❓ Hon Peter Collier questions the Minister for Police regarding the composition and staffing of the mental health co-response unit. The Minister confirms the unit's structure and addresses temporary officer deployments due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
AnsweredQoN 174Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE — MENTAL
HEALTH CO-RESPONSE PROGRAM
174. Hon PETER COLLIER to
the minister representing the Minister for Police:
(1) Will the
minister confirm that the mental health co-response unit consists of four teams
of nine police officers as well as authorised mental health practitioners
sourced from local health providers?
(2) If no to (1), will the minister
provide the exact composition of the mental health co-response unit?
(3) Have any officers been moved
from any of the four teams over the past 12 months?
(4) If yes to (3), which of the four
teams, and how many officers have been removed?
HEALTH CO-RESPONSE PROGRAM
174. Hon PETER COLLIER to
the minister representing the Minister for Police:
(1) Will the
minister confirm that the mental health co-response unit consists of four teams
of nine police officers as well as authorised mental health practitioners
sourced from local health providers?
(2) If no to (1), will the minister
provide the exact composition of the mental health co-response unit?
(3) Have any officers been moved
from any of the four teams over the past 12 months?
(4) If yes to (3), which of the four
teams, and how many officers have been removed?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of this question. The following information has been provided to me
by the Minister for Police.
The McGowan government is recruiting
950 additional police officers, or 15 per cent more officers—the
largest single increase in police numbers in Western Australia's
history. The McGowan government has also committed to boosting funding by an estimated $20.2 million for the mental health
co-response program, to expand the program to Bunbury and Geraldton and
to provide more mental health teams in the metropolitan area.
(1)–(2) The
Western Australia Police Force advise yes; the authorised mental health
practitioners are provided by the Department of Health.
(3)–(4) Deployment decisions are made by the Commissioner
of Police. The WA Police Force advise that in the last 12 months during
the state of emergency, several officers have been temporarily deployed to
Operation Tide in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to the Perth watch
house. Further, to accommodate the temporary
deployments, some staff from the Cannington team have also been temporarily redeployed to other teams without affecting the response in Cannington. The WA
Police Force is on track to boost mental health co-response in the metropolitan
and regional areas.
some notice of this question. The following information has been provided to me
by the Minister for Police.
The McGowan government is recruiting
950 additional police officers, or 15 per cent more officers—the
largest single increase in police numbers in Western Australia's
history. The McGowan government has also committed to boosting funding by an estimated $20.2 million for the mental health
co-response program, to expand the program to Bunbury and Geraldton and
to provide more mental health teams in the metropolitan area.
(1)–(2) The
Western Australia Police Force advise yes; the authorised mental health
practitioners are provided by the Department of Health.
(3)–(4) Deployment decisions are made by the Commissioner
of Police. The WA Police Force advise that in the last 12 months during
the state of emergency, several officers have been temporarily deployed to
Operation Tide in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to the Perth watch
house. Further, to accommodate the temporary
deployments, some staff from the Cannington team have also been temporarily redeployed to other teams without affecting the response in Cannington. The WA
Police Force is on track to boost mental health co-response in the metropolitan
and regional areas.
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