Skip to main content
Home
  • The Legislative Assembly meets on 16/04/2024 (01:00 PM)
    Assembly sit 16/04/2024
  • The Legislative Council meets on 16/04/2024 (01:00 PM)
    Council sit 16/04/2024
  • The Public Administration meets on 08/04/2024 (10:00 AM)
    Committee meet 08/04/2024

Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 48 asked in the Legislative Assembly on 6 May 2021 by Mr V.A. Catania

Parliament: 41 Session: 1

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.