❓ Dr. Buti questions the Minister for Police on the benefits of expanding policing districts under the McGowan government, particularly in Armadale, contrasting it with the previous Liberal-National government's approach. The Minister highlights crime reduction and increased resources in Armadale.
AnsweredQoN 66Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE — DISTRICTS
66. Dr A.D. BUTI to the Minister for Police:
(1) Can the
minister update the house on how the McGowan Labor government's
decision to expand the number of policing districts is providing support for
our police officers, driving down crime and helping make our communities safer?
Several members interjected.
Dr A.D. BUTI : Have you got a problem,
''Struggle Street''?
Several members interjected.
Dr A.D. BUTI : I will
continue.
(2) And can the minister outline for
the house what this —
The SPEAKER : Member, just read the question; do not
interject.
Dr A.D. BUTI : Do you want me
to start again?
The SPEAKER : Yes.
Dr A.D. BUTI : My question is —
(1) Can the
minister update the house on how the McGowan Labor government's
decision to expand the number of policing districts is providing better support
for our police officers, driving down crime and helping make our communities
safer?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house how this compares with the way communities such
as Armadale were treated under the previous Liberal–National government's
failed and ineffective policing model?
66. Dr A.D. BUTI to the Minister for Police:
(1) Can the
minister update the house on how the McGowan Labor government's
decision to expand the number of policing districts is providing support for
our police officers, driving down crime and helping make our communities safer?
Several members interjected.
Dr A.D. BUTI : Have you got a problem,
''Struggle Street''?
Several members interjected.
Dr A.D. BUTI : I will
continue.
(2) And can the minister outline for
the house what this —
The SPEAKER : Member, just read the question; do not
interject.
Dr A.D. BUTI : Do you want me
to start again?
The SPEAKER : Yes.
Dr A.D. BUTI : My question is —
(1) Can the
minister update the house on how the McGowan Labor government's
decision to expand the number of policing districts is providing better support
for our police officers, driving down crime and helping make our communities
safer?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house how this compares with the way communities such
as Armadale were treated under the previous Liberal–National government's
failed and ineffective policing model?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Armadale for
his excellent question and for his support of his community.
(1)–(2) The
fact of the matter is that a seven-district metropolitan operating model for
police existed in this state for many decades. One of those districts struggled
more than most—it was the largest and the busiest—and that was
Cannington. If anything, the obvious thing that always stood out was that that
district needed to be broken into two. Unfortunately, under the leadership of
the member for Scarborough a couple of years before the Liberal Party lost
government, the last government had this bright idea to break the metropolitan
policing district into just four. That saw West Perth and Ellenbrook in the
same district, Victoria Park and Byford in the same district, and Cottesloe and
Butler in the same policing district. It was a nonsense and did not work. We
saw massive blowouts in crime, response times get worse, and a very unhappy
workforce with the Western Australian Police Union continually complaining
about the treatment of officers, the shifts they were working, the distances
they were travelling and officers being frustrated at having to continually
arrive at jobs later than they would have liked. Fortunately, under the
leadership of Commissioner Dawson, about a year ago—we supported
Commissioner Dawson in this—we broke it back down into eight policing
districts. As part of that, we effectively reinstated many of the previous
districts. But in what used to be the Cannington district, which was a huge
district, we have now broken it into two. Member for Armadale, there is now a policing
district based in Armadale and that has been paying dividends; in fact, it has
been paying dividends in terms of crime right across the metropolitan area.
Crime is down across the board by seven per cent compared with what it was
under the last year of the Barnett–Harvey government. In Armadale, the
results are very pleasing: crime has decreased by five per cent and crimes
against the person have gone down by 12 per cent.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I hear the
member for Scarborough laughing. What we were seeing in the south-east district
was a huge blowout in crime—a double-digit increase in crime—so
why laugh when I am saying that there has been a 12 per cent decrease in crimes
against the person in Armadale compared with a couple of years ago? That is not
a laughing matter; it is a positive move in the right direction—a very
different direction from the direction the member for Scarborough was taking
the police force. I am pleased with that. Does that mean that there is now no
crime in Armadale? Of course it does not; it means that we are heading in the
right direction. Not only that, the member for Armadale asked me —
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough.
Dr A.D. Buti interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Armadale.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The member
for Scarborough should perhaps keep quiet and think about her own
embarrassment.
Since
coming to government we have introduced a 24/7 police station at Armadale,
something that the member for Armadale's
community asked for; we have targeted operations dealing with retail theft in
the Armadale commercial area; increased visibility at train stations;
police have engaged in more curfew checks; there has been participation in the
Armadale Youth Intervention Partnership, involving children from local schools;
and, as the member knows, shortly we will be delivering the new Armadale
Courthouse and Police Complex, which will be a huge boon for the member for
Armadale's area. I expect that that will mean even better results for
the member's district.
Mrs L.M. Harvey : That was a fantastic
commitment from the Barnett–Harvey government.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough, I call you to order for the first time.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am
surprised that the member for Scarborough pops up her head up over this —
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : — because
for month after month after month we were seeing double-digit increases in
crime, huge metro districts, and police officers running from one end of the
metropolitan area to the other. Now local police forces are looking after local
people and responding locally to crime. They are in there in the shopping
centres and dealing with the local schools; they are not chasing from one end
of the metropolitan area to the other. The member for Scarborough and others
should just get behind the new commissioner and support our police for a change.
his excellent question and for his support of his community.
(1)–(2) The
fact of the matter is that a seven-district metropolitan operating model for
police existed in this state for many decades. One of those districts struggled
more than most—it was the largest and the busiest—and that was
Cannington. If anything, the obvious thing that always stood out was that that
district needed to be broken into two. Unfortunately, under the leadership of
the member for Scarborough a couple of years before the Liberal Party lost
government, the last government had this bright idea to break the metropolitan
policing district into just four. That saw West Perth and Ellenbrook in the
same district, Victoria Park and Byford in the same district, and Cottesloe and
Butler in the same policing district. It was a nonsense and did not work. We
saw massive blowouts in crime, response times get worse, and a very unhappy
workforce with the Western Australian Police Union continually complaining
about the treatment of officers, the shifts they were working, the distances
they were travelling and officers being frustrated at having to continually
arrive at jobs later than they would have liked. Fortunately, under the
leadership of Commissioner Dawson, about a year ago—we supported
Commissioner Dawson in this—we broke it back down into eight policing
districts. As part of that, we effectively reinstated many of the previous
districts. But in what used to be the Cannington district, which was a huge
district, we have now broken it into two. Member for Armadale, there is now a policing
district based in Armadale and that has been paying dividends; in fact, it has
been paying dividends in terms of crime right across the metropolitan area.
Crime is down across the board by seven per cent compared with what it was
under the last year of the Barnett–Harvey government. In Armadale, the
results are very pleasing: crime has decreased by five per cent and crimes
against the person have gone down by 12 per cent.
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I hear the
member for Scarborough laughing. What we were seeing in the south-east district
was a huge blowout in crime—a double-digit increase in crime—so
why laugh when I am saying that there has been a 12 per cent decrease in crimes
against the person in Armadale compared with a couple of years ago? That is not
a laughing matter; it is a positive move in the right direction—a very
different direction from the direction the member for Scarborough was taking
the police force. I am pleased with that. Does that mean that there is now no
crime in Armadale? Of course it does not; it means that we are heading in the
right direction. Not only that, the member for Armadale asked me —
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough.
Dr A.D. Buti interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Armadale.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The member
for Scarborough should perhaps keep quiet and think about her own
embarrassment.
Since
coming to government we have introduced a 24/7 police station at Armadale,
something that the member for Armadale's
community asked for; we have targeted operations dealing with retail theft in
the Armadale commercial area; increased visibility at train stations;
police have engaged in more curfew checks; there has been participation in the
Armadale Youth Intervention Partnership, involving children from local schools;
and, as the member knows, shortly we will be delivering the new Armadale
Courthouse and Police Complex, which will be a huge boon for the member for
Armadale's area. I expect that that will mean even better results for
the member's district.
Mrs L.M. Harvey : That was a fantastic
commitment from the Barnett–Harvey government.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough, I call you to order for the first time.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am
surprised that the member for Scarborough pops up her head up over this —
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : — because
for month after month after month we were seeing double-digit increases in
crime, huge metro districts, and police officers running from one end of the
metropolitan area to the other. Now local police forces are looking after local
people and responding locally to crime. They are in there in the shopping
centres and dealing with the local schools; they are not chasing from one end
of the metropolitan area to the other. The member for Scarborough and others
should just get behind the new commissioner and support our police for a change.
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