❓ The Minister for Police details recruitment efforts, including the 'Let's Join Forces' campaign and international recruitment agreements, highlighting the success in attracting local and overseas applicants and bolstering police numbers.
AnsweredQoN 434Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE RECRUITMENT
434. Mrs L.A. MUNDAY to the Minister for Police:
I
refer to the Cook Labor government's commitment to supporting the
growth of police offices in Western Australia.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house what measures have been taken to increase the number
of police recruits at the Western Australia Police Academy?
(2) Can the
minister please also update the house on the recruitment of experienced
officers from other jurisdictions, both interstate and overseas?
434. Mrs L.A. MUNDAY to the Minister for Police:
I
refer to the Cook Labor government's commitment to supporting the
growth of police offices in Western Australia.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house what measures have been taken to increase the number
of police recruits at the Western Australia Police Academy?
(2) Can the
minister please also update the house on the recruitment of experienced
officers from other jurisdictions, both interstate and overseas?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for her question. Both of those questions are related. The
response to trying to get more police officers into the Western Australian
police force is—she will probably be familiar with it—a
campaign called ''Let's Join Forces'', which was launched
by Madam Speaker when she was the Minister for Police. It has been incredibly
successful, drawing some 2 600 applications at last count from local
communities to join the Western Australia Police Force. However, two and a half
to three years ago, we saw the need to try to broaden the base from whom we
could recruit. As soon as the current federal government was elected, I went
over to Canberra and met with the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and
Multicultural Affairs and sought a labour force agreement. We received it
within a couple of weeks. Western Australia leads the nation in seeking to
recruit from like police forces around the world. For the United Kingdom,
Ireland and New Zealand, we achieved a labour force agreement that enables us
to bring in something in the order of 150
experienced police officers from those police forces each year. I can
report that it has been incredibly successful. Not surprisingly, there has been
a lot of interest from the UK. At the last count, 1 889 experienced police
officers had applied to join our police force from overseas, predominantly the
UK but some from Ireland and a few from New Zealand. We are also attracting interstate police officers because this is a place
of opportunity. It is probably one of the very few jurisdictions in the
country where a police officer can aspire to buy their own home in the capital
city, by comparison to some of the other
jurisdictions where it is impossible. At the moment, 387 officers are training
at the academy. Of those, 105 are international transition officers.
They have a minimum of three years' experience. They do a half-length
course and they get out there and bolster our numbers, and provide additional
experience to the force.
The number of international recruits
who have graduated since 1 January 2023, when this started, is 109. I will be
going to a graduation on Friday, I think, or very shortly, where another 40 are
graduating. We have also bolstered the capacity at the academy. They are
pushing through something in the order of 1 000 recruits in a 12-month period.
There are 17 intakes, including the internationals and the locals, over a 12-month
period. Since the current financial year began, 742 officers have commenced;
546 of them are locals; 179 are internationals; and 17 are re-engaging.
There
is no shortage of people wanting to join the Western Australia Police Force.
That is because it rightly has a world-class
reputation for delivery of service. Contrary to the attacks and denigration
that has been sent the way of the Western
Australia Police Force by the Liberal Party and Nationals WA who, whenever they
talk about police, do nothing except criticise them, our police are excellent.
They provide, if not best practice in the world, equal to best practice in the
world. We should be very happy to receive that service from them.
The SPEAKER : The Leader of
the Opposition with the last question.
thank the member for her question. Both of those questions are related. The
response to trying to get more police officers into the Western Australian
police force is—she will probably be familiar with it—a
campaign called ''Let's Join Forces'', which was launched
by Madam Speaker when she was the Minister for Police. It has been incredibly
successful, drawing some 2 600 applications at last count from local
communities to join the Western Australia Police Force. However, two and a half
to three years ago, we saw the need to try to broaden the base from whom we
could recruit. As soon as the current federal government was elected, I went
over to Canberra and met with the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and
Multicultural Affairs and sought a labour force agreement. We received it
within a couple of weeks. Western Australia leads the nation in seeking to
recruit from like police forces around the world. For the United Kingdom,
Ireland and New Zealand, we achieved a labour force agreement that enables us
to bring in something in the order of 150
experienced police officers from those police forces each year. I can
report that it has been incredibly successful. Not surprisingly, there has been
a lot of interest from the UK. At the last count, 1 889 experienced police
officers had applied to join our police force from overseas, predominantly the
UK but some from Ireland and a few from New Zealand. We are also attracting interstate police officers because this is a place
of opportunity. It is probably one of the very few jurisdictions in the
country where a police officer can aspire to buy their own home in the capital
city, by comparison to some of the other
jurisdictions where it is impossible. At the moment, 387 officers are training
at the academy. Of those, 105 are international transition officers.
They have a minimum of three years' experience. They do a half-length
course and they get out there and bolster our numbers, and provide additional
experience to the force.
The number of international recruits
who have graduated since 1 January 2023, when this started, is 109. I will be
going to a graduation on Friday, I think, or very shortly, where another 40 are
graduating. We have also bolstered the capacity at the academy. They are
pushing through something in the order of 1 000 recruits in a 12-month period.
There are 17 intakes, including the internationals and the locals, over a 12-month
period. Since the current financial year began, 742 officers have commenced;
546 of them are locals; 179 are internationals; and 17 are re-engaging.
There
is no shortage of people wanting to join the Western Australia Police Force.
That is because it rightly has a world-class
reputation for delivery of service. Contrary to the attacks and denigration
that has been sent the way of the Western
Australia Police Force by the Liberal Party and Nationals WA who, whenever they
talk about police, do nothing except criticise them, our police are excellent.
They provide, if not best practice in the world, equal to best practice in the
world. We should be very happy to receive that service from them.
The SPEAKER : The Leader of
the Opposition with the last question.
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