❓ Ms. Mettam questions the Minister for Police about high police resignation rates and his explanation attributing them solely to the economy. The Minister disputes the resignation figures and highlights successful police recruitment efforts and overseas recruitment initiatives.
AnsweredQoN 53Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE — RESIGNATIONS
53. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Police:
I refer to reports that WA police
officers continue to quit the force at alarming rates, with 473 police officers
resigning in 2022 compared with the average of around 150 a year, and 61 police
officers having already resigned in 2023, as of 14 February. Does the minister
stand by his comments that the record resignations of police are ''entirely
attributable to the economy and to other opportunities''?
53. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Police:
I refer to reports that WA police
officers continue to quit the force at alarming rates, with 473 police officers
resigning in 2022 compared with the average of around 150 a year, and 61 police
officers having already resigned in 2023, as of 14 February. Does the minister
stand by his comments that the record resignations of police are ''entirely
attributable to the economy and to other opportunities''?
AnswerView source ↗
Where did the member get that last
number from? I have not seen that particular number of resignations.
Ms L. Mettam : It was through
the Legislative Council.
Mr
P. PAPALIA : Was that the
resignation total? No; is the member talking about resignations or retirements
and resignations?
Ms L. Mettam : The 61?
Mr P. PAPALIA : I think the
member might be talking about the latter.
Ms L. Mettam : It is a lot. It's
triple what's on average.
Mr P. PAPALIA : Just be
careful, member. With respect to my observation about why officers were leaving
the force, I believe that Western Australia is, as the member has heard, the
most attractive place on the planet. We are in the midst of an extraordinary
demand for skilled labour and quality people in the community. We went through
two years of COVID. Prior to that, we had a few years recovering from the
absolute disaster of an economy that members
opposite imposed on this state. Their budget mismanagement resulted in several
years of deficits, massive debt and pessimism in the community so that
people who might otherwise have considered leaving did not. Then we were confronted with a pandemic. Therefore,
people who might otherwise have considered leaving did not, and then
last year there was a significant lift in the numbers, particularly in the
second quarter of last year, of people departing. But, at the same time—something
that the member has failed to acknowledge—we have been recruiting
police officers in record numbers. There are extraordinary numbers of Western Australians
applying to join the police force.
I
met Assistant Commissioner Craig Donaldson only last week at an event, and I asked
him about how things are going at the Police Academy. The member will be very
happy and pleased, I am sure, to trumpet the success we have had in attracting
good young people to join the Western Australia Police Force, and to know that
there are 180 recruits training at the academy right now. On Thursday night, I am
going to a graduation. Next month, there will be another graduation and,
thereafter, every single month, in all likelihood, we will be packing them in,
as we did last year. Every single month, there was graduation after graduation
of quality Western Australians who volunteered to join the police force and
serve. That is a good thing. We should be thankful for it and acknowledge them.
Beyond
that, as I indicated in my last answer to the question, we have had incredible
interest from the United Kingdom and Ireland. The officers who we are
seeking to attract from the UK and Ireland are experienced officers. They have
had a minimum of three years' service as a police officer. They are
still young enough and physically capable enough
to take on the challenges of policing, but also with some experience under
their belts. Their transition course is about 18 weeks. It is about half
of a normal course, and, as a consequence, once they start arriving in the
second half of the year, they will be much more rapidly joining our numbers.
The Western Australia Police Force,
as we speak, is about 400 stronger than it was in 2016 when members opposite were last in office. We will continue to grow it.
The Western Australia Police Force has all the funding and resources necessary to continue to grow and be far larger, about 15 per cent bigger, than
it was when members opposite were in office.
number from? I have not seen that particular number of resignations.
Ms L. Mettam : It was through
the Legislative Council.
Mr
P. PAPALIA : Was that the
resignation total? No; is the member talking about resignations or retirements
and resignations?
Ms L. Mettam : The 61?
Mr P. PAPALIA : I think the
member might be talking about the latter.
Ms L. Mettam : It is a lot. It's
triple what's on average.
Mr P. PAPALIA : Just be
careful, member. With respect to my observation about why officers were leaving
the force, I believe that Western Australia is, as the member has heard, the
most attractive place on the planet. We are in the midst of an extraordinary
demand for skilled labour and quality people in the community. We went through
two years of COVID. Prior to that, we had a few years recovering from the
absolute disaster of an economy that members
opposite imposed on this state. Their budget mismanagement resulted in several
years of deficits, massive debt and pessimism in the community so that
people who might otherwise have considered leaving did not. Then we were confronted with a pandemic. Therefore,
people who might otherwise have considered leaving did not, and then
last year there was a significant lift in the numbers, particularly in the
second quarter of last year, of people departing. But, at the same time—something
that the member has failed to acknowledge—we have been recruiting
police officers in record numbers. There are extraordinary numbers of Western Australians
applying to join the police force.
I
met Assistant Commissioner Craig Donaldson only last week at an event, and I asked
him about how things are going at the Police Academy. The member will be very
happy and pleased, I am sure, to trumpet the success we have had in attracting
good young people to join the Western Australia Police Force, and to know that
there are 180 recruits training at the academy right now. On Thursday night, I am
going to a graduation. Next month, there will be another graduation and,
thereafter, every single month, in all likelihood, we will be packing them in,
as we did last year. Every single month, there was graduation after graduation
of quality Western Australians who volunteered to join the police force and
serve. That is a good thing. We should be thankful for it and acknowledge them.
Beyond
that, as I indicated in my last answer to the question, we have had incredible
interest from the United Kingdom and Ireland. The officers who we are
seeking to attract from the UK and Ireland are experienced officers. They have
had a minimum of three years' service as a police officer. They are
still young enough and physically capable enough
to take on the challenges of policing, but also with some experience under
their belts. Their transition course is about 18 weeks. It is about half
of a normal course, and, as a consequence, once they start arriving in the
second half of the year, they will be much more rapidly joining our numbers.
The Western Australia Police Force,
as we speak, is about 400 stronger than it was in 2016 when members opposite were last in office. We will continue to grow it.
The Western Australia Police Force has all the funding and resources necessary to continue to grow and be far larger, about 15 per cent bigger, than
it was when members opposite were in office.
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