❓ The question concerns violence against police officers in Perth. The Premier's answer details support provided to the police force, criticising the questioner's language.
AnsweredQoN 1125Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE — ASSAULTS
AGAINST
1125. Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS to the Premier:
I refer to the out-of-control
violence on the streets of Perth and recent media reports highlighting the
horrific injuries suffered by our frontline police officers. Can the Premier
confirm that even police officers are no longer safe from being bashed in
Perth?
AGAINST
1125. Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS to the Premier:
I refer to the out-of-control
violence on the streets of Perth and recent media reports highlighting the
horrific injuries suffered by our frontline police officers. Can the Premier
confirm that even police officers are no longer safe from being bashed in
Perth?
AnswerView source ↗
I say at the outset that I appreciate
the work our police do. I am personally friends with a number of police
officers. I have enormous respect for the work that the police do across Western
Australia, often in very difficult situations and locations. We have provided a
lot of support to police officers since we have been in office. We have issued
our police officers with additional body armour in the form of stab-proof
vests. We have provided all officers with additional
rifle capacity, particularly to confront terrorism situations. We have
clarified the law to ensure that if there is a terrorism incident, they
have access, if you like, to lethal force, which we agreed to at the Council of
Australian Governments and put in legislation. We have ensured that when police
officers leave the police force via medical retirement, they are no longer ''section
8-ed'', which was the former situation whereby they were essentially
thrown out of the force even though they might be leaving because of a medical
situation. They now have an alternative pathway to leave the police force. We
have provided a redress scheme for former officers who were badly treated when they left the force. That scheme is chaired
by former commissioner Karl O'Callaghan. I understand that those involved are doing a terrific job. We have ensured that we have rolled out
cameras to police officers to record what occurs,
and also provided tablets, which the police sought for a long time to make
their role more efficient. We have also removed paperwork from police
officers, which they asked for. Our police officers do a terrific job across
our community. Some of the extreme language
used by the member for Hillarys to run down Perth and Western Australia is unbecoming of any member of this Parliament.
the work our police do. I am personally friends with a number of police
officers. I have enormous respect for the work that the police do across Western
Australia, often in very difficult situations and locations. We have provided a
lot of support to police officers since we have been in office. We have issued
our police officers with additional body armour in the form of stab-proof
vests. We have provided all officers with additional
rifle capacity, particularly to confront terrorism situations. We have
clarified the law to ensure that if there is a terrorism incident, they
have access, if you like, to lethal force, which we agreed to at the Council of
Australian Governments and put in legislation. We have ensured that when police
officers leave the police force via medical retirement, they are no longer ''section
8-ed'', which was the former situation whereby they were essentially
thrown out of the force even though they might be leaving because of a medical
situation. They now have an alternative pathway to leave the police force. We
have provided a redress scheme for former officers who were badly treated when they left the force. That scheme is chaired
by former commissioner Karl O'Callaghan. I understand that those involved are doing a terrific job. We have ensured that we have rolled out
cameras to police officers to record what occurs,
and also provided tablets, which the police sought for a long time to make
their role more efficient. We have also removed paperwork from police
officers, which they asked for. Our police officers do a terrific job across
our community. Some of the extreme language
used by the member for Hillarys to run down Perth and Western Australia is unbecoming of any member of this Parliament.
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