Airport bomb "jokes"
Mike Jeffreys - Radio 2CC interviews Detective Superintendent Brian McDonald
21 April 2005
Jeffreys: ACT Policing has issued a general warning to air commuters that the risk of joking about bombs or other explosive and dangerous material at terminal check ins. The last thing I would do is create a situation through one of my broadcasts that some barrister can take to get his client off because of comments that were made, so we will discuss this matter in general. Detective Superintendent McDonald McDonald from the ACT Police is on the line, good morning thanks for your time.
Supt McDonald: Good morning Mike, how are you?
Jeffreys: I'm fine thankyou, so what point would you like to make which is on behalf of police?
Supt McDonald: Well I think that the point Mike that we'd like to make is that AFP protective service officers, airline staff all treat any sorts of references to bombs or explosives on planes as being very serious. It is not a joke. The legislation provides for serious penalties for references about bombs or explosives that may be on planes and that actually specifically talks about, you know comments that are made in jest. So the point we're trying to make here is that aviation security is a very serious issue and that's the way that we all view it and we just want to sort of highlight that point to the community.
Jeffreys: You know I can find humour in most things but you know checking in these days is such a business anyway, why would you complicate your life by making a stupid joke that nobody's going to find funny, particularly those people who are in authority to call you on?
Supt McDonald: I think that's right Mike, and I mean we just want to highlight the fact that it is actually an offence -- the authorities obviously treat it very seriously. A recent decision in a Brisbane court resulted in a $3000 fine because of a very expensive so called joke.
Jeffreys: Yeah well there have been other examples, I would have thought by now that everybody would get the message, but apparently not.
Supt McDonald: Well it appears that way and hence we just want to get the message out there that it is taken very seriously; aviation security is a very important issue for all of us.
Jeffreys: Well let's hope this conversation has helped a little bit. Thankyou for your time today.
Supt McDonald: Thanks Mike.
Jeffreys: Detective Superintendent Brian McDonald there from ACT Policing.
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