❓ Mr. Hort questions the Minister for Police about a 32% increase in offences against the person since 2017-18. The Minister responds by highlighting a peak in crime in 2016 and a decrease in other crime categories, attributing the increase to higher reporting rates of family and domestic violence.
AnsweredQoN 478Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Community safety
478. Mr Adam Hort to
the Minister for Police:
I refer to the rate
of offences against the person, excluding family violence-related offences, on
page 5 of the WA Police Force Annual Report. These offences, including violent assault, sexual offences and robberies, have
increased by 32% since 2017–18. Why have these serious crimes risen so
dramatically under successive Labor governments?
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members! You have asked the question.
478. Mr Adam Hort to
the Minister for Police:
I refer to the rate
of offences against the person, excluding family violence-related offences, on
page 5 of the WA Police Force Annual Report. These offences, including violent assault, sexual offences and robberies, have
increased by 32% since 2017–18. Why have these serious crimes risen so
dramatically under successive Labor governments?
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members! You have asked the question.
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member
for the question.
It is interesting. The
member for Kalamunda has his little picture there—very nice. We all have
pictures to show in this place, member. It is interesting that the member would
pick that out and I am happy to engage in a conversation about that particular
example from the account the member is talking about.
In recent days, we
have had members come in here and members of the other place make accusations
online in media reports that are purely sensationally wrong, so I always have
to be cautious about the approach of members opposite. We have some impressive
numbers in the police.
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
Mr Reece Whitby: Can I finish?
The Speaker: Minister, just hang on two seconds.
Member for Kalamunda, you asked whether you could use the prop. You can use it
during the question—you have used it. Please keep it down now. Carry
on, minister.
Mr Reece Whitby: The rate of crime in Western
Australia peaked in 2016. The overall rate of crime in Western Australia peaked
in 2016, which is almost a decade ago. The number of break-ins has dramatically
reduced—almost, I think, more than halved. The number of car thefts has
reduced dramatically. In fact, in a whole range of measures, crime has reduced
in Western Australia. The overall crime rate in Western Australia is now lower
than it was in 2016 at the time of the previous government. That is a fact. That
is something that the member has obviously overlooked from that information and
does not want to mention.
The member mentioned
crimes against the person and, indeed, crimes of a family and domestic violence
nature. That is a challenge. We heard the Commissioner of Police say that more
reporting of these incidents is a good thing because it is bringing crime into
the light. We are no longer treating these incidents as a domestic and something
that is to be kept private and not scrutinised.
Mr Basil Zempilas: Don't you know the numbers,
minister?
Mr Reece Whitby: I absolutely know the numbers.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition, please do not
interject.
Mr Reece Whitby: The fact is that those numbers have
increased, and it is overwhelmingly because the amount of reporting has
increased. This government has spent over half a billion dollars on addressing
family and domestic violence issues. No government has done more. The police
are now totally focused on it. Young recruits going through the academy in
Joondalup are trained specifically to deal with incidents of family and
domestic violence.
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition!
Mr Reece Whitby: They
do not want to hear about this stuff. We know that our police are focused on
this issue like never before. They take these matters seriously. The community
has confidence that, if they have a family and domestic violence issue, they can
raise it with police to address the issue and to have restraining orders issued
or charges laid. In fact, what the police call the clearance rate for family
and domestic violence has never been higher. We encourage everyone to report
these issues. It is a fact that the rate has gone up because those are the
reported rates.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members of the opposition, it is slowly
getting louder.
Mr Reece Whitby: No-one in this place can tell me that
incidents of family and domestic violence are worse now than they were in the 1960s
and 1970s. No-one can tell me that. What we are seeing is more reporting, which
is a good thing. We want to see more and more people reporting those incidents
because—
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition, I am going to
call you for the first time.
Mr Reece Whitby: I will conclude, Mr Speaker. I will repeat
what I said at the beginning. Overall, the crime rate peaked in 2016. It is
lower now.
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt!
Mr Reece Whitby: In fact, for many mainstream offences,
the numbers are much lower in real terms than they have ever been.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members of the opposition!
Mr Reece Whitby: The reporting of incidents of family
and domestic violence has increased because there is a police focus and people
are prepared to report it when it happens. That is a good thing, and we are
addressing it.
Point of order
Mr David Michael: The Leader of the Opposition has
repeated the same quote about 20 times in a row. You called him once, but it
continues.
The Speaker: I shall not uphold that point of order.
for the question.
It is interesting. The
member for Kalamunda has his little picture there—very nice. We all have
pictures to show in this place, member. It is interesting that the member would
pick that out and I am happy to engage in a conversation about that particular
example from the account the member is talking about.
In recent days, we
have had members come in here and members of the other place make accusations
online in media reports that are purely sensationally wrong, so I always have
to be cautious about the approach of members opposite. We have some impressive
numbers in the police.
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
Mr Reece Whitby: Can I finish?
The Speaker: Minister, just hang on two seconds.
Member for Kalamunda, you asked whether you could use the prop. You can use it
during the question—you have used it. Please keep it down now. Carry
on, minister.
Mr Reece Whitby: The rate of crime in Western
Australia peaked in 2016. The overall rate of crime in Western Australia peaked
in 2016, which is almost a decade ago. The number of break-ins has dramatically
reduced—almost, I think, more than halved. The number of car thefts has
reduced dramatically. In fact, in a whole range of measures, crime has reduced
in Western Australia. The overall crime rate in Western Australia is now lower
than it was in 2016 at the time of the previous government. That is a fact. That
is something that the member has obviously overlooked from that information and
does not want to mention.
The member mentioned
crimes against the person and, indeed, crimes of a family and domestic violence
nature. That is a challenge. We heard the Commissioner of Police say that more
reporting of these incidents is a good thing because it is bringing crime into
the light. We are no longer treating these incidents as a domestic and something
that is to be kept private and not scrutinised.
Mr Basil Zempilas: Don't you know the numbers,
minister?
Mr Reece Whitby: I absolutely know the numbers.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition, please do not
interject.
Mr Reece Whitby: The fact is that those numbers have
increased, and it is overwhelmingly because the amount of reporting has
increased. This government has spent over half a billion dollars on addressing
family and domestic violence issues. No government has done more. The police
are now totally focused on it. Young recruits going through the academy in
Joondalup are trained specifically to deal with incidents of family and
domestic violence.
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition!
Mr Reece Whitby: They
do not want to hear about this stuff. We know that our police are focused on
this issue like never before. They take these matters seriously. The community
has confidence that, if they have a family and domestic violence issue, they can
raise it with police to address the issue and to have restraining orders issued
or charges laid. In fact, what the police call the clearance rate for family
and domestic violence has never been higher. We encourage everyone to report
these issues. It is a fact that the rate has gone up because those are the
reported rates.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members of the opposition, it is slowly
getting louder.
Mr Reece Whitby: No-one in this place can tell me that
incidents of family and domestic violence are worse now than they were in the 1960s
and 1970s. No-one can tell me that. What we are seeing is more reporting, which
is a good thing. We want to see more and more people reporting those incidents
because—
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition, I am going to
call you for the first time.
Mr Reece Whitby: I will conclude, Mr Speaker. I will repeat
what I said at the beginning. Overall, the crime rate peaked in 2016. It is
lower now.
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt!
Mr Reece Whitby: In fact, for many mainstream offences,
the numbers are much lower in real terms than they have ever been.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members of the opposition!
Mr Reece Whitby: The reporting of incidents of family
and domestic violence has increased because there is a police focus and people
are prepared to report it when it happens. That is a good thing, and we are
addressing it.
Point of order
Mr David Michael: The Leader of the Opposition has
repeated the same quote about 20 times in a row. You called him once, but it
continues.
The Speaker: I shall not uphold that point of order.
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