CRIME AND ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR — CARNARVON
406. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Police:
I refer to reports of a long-running
and intensifying crime wave in Carnarvon, an issue that was raised with the
minister in October 2021 and was the subject of a petition of 16 February with
more than 1 250 signatures calling for immediate action. What is the minister
doing to address these serious issues, noting there are reports every day of
young people roaming the streets, truant from school and engaging in antisocial
and criminal behaviour?
Mr P. PAPALIA replied:
I thank the member for the odd
question. I note that the member representing that particular town is not here.
He has absented himself, although he was here earlier, so I do not know why he
has chosen to be absent while the Leader of the Opposition asked that question.
I
note, of course, that there is not a series of reports of children wandering
the streets and reports of truancy on a daily basis and that there is
not a crime wave that the Leader of the Opposition has claimed and referred to
and, finally, that operational policing matters are the purview and
responsibility of the Commissioner of Police. What the Leader of the Opposition
would expect me to do about any claimed crime wave—she often talks down
the town of Carnarvon—under our role as the government and my role as
the police minister, is ensure that the police have the resources they need to conduct operations. We know that the Western Australia
Police Force is better resourced, better staffed, better led and,
effectively, more capable of delivering good policing right across Western Australia
now than at any time in the history of the state. That is undeniable.
As the Premier indicated, we are
committed to growing the police force by 950 over a four-year period. I will be
at another graduation on Thursday night to
see another couple of squads graduate. The last number I heard was that
we have grown the number of police by about 570 of that 950. There is a challenge
with attrition because we are in the middle
of a boom. Like everyone in Western Australia, we are chasing good people to
recruit. We have funded, and will continue to fund, the greatest growth
of police numbers in a four-year period in the history of this state. Police
are resourced and better equipped, thanks in many ways to a lot of the
technology, support and equipment that was delivered under the leadership of
the now Speaker in the last term of office, and that is continuing now. They
are supported directly by the State Operations Command Centre with 24/7
coverage and support and direct real-time intelligence for police on the
ground. Every effort and resource is provided to the police to ensure that they can deliver policing everywhere across the
state. I just wish that the Leader of the Opposition would not continue to
criticise and attack the Western Australia Police Force. I note, of course,
that the town the Leader of the Opposition referred to is the site of one of
the greatest triumphs of the Western Australia Police Force and of any police
force in the world in recent times, with the rescue of Cleo. I do not know why
the Leader of the Opposition continues to do this. I suspect it has something
to do with an impending by-election, but I suggest the Leader of the Opposition
consider what she is doing when she talks down the Western Australia Police
Force and Carnarvon.