Question regarding the availability of Midland Police Station to the public 24/7 and the existence of a buzzer for after-hours access. Minister claims she acted on advice from the Police Service.

AnsweredQoN 936Legislative Assembly
Asked
14 August 2003
Portfolio
Police and Emergency Services

QuestionView source ↗

I refer the minister to her claims on the Paul Murray radio show on 24 July 2003 that officers at the Midland Police Station were available to the public 24 hours a day, despite the station advertising that its doors would be closed from 8.00 pm each weeknight. The minister said that people would have to press a buzzer at the front door. (1) Will the minister confirm that at the time she made those comments no such buzzer existed? (2) Will the minister also confirm that the buzzer she referred to on 24 July was, in fact, fitted in a mad panic the next day when her comments about the imaginary buzzer were brought to the attention of the Midland police? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS

AnswerView source ↗

(1)-(2) The member for Kalgoorlie has raised two issues. The first is a totally erroneous story that in some sense the Midland Police Station has been downgraded, when it has not. I asked Deputy Commissioner Brennan, who I saw at a function that morning, what the situation was at all 24-hour stations, including Midland, Mirrabooka, Joondalup, Fremantle and the like, and he assured me that there was either a buzzer or a phone at all those stations. At the time I made those comments on Paul Murray’s radio show, it was on the basis of advice I had received from the Police Service. Mr M.J. Birney: It’s your electorate; didn’t you go and have a look? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Kalgoorlie may not be aware that there was a dysfunctional buzzer at the Midland Police Station. There had been a change some time ago and the station had been operating in a different way. I said that was unacceptable and Deputy Commissioner Brennan made sure that the buzzer was fixed the following day. He had personally given me an assurance that all 24-hour stations either had a buzzer or a telephone and that if the telephone was not answered at a 24-hour station, it would be answered at VKI.
(1) Will the minister confirm that at the time she made those comments no such buzzer existed? (2) Will the minister also confirm that the buzzer she referred to on 24 July was, in fact, fitted in a mad panic the next day when her comments about the imaginary buzzer were brought to the attention of the Midland police? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(2) The member for Kalgoorlie has raised two issues. The first is a totally erroneous story that in some sense the Midland Police Station has been downgraded, when it has not. I asked Deputy Commissioner Brennan, who I saw at a function that morning, what the situation was at all 24-hour stations, including Midland, Mirrabooka, Joondalup, Fremantle and the like, and he assured me that there was either a buzzer or a phone at all those stations. At the time I made those comments on Paul Murray’s radio show, it was on the basis of advice I had received from the Police Service. Mr M.J. Birney: It’s your electorate; didn’t you go and have a look? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Kalgoorlie may not be aware that there was a dysfunctional buzzer at the Midland Police Station. There had been a change some time ago and the station had been operating in a different way. I said that was unacceptable and Deputy Commissioner Brennan made sure that the buzzer was fixed the following day. He had personally given me an assurance that all 24-hour stations either had a buzzer or a telephone and that if the telephone was not answered at a 24-hour station, it would be answered at VKI.
(2) Will the minister also confirm that the buzzer she referred to on 24 July was, in fact, fitted in a mad panic the next day when her comments about the imaginary buzzer were brought to the attention of the Midland police? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(2) The member for Kalgoorlie has raised two issues. The first is a totally erroneous story that in some sense the Midland Police Station has been downgraded, when it has not. I asked Deputy Commissioner Brennan, who I saw at a function that morning, what the situation was at all 24-hour stations, including Midland, Mirrabooka, Joondalup, Fremantle and the like, and he assured me that there was either a buzzer or a phone at all those stations. At the time I made those comments on Paul Murray’s radio show, it was on the basis of advice I had received from the Police Service. Mr M.J. Birney: It’s your electorate; didn’t you go and have a look? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Kalgoorlie may not be aware that there was a dysfunctional buzzer at the Midland Police Station. There had been a change some time ago and the station had been operating in a different way. I said that was unacceptable and Deputy Commissioner Brennan made sure that the buzzer was fixed the following day. He had personally given me an assurance that all 24-hour stations either had a buzzer or a telephone and that if the telephone was not answered at a 24-hour station, it would be answered at VKI.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(2) The member for Kalgoorlie has raised two issues. The first is a totally erroneous story that in some sense the Midland Police Station has been downgraded, when it has not. I asked Deputy Commissioner Brennan, who I saw at a function that morning, what the situation was at all 24-hour stations, including Midland, Mirrabooka, Joondalup, Fremantle and the like, and he assured me that there was either a buzzer or a phone at all those stations. At the time I made those comments on Paul Murray’s radio show, it was on the basis of advice I had received from the Police Service. Mr M.J. Birney: It’s your electorate; didn’t you go and have a look? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Kalgoorlie may not be aware that there was a dysfunctional buzzer at the Midland Police Station. There had been a change some time ago and the station had been operating in a different way. I said that was unacceptable and Deputy Commissioner Brennan made sure that the buzzer was fixed the following day. He had personally given me an assurance that all 24-hour stations either had a buzzer or a telephone and that if the telephone was not answered at a 24-hour station, it would be answered at VKI.
(1)-(2) The member for Kalgoorlie has raised two issues. The first is a totally erroneous story that in some sense the Midland Police Station has been downgraded, when it has not. I asked Deputy Commissioner Brennan, who I saw at a function that morning, what the situation was at all 24-hour stations, including Midland, Mirrabooka, Joondalup, Fremantle and the like, and he assured me that there was either a buzzer or a phone at all those stations. At the time I made those comments on Paul Murray’s radio show, it was on the basis of advice I had received from the Police Service. Mr M.J. Birney: It’s your electorate; didn’t you go and have a look? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Kalgoorlie may not be aware that there was a dysfunctional buzzer at the Midland Police Station. There had been a change some time ago and the station had been operating in a different way. I said that was unacceptable and Deputy Commissioner Brennan made sure that the buzzer was fixed the following day. He had personally given me an assurance that all 24-hour stations either had a buzzer or a telephone and that if the telephone was not answered at a 24-hour station, it would be answered at VKI.
Mr M.J. Birney: It’s your electorate; didn’t you go and have a look? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Kalgoorlie may not be aware that there was a dysfunctional buzzer at the Midland Police Station. There had been a change some time ago and the station had been operating in a different way. I said that was unacceptable and Deputy Commissioner Brennan made sure that the buzzer was fixed the following day. He had personally given me an assurance that all 24-hour stations either had a buzzer or a telephone and that if the telephone was not answered at a 24-hour station, it would be answered at VKI.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The member for Kalgoorlie may not be aware that there was a dysfunctional buzzer at the Midland Police Station. There had been a change some time ago and the station had been operating in a different way. I said that was unacceptable and Deputy Commissioner Brennan made sure that the buzzer was fixed the following day. He had personally given me an assurance that all 24-hour stations either had a buzzer or a telephone and that if the telephone was not answered at a 24-hour station, it would be answered at VKI.

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