❓ The Minister for Police outlines measures and reforms delivered to support the WA Police Force, including compensation, resources, equipment upgrades, new leadership, and increased recruitment, highlighting the government's commitment to community safety.
AnsweredQoN 808Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
POLICE — REFORM
808. Mr Y. MUBARAKAI to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's unprecedented support for WA's police officers and
its commitment to keeping our community safe.
(1) Can the
minister update the house on the measures and reforms this government has
delivered this year to support our police force?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house how these reforms have strengthened community
safety and assisted our police in protecting the community?
808. Mr Y. MUBARAKAI to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's unprecedented support for WA's police officers and
its commitment to keeping our community safe.
(1) Can the
minister update the house on the measures and reforms this government has
delivered this year to support our police force?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house how these reforms have strengthened community
safety and assisted our police in protecting the community?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for his question
and for his support of the police, including coming along with me recently to
Cockburn Police Station to greet those officers who police his patch.
(1)–(2) It
has been a big year in continuing to provide support to the Western Australia
Police Force, the likes of which have not been seen—ever. Probably the
most significant contribution I would like to reflect upon is the fact that
earlier in the year, we delivered something that no other government has delivered
for police—something that police have wanted probably since the
inception of the WA Police Force—and that was compensation for police. I
remember how significant it was, Speaker, when you first invited the Medically
Retired Western Australian Police Officers Association to the Western Australian
Labor Party state conference before we entered government. It had had no joy
anywhere in seeking support for its advocacy for some recognition and better
treatment until that time. You took them to the Labor Party state conference
and a motion was passed on the floor of the Labor Party state conference
supporting compensation for police. This government then delivered that in
recent times. It is something quite extraordinary.
I am regularly signing off on recognition of police officers who, sadly,
through the consequences of things they have been exposed to in their
careers, have been injured and are getting compensation or applying for
compensation through that scheme. It is wonderful to see.
We have also been continuing to
support police conducting operations by providing them with necessary
resources. Operation Regional Shield continues to be funded. It enables the
Commissioner of Police to deploy police
capability, individuals and assets anywhere in the regions, as required to
address acute policing challenges. That continues and will continue as
necessary to address issues around, particularly, juvenile offending in the
regions that police confront. We continue to upgrade and equip our police force
with the best equipment in the world. During Madam Speaker's recent
term as Minister for Police, she delivered things
such as body armour for all our police officers and body-worn cameras, which is
a significant change that enables them to refute and dismiss many
malicious complaints about police and enables us to assist in operations and
training of police officers. The OneForce mobile phones have been an
extraordinary addition, but this year we
have enhanced that service through the introduction of CarPlay, which enables
the OneForce mobile phone feature to be matched directly by individual's
voices to every police vehicle they hop into, so that they can access data as
they are approaching an incident and get situational awareness, the likes of which has never been delivered. That
is an extraordinary step in improving their capabilities and safety. We have
given commitments this year to upgrading our BearCat armoured vehicles, buying
new jet boats for the water police and rigid-hull inflatable upgrades for our
tactical response group, and, of course, committed funding for two new
helicopters, which will be a significant advancement in their capabilities.
The other pretty significant thing we
did was appoint a new Commissioner of Police, Col Blanch, APM, a wonderful new
leader of the Western Australia Police Force. He is doing a great job and it is
fantastic to have witnessed him taking office. The final thing I would observe
is that we have committed to growing the
police force by 950 above attrition. We continue to recruit and fund the Western
Australia Police Force to get those
additional numbers that we aspire to recruit. I can tell members that to date,
some 1 127 people have been inducted into the WA Police Force under that
program and the growth continues. Tomorrow evening, I will be attending yet
another graduation; I do it almost monthly. This time silver and bronze squads will be graduating and another 43 officers
will join the force. We also have in the wings some 600 or so
applications from the United Kingdom, Ireland and New Zealand. We will continue
to support the Western Australia Police Force in growing to achieve that
objective.
and for his support of the police, including coming along with me recently to
Cockburn Police Station to greet those officers who police his patch.
(1)–(2) It
has been a big year in continuing to provide support to the Western Australia
Police Force, the likes of which have not been seen—ever. Probably the
most significant contribution I would like to reflect upon is the fact that
earlier in the year, we delivered something that no other government has delivered
for police—something that police have wanted probably since the
inception of the WA Police Force—and that was compensation for police. I
remember how significant it was, Speaker, when you first invited the Medically
Retired Western Australian Police Officers Association to the Western Australian
Labor Party state conference before we entered government. It had had no joy
anywhere in seeking support for its advocacy for some recognition and better
treatment until that time. You took them to the Labor Party state conference
and a motion was passed on the floor of the Labor Party state conference
supporting compensation for police. This government then delivered that in
recent times. It is something quite extraordinary.
I am regularly signing off on recognition of police officers who, sadly,
through the consequences of things they have been exposed to in their
careers, have been injured and are getting compensation or applying for
compensation through that scheme. It is wonderful to see.
We have also been continuing to
support police conducting operations by providing them with necessary
resources. Operation Regional Shield continues to be funded. It enables the
Commissioner of Police to deploy police
capability, individuals and assets anywhere in the regions, as required to
address acute policing challenges. That continues and will continue as
necessary to address issues around, particularly, juvenile offending in the
regions that police confront. We continue to upgrade and equip our police force
with the best equipment in the world. During Madam Speaker's recent
term as Minister for Police, she delivered things
such as body armour for all our police officers and body-worn cameras, which is
a significant change that enables them to refute and dismiss many
malicious complaints about police and enables us to assist in operations and
training of police officers. The OneForce mobile phones have been an
extraordinary addition, but this year we
have enhanced that service through the introduction of CarPlay, which enables
the OneForce mobile phone feature to be matched directly by individual's
voices to every police vehicle they hop into, so that they can access data as
they are approaching an incident and get situational awareness, the likes of which has never been delivered. That
is an extraordinary step in improving their capabilities and safety. We have
given commitments this year to upgrading our BearCat armoured vehicles, buying
new jet boats for the water police and rigid-hull inflatable upgrades for our
tactical response group, and, of course, committed funding for two new
helicopters, which will be a significant advancement in their capabilities.
The other pretty significant thing we
did was appoint a new Commissioner of Police, Col Blanch, APM, a wonderful new
leader of the Western Australia Police Force. He is doing a great job and it is
fantastic to have witnessed him taking office. The final thing I would observe
is that we have committed to growing the
police force by 950 above attrition. We continue to recruit and fund the Western
Australia Police Force to get those
additional numbers that we aspire to recruit. I can tell members that to date,
some 1 127 people have been inducted into the WA Police Force under that
program and the growth continues. Tomorrow evening, I will be attending yet
another graduation; I do it almost monthly. This time silver and bronze squads will be graduating and another 43 officers
will join the force. We also have in the wings some 600 or so
applications from the United Kingdom, Ireland and New Zealand. We will continue
to support the Western Australia Police Force in growing to achieve that
objective.
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