Dr. Honey questions the Minister for Police about violent crime statistics, specifically regarding the impact of domestic violence figures. The Minister deflects, attributing high crime rates to past Liberal-National government policies.

AnsweredQoN 486Legislative Assembly
Asked
8 September 2021
Portfolio
Police

QuestionView source ↗

POLICE — CRIME
STATISTICS
486. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the minister's
response to my question asked on 19 August when the minister blamed domestic
violence for the worst violent crime figures in Western Australia's
history. Can the minister confirm that once domestic violence crime categories
are completely excluded from the statistics that Western Australia still has
the worst violent crime rate in the state's history, and why is this
the case?

AnswerView source ↗

No, member, I cannot confirm that.
What I do know is that in 2016 the state experienced the highest crime rates in
the history of the state, and that has not changed. That was under the Liberal–National
government. At that time, we saw headlines indicating that the state was being
flooded with meth and that crime was out of control. That was largely
attributed to a change in policing methodology, particularly in the
metropolitan area, that was overseen by the
Liberal–National government. The current commissioner reversed that
practice. He changed it back to a more conventional policing district
model and reaped the benefits. I have travelled the state, from Denmark to
Derby, visiting police stations and police districts, and I have not yet
encountered one police officer asking us to go back to that system.

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