❓ Hon Kate Doust questions the WA government on progress towards increasing Aboriginal and multicultural representation within the WA Police force, following a 2011 commitment. The response highlights data collection limitations and focuses on broader diversity promotion rather than specific targets.
AnsweredQoN 688Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Premier's media statement on 16 November 2011, which committed the Government to increasing the ratio of officers from Aboriginal and multicultural backgrounds within Western Australia Police, and I ask: (a) what is the current percentage of fully sworn police officers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; (b) what is the current percentage of fully sworn police officers from Aboriginal backgrounds; and (c) what is the target that the Government is setting for each of (a) and (b), and within what time frame?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
18 February 2014
Responded by
Attorney General representing the Minister for Police
Response time
69 days
(a)-(b) Western Australia Police can only request that employees provide cultural background information on a voluntary basis. As there is no way to determine the proportion of employees that have chosen to provide such information, it is not possible to accurately determine the total percentage of officers who are from an Aboriginal or a culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) background.
Western Australia Police records for October 2013 indicate that 107 officers identified as Aboriginal, representing 1.7 per cent of sworn strength. A further 271 officers identified as being from a CaLD background, representing 4.4 per cent of sworn strength. As noted above, these percentages do not reflect the total number of officers who are Aboriginal or are from a CaLD background.
(c) The intent of the Step Forward recruiting campaign is not to attract a specific number of officers who are Aboriginal or who are from a CaLD background, but to highlight to the public that Western Australia Police reflects the diverse community it serves, and that the organisation encourages, respects and values diversity within its workforce.
Western Australia Police records for October 2013 indicate that 107 officers identified as Aboriginal, representing 1.7 per cent of sworn strength. A further 271 officers identified as being from a CaLD background, representing 4.4 per cent of sworn strength. As noted above, these percentages do not reflect the total number of officers who are Aboriginal or are from a CaLD background.
(c) The intent of the Step Forward recruiting campaign is not to attract a specific number of officers who are Aboriginal or who are from a CaLD background, but to highlight to the public that Western Australia Police reflects the diverse community it serves, and that the organisation encourages, respects and values diversity within its workforce.
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