❓ Mr. Mubarakai asks about the impact of increased police numbers on crime and antisocial behaviour in Northbridge. The Minister responds positively, detailing recruitment progress, deployment strategies, and technological advancements enhancing policing in the area.
AnsweredQoN 433Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CRIME AND ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR — NORTHBRIDGE
433. Mr Y. MUBARAKAI to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's investment in putting an additional 950 new police
officers on our streets. Can the minister update the house on the work of the
WA police in responding to crime and antisocial behaviour in the Northbridge entertainment precinct, and outline how
this is delivering greater safety within the area?
433. Mr Y. MUBARAKAI to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's investment in putting an additional 950 new police
officers on our streets. Can the minister update the house on the work of the
WA police in responding to crime and antisocial behaviour in the Northbridge entertainment precinct, and outline how
this is delivering greater safety within the area?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for his question
and his support of the Western Australia Police Force.
I am pleased to update the house and
advise that we are currently in the midst of the single-biggest recruitment of
police officers in a four-year period in the history of the state. That is 950
officers in this four-year period, but, of course, when combined with the 150
or so delivered as a consequence of our promise at the 2017 election, it is 1 100 overall. In the last 18 months or so, I have
been going to graduations almost monthly, and there is one tonight —red
and white squads are graduating tonight. That is another 54 or so officers who
will be leaving the academy and joining the Western Australia Police Force. We
have graduated some 530 officers since that program commenced, but we have actually recruited around 570 through
the doors, so there are still some under training. It is progressing well.
As officers go into the police
force, they go out across the state. One district that is receiving additional
officers is Perth district, which has been
the beneficiary of an additional 175 officers over the last 18 months—an
extraordinary uplift in the number of
police officers on the ground. They are employed aggressively at the moment in
foot patrols —a high-visibility presence on the streets—to
ensure that people not only feel safe but also are safe at all times around the
CBD. Anyone who walks around the city at night-time now would understand and
recognise that. If someone goes into Northbridge on a Friday or Saturday night
at this time of the year when Operation Nightsafe is operating, they will probably see more police than patrons at some of
the venues. It is not just foot patrols. The liquor enforcement unit is
actively enforcing the responsible service of alcohol at venues to ensure that
we get the benefit of those laws that require venues to act responsibly.
As I have said many times in this
place, right throughout the previous term of office, and currently, WA has been leading the nation, if not the world, in
adopting technology to enable better, more efficient and safer policing for police
officers. That is happening all over the state. In Northbridge, we are seeing
the benefit of these things right now. During the last term, we saw the
introduction of body armour, digital access for police officers with the
OneForce mobile phones, and body-worn cameras. Across the Perth district, but
particularly in Northbridge, the police are trialling the livestreaming of
body-worn camera imagery to the State Operations Command Centre, so there is real-time monitoring and support to
police officers on the ground right throughout Northbridge. That area is significantly safer, better supported and better policed, and it will only get
better because we are going to continue.
and his support of the Western Australia Police Force.
I am pleased to update the house and
advise that we are currently in the midst of the single-biggest recruitment of
police officers in a four-year period in the history of the state. That is 950
officers in this four-year period, but, of course, when combined with the 150
or so delivered as a consequence of our promise at the 2017 election, it is 1 100 overall. In the last 18 months or so, I have
been going to graduations almost monthly, and there is one tonight —red
and white squads are graduating tonight. That is another 54 or so officers who
will be leaving the academy and joining the Western Australia Police Force. We
have graduated some 530 officers since that program commenced, but we have actually recruited around 570 through
the doors, so there are still some under training. It is progressing well.
As officers go into the police
force, they go out across the state. One district that is receiving additional
officers is Perth district, which has been
the beneficiary of an additional 175 officers over the last 18 months—an
extraordinary uplift in the number of
police officers on the ground. They are employed aggressively at the moment in
foot patrols —a high-visibility presence on the streets—to
ensure that people not only feel safe but also are safe at all times around the
CBD. Anyone who walks around the city at night-time now would understand and
recognise that. If someone goes into Northbridge on a Friday or Saturday night
at this time of the year when Operation Nightsafe is operating, they will probably see more police than patrons at some of
the venues. It is not just foot patrols. The liquor enforcement unit is
actively enforcing the responsible service of alcohol at venues to ensure that
we get the benefit of those laws that require venues to act responsibly.
As I have said many times in this
place, right throughout the previous term of office, and currently, WA has been leading the nation, if not the world, in
adopting technology to enable better, more efficient and safer policing for police
officers. That is happening all over the state. In Northbridge, we are seeing
the benefit of these things right now. During the last term, we saw the
introduction of body armour, digital access for police officers with the
OneForce mobile phones, and body-worn cameras. Across the Perth district, but
particularly in Northbridge, the police are trialling the livestreaming of
body-worn camera imagery to the State Operations Command Centre, so there is real-time monitoring and support to
police officers on the ground right throughout Northbridge. That area is significantly safer, better supported and better policed, and it will only get
better because we are going to continue.
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