❓ Mr Whitby asks about the government's investment in multi-threat body armour for police. The Minister for Police responds by detailing the $19.2 million investment and contrasting it with the previous government's inaction.
AnsweredQoN 1026Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE —
MULTI-THREAT VESTS
1026. Mr R.R. WHITBY to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to ensuring that our police officers have the
resources and equipment they need to protect our community. Can the minister
update the house on this government's investment in multi-threat body
armour for every operational police officer in Western Australia?
MULTI-THREAT VESTS
1026. Mr R.R. WHITBY to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to ensuring that our police officers have the
resources and equipment they need to protect our community. Can the minister
update the house on this government's investment in multi-threat body
armour for every operational police officer in Western Australia?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Baldivis for
that question and for his strong commitment to supporting Western Australian
police officers. I can advise the house not only about what the McGowan
government is doing in this regard, but also how the Leader of the Opposition,
as Minister for Police, sat on her hands and did nothing and did not put a cent
in the budget.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Your own minister is on her feet!
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : These are
not just new things being rolled out around Australia. I had a look at the
press release of the Tasmania Police from Friday, 17 April 2015—two
years before the member for Scarborough and former Minister for Police lost
office. Two years before then, Tasmanian Police was quoted as saying —
Tasmania Police officers on the
frontline are being equipped with the latest in personal protection equipment.
New high visibility load bearing and
personal protection vests will be provided to every Tasmania Police officer �
And so on the other states went,
while our minister sat on her hands at the time. For two years she did nothing.
Frontline officers were not worth protecting! We did not even get a commitment
when we asked the question whether they would consider personal-issue
stab-proof vests for our officers. There was no commitment and no money. This
can be contrasted with the investment we have made in multi-threat vests. It is
a $19.2 million commitment for our frontline officers. These have been fitted
to our regional operations group in the first instance and are being rolled out
to the midwest. A total of some 4 000 vests are currently on order to be
delivered to the front line. We cannot put a price on the life of our police
officers. The sad fact is that about twice every week, an officer is threatened
with a knife, some form of bladed weapon or something similar. They need this
protection. This gives not just them peace of mind; it also can give their
families peace of mind. We are asking these officers to protect us in the
community. We need to do what we can to protect them.
We have awarded this $19.2 million
contract to a company called Aquaterro. I have seen a demonstration of the
capacity of these vests and they are the best on offer. They were evaluated for
several months, with the aid of about 60 officers and Edith Cowan University.
These are the kinds of vests that are used to protect presidents, prime
ministers, commandos and law enforcement officers around the world. We have
ensured that our police officers in Western Australia have a lightweight
state-of-the-art piece of equipment to protect them. In what I think is an Australian
first, there will also be a very light trauma pouch as part of the vest, where
there will be first-aid equipment to tend to wounds and the like. We know that
when an event such as that in Christchurch occurs, the first officers in
attendance are usually regular frontline officers. It is very unusual to have a
tactical response group or regional operations group on hand. The first
officers on scene are often just general duty officers. That is why it is so important
to protect them the best that we can, because it is their job to protect us.
that question and for his strong commitment to supporting Western Australian
police officers. I can advise the house not only about what the McGowan
government is doing in this regard, but also how the Leader of the Opposition,
as Minister for Police, sat on her hands and did nothing and did not put a cent
in the budget.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Your own minister is on her feet!
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : These are
not just new things being rolled out around Australia. I had a look at the
press release of the Tasmania Police from Friday, 17 April 2015—two
years before the member for Scarborough and former Minister for Police lost
office. Two years before then, Tasmanian Police was quoted as saying —
Tasmania Police officers on the
frontline are being equipped with the latest in personal protection equipment.
New high visibility load bearing and
personal protection vests will be provided to every Tasmania Police officer �
And so on the other states went,
while our minister sat on her hands at the time. For two years she did nothing.
Frontline officers were not worth protecting! We did not even get a commitment
when we asked the question whether they would consider personal-issue
stab-proof vests for our officers. There was no commitment and no money. This
can be contrasted with the investment we have made in multi-threat vests. It is
a $19.2 million commitment for our frontline officers. These have been fitted
to our regional operations group in the first instance and are being rolled out
to the midwest. A total of some 4 000 vests are currently on order to be
delivered to the front line. We cannot put a price on the life of our police
officers. The sad fact is that about twice every week, an officer is threatened
with a knife, some form of bladed weapon or something similar. They need this
protection. This gives not just them peace of mind; it also can give their
families peace of mind. We are asking these officers to protect us in the
community. We need to do what we can to protect them.
We have awarded this $19.2 million
contract to a company called Aquaterro. I have seen a demonstration of the
capacity of these vests and they are the best on offer. They were evaluated for
several months, with the aid of about 60 officers and Edith Cowan University.
These are the kinds of vests that are used to protect presidents, prime
ministers, commandos and law enforcement officers around the world. We have
ensured that our police officers in Western Australia have a lightweight
state-of-the-art piece of equipment to protect them. In what I think is an Australian
first, there will also be a very light trauma pouch as part of the vest, where
there will be first-aid equipment to tend to wounds and the like. We know that
when an event such as that in Christchurch occurs, the first officers in
attendance are usually regular frontline officers. It is very unusual to have a
tactical response group or regional operations group on hand. The first
officers on scene are often just general duty officers. That is why it is so important
to protect them the best that we can, because it is their job to protect us.
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