POLICE
— CARNARVON
48. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the crime wave
impacting Carnarvon, where businesses have been broken into four times in one
week, car windows have been smashed, homes have been broken into and
kids have been roaming the streets at night and terrorising the local shopping
centre during the day.
(1) When will the minister increase police numbers for the
Gascoyne district?
(2) Will he provide housing for any new police; and, if so,
how and when?
(3) What other strategies are being put in place to deal with
this crime rate?
Mr P. PAPALIA replied:
(1)–(3)
Yesterday, I referred to the most significant increase in police numbers in the
history of this state in one term in office. That is underway at the moment.
The 950 officers represents a 15 per cent increase over four years. That is
extraordinary. That comes on top of the 150 police officers we delivered in the
earlier part of our last term in office. It is an extraordinary increase. Right
now, 265 officers are training at the academy.
By the end of the year, they will be in their new posts. More than 150 officers
were posted recently, more than half of them, or thereabouts, went to
the regions. It is a matter of fact that as the numbers are delivered, more
will go to the regions. The Commissioner of Police advised me that the delivery
of additional police officers to regional posts is a priority for him. WA
police are dealing with having to backfill Operation Tide, the response to
COVID-19 postings. A number of new officers will go there and relieving
officers who were taken from other locations to support that task are returning
to their task.
Many locations already have more
officers than ever before, and that includes the member's electorate.
Right now, in the member's electorate, there are many officers in
addition to the normal numbers, as he would
be aware, supporting the response to cyclone Seroja. Kalbarri is probably the
most policed little plot of land in the state at the moment. A number of
additional officers have gone there and to Northampton and other parts of the electorate. I am not familiar with what
specifically happened in Carnarvon last week. It has not been drawn to
my attention by the police. As the member would be aware, I am not responsible
for the day-to-day operations of the police. However, I will seek some advice
on any concerns the member might have and I will
advise specifically when he can look forward to additional officers as part of
the 950.