Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders has welcomed the passing of the Drug Supply Prohibition Order Pilot Scheme Bill 2020, which will give police new powers to search convicted drug dealers and manufacturers as well as their properties to prevent drug supply and keep our communities safe.
The Bill delivers on this Government’s election commitment for a two-year pilot of a Drug Supply Prohibition Order (DSPO) scheme. It will be piloted in four areas, including the Orana Mid-Western Police District.
“Our community will be one of the first in the State to benefit from these increased police powers,” Mr Saunders said.
“These laws will put those who wish to disregard the safety of our community on notice and allow police to disrupt their organisations.
“The initial plans surrounding this plan were announced in my electorate by the Deputy Premier during the last election campaign, and I had been pushing quite hard for some time for flexibility to better support our police.
“During a visit to Wellington at the time we caught up with a number of local business owners who talked about the concerns they had with drug dealers. This trial is about providing better support to our police officers to fight illegal drug supply and manufacture in our community.
“It is about stopping those in our community that are providing drugs. By giving the police enhanced powers to focus on drug dealing in the community we are stepping up the response to the harms of drug-related crimes in our community.”
A court issued DSPO will give police the power to search the homes, vehicles and person of convicted drug dealers at any time without multiple court warrants, if police have reasonable grounds to suspect that there is evidence of drug-related crime.
An application for an order may be made in relation to any person convicted of a serious drug offence, such as supply or manufacture of an indictable quantity, in the past ten years. The Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research will conduct an evaluation at the conclusion of the pilot.
This drug dealer law is a raging joke! I live in Apollo Estate and I watch people trading drugs and have done for the whole 6.5 years I have lived here. The police can point out the drug houses! What an insult to me who has suffered all these years at the hands of these criminals. Absolutely outraged at this rediculous announcement.