❓ Mr. Millman asks about the McGowan government's plan to increase police presence and reduce crime during the summer. The Minister details Operation Heat Shield, a $5 million initiative providing additional police hours and resources across WA.
AnsweredQoN 1077Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE — COMMUNITY SAFETY
1077. Mr S.A. MILLMAN to the Minister for Police:
On behalf of the member for
Jandakot, I welcome the leadership team from the Mosaic community centre.
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to community safety, which is demonstrated by
its unprecedented boost to police operations over this coming summer. Can the
minister advise the house how this unprecedented
summer blitz will increase the police presence across Western Australia and
help drive down crime?
1077. Mr S.A. MILLMAN to the Minister for Police:
On behalf of the member for
Jandakot, I welcome the leadership team from the Mosaic community centre.
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to community safety, which is demonstrated by
its unprecedented boost to police operations over this coming summer. Can the
minister advise the house how this unprecedented
summer blitz will increase the police presence across Western Australia and
help drive down crime?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Mount Lawley
for his question and for his unswerving support of community safety and the job
that our police officers do. On Sunday, 17 November, along with Deputy
Commissioner Gary Dreibergs, I had the pleasure of announcing Operation Heat
Shield, which is a police operation that will run over summer. It is an unprecedented statewide operation targeting
crime and antisocial behaviour over the summer. I think it is well known
that not only around Australia, but also worldwide, when people are outdoors
and perhaps having a drink and enjoying the
sunshine in summer, unfortunately, antisocial behaviour increases and crime
peaks. It peaks here in Western Australia,
in Australia, and around the world. Thanks to the sound financial management of
the McGowan government and the state being in a strong financial position, we
are able to allocate an unprecedented amount to supporting our police over this period and will be able to support them
for a longer period over summer than ever before.
We have allocated $5 million and it
will start on 1 December, going through until the end of May. It will result in
about 55 000 or more police hours being available to the Commissioner of Police
to deploy. The beauty of this program is that it can be deployed on a needs
basis. We will specifically target those urban centres where we know there are
problems and issues from time to time, be that the city, Northbridge,
Joondalup, Mandurah or Ellenbrook. Wherever issues occur, additional resources
can be mobilised very quickly. It will be similar in regional areas. I hope we
do not have to mobilise too many people in Albany, Mr Speaker, but whether it is
Bunbury, Geraldton, the Kimberley or the Pilbara, that overtime will be
available for the commissioner to allocate to his district superintendents to
deploy. Not only district officers will have this opportunity. It will involve
a number of our squads. It will involve the mounted police, the dog squad, the
regional operations group, the juvenile action group, and bike and beat patrols
in the most coordinated police blitz that this state will have seen. Crime is
well down compared with the Barnett–Harvey era, but we will not rest on
our laurels. We know that summer can be a period in which crime increases.
Assaults increase and antisocial behaviour can occur in a variety of urban
settings. We want to nip that in the bud. In addition to increased patrols in
suburban centres, no matter where they are, in metro or country, police will be
targeting volume crimes. They will be looking at burglary, shoplifting, fuel
theft and other common crimes that concern people in our community. I am very
grateful that the Treasurer and the Premier have provided sound financial
management and we are in a position to be able to support our police force to
get on and do an excellent job in supporting the community.
for his question and for his unswerving support of community safety and the job
that our police officers do. On Sunday, 17 November, along with Deputy
Commissioner Gary Dreibergs, I had the pleasure of announcing Operation Heat
Shield, which is a police operation that will run over summer. It is an unprecedented statewide operation targeting
crime and antisocial behaviour over the summer. I think it is well known
that not only around Australia, but also worldwide, when people are outdoors
and perhaps having a drink and enjoying the
sunshine in summer, unfortunately, antisocial behaviour increases and crime
peaks. It peaks here in Western Australia,
in Australia, and around the world. Thanks to the sound financial management of
the McGowan government and the state being in a strong financial position, we
are able to allocate an unprecedented amount to supporting our police over this period and will be able to support them
for a longer period over summer than ever before.
We have allocated $5 million and it
will start on 1 December, going through until the end of May. It will result in
about 55 000 or more police hours being available to the Commissioner of Police
to deploy. The beauty of this program is that it can be deployed on a needs
basis. We will specifically target those urban centres where we know there are
problems and issues from time to time, be that the city, Northbridge,
Joondalup, Mandurah or Ellenbrook. Wherever issues occur, additional resources
can be mobilised very quickly. It will be similar in regional areas. I hope we
do not have to mobilise too many people in Albany, Mr Speaker, but whether it is
Bunbury, Geraldton, the Kimberley or the Pilbara, that overtime will be
available for the commissioner to allocate to his district superintendents to
deploy. Not only district officers will have this opportunity. It will involve
a number of our squads. It will involve the mounted police, the dog squad, the
regional operations group, the juvenile action group, and bike and beat patrols
in the most coordinated police blitz that this state will have seen. Crime is
well down compared with the Barnett–Harvey era, but we will not rest on
our laurels. We know that summer can be a period in which crime increases.
Assaults increase and antisocial behaviour can occur in a variety of urban
settings. We want to nip that in the bud. In addition to increased patrols in
suburban centres, no matter where they are, in metro or country, police will be
targeting volume crimes. They will be looking at burglary, shoplifting, fuel
theft and other common crimes that concern people in our community. I am very
grateful that the Treasurer and the Premier have provided sound financial
management and we are in a position to be able to support our police force to
get on and do an excellent job in supporting the community.
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