❓ Mr Millman asks how the government's police investment is reducing crime. The Minister responds with statistics showing crime reduction and outlines specific investments and policy changes.
AnsweredQoN 894Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE — CRIME
STATISTICS
894. Mr S.A. MILLMAN to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the latest crime
statistics released by Western Australia Police Force. Can the minister outline
to the house how the McGowan Labor government's significant investment
in the WA Police Force is helping drive down crime and make our community safer?
STATISTICS
894. Mr S.A. MILLMAN to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the latest crime
statistics released by Western Australia Police Force. Can the minister outline
to the house how the McGowan Labor government's significant investment
in the WA Police Force is helping drive down crime and make our community safer?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Mount Lawley
for his question and for his interest in community safety. I am pleased to
advise the house that the latest quarterly statistics released by Western Australia
Police Force show that for the fifth consecutive quarter we have seen crime go
down—total numbers of crime, quarter to quarter, year-on-year have gone
down. Those new figures confirm that burglary in the last quarter, the first
quarter of this financial year, has gone down 7.5 per cent, compared with the
same quarter last year, and robberies have gone down 9.8 per cent compared with
the same quarter. The news is even better for regional Western Australia. I can
certainly advise regional members that crimes against the person and property
for this quarter this year, compared with last year, have gone down by 10.5 per
cent, something I know you will be pleased about, Mr Speaker. Burglaries have
gone down over 20 per cent and motor vehicle theft in regional areas has gone
down some 26 per cent. These trends are promising, but we never see that as a reason
for complacency. Police will continue to work hard, and our government will
continue to invest in the Western Australia Police Force. I note that
significant investment. We have added 100 police officers to our meth border
force and we have also put 25 officers into a regional enforcement unit.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough!
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : On top of
that, as members here will know, we have added —
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough, I call you to order for the first time.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : —
13 officers towards our 24-hour police stations so areas like Ellenbrook and
Armadale can have the same level of policing support that other centres have
had. Our Commissioner of Police has also taken some action. He has restructured
our police force in a way that has worked out to be very positive for the
community and also for police officers. He has taken some unprecedented action
to deal with crimes that were being ignored by the former government—crimes
such as fuel drive-offs, shoplifting and credit card fraud. I well remember
that when the former member for Kingsley grieved to the member for Scarborough
about fuel drive-offs, she was told: ''There is nothing you can do about
it.'' It turns out that this Commissioner of Police —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The member
for Scarborough did nothing. She refused to deal with it. She said it was
really difficult to prove in court and that was her excuse for not actioning
it.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The current
commissioner has been working with service stations and putting in place
policies so we can catch those people who do what some might regard as minor
crimes and catch those people, because we know that just about everyone who
progresses to a more major crime started with a minor crime. The police force
is now tackling those. Before the last election, the Liberal Party cut $190 million
out of its police budget. Our police budget for our first four years is $495 million
up on the last four years of the former government. These results are good, but
all they really serve to do is strengthen our resolve to do even better for the
community of Western Australia and drive crime down even further.
for his question and for his interest in community safety. I am pleased to
advise the house that the latest quarterly statistics released by Western Australia
Police Force show that for the fifth consecutive quarter we have seen crime go
down—total numbers of crime, quarter to quarter, year-on-year have gone
down. Those new figures confirm that burglary in the last quarter, the first
quarter of this financial year, has gone down 7.5 per cent, compared with the
same quarter last year, and robberies have gone down 9.8 per cent compared with
the same quarter. The news is even better for regional Western Australia. I can
certainly advise regional members that crimes against the person and property
for this quarter this year, compared with last year, have gone down by 10.5 per
cent, something I know you will be pleased about, Mr Speaker. Burglaries have
gone down over 20 per cent and motor vehicle theft in regional areas has gone
down some 26 per cent. These trends are promising, but we never see that as a reason
for complacency. Police will continue to work hard, and our government will
continue to invest in the Western Australia Police Force. I note that
significant investment. We have added 100 police officers to our meth border
force and we have also put 25 officers into a regional enforcement unit.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough!
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : On top of
that, as members here will know, we have added —
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough, I call you to order for the first time.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : —
13 officers towards our 24-hour police stations so areas like Ellenbrook and
Armadale can have the same level of policing support that other centres have
had. Our Commissioner of Police has also taken some action. He has restructured
our police force in a way that has worked out to be very positive for the
community and also for police officers. He has taken some unprecedented action
to deal with crimes that were being ignored by the former government—crimes
such as fuel drive-offs, shoplifting and credit card fraud. I well remember
that when the former member for Kingsley grieved to the member for Scarborough
about fuel drive-offs, she was told: ''There is nothing you can do about
it.'' It turns out that this Commissioner of Police —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The member
for Scarborough did nothing. She refused to deal with it. She said it was
really difficult to prove in court and that was her excuse for not actioning
it.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The current
commissioner has been working with service stations and putting in place
policies so we can catch those people who do what some might regard as minor
crimes and catch those people, because we know that just about everyone who
progresses to a more major crime started with a minor crime. The police force
is now tackling those. Before the last election, the Liberal Party cut $190 million
out of its police budget. Our police budget for our first four years is $495 million
up on the last four years of the former government. These results are good, but
all they really serve to do is strengthen our resolve to do even better for the
community of Western Australia and drive crime down even further.
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