❓ Mr. Omodei questions the Minister for Police and Emergency Services about alleged understaffing and deceptive practices within the WA Police force. The Minister vehemently denies the claims, accusing Mr. Omodei of undermining the police and commissioner.
AnsweredQoN 713Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE NUMBERS
713. Mr P.D. OMODEI to the Minister for Police and Emergency
Services:
(1) What
strategies have been put in place to disguise from the Western Australian
public that Western Australia Police is almost 500 operational officers under
strength and the numbers leaving are much higher than the 30 per month admitted
in official WA Police statistics?
(2) Is the minister aware that the Commissioner of Police is
-
(a) offering leave without pay to
officers who want to resign; and
(b) trying to bring back some
officers who have resigned to work just one shift per fortnight?
(3) Can the
minister confirm that this strategy to hold onto absent and part-time officers
artificially inflates the reported official strength of the police force to try
to hide the massive police shortage in WA?
(4) Will the minister concede that such a tactic is extremely
deceptive?
713. Mr P.D. OMODEI to the Minister for Police and Emergency
Services:
(1) What
strategies have been put in place to disguise from the Western Australian
public that Western Australia Police is almost 500 operational officers under
strength and the numbers leaving are much higher than the 30 per month admitted
in official WA Police statistics?
(2) Is the minister aware that the Commissioner of Police is
-
(a) offering leave without pay to
officers who want to resign; and
(b) trying to bring back some
officers who have resigned to work just one shift per fortnight?
(3) Can the
minister confirm that this strategy to hold onto absent and part-time officers
artificially inflates the reported official strength of the police force to try
to hide the massive police shortage in WA?
(4) Will the minister concede that such a tactic is extremely
deceptive?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(4) The
Leader of the Opposition in seeking to besmirch the reputation of WA Police is
true to form. The fact is that we have a
fine body of men and women -
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members! I call the member for Murray to order for the
first time.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE : - who do an incredibly important job and are
committed to it. In some cases things
have not gone well and they need to do it better. I totally reject the Leader of the Opposition's
attempt to undermine their standing by way of a slur in his question.
Mr P.D. Omodei : What slur?
Mr J.C. KOBELKE : In the last four years in which the Leader of
the Opposition was a minister no money was provided for even one additional
police officer.
Mr P.D. Omodei : Tell me what the slur is?
Mr J.C. KOBELKE : It is in the Leader of the Opposition's
question. It suggested that somehow the
Commissioner of Police is saying things that are not true.
Mr P.D. Omodei : It is a fact.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE : Where is the fact? Where is the evidence that suggests more than
30 police officers are resigning each month?
Mr P.D. Omodei : I will provide you with the evidence. What will you do about the 500 operational
officers under strength in WA Police? Why does the commissioner have to go to these lengths to get numbers
back to protect you?
Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The Leader of the Opposition said that more
that 30 police have been resigning each month; that is, more than the official
figures. Where is the Leader of the
Opposition's evidence?
Mr P.D. Omodei : It is much higher than 30 per month.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE : Where is the evidence?
Mr P.D. Omodei : We will deliver the evidence. Why don't you answer the
question?
Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The Leader of the Opposition does not have
any evidence. He makes these accusations
against the police and the police commissioner, but he has absolutely no
evidence. This demonstrates the
despicable level to which the leader of the Liberal Party will go in this
house. He cannot back up his claim that
there are more police leaving than stated in the official figures provided to
me by the Commissioner of Police. It is
an attack on the commissioner and WA Police. The Leader of the Opposition is an absolute disgrace to call himself the
leader of a political party in this state. He is attacking the police. They
deliver the figures. I do not put the
figures out. I know that it is this
government that provided the money for 250 additional police in its first term
in office and they are now out on patrol. This government provided the police with the wherewithal for 350 police
in this term in government and it is well on track to meeting that. In addition, with Frontline First, another
400 police have been moved from desk jobs to the front line. This government is delivering front-line
policing in this state and that is the reason that all the major crime figures
are decreasing. It has occurred because
of active policing. It is absolutely
despicable of the Leader of the Opposition to make false assertions against the
police and the commissioner.
Leader of the Opposition in seeking to besmirch the reputation of WA Police is
true to form. The fact is that we have a
fine body of men and women -
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members! I call the member for Murray to order for the
first time.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE : - who do an incredibly important job and are
committed to it. In some cases things
have not gone well and they need to do it better. I totally reject the Leader of the Opposition's
attempt to undermine their standing by way of a slur in his question.
Mr P.D. Omodei : What slur?
Mr J.C. KOBELKE : In the last four years in which the Leader of
the Opposition was a minister no money was provided for even one additional
police officer.
Mr P.D. Omodei : Tell me what the slur is?
Mr J.C. KOBELKE : It is in the Leader of the Opposition's
question. It suggested that somehow the
Commissioner of Police is saying things that are not true.
Mr P.D. Omodei : It is a fact.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE : Where is the fact? Where is the evidence that suggests more than
30 police officers are resigning each month?
Mr P.D. Omodei : I will provide you with the evidence. What will you do about the 500 operational
officers under strength in WA Police? Why does the commissioner have to go to these lengths to get numbers
back to protect you?
Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The Leader of the Opposition said that more
that 30 police have been resigning each month; that is, more than the official
figures. Where is the Leader of the
Opposition's evidence?
Mr P.D. Omodei : It is much higher than 30 per month.
Mr J.C. KOBELKE : Where is the evidence?
Mr P.D. Omodei : We will deliver the evidence. Why don't you answer the
question?
Mr J.C. KOBELKE : The Leader of the Opposition does not have
any evidence. He makes these accusations
against the police and the police commissioner, but he has absolutely no
evidence. This demonstrates the
despicable level to which the leader of the Liberal Party will go in this
house. He cannot back up his claim that
there are more police leaving than stated in the official figures provided to
me by the Commissioner of Police. It is
an attack on the commissioner and WA Police. The Leader of the Opposition is an absolute disgrace to call himself the
leader of a political party in this state. He is attacking the police. They
deliver the figures. I do not put the
figures out. I know that it is this
government that provided the money for 250 additional police in its first term
in office and they are now out on patrol. This government provided the police with the wherewithal for 350 police
in this term in government and it is well on track to meeting that. In addition, with Frontline First, another
400 police have been moved from desk jobs to the front line. This government is delivering front-line
policing in this state and that is the reason that all the major crime figures
are decreasing. It has occurred because
of active policing. It is absolutely
despicable of the Leader of the Opposition to make false assertions against the
police and the commissioner.
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