CRIME
— CARNARVON
830. Ms M. BEARD to the Minister for Police:
I have a supplementary question. Given that the information
the minister is receiving does not seem to reflect what I am hearing, will the
minister agree to meet with me, local leaders and victims of crime in Carnarvon
to see this for himself?
Mr P. PAPALIA replied:
I will happily meet anybody on policing matters in Western Australia
at any time. As the member is probably aware,
I regularly travel the regions and talk to police officers in their place of
work and talk to the local communities. I talked to Eddie Smith when I saw
him not long ago. I will happily meet with the member. One thing I can tell the
member about this challenge is that I will talk to the Minister for Racing and
Gaming in the new year because I will look at the potential to expand our
banned drinkers register into the midwest. That has been rolled out across the
Kimberley, Pilbara and into the goldfields. I was approached in the past, when
I had the racing and gaming portfolio, by people seeking to expand it to the
midwest. I think we can consider that, particularly for Carnarvon. It would
require support from the local liquor outlets, and if there is not a liquor
accord there, it would require one. That is the normal practice for getting
that support. That is one thing we can look at. I will repeat that the only
report I get on policing in Carnarvon is that the police are doing a great job.
Every time I talk to Eddie Smith, the shire president, he assures me that the
police are doing a fantastic job. Eddie Smith has never raised any matters. The district superintendent, who is based in
Geraldton, has gone to Carnarvon only this week, I think, and he has not
had any matters raised with him about the resourcing or capabilities of police
in Carnarvon. He has been rotating additional officers up there to assist at
any time required, outside of Operation Regional Shield. I have not had any
issues raised about any crime wave, as the member is referring to it, in
Carnarvon. I am told that the police are doing a wonderful job. Every time I talk
to Eddie, that is what he says to me.