paid for by the Australian government.

You, Mr Holding, should be ashamed of yourself. (That's from my neighbor, who read over my shoulder while I wrote.)